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The Good Wife: The Shocking Betrayal and Brutal Murder of a Godly Woman in Texas
Roger and Penny Scaggs seemed a poster couple for family values. Evangelical Christians living in booming Austin, Texas, in the mid-1990s, they were respected leaders in their church and community. As Roger diligently worked his way up the high-tech corporate ladder, Penny kept a pristine home and coached similarly devout young women on how to be perfect wives. But on a windy March evening, this godly woman met the devil head-on. And when the police discovered her lifeless body—repeatedly bludgeoned with a lead pipe, then mutilated with a knife from her own spotless kitchen—they were shocked by the rage and savagery behind her slaying.
The Good Wife is a startling true story of greed, hatred, betrayal, and an unimaginable murder—a tale of the dark decay that can be hidden behind a facade of saintliness when a marriage seemingly made in heaven descends into hell.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2007
1326 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Clint Richmond
9 books12 followersCLINT RICHMOND, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, has more than thirty years' professional experience as a nonfiction book author, newspaper reporter, and freelance magazine journalist. He has published on a wide range of topics, from domestic terrorism and true crime, to pop psychology and celebrity biography.
FETCH THE DEVIL: The Sierra Diablo Murders and Nazi Espionage in America is his 10th published nonfiction book (2014 by the University Press of New England's ForeEdge imprint).
His current books in print include a contemporary true crime, THE GOOD WIFE, and a Cold War espionage history, RED STAR ROGUE, coauthored with veteran submariner Ken Sewell.
His book SELENA (1995, Pocket Books) about the murder of the beloved Tejana singer, opened at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Prior to becoming a book author, Richmond (writing under the name Jerry Richmond) was an award-winning reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, one of Texas's leading metropolitan dailies of that time. He was on the team assigned to the visit of President Kennedy to Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Consequently, he was one of the key reporters to cover the assassination of the president, the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald, and the killing of Oswald. He was that paper's lead criminal courts reporter during the Jack Ruby murder trial.
Later, as a freelance journalist, he was a Rocky Mountain regional correspondent for People Weekly, and has contributed to numerous other magazines and major daily newspapers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 24, 2009
Overwhelmingly tedious. Written like an extra, extra, extra long newspaper article. Kept reading it hoping to find out perhaps the motivation behind the murder, what people thought, etc.. No such luck - not even at the end. Don't bother reading this book. A tremendous waste of time.
June 5, 2022
Almost overly detailed
This book was extremely detailed and thorough, which made it a long read and tough to get through. Buried in the minutiae, it took me ages to finish it until I decided to skim over unnecessary items like the career trajectories of each lawyer. Overall interesting case, just bogged down in detail.
This book was extremely detailed and thorough, which made it a long read and tough to get through. Buried in the minutiae, it took me ages to finish it until I decided to skim over unnecessary items like the career trajectories of each lawyer. Overall interesting case, just bogged down in detail.
July 17, 2021
Picked this up at a used bookstore in Joplin, MO. I had a layover in Houston, so I thought it'd be fun to start a book about a murder in Texas. It was fun, and I didn't know Clint Richmond would become my favorite true crime author as well. Anyone who enjoys true crime will enjoy this book. The tale is gruesome but Richmond expertly provides the reader with all "sides" and every detail available to him. I learned a lot of what it means (or meant) to be a "good Christian wife" and a lot about the neighborhood in Austin, Texas where the tragic murder took place. I look forward to reading more of his work.
July 6, 2022
No confession.
The narrative of this story can be tedious and outright boring. I stuck with it, however, because the story is interesting. The writing veers off course so often, I found myself inviting interruptions, looking for new books to read .... oh wait, still reading this one. It wasn't easy, but I read it all. Ultimately, I'm glad I did, but it wasn't great. The information repetition was annoying.
Book quotation:
Police say Roger Scaggs beat and stabbed his wife, Penny, to death. Friends say they were a model couple. One question lingers. That question, printed in two-inch-high red letters, was Why?
The narrative of this story can be tedious and outright boring. I stuck with it, however, because the story is interesting. The writing veers off course so often, I found myself inviting interruptions, looking for new books to read .... oh wait, still reading this one. It wasn't easy, but I read it all. Ultimately, I'm glad I did, but it wasn't great. The information repetition was annoying.
