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Midnight Assassin: A Murder In America's Heartland
In 1900, Margaret Hossack, the wife of a prominent Iowa farmer, was arrested for bludgeoning her husband to death with an ax while their children slept upstairs. The community was outraged: How could a woman commit such an act of violence? Firsthand accounts describe the victim, John Hossack, as a cruel and unstable man. Perhaps Margaret Hossack was acting out of fear. Or perhaps the story she told was true—that an intruder broke into the house, killed her husband while she slept soundly beside him, and was still on the loose. Newspapers across the country carried the story, and community sentiment was divided over her guilt. At trial, Margaret was convicted of murder, but later was released on appeal. Ultimately, neither her innocence nor her guilt was ever proved.
Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf examine the harsh realities of farm life at the turn of the century and look at the plight of women—legally, socially, and politically—during that period. What also emerges is the story of early feminist Susan Glaspell, who covered the Hossack case as a young reporter and later used it as the basis for her acclaimed work A Jury of Her Peers.
Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of the media.
Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf examine the harsh realities of farm life at the turn of the century and look at the plight of women—legally, socially, and politically—during that period. What also emerges is the story of early feminist Susan Glaspell, who covered the Hossack case as a young reporter and later used it as the basis for her acclaimed work A Jury of Her Peers.
Midnight Assassin expertly renders the American character and experience: our obsession with crime, how justice is achieved, and the powerful influence of the media.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
January 10, 2025
This is based on the case of the little-known but gruesome murder of an Iowa farmer.
The authors, a married couple; Patricia Bryan a law professor at the University of North Carolina; & Thomas Wolf, a writer, have done amazing work opening a previously kept private window on the Hossack family, a mother and a father with nine children, five who were still at home. They lived near the small Iowa town of Indianola.
On December 1, 1900. Neighbors knew that their marriage was a troubled one. John, the husband, was often prone to fits of violent rage, and the long-suffering wife, Margaret, had occasionally reached out in desperation for help, but none was forthcoming. On the night in question, she claims to have awakened to find John bloody and wounded by blows to the head. She claimed that an unknown intruder had entered the home and he and John had fought. John dies within hours.
The family’s axe, used occasionally to kill the turkeys that the family raised, is presented at the inquest during which Margaret denies there was any serious trouble in the family. She is arrested and the case is soon brought to trial.
The authors, mostly through the coverage of the murder and the trial by Iowa journalist Susan Glaspell and told though many printed articles exactly what the life and times of a farm wife at the turn of the century was like. Pre-formed attitudes toward women become a feature for both the prosecution and the defense, inevitably going back eight years to the well celebrated trial of Lizzie Borden, who had been acquitted of the ax murder of her parents in Fall River, Massachusetts. Margaret was convicted by the local jury, but the conviction was overturned on appeal. She was relocated to another Iowa town, but still under what amounted to "house arrest" and at the age 60 she was finally freed, with the jury being hopelessly hung. Questions not voiced at the trial was finally brought to light...was she perhaps protecting one of the children? This added intrigue to one of her neighbor’s casual comments... “When a man don’t like a woman there is lots of things that comes up to make them contrary to each other.” Guilty or innocent???
The jury didn't know although the entire town was rampant with theories...I guess we'll never really know one way or the other. If you like true crime stories you might want to investigate by the printed word, in this small Iowa town.
The authors, a married couple; Patricia Bryan a law professor at the University of North Carolina; & Thomas Wolf, a writer, have done amazing work opening a previously kept private window on the Hossack family, a mother and a father with nine children, five who were still at home. They lived near the small Iowa town of Indianola.
On December 1, 1900. Neighbors knew that their marriage was a troubled one. John, the husband, was often prone to fits of violent rage, and the long-suffering wife, Margaret, had occasionally reached out in desperation for help, but none was forthcoming. On the night in question, she claims to have awakened to find John bloody and wounded by blows to the head. She claimed that an unknown intruder had entered the home and he and John had fought. John dies within hours.
The family’s axe, used occasionally to kill the turkeys that the family raised, is presented at the inquest during which Margaret denies there was any serious trouble in the family. She is arrested and the case is soon brought to trial.
