A WISCONSIN HISTORICAL TRUE CRIME STORY

In the tranquil Belgian pioneer settlement near Green Bay, Wisconsin, gossip and legend surround a farmer named J.P. Soquet—including a series of purported murders—three of those his wives. This riveting true story, set in the decades following the Civil War, tells the remarkable means by which Pauline Villiesse, the sister of Soquet’s third wife, and Xavier Martin, a Belgian translator, seek justice for the “disposable wives” of J.P. Soquet.

A gripping account of crime in Wisconsin’s Belgian settlement, this well-researched work provides a rich portrait of the life, laws, and traditions of the era, and the challenges of seeking justice in a new land. ~ Belgian Heritage Center

Thought-provoking and engrossing… this tale embraces moral ambiguity, legal system failures, the rights and perceptions of women in this society… as it spins an engaging backdrop of early America’s communities and their leaders. ~Midwest Book Review

To Be Released on May 12, 2026