Book quotation:
Police say Roger Scaggs beat and stabbed his wife, Penny, to death. Friends say they were a model couple. One question lingers. That question, printed in two-inch-high red letters, was Why?
June 23, 2024
Good description of courtroom drama
I almost put the book down as the author built up the personalities of the two protagonists. His description of Penny as the "perfect Christian wife who held marriage seminars teaching women to submit to their husbands" came across as wooden and one dimensional. Surely there was more to the poor woman than some cardboard representation of a conservative Christian wife.
The murder was gruesome and hard to imagine anyone committing such an inhuman, brutal crime, let alone a husband.
However the rest of the book read like a combination of a good murder mystery read and Perry Mason episode. Very interesting.
So all in all, I'm glad I read it.
I almost put the book down as the author built up the personalities of the two protagonists. His description of Penny as the "perfect Christian wife who held marriage seminars teaching women to submit to their husbands" came across as wooden and one dimensional. Surely there was more to the poor woman than some cardboard representation of a conservative Christian wife.
The murder was gruesome and hard to imagine anyone committing such an inhuman, brutal crime, let alone a husband.
However the rest of the book read like a combination of a good murder mystery read and Perry Mason episode. Very interesting.
So all in all, I'm glad I read it.
July 17, 2022
Fabulous. A true crime written to encompass every facet of a crime, from background on those in the story; details of the crime itself given throughout the book; discussion/education of prison history, criminal law, Texas standing on crime & punishment; detailed epilogue. Couldn’t stop reading this book..then sad that I was finished with the book.
August 5, 2022
This was a well written, detailed true crime novel. What interested me was the irony that Penny, who taught classes on how to be the perfect subservient wife to young women, would be murdered by the husband she slaved for.
I suspect this is what draws most people to this story.
I suspect this is what draws most people to this story.
May 27, 2024
I admit to skimming through 70% of this book. The authors writing style is horrible to me. Thousands of useless words and so much useless information that make the true story feel like “Who cares? Just stop writing already! “
June 19, 2022
Too much boring information re a lot of things !
December 30, 2021
Common case of husband's "Want it All" Syndrome
We've seen cases like this before. Wife and husband marry young, have beautiful family, wife stays home and supports husband as he rises through the ranks of his chosen procession, husband starts affair with office floozy sometime in middle age, husband doesn't want to pay up for a divorce, and first/starter wife ends up dead.
This story is especially compelling because Penny Scaggs was truly a good, caring, giving, and selfless woman who lived for God and to serve her narcissistic husband Roger's needs. She appeared to have practically worshipped the ground he walked on and did everything possible to be the perfect wife and supportive partner for him. She kept an immaculate home, taught classes on being a good Christian wife, attended all of his company's events and maintained relationships with his co-workers and friends, and even went along on his middle age crisis-related new hobbies. He got into hunting, got his pilot's license, bought his own plane, traveled cross-country often for work and play. She would have preferred to have stayed home and tended to her lovely hime, but she forced herself to go on his many excursions to make him happy.
BUT it was never enough for Roger. He didn't want to stay home in his off time and relax with his faithful wife. He started an affair with a woman half his age (gee, do you think Vanessa wanted this graying, grandfatherly old man for his vibrant personality and good looks? No. Surely, Vanessa was attracted to his bank account, like all sugar babies are.)
AND one night in March, 1996, poor unsuspecting Rog comes home to find his wife's battered body in their LR. He had an alibi! He was at the office preparing a presentation with his lover in the same building. AFTER he dutifully went home for 15-30 minutes for a light supper with his wife.
According to an update (this book was published in 2007), old 82 year old Rog is still in prison. He was convicted in 1999, and after as many appeals and as much money as he was willing to spend, he actually gave up and started his sentence. I think the forensics in this case should have sealed the deal, but it did not. The forensics is not rock solid. There is evidence of cross-contanimation in this case (enough time has passed and forensics has come a long way since the late 90s so retesting the blood and DNA wouldn't be a bad idea. I guess they have decided it's not worth it, because the circumstantial evidence is pretty compelling.
