The Night Riders of Hardin County

by Lance Hansmann

Sheltered beneath the bluffs of the Iowa River valley, the village of Steamboat Rock keeps its secrets well—until a gang’s violent rise pulls five innocent brothers into a storm of deception and bloodshed.

When a brutal killing sparks a wave of vigilante justice, two brothers are shot dead, two more sentenced to life in prison, and a legacy of guilt and silence threatens to bury the truth for good. But amid the chaos, one man refuses to look away.

Dr. Nathan Morse—a small-town physician with an unwavering sense of justice—risks his reputation, safety, and the ire of powerful enemies to expose the truth and set the innocent free.

Based on real events, The Night Riders of Hardin County is an unflinching story of crime, corruption, and courage. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, Westerns, and true crime, this novel explores the cost of silence, the weight of conscience, and one man’s stand against a tide of injustice.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns

335 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2023

Reviews

[Carol]

Just could not get into it. I got over halfway and realized nothing was sticking in my brain. Will go on my DNF shelf.

[Chris]

an amazing read!

William Rainsbarger is my 5th great grandfather and I have been super interested in the family story for some time. It was a great read!

[Richard Gruner]

A Slice of 19th Century Americana

The sad tale of Hardin County during the depredations of the Gilded Age reveal a mentality easily deluded by the influence of wealth, regardless of how such lucre was obtained. I've uncovered some parallel problems while researching family connections in the Missouri Ozarks during the same time period. I would hazard a guess that it wouldn't take much effort to find similar problems throughout the country.

[Deanna Blanchard]

Really interesting “Wild West” saga, masterfully narrated by my cousin, Glen Wiebel (proud of you!). People can be so easily swayed by fear, propaganda and intimidation. We still see it happening today. Thankfully there are people like Dr. Morse who work tirelessly for the truth and do what is right.

[Shelley Viet]

Living just 30 miles east of Steamboat Rock and having driven through numerous times in my lifetime, this book just captured my mind. Not only is it history, but it also has a way of pulling you in to learn more of those dark times.
I will look at the landscape differently now as I drive through Steamboat Rock and Eldora.

[David Jensen]

Really interesting read about Hardin County and Steamboat Rock and the surrounding communities .

This was a story that read very easily and gave tons of history of the area I grow up in. Some of it was hard to read just how brutally people were swayed and bullied to believe the non truth about a local family. It was a fast read and would recommend to everyone.

[David Guhl]

If you are into Iowa history and fighting for the underdog this is the book for you. Based on actual events from 1865 to the early 1900. The book explores the tangled web of lies, deceit, and corruption in a small town. I appropriate that at the end of the book the author gives us a breakdown on the victims and villains and what happened to them later in life.

[Tammy Wicks]

Exceptional story but with so many characters and their own stories intertwining it was hard to keep who was/is who. I understand they all played a role and while the stories were sad and heartbreakingly true, because of so many characters I just couldn’t keep up with who was who.

[Dan A. Foster]

Night Roders

Nicely told historical fiction relating to actual events. I have not read the actual events of this county but I would suspect this to be respectful of the truth of what happened.

[Donald Heitland]

A captivating story of murder and conspiratorial deceit of the actual tragic events of the Rainsbarger family brought to life

[Melissa Steiner]

I could not put this book down! This was such a captivating story for someone who currently resides in Hardin County and had no idea of the rich history here.

[Melissa]

Really Good and Interesting due to living close to this area. Book jumped back and forth in time a lot was only downside.

[Charleen Stroup]

Fantastic

Beautifully written history of an injustice committed against a family and finally corrected thirty years later by a God loving man who honored integrity.

[Carl Alvey]

Very good read

This is a very good read. Very engaging. Characters were well thought out and believable. The entire book was very interesting.

[Jill]

I really enjoyed this one. True story of a small town lynching.

[J.D. Schechter]

Dull

A well researched history of a grave injustice, it has it all - murder, counterfeiting, vigilantes, editorial misconduct, but the writing is stiff and uninspired