Murder & Mayhem in Scott County, Iowa

by John Brassard Jr.

Scott County is one of the oldest counties in Iowa. It is where the Blackhawk Treaty was signed and where the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built. But Scott County has also been witness to many shameful deeds. Travel down Utica Ridge Road, where young Grace Reed paid the ultimate price for spurning the affections of a local farmer. Enter the bedroom of Margaretha Nehlsen, who poisoned her children with chocolate candies. Hear the tale of Harry Hamilton, a former policeman turned career criminal who played a key part in perhaps the most infamous bank robbery in Scott County history. Come and explore these stories and more with author John Brassard Jr. as he guides you through the darker side of Scott County history.

112 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2018

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I found an error in the first paragraph I knew I was in for as much fiction as fact. And I was right. Speculation and suppositions abound in every story shared in this short book. Flowery lines about the blooming spring time, what might have been going through the murderers' minds and unknown details from the authors imagination flesh out facts from newspapers and historical documents. Bunches of hooey. Yes there is documentation and a bibliography, but there is a lot added to enlarge the stories to make them long enough to think this is an entire book. Poorly written. Amateur author for sure. Still enough meat there to interest the folks who now live in the area. Most readers wouldn't have known about those murderous events of the past.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to add a print copy but wasn't able to - the version I have is paperback rather than an ebook or Kindle.

Murder & Mayhem in Scott County, Iowa is a piece of non-fiction that does a good job of telling about some historical murders but it's a bit cold and I came away wishing for more than a retelling of history, I was hoping for a bit of connection with that history. But it is a series of very short stories so hard to add more.

I had purchased this book because both sides of my family have starts in this country, granted at different times but deeply rooted to Scott County. As a matter of fact some of the people in the book are connected to some of the outlying families in our tree.

Read this if you like true crime and are interested in the Quad Cities.

[Mike Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Easy Read Interspersing Crime and Local History

Murder and Mayhem in Scott County

Interesting and easy to read. Intersperses local history with forgotten stories of crime and murder. While focusing on the crime stories, its easy to miss the history. Davenport’s BuckTown area. Creation of local institutes like St Ambrose College, Fort Armstrong, the Treaty House, Davenport Cemetery. I often wondered about the quaint little white frame church and Summit Cemetery on Utica Ridge Road. You’ll become acquainted with its history and a couple inhabitants.

[Christine L · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is more of a historian than a writer, however, growing up on a farm in the area and frequenting these small towns I found this book very enjoyable and I learned a lot of things I didn't know about Scott County. I'm going to pass this one on to my 89 year old mother as she may recognize many of these old family names from the area.

[Paula Corregan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book!

This book gives accounts of various crimes which occurred in Scott County, Iowa. It also gives a history of the area where the crimes.

[Chanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of local crimes. I knew nothing of any of the stories I read, so it was quite interesting. Can't wait to lend this book to others who may want to read it regarding local lore.

[Lesley Crisp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

I learned a lot of things about my hometown and the surrounding area that I hadn’t known before! A great read!

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good collection of six short true crime stories from around the turn of the last century to the 1920's with mostly modern photos of where the incidents occurred.