Very good book. I liked the even balance of interviews between the investigators and the friends. I wish we could have had more info about Penny as a person, more about her personality, but she was a private person, so I understand there probably wasn't much to go on.
We've seen cases like this before. Wife and husband marry young, have beautiful family, wife stays home and supports husband as he rises through the ranks of his chosen procession, husband starts affair with office floozy sometime in middle age, husband doesn't want to pay up for a divorce, and first/starter wife ends up dead.
This story is especially compelling because Penny Scaggs was truly a good, caring, giving, and selfless woman who lived for God and to serve her narcissistic husband Roger's needs. She appeared to have practically worshipped the ground he walked on and did everything possible to be the perfect wife and supportive partner for him. She kept an immaculate home, taught classes on being a good Christian wife, attended all of his company's events and maintained relationships with his co-workers and friends, and even went along on his middle age crisis-related new hobbies. He got into hunting, got his pilot's license, bought his own plane, traveled cross-country often for work and play. She would have preferred to have stayed home and tended to her lovely hime, but she forced herself to go on his many excursions to make him happy.
BUT it was never enough for Roger. He didn't want to stay home in his off time and relax with his faithful wife. He started an affair with a woman half his age (gee, do you think Vanessa wanted this graying, grandfatherly old man for his vibrant personality and good looks? No. Surely, Vanessa was attracted to his bank account, like all sugar babies are.)
AND one night in March, 1996, poor unsuspecting Rog comes home to find his wife's battered body in their LR. He had an alibi! He was at the office preparing a presentation with his lover in the same building. AFTER he dutifully went home for 15-30 minutes for a light supper with his wife.
According to an update (this book was published in 2007), old 82 year old Rog is still in prison. He was convicted in 1999, and after as many appeals and as much money as he was willing to spend, he actually gave up and started his sentence. I think the forensics in this case should have sealed the deal, but it did not. The forensics is not rock solid. There is evidence of cross-contanimation in this case (enough time has passed and forensics has come a long way since the late 90s so retesting the blood and DNA wouldn't be a bad idea. I guess they have decided it's not worth it, because the circumstantial evidence is pretty compelling.
Very good book. I liked the even balance of interviews between the investigators and the friends. I wish we could have had more info about Penny as a person, more about her personality, but she was a private person, so I understand there probably wasn't much to go on.
February 12, 2022
In the past, I was obsessed with true crime books. With the advent of so many TV shows that document these crimes, I slacked off reading about them. But Clint Richmond’s The Good Wife attracted me, not only because the offense took place in Austin, Texas—I’m a Texan through and through—but because the two main figures were so intriguing: a couple married thirty five years, the wife a devout Christian who taught classes on how to be a good Christian wife, and her husband, the breadwinner, who at first was as devout as she but apparently evolved into almost a hedonist. The facts of the case are fascinating, and I eagerly read to hear the developments in the wife’s murder and the outcome of the case, not to mention envision the settings which I was familiar with. But Richmond’s writing is far from compelling. Once the murder is described, the investigation seems to be accounted in a much slower manner, and the actual trial proceedings are plodding. I understand Richmond’s desire to explain in detail the budding science of DNA and I accept his wish to detail Texas law and procedures. But I’ve read many other true crime books that do all this while still maintaining a pace that holds the reader’s interest. Richmond says, during the trial, many jurors were bored and yawning during the DNA explanation. I fully relate to that, for the in-person testimony could not have been slower than Richmond’s account of it. And finally, when the verdict is given and the perpetrator is led off to prison, we are subject to paragraph upon paragraph about the Texas prison system, undoubtedly done to show how different the man’s life would be compared to his previous one. But I just wanted to scream “enough,” because all I wanted to know was that he was there and if his appeals to various courts bore fruit. A previous book by this author was a bestseller. It must have been a much better one than this.
February 24, 2017
Typical true life crime thriller, but I think too much is made of the couple's religious beliefs. I guess this does show that no culture or socioeconomic group is immune from domestic violence.
March 1, 2022
So dry, so boring, the author must have gotten his info by EAVESDROPPING
I didn't know a true crime book could be so dry, boring, and so uninformative.