The authors, mostly through the coverage of the murder and the trial by Iowa journalist Susan Glaspell and told though many printed articles exactly what the life and times of a farm wife at the turn of the century was like. Pre-formed attitudes toward women become a feature for both the prosecution and the defense, inevitably going back eight years to the well celebrated trial of Lizzie Borden, who had been acquitted of the ax murder of her parents in Fall River, Massachusetts. Margaret was convicted by the local jury, but the conviction was overturned on appeal. She was relocated to another Iowa town, but still under what amounted to "house arrest" and at the age 60 she was finally freed, with the jury being hopelessly hung. Questions not voiced at the trial was finally brought to light...was she perhaps protecting one of the children? This added intrigue to one of her neighbor’s casual comments... “When a man don’t like a woman there is lots of things that comes up to make them contrary to each other.” Guilty or innocent???
The jury didn't know although the entire town was rampant with theories...I guess we'll never really know one way or the other. If you like true crime stories you might want to investigate by the printed word, in this small Iowa town.
May 22, 2011
The story behind this book is fascinating; however, to be honest, it is very dryly written. It is matter of fact, which normally I enjoy in books. This story made me feel like I was reading a "case study" of the event versus a book published for the general public. Again, very interesting book, but I thought it called for some more "descriptive, uplifting" writing.
September 7, 2020
This is my first true murder story. And to be honest, I honestly thought I would not wanna read it. I don't like true story stuff. But it was actually pretty good! the only thing I didn't like was that after I read it, (in 2 hours,) i was thinking about the axe and the killing. I was nervous! I wanted to read it, and forget about the bad deed done. I'm sometimes such a scaredy cat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2013
This is the true story of an unsolved murder that took place in Iowa, on the night of December 1, 1900. John Hossack, a well to-do farmer, was fatally attacked with an ax while he slept. Suspicions focused on his long suffering wife, Margaret, who claimed to asleep beside her husband in the bed while the attack took place. A history of domestic strife within the household convinced local authorities that she had finally snapped after years of threats and verbal abuse. This story takes us through her two trials, and alternate theories as to who else could have been responsible for the crime.
It also brings to light how at that time, communities largely ignored or tolerated domestic abuse. There was a "code of silence" among the neighbors, any possible abuse was a deemed a "private matter" and not to be spoken about outside of the family, especially in rural areas, where women in particular often lived isolated lives, miles away from the nearest neighbor and rarely having contact with anyone outside the immediate family. The book also delves into what daily life was like for a rural farm woman at that time, it's not hard to understand why some of them would "snap."
This was a well written book, but I wish some of the theories about other possible suspects, especially the sons in the family, would have been fleshed out more.
It also brings to light how at that time, communities largely ignored or tolerated domestic abuse. There was a "code of silence" among the neighbors, any possible abuse was a deemed a "private matter" and not to be spoken about outside of the family, especially in rural areas, where women in particular often lived isolated lives, miles away from the nearest neighbor and rarely having contact with anyone outside the immediate family. The book also delves into what daily life was like for a rural farm woman at that time, it's not hard to understand why some of them would "snap."
This was a well written book, but I wish some of the theories about other possible suspects, especially the sons in the family, would have been fleshed out more.
March 4, 2023
Love love loved!!!! This book scratched so many itches for me. Midnight Assassin gave me a fix of Iowa which I greatly miss, true crime, and family history. While this is not my family history, it has a lot of similarities to a story in my family. It was an absolute joy to read!
December 31, 2014
When you consider this actually happened, it's a good story. It is fascinating (and frustrating) how much the attorney for each side got away with. But the theme of the book is more about how little most men thought of women - the first verdict was based so much on the defendent's looks - how big she was, how unremorseful she seemed to be. And based upon her husband's standing the community. It drags a little at times, but is a fast read. Shows how far women have come in the past 100 years with regards to respect.
March 2, 2022
Interesting insights into the lives of women, the judicial system, and mental health issues in the late 1800's-early 1900's in America. I stole this from someone else's review but I loved this short description. It's a true story about a murder in Iowa in the 1890's. The wife is accused of murdering her husband, and it's not a simple case. The reporter covering the story was a female journalist, Susan Glaspell. I recently read her play, Trifles, for an American Literature class and loved the fact the reporter used her own experience covering the murder to write a play with a similar theme. This book is going to be the One Book One Sioux County discussion book for 2022. I look forward to hearing the authors.
August 14, 2025
Very solid book. Interesting that there is no “answer” on who committed the crime like in a fiction book. Also, interesting to see how the protagonist is portrayed as a woman in the context of 1900. The public portrayal that it’s more of a problem that she is telling people her husband is abusive than the fact her husband is abusive is sad but an interesting note on how far we’ve come in 125 years. Also, no women on juries and the newspapers making fun of women for attending the trial instead of cooking at home feels like a spoof of the kitchen jokes we have in society today. Long short it starts as a true crime book but is also an interesting look at women in society as a whole.
