A review by tessisreading2
Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland by Patricia L. Bryan, Thomas Wolf

4.0

Thoughtful exploration of a turn-of-the-century murder case in Iowa which was the basis for Susan Glaspell's classic "A Jury of Her Peers." It is both a true crime narrative and an exploration of the life available to Margaret Hossack, an Iowa farm wife accused of killing her husband, and so many other women like her: domestic violence, endless chores, and the judgment and mistrust of the community. As an exploration of these themes it's incredibly successful; if you're reading it purely as a true crime narrative, maybe not, since the authors make little effort to determine "whodunnit" although they cover all the bases fairly thoroughly. It's a journey rather than a narrative with a concrete ending.