I also didn't expect to dislike the victim as much as I did. Of course, she didn't deserve to die, but the way she was killed; there was some serious rage in the mind of her killer.
I was raised to believe that if you're a good Christian, you don't judge, you love others and you accept people, flaws and all. Especially if they're your CHILD, but not Penny!
I am a Catholic, not exactly lapsed, but not as close to the church as I'd like to be.
The couple in this book and their adopted daughter, well, neither the daughter or the killer granted the author anything like an interview; the daughter threw him the occasional bone, but that's it. Neighbors wouldn't talk to him, clergy wouldn't talk to him, co-workers wouldn't talk to him, Penny's "how to be a Godly wife" students talked, none of Penny's daughter's friends talked, I think the police talked some, but it got to the point where I started to think, "is there ANY inside information this author was privy to?" I'm going to go ahead and guess the answer is "no."
Penny has a beautiful home in Austin. She doesn't work outside the home, but she's very busy "teaching" young brides how marriage should be. Things like always looking nice, no matter what, always greeting your husband at the door when he comes home from work, making sure you listen when he talks to you, don't interrupt him with the details of your day, make sure he's aware that his home is his castle, make sure his castle (and his clothes) are clean, and I mean clean, be ready to perform your wifely duties, even if you don't feel well, let a smile be your umbrella (ok, that wasn't what she said, but she might as well have).
We are told that Penny's husband wants to learn to fly a plane, and Penny is NOT happy about that, but since she must not upset her husband, she probably let him know how she felt by being passive aggressive.
Her husband didn't spend a lot of money on his new hobby, and he did ask his wife to accompany him many times, but Penny told her husband she had a group of young women coming over to the house, so she could teach them how to be religious Stepford Wives.
I'm thinking her husband was probably relieved. This woman was such a buzzkill!
She also didn't want to sail on their boat with him because of her very fair skin, she didn't want to go to the romantic cabin they owned because she disliked hunting; it's like if something might be fun, Penny had no interest.
When their adopted daughter started disobeying her, by painting her nails black and joining the goth crowd, Penny had no patience for this ungodly nonsense, and SENT HER ONLY CHILD AWAY TO A BOOT CAMP KIND OF PLACE, AND RARELY VISITED!
It's certainly no wonder that the daughter was much much closer to her father. He LISTENED. She could TALK to her dad. Penny simply JUDGED.
On and on the book goes, the author never really scratching the surface regarding what had to be simmering below......
I just started skipping ahead, because it was clear that other than a few offhand remarks, the author wasn't in the loop here. He wasn't even in their hemisphere.
I won't say what happens at the end of the book, but I will say this. IT'S BORING.
I didn't know a true crime book could be so dry, boring, and so uninformative.
I also didn't expect to dislike the victim as much as I did. Of course, she didn't deserve to die, but the way she was killed; there was some serious rage in the mind of her killer.
I was raised to believe that if you're a good Christian, you don't judge, you love others and you accept people, flaws and all. Especially if they're your CHILD, but not Penny!
I am a Catholic, not exactly lapsed, but not as close to the church as I'd like to be.
The couple in this book and their adopted daughter, well, neither the daughter or the killer granted the author anything like an interview; the daughter threw him the occasional bone, but that's it. Neighbors wouldn't talk to him, clergy wouldn't talk to him, co-workers wouldn't talk to him, Penny's "how to be a Godly wife" students talked, none of Penny's daughter's friends talked, I think the police talked some, but it got to the point where I started to think, "is there ANY inside information this author was privy to?" I'm going to go ahead and guess the answer is "no."
Penny has a beautiful home in Austin. She doesn't work outside the home, but she's very busy "teaching" young brides how marriage should be. Things like always looking nice, no matter what, always greeting your husband at the door when he comes home from work, making sure you listen when he talks to you, don't interrupt him with the details of your day, make sure he's aware that his home is his castle, make sure his castle (and his clothes) are clean, and I mean clean, be ready to perform your wifely duties, even if you don't feel well, let a smile be your umbrella (ok, that wasn't what she said, but she might as well have).
We are told that Penny's husband wants to learn to fly a plane, and Penny is NOT happy about that, but since she must not upset her husband, she probably let him know how she felt by being passive aggressive.