February 3, 2022
I grabbed this true crime novel primarily because it is set in my home state. The murder case itself is fascinating, and I enjoyed reading about the culture of turn-of-the century Iowa. However, the writing itself was lackluster -- more of reporting than storytelling. Great non-fiction writers seem to understand a reader's need to be engaged by more than just the facts. I wish this particular story had been written more colorfully. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile read. 3 1/2 stars rounded up.
August 7, 2022
I waffled between three or four stars for this book. I love historical books and found this one fascinating. I did feel that the book was a bit repetitious. The author did a lot of research and time into telling the story and I appreciated that. I look forward to discussing it at our book club!
August 15, 2018
Interesting story. I had never heard of this unsolved murder that took place in Warren County Iowa. I'm still not sure which side I would have taken if on a jury.
July 12, 2019
Skip Hollandsworth is a very good, well respected journalist. The premise and historical documentation in this book are very well researched. The story could’ve been a third of the length. Lots of Texas history...LOTS. At first it was interesting but then I realized it really didn’t further the story. Several years are described in much the same way so again, it becomes uninteresting. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator doesn’t say “pecan” or “Seguin” right. I was mortified.
October 6, 2019
Especially interesting due to the familiarity of Indianola. I now must visit the New Virginia cemetery.
July 21, 2023
This is probably the best non fiction murder book I have ever read. I felt like the authors did a great job of presenting the facts without having a bias. With that being said I have no idea how the first jury convicted Margaret Hossack. The evidence did not prove beyond a shadow of doubt that she was guilty. It was sad how the family seemed to fall apart after the second trial.
October 26, 2012
I recently read this book as a mystery that my mom recommended. I thought it would be the classic, over-dramatized murder mystery book before I started it.
I must say that it is easily the best mystery book I have ever read. This book is based on a true story which makes it even more interesting.
The book takes place in Warren County, Iowa in 1900. Margaret Hossack (John Hossack's wife) is accused of murdering her husband with an ax. The evidence seems all against her, she claimed not to be awakened by her husbands death as they slept together. She says that she suspected an intruder was in her house but instead of waking her husband who slept with a loaded rifle, she woke her children. Above all, she showed no emotion at her arrest.
This book takes you back through Margaret Hossack's life after her husbands death, the events of her trial and the final verdict.
What I found special about this book is it actually flip-flops between Margaret Hossack's life in the past and the two authors trying to find out information about what happened in the present.
Once again if you need a mystery book I recommend Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland to you.
I must say that it is easily the best mystery book I have ever read. This book is based on a true story which makes it even more interesting.
The book takes place in Warren County, Iowa in 1900. Margaret Hossack (John Hossack's wife) is accused of murdering her husband with an ax. The evidence seems all against her, she claimed not to be awakened by her husbands death as they slept together. She says that she suspected an intruder was in her house but instead of waking her husband who slept with a loaded rifle, she woke her children. Above all, she showed no emotion at her arrest.
This book takes you back through Margaret Hossack's life after her husbands death, the events of her trial and the final verdict.
What I found special about this book is it actually flip-flops between Margaret Hossack's life in the past and the two authors trying to find out information about what happened in the present.
Once again if you need a mystery book I recommend Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland to you.
November 10, 2012
This is an account of a sensational 1900 murder of a farmer, the investigation and the court case(s) that followed, as well as an examination of the role of women in law and life. The juxtaposition of a woman journalist who covered the first trial (who would later use the case as fodder for a short story and a play) with the severely circumscribed life of a farm wife, accused of the murder of her husband, is a nice touch.
The gift here is that it's easy enough to follow along with the court proceedings if you're a lay person, but as an attorney, it's really fascinating to look at the trial as a point in time when our rules of evidence were still evolving. It looks like a modern capital case in so many ways, especially since the issues that get raised today, like chain of custody and foundation of evidence, are the same -- but are handled differently. This would be a great book to read before taking Evidence in law school, because it brings home all the reasons why we need those rules.
And -- this is something I never thought I'd write, because who would? -- props to the Supreme Court of Iowa circa 1901 for being so damned progressive.
The gift here is that it's easy enough to follow along with the court proceedings if you're a lay person, but as an attorney, it's really fascinating to look at the trial as a point in time when our rules of evidence were still evolving. It looks like a modern capital case in so many ways, especially since the issues that get raised today, like chain of custody and foundation of evidence, are the same -- but are handled differently. This would be a great book to read before taking Evidence in law school, because it brings home all the reasons why we need those rules.