Her husband didn't spend a lot of money on his new hobby, and he did ask his wife to accompany him many times, but Penny told her husband she had a group of young women coming over to the house, so she could teach them how to be religious Stepford Wives.
I'm thinking her husband was probably relieved. This woman was such a buzzkill!
She also didn't want to sail on their boat with him because of her very fair skin, she didn't want to go to the romantic cabin they owned because she disliked hunting; it's like if something might be fun, Penny had no interest.
When their adopted daughter started disobeying her, by painting her nails black and joining the goth crowd, Penny had no patience for this ungodly nonsense, and SENT HER ONLY CHILD AWAY TO A BOOT CAMP KIND OF PLACE, AND RARELY VISITED!
It's certainly no wonder that the daughter was much much closer to her father. He LISTENED. She could TALK to her dad. Penny simply JUDGED.
On and on the book goes, the author never really scratching the surface regarding what had to be simmering below......
I just started skipping ahead, because it was clear that other than a few offhand remarks, the author wasn't in the loop here. He wasn't even in their hemisphere.
I won't say what happens at the end of the book, but I will say this. IT'S BORING.
October 28, 2022
I liked this book. I chose it because it is set in Austin, the capitol of my home state, and having a daughter in Austin, we travel there frequently. I enjoy reading books whose settings are familiar. Add that this is a true crime, and it seemed like the perfect book for me. It wasn't as good as I hoped, but I did like it.
Roger and Penny Scaggs were the picture of what a Christian marriage should look like. Roger worked in two very successful tech businesses, while Penny stayed home to keep house, take care of their adopted daughter until she went off to college, and to give her seminars on how to be a godly wife. The pair traveled on business and vacation. He was the mild-mannered church elder, and she the adoring wife and mentor to younger women on how to be a Biblical wife. Although they had been married for 35 years, Roger was having an affair with a young woman from work, maybe not getting the sex life at home he once had for about a year.
Then one day Penny was brutally murdered, hit on the head with a heavy object multiple times and stabbed with a carving knife many times. Her husband found the body. He is almost immediately a suspect, as per usual. The woman with whom he had the affair closed her bank accounts, quit her job, and disappeared for several years.
**Little Spoiler** He is convicted, but I still have reasonable doubt. It is difficult to reconcile the two identities the prosecutors would have us believe... that this calm, intelligent, unflappable man could kill his wife so savagely and full of rage.
The book only had 377 pages, and a few of those were photos, but it seemed to drag on. The courtroom scenes were very tedious and monotonous and written in far too much detail. Far too long was also spent on some of the background of the people involved including the attorneys, the neighbors, and so on. It doesn't matter if one of the lawyers once represented Willie Nelson, and in this case, it added nothing to the story to mention it. That's one thing I didn't like about this author's writing. He would go off on a tangent when describing someone or something and ended up being repetitive as a result.
If you like true crime, it's an interesting case. I'm going to see if I can find updates to see if his mistress was questioned when she returned to Austin. Maybe she could help get to the truth, or maybe she did it! A lot of evidence pointed to Roger, but some evidence pointed to an unknown intruder. Roger passed away in June of this year (2022), so unless he made a dieing declaration, we will never know.
Roger and Penny Scaggs were the picture of what a Christian marriage should look like. Roger worked in two very successful tech businesses, while Penny stayed home to keep house, take care of their adopted daughter until she went off to college, and to give her seminars on how to be a godly wife. The pair traveled on business and vacation. He was the mild-mannered church elder, and she the adoring wife and mentor to younger women on how to be a Biblical wife. Although they had been married for 35 years, Roger was having an affair with a young woman from work, maybe not getting the sex life at home he once had for about a year.
Then one day Penny was brutally murdered, hit on the head with a heavy object multiple times and stabbed with a carving knife many times. Her husband found the body. He is almost immediately a suspect, as per usual. The woman with whom he had the affair closed her bank accounts, quit her job, and disappeared for several years.
**Little Spoiler** He is convicted, but I still have reasonable doubt. It is difficult to reconcile the two identities the prosecutors would have us believe... that this calm, intelligent, unflappable man could kill his wife so savagely and full of rage.
The book only had 377 pages, and a few of those were photos, but it seemed to drag on. The courtroom scenes were very tedious and monotonous and written in far too much detail. Far too long was also spent on some of the background of the people involved including the attorneys, the neighbors, and so on. It doesn't matter if one of the lawyers once represented Willie Nelson, and in this case, it added nothing to the story to mention it. That's one thing I didn't like about this author's writing. He would go off on a tangent when describing someone or something and ended up being repetitive as a result.
If you like true crime, it's an interesting case. I'm going to see if I can find updates to see if his mistress was questioned when she returned to Austin. Maybe she could help get to the truth, or maybe she did it! A lot of evidence pointed to Roger, but some evidence pointed to an unknown intruder. Roger passed away in June of this year (2022), so unless he made a dieing declaration, we will never know.
May 28, 2022
In the full title of his The Good Wife, author Clint Richmond indicates that the subject’s immersion in religious matters was going to have a rôle in his book, and it does. My personal view is that in that place and at that time organized religion played the same part that the Women’s Republican Club or the University Alumni Association did elsewhere - membership and activity therein signaled what kind of person one hung out with (or wanted to hang out with) and hence what what sort of person he was - or wanted others to think he was. It did not reveal much about knowledge of, much less adherence to any of the principles such organizations espoused.
That said, Penny Stagg really does seem to have learned, accepted, and applied the Bible’s teaching about the position of a wife in a Christian marriage ... and therein lies the problem with the book: despite hundreds of pages of narration, Richmond can’t come up with a motive for the murder. That’s not exactly his fault - there was never a confession or explanation - and in that sense the crime remains a mystery (as does Richmond’s motive in choosing it as subject). Nevertheless, the book is well-written and its account of the investigation and prosecution of the case should interest trial buffs.
That said, Penny Stagg really does seem to have learned, accepted, and applied the Bible’s teaching about the position of a wife in a Christian marriage ... and therein lies the problem with the book: despite hundreds of pages of narration, Richmond can’t come up with a motive for the murder. That’s not exactly his fault - there was never a confession or explanation - and in that sense the crime remains a mystery (as does Richmond’s motive in choosing it as subject). Nevertheless, the book is well-written and its account of the investigation and prosecution of the case should interest trial buffs.
March 2, 2025
He still says he’s innocent…
I don’t have any idea why a person decides that murder is a better option than a divorce. What I see here is a man who is in a mid-life crisis situation, because he’s been married for 35 years and wants some strange. The murder weapon and other stuff in that garbage bag is found in the dumpster right near his office. He’s been traveling with the affair partner instead of his wife. He stays very late at the office instead of coming home. There are tons of red flags associated with his behavior but it doesn’t make him a killer. Really good investigation work by the police is what identifies him as a killer…
This is pretty well written and I liked good reporting. Many times there is a bias towards either side, but I found this to be fairly even handed. What will stay with me forever is the brutality of the crime…
KU read, worth looking at. There’s a small photo section included also. This husband and wife seemed to be fairly average but happy together until he started to change. Wives should always pay attention to those changes. It could save their lives.
I don’t have any idea why a person decides that murder is a better option than a divorce. What I see here is a man who is in a mid-life crisis situation, because he’s been married for 35 years and wants some strange. The murder weapon and other stuff in that garbage bag is found in the dumpster right near his office. He’s been traveling with the affair partner instead of his wife. He stays very late at the office instead of coming home. There are tons of red flags associated with his behavior but it doesn’t make him a killer. Really good investigation work by the police is what identifies him as a killer…
This is pretty well written and I liked good reporting. Many times there is a bias towards either side, but I found this to be fairly even handed. What will stay with me forever is the brutality of the crime…
KU read, worth looking at. There’s a small photo section included also. This husband and wife seemed to be fairly average but happy together until he started to change. Wives should always pay attention to those changes. It could save their lives.
May 5, 2022
What can happen to a pious man,when married to a "Good Wife."
This is a seemingly happy couple,who married young,had the best of what both money and time have to offer and yet after thirty-five yrs.of marriage, lost it all
She her life and he is freedom.
Penny,was a friend to all that knew her and taught both young and older women what it meant to be the best wife a woman could be and live in the sight of God.
Somewhere, in middle age,Roger who graduated at the top of his class in college,put his time in the Air Force,once worked for Ross Pierot and was a talented and gifted man who knew computer's inside and out,went a little crazy.over one of the oldest tricks in the book,a younger woman,over thirty yrs.his junior.
Here you will read a true crime thriller written by (Clint Richmond) who is an excellent author.
It leans heavily into their family life and all aspects of Court Room Drama.
This is a seemingly happy couple,who married young,had the best of what both money and time have to offer and yet after thirty-five yrs.of marriage, lost it all
She her life and he is freedom.
Penny,was a friend to all that knew her and taught both young and older women what it meant to be the best wife a woman could be and live in the sight of God.
Somewhere, in middle age,Roger who graduated at the top of his class in college,put his time in the Air Force,once worked for Ross Pierot and was a talented and gifted man who knew computer's inside and out,went a little crazy.over one of the oldest tricks in the book,a younger woman,over thirty yrs.his junior.
Here you will read a true crime thriller written by (Clint Richmond) who is an excellent author.
It leans heavily into their family life and all aspects of Court Room Drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2022
The Good Wife-a Tragedy that benefited no one.
I enjoy true crime non-fiction books. Understanding about the people and circumstances of their lives is interesting. Usually when a murder occurs it is almost always for the most common reasons: greed, new lover, money, hate, and retribution.
The victim in this story tried living her “made in real life” persona of being a Godly wife based on her interpretation of biblical teachings. She taught her beliefs to hundreds of young women, believing she was passing on to them the true role of women that would bring them a life of pure joy. I always wondered if she charged for those who attended.
Her course was for nine weeks I think. I still want to hear if her husband ever confessed.
I enjoy true crime non-fiction books. Understanding about the people and circumstances of their lives is interesting. Usually when a murder occurs it is almost always for the most common reasons: greed, new lover, money, hate, and retribution.
The victim in this story tried living her “made in real life” persona of being a Godly wife based on her interpretation of biblical teachings. She taught her beliefs to hundreds of young women, believing she was passing on to them the true role of women that would bring them a life of pure joy. I always wondered if she charged for those who attended.
Her course was for nine weeks I think. I still want to hear if her husband ever confessed.
April 4, 2023
Interesting read, a little too much detail at times. I did take issue with the author on a couple of points. First the author referred to "firemen" responding to the murder scene. He should know that the term fireman refers to a person who feeds coal or wood into a furnace to keep a fire going. The correct term for those responding to murder scene would be "first responder" or "firefighter" a term more accurate and not gender specific. The author also makes use of the term "paddy wagon" which is an age old ethnic slur. I enjoyed this tragic story but the author should be more careful or better edited.
December 29, 2021
Although the story was well written and described, there were too many details that had nothing to do with the real matter of the crime. I am usually more interested in the psychological side of the story. Who were really these two people, married for 35 years, pretending to be happily married, deeply religious, supposedly pillars of society? We really don’t know, yet we know more about the jobs and past lives of everybody who got involved in the investigation. Sometimes I got bored and skipped pages full of unnecessary details I found uninteresting.
June 10, 2022
Very interesting read...
While I'm not well versed in crime novels of this nature, an accounting of a real event, I do find this interesting. To be inside a crime investigation and trial was quit thought provoking. Many items stated throughout setting up the family dynamics and events were surprisingly not mentioned in the trial aspect of events. Things I found interesting or even potentially incriminating.
I wasnt familiar with this news event so did not know the outcome, I was surprised...to the very end!
While I'm not well versed in crime novels of this nature, an accounting of a real event, I do find this interesting. To be inside a crime investigation and trial was quit thought provoking. Many items stated throughout setting up the family dynamics and events were surprisingly not mentioned in the trial aspect of events. Things I found interesting or even potentially incriminating.
I wasnt familiar with this news event so did not know the outcome, I was surprised...to the very end!
May 12, 2022
Penny Scag; A Woman Like Me
I identify with Penny, the murdered wife. I live and minister in Christian circles and ascribe to many of her teachings. That makes it all the more horrifying that her equally devout husband, Roger, killed her in such a brutal way. What a paradox that a godly wife was killed by her husnand, a pillar of the community and church elder. Thank God justice prevailed! This was a real page - turner!
I identify with Penny, the murdered wife. I live and minister in Christian circles and ascribe to many of her teachings. That makes it all the more horrifying that her equally devout husband, Roger, killed her in such a brutal way. What a paradox that a godly wife was killed by her husnand, a pillar of the community and church elder. Thank God justice prevailed! This was a real page - turner!
June 12, 2022
Too Wordy...
I've read a few crime related books, but couldn't quite get into this one. I think the author was thorough and extremely detail, but it was to a fault. He excessively went into extreme details on matters that could have been summed up in a few words for some parts of the story that weren't relevant to the story and would not have taken away from it. Oh well...on to the next one.
I've read a few crime related books, but couldn't quite get into this one. I think the author was thorough and extremely detail, but it was to a fault. He excessively went into extreme details on matters that could have been summed up in a few words for some parts of the story that weren't relevant to the story and would not have taken away from it. Oh well...on to the next one.
June 19, 2022
Just terrible
This book is tedious. I starting shipping pages early on in the reading. So much unnecessary detail. The reality is this was a sad and sadly all too common story. The author's attempt to turn it into a dramatic tour de force fails miserably and the reader suffers for it. If you're interested in this murder, check out Google and Wikipedia and leave this book on the shelf.
This book is tedious. I starting shipping pages early on in the reading. So much unnecessary detail. The reality is this was a sad and sadly all too common story. The author's attempt to turn it into a dramatic tour de force fails miserably and the reader suffers for it. If you're interested in this murder, check out Google and Wikipedia and leave this book on the shelf.
July 30, 2022
A GOOD READ
I think this book shoud be read by any pre-law student to get a feeling for what transpires during a high profile case. The book is based on a true crime that has never been solved. It goes through
How DNA evidence is used and stored. It also goes into the husband's actions and the state of their marriage and his affair. All this is presented in a non-judgemental format!
It also profiles the persona!ity of the victim.
I think this book shoud be read by any pre-law student to get a feeling for what transpires during a high profile case. The book is based on a true crime that has never been solved. It goes through
How DNA evidence is used and stored. It also goes into the husband's actions and the state of their marriage and his affair. All this is presented in a non-judgemental format!
It also profiles the persona!ity of the victim.
June 17, 2023
Well written, writing flowed well and even not accepting or understanding Penny Scaggs belief that she should be subservient to her husband I was still able to identify with the victim.
Yeah I think Roger did it and find it extremely frustrating that Vanessa Ferguson disappeared during the trial. I spent over an hour googling to see if she ever revealed who she left and where did she go and found nothing
Yeah I think Roger did it and find it extremely frustrating that Vanessa Ferguson disappeared during the trial. I spent over an hour googling to see if she ever revealed who she left and where did she go and found nothing
June 14, 2024
Well written book about a Texas wife who met an untimely end. The details of the family background, their religious beliefs, careers, and relationships are well-explained. Then the crime occurs. The book covers aspects of the Texas legal system and laws, how forensics played a part in the case, what evidence the detectives sought and recovered, and the trial of the main suspect and what the prison system was like for this degree of crime. A good read.
April 11, 2022
Much detail
This book held my interest however I must admit that part way through I started to skim over several of the pages.There was so much detail that in my opinion was detracting from the story. There is no doubt in my mind that Roger is guilty.Penny was ridged in her beliefs of what it takes to keep a man happy but some how it didn't work for her.
This book held my interest however I must admit that part way through I started to skim over several of the pages.There was so much detail that in my opinion was detracting from the story. There is no doubt in my mind that Roger is guilty.Penny was ridged in her beliefs of what it takes to keep a man happy but some how it didn't work for her.
May 23, 2022
The book felt more like a collection of information gathered from court transcripts-so many rabbit holes… endless unnecessary details. I skipped over large sections and missed nothing. The subject is fascinating the writing is not. You can read the acknowledgments section and get the same information. As another review pointed out- don’t hope for any closure you won’t get answers from this book.
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