And -- this is something I never thought I'd write, because who would? -- props to the Supreme Court of Iowa circa 1901 for being so damned progressive.
April 23, 2013
I don't typically read "true crime", I prefer mystery novels, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This true unsolved mystery and all the events surrounding it had me trying to solve it, and I loved coming up with my own theories about what actually happened. While I will never know what really happened, like who the real murderer was, I still really enjoyed this book. Bryan's writing style was easy to read and not boring or dry at all. It read more like a narrative than a history or biography. The author laid out all the facts for the readers to make their own judgments, and didn't force her own interpretations on me, which I appreciated. With the facts at hand, I have a good idea who the murderer was. I am satisfied, which is surprising, because I usually don't go for "open-ended", ambiguous endings. I like a resolution. But the fact that there was no clear resolution and I still enjoyed it is evidence of what a well-written book this is.
February 6, 2020
A celebrated case in its day, the 1900 murder of Iowa farmer John Hassock inspired two well-known works by writer Susan Glaspell (1876-1948): her play Trifles (1916) and her short story “A Jury of Peers” (1917). This account of the Hassock case—first published in hardback by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill and since reprinted in paperback by the University of Iowa Press—is true crime of unusual substance. Authors Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf take pains to tell not only of an axe murder and courtroom drama but also of the hard and lonely life of a turn-of-the-century farmer’s wife who may have feared for the safety of her family and who may have killed her husband. Highly recommended.
First reading: 13 March 2011
Second reading: 31 January 2012
Third reading: 10 September 2017
Fourth reading: 2 February 2020
First reading: 13 March 2011
Second reading: 31 January 2012
Third reading: 10 September 2017
Fourth reading: 2 February 2020
February 25, 2021
This is an interesting story of an unsolved murder that took place in Dec. 1900. Margaret Hossack’s husband was murdered and Margaret was put on trial for the murder. She was found guilty at the first trial but does get a re-trial later after spending some time in jail. It was a very interesting read - but at times I felt it got a little long with all of the details. Overall it is an intriguing unsolved murder set in Iowa.
September 10, 2020
This book was just bad. The subject matter was interesting but it was so dryly written that I had to force myself to finish. If it wasn’t the most interesting sounding book I could find about Iowa while on a quest to read a book set in every state, I would have given up. But at least now I can check that state off the map.
October 4, 2021
As a true crime fan, I should have loved this book. Unfortunately, I had to make myself keep reading (as evidenced by the month it took to finish). This is an interesting case that I knew nothing about, but something about the writing style just didn't work for me. I'd like to learn more about the case, but I probably won't read more books by this author.
December 31, 2009
Interesting insights into the lives of women, the judicial system, and mental health issues in the late 1800's-early 1900's in America.
December 23, 2017
It has some really interesting perspective on what everyday life was like after the land rush. But this book really needed some more murder and less duplication of court case stuff.
January 8, 2017
The first thing you need to know if you decide to read this book, is that it is a true crime story in which the murderer is never caught. There is plenty of speculation, though.
In a small farming community in Iowa, in December of 1900, farmer John Hossack was murdered in his bed with two blows from his own ax. His wife Margaret slept beside him, never hearing a thing. Or so she claimed.
Hossack, a successful farmer and well-liked by his neighbors, was not so well-liked by his wife and 9 children. He was abusive to both his family and his farm animals. Margaret often ran to the neighbors to complain about him. His eldest son left home as soon as he could.
The night Hossack was murdered, the family dog, a constant barker, was silent. He was also lethargic, leading to claims he had been drugged. (There is an hysterical bit in the middle of the book in which one of the prosecuting lawyers reasons that the dog wasn't drugged, he was heartbroken and stunned over his Master's death.)
This being 1900, there was no CSI or crime experts, and any clues were of course destroyed by neighbors, friends, family and police tramping through evidence. Eventually Margaret Hossack was arrested and put on trial.
She lied about her husband's abusive ways. Her children lied. Some of the neighbors lied, some told the truth and one neighbor had a nervous breakdown before he had to testify and was committed. People wondered if HE was the murderer.
All in all, a very well researched and written true story. Near the end of the book there is speculation about who really killed John Hossack so arm chair detectives will have a chance to ponder the truth.
In a small farming community in Iowa, in December of 1900, farmer John Hossack was murdered in his bed with two blows from his own ax. His wife Margaret slept beside him, never hearing a thing. Or so she claimed.
Hossack, a successful farmer and well-liked by his neighbors, was not so well-liked by his wife and 9 children. He was abusive to both his family and his farm animals. Margaret often ran to the neighbors to complain about him. His eldest son left home as soon as he could.
The night Hossack was murdered, the family dog, a constant barker, was silent. He was also lethargic, leading to claims he had been drugged. (There is an hysterical bit in the middle of the book in which one of the prosecuting lawyers reasons that the dog wasn't drugged, he was heartbroken and stunned over his Master's death.)
This being 1900, there was no CSI or crime experts, and any clues were of course destroyed by neighbors, friends, family and police tramping through evidence. Eventually Margaret Hossack was arrested and put on trial.
She lied about her husband's abusive ways. Her children lied. Some of the neighbors lied, some told the truth and one neighbor had a nervous breakdown before he had to testify and was committed. People wondered if HE was the murderer.
All in all, a very well researched and written true story. Near the end of the book there is speculation about who really killed John Hossack so arm chair detectives will have a chance to ponder the truth.
January 20, 2025
I'm reading books that have been on my shelves for years before I donate them to the library sale. This is a fascinating murder told in a very dry, police procedural type of style with unnecessary detours. The chapter on the court reporter, for example, while interesting, came across as both an unnecessary detour and unnecessary promotional content for the authors' research projects. That would have better served the narrative in an afterward while achieving those same goals.
And then the authors lost a prime opportunity to elevate the book in the last chapter, which resonates so completely with The Scarlet Letter, I don't know how they either missed or ignored it. But they did. And so that level of texture to this narrative was completely overlooked. Instead, we had to slog through nice but unnecessary sidebars, and a whole lot of those. So, while the book is worth reading for the case itself, it's hardly going to rival In Cold Blood. Donated.
And then the authors lost a prime opportunity to elevate the book in the last chapter, which resonates so completely with The Scarlet Letter, I don't know how they either missed or ignored it. But they did. And so that level of texture to this narrative was completely overlooked. Instead, we had to slog through nice but unnecessary sidebars, and a whole lot of those. So, while the book is worth reading for the case itself, it's hardly going to rival In Cold Blood. Donated.
January 25, 2018
An interesting book about a serial killer in Austin, Texas in 1884 & 1885, about a year before the Whitechapel Murders. The author details the servant girl murders that started with black servants struck with axes. Then a couple of white women were killed as well. The author ends up being unable to identify the killer or even offering a strong hypothesis. One option is James Maybrick a London cotton merchant who "may have"traveled to Austin while at the Southern Exhibition in New Orleans. Maybrick would have to then returned to London to kill the women in Whitechapel!
This was a library book and within it, I found a receipt for about $575 from the circuit court. Not sure if I would want to be reminded of my fine everytime I used my bookmark!
This was a library book and within it, I found a receipt for about $575 from the circuit court. Not sure if I would want to be reminded of my fine everytime I used my bookmark!
January 28, 2020
In December 1900, an Iowa farmer died in his bed, where he'd been bludgeoned twice with an axe while his wife supposedly slept by his side. The arrest and two trials of his wife, the only person ever seriously considered as a suspect, is indicative of the rights and roles of women -- not to mention the lack of forensic due diligence and technology -- at the time.
"Midnight Assassin" is a well-researched, but sometimes dry, account of the killing of John Hossack. While this case has been vastly overshadowed by the infamous Villisca axe murders of 1912, it's worth learning about if for no other reason than to understand how far we've come in addressing domestic violence and investigating murders.
"Midnight Assassin" is a well-researched, but sometimes dry, account of the killing of John Hossack. While this case has been vastly overshadowed by the infamous Villisca axe murders of 1912, it's worth learning about if for no other reason than to understand how far we've come in addressing domestic violence and investigating murders.
August 28, 2021
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.
January 14, 2022
To be honest, I only finished reading this book because I wanted to take part in an in-person book discussion. The book jumped all over the country and the neighborhood. I really think the authors went into way to much details when it came to the trial and what the lawyers did to try to win over the jury. Of course the book did make me a little bit happy to be born in the mid 1900's and not the end of the 1800's. Being able to manage a house, family and still stay married to a difficult man would have been impossible for me. I do appreciate all the struggles Margret went through. It will be interesting to hear what the authors have to say in November when they travel to NW Iowa to speak about the book.
April 20, 2019
During my time as an English major in college I read "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell. Two years ago I had an occasion to re-read this intense short story. Now, after reading "Midnight Assassin" I understand where Glaspell got her idea. The book is a fascinating look at women's life on farms in rural Iowa during the late 1800s and early 1900s. While academic, the writing flows into a compelling story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews