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Η Αθωότητα Σκοτώνει
Πώς είναι δυνατόν να αντιμετωπίσεις τον άντρα σου, όταν δεν θέλεις να ξέρεις την αλήθεια;
Είσαι ερωτευμένη με έναν άντρα που κρατείται στην πτέρυγα των θανατοποινιτών σε μια φυλακή της Φλόριντα, έχοντας καταδικαστεί για φόνο.
Είσαι σίγουρη για την αθωότητά του και είσαι αποφασισμένη να το αποδείξεις.
Τον παντρεύτηκες. Και τώρα είναι ελεύθερος.
Είναι όμως άραγε τόσο αθώος, τελικά;
Το βιβλίο που ξεχώρισε ανάμεσα σε 5.000 συμμετοχές και κέρδισε ομόφωνα τον διαγωνισμό συγγραφής μυθιστορήματος της Daily Mail.
Μεταφράζεται σε 15 χώρες και τα κινηματογραφικά του δικαιώματα έχουν αγοραστεί από την εταιρεία παραγωγής των ταινιών «Το κορίτσι που εξαφανίστηκε» και «Το κορίτσι του τρένου».
Είσαι ερωτευμένη με έναν άντρα που κρατείται στην πτέρυγα των θανατοποινιτών σε μια φυλακή της Φλόριντα, έχοντας καταδικαστεί για φόνο.
Είσαι σίγουρη για την αθωότητά του και είσαι αποφασισμένη να το αποδείξεις.
Τον παντρεύτηκες. Και τώρα είναι ελεύθερος.
Είναι όμως άραγε τόσο αθώος, τελικά;
Το βιβλίο που ξεχώρισε ανάμεσα σε 5.000 συμμετοχές και κέρδισε ομόφωνα τον διαγωνισμό συγγραφής μυθιστορήματος της Daily Mail.
Μεταφράζεται σε 15 χώρες και τα κινηματογραφικά του δικαιώματα έχουν αγοραστεί από την εταιρεία παραγωγής των ταινιών «Το κορίτσι που εξαφανίστηκε» και «Το κορίτσι του τρένου».
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,630 reviews
September 22, 2022
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't jump on this blog tour because of the hype I've seen surrounding this book; The Innocent Wife has pretty much taken over my Goodreads and Twitter feeds, and for good reason. Bloggers have been finding this story addictive, compulsive, and twisted-all reasons that made me want to pick this one up. This new collection of crime fiction novels that are formatted as documentaries (or mock-umentaries) are extremely popular and it is a format I have become rather fond of, which is how I knew I'd enjoy this story before even picking it up. It gave me some serious Ted Bundy vibes as we have a young, handsome man accused of murder on Florida death row who develops a relationship with a meek schoolteacher in England, and we all know that Ted Bundy married his wife while imprisoned as well. After the initial part of the story though is where our similarities end.
You. Yes you. Come a little closer; I need to tell you a secret. I love reading about dysfunctional relationships. Ok, so that's not really a secret, but I almost felt a little weirded out by how into Sam and Dennis's initial, budding relationship I was. There was the subtle, sexy appeal to the desperation behind their attraction and I ate it up.There, I said it out loud and now you can judge away! But seriously, this was a fantastic portrayal of how one person can slowly tighten their grip of control over another. These types of monsters prey on those with low self esteem, the lonely, and the isolated. Between this aspect unfolding and the back and forth of Dennis's past and his and Sam's future, I was HOOKED. I could not get enough I tell you!
The only minor issue I had with this one was in the conclusion. I don't want to give out any spoilers so I'll keep this vague, but the entire course of the book was a slow and steady building suspense, so when the final 15 pages were jammed packed with explosive action it felt a bit rushed and off. It was exciting, no doubt, but I did feel it was a bit unrealistic, so those who are bothered by those endings may not find this as enjoyable as I did. Other than that, this book was perfection. Highly recommended to those who enjoy shows such as Mindhunter and Making A Murderer on Netflix; this definitely filled that need in myself and I can't wait to see what else Ms. Lloyd conjures up in her writing.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy.
You. Yes you. Come a little closer; I need to tell you a secret. I love reading about dysfunctional relationships. Ok, so that's not really a secret, but I almost felt a little weirded out by how into Sam and Dennis's initial, budding relationship I was. There was the subtle, sexy appeal to the desperation behind their attraction and I ate it up.
The only minor issue I had with this one was in the conclusion. I don't want to give out any spoilers so I'll keep this vague, but the entire course of the book was a slow and steady building suspense, so when the final 15 pages were jammed packed with explosive action it felt a bit rushed and off. It was exciting, no doubt, but I did feel it was a bit unrealistic, so those who are bothered by those endings may not find this as enjoyable as I did. Other than that, this book was perfection. Highly recommended to those who enjoy shows such as Mindhunter and Making A Murderer on Netflix; this definitely filled that need in myself and I can't wait to see what else Ms. Lloyd conjures up in her writing.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy.
October 22, 2017
Dennis Danson is a convicted killer on death row, having been charged with the brutal murder of a young girl in Florida's Red River County. He claims he's innocent and has a huge following, who believe in his innocence. After twenty years in prison, his case is now the subject of a true crime documentary, which raises his profile to an ever increasing audience, particularly online. Thousands of miles away in the UK, Samantha, a schoolteacher, is one of those who become infatuated with him, she believes he's innocent, and regularly contributes to online forums for like minded people, eager to discover the truth, convinced of his wrongful conviction. She begins to correspond with him and decides to visit him in person. Sam is won over by Dennis - he's charming and softly spoken, and it isn't long before she's left her old life behind, marries him, and joins the campaign for his release. The campaign is successful, and Dennis and Sam can now begin married life in earnest, but Sam starts to have concerns about Dennis's involvement in the murder. Added to that, how much does Dennis really know about Sam, the eponymous innocent wife?
Sam becomes increasingly doubtful about Dennis's innocence, he's very much a man of contradictions and his mood can change at the flick of a switch. But how do you approach this terrifying subject with him when you're so fearful of his answer?
I found that right from the start there was an underlying tension - like the calm before the storm, just waiting for the real story to reveal itself. As the storyline progressed, the fear became palpable, with some extremely tense moments, and every time I put the book down, I was itching to pick it up again. A dark psychological thriller, with some heart pounding scenes make this a really riveting read!
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my ARC in exchange for an honest review *
Sam becomes increasingly doubtful about Dennis's innocence, he's very much a man of contradictions and his mood can change at the flick of a switch. But how do you approach this terrifying subject with him when you're so fearful of his answer?
I found that right from the start there was an underlying tension - like the calm before the storm, just waiting for the real story to reveal itself. As the storyline progressed, the fear became palpable, with some extremely tense moments, and every time I put the book down, I was itching to pick it up again. A dark psychological thriller, with some heart pounding scenes make this a really riveting read!
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my ARC in exchange for an honest review *
September 29, 2019
2.5 Stars
“A young schoolteacher falls for a man on Death Row whom she believes is falsely accused, only to begin wondering after their marriage – and his release.”
As soon as I read that line in the description, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book!
Samantha (Sam) is a thirty-one-year-old school teacher from England. She has always felt very alone. She needed something or someone to believe in, and in Dennis Danson, she found both. It all started after she watched a documentary “Framing the truth: the murder of Holly Michaels” . It was about Dennis, who is on death row for the murder of the young girl. Dennis has always proclaimed his innocence and has a large group of supporters whose goal is to help him prove his innocence.
After watching the documentary she became obsessed with Dennis Danson's case. She would talk for hours with other armchair investigators online, debating facts about the case and coming up with other possible suspects and theories. Then she finds out a new documentary series is being made about him…..
So she decides to write him a letter.
She doesn’t really expect him to answer her letter…but he does. The letters make her feel less lonely. He really seems to care for her. And when one of the creators of the upcoming series asks her if she’d like to meet Dennis and get involved with the documentary, Sam is quick to jump on a plane. Once she arrives at the prison she’s terrified and almost changes her mind. But then she meets Dennis…
Before she knows it, she’s left her previous life behind completely. Suddenly she’s Dennis’s wife and although he’s in prison, Sam’s life revolves around him. And then they find out he’s going to be released. Will their relationship work when they are no longer separated by the thick Plexiglas wall in the prison?
She has a fantasy about how things will be once Dennis is released. But the reality is very different. Did Sam make a mistake? She is concerned but determined to make her marriage work. She loves Dennis. And she’s still positive he’s innocent…..or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. But what about all of the unanswered questions and the rumors surrounding Dennis?
What about “The Missing Girls of Red River?”
I’ve heard about how much mail prisoners receive, and I have always been interested in and wondered what makes somebody fall in love with someone who is in prison.
I found the first part of the book quite intriguing. But it seemed to slow right down before veering off into a few different directions. It felt like the story kept jumping around on me. However, I kept reading as I really wanted to see how this was going to play out. I actually liked the unexpected ending, though it was a bit confusing and rushed.
Possible Trigger Warning: There were a few instances of violence towards animals. I understand that this was used to give readers insight into a character, but I felt it was unnecessary.
Overall, I found “The Innocent Wife” to be an interesting read, but the issues I mentioned, unfortunately, did lessen my enjoyment of the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
“A young schoolteacher falls for a man on Death Row whom she believes is falsely accused, only to begin wondering after their marriage – and his release.”
As soon as I read that line in the description, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book!
Samantha (Sam) is a thirty-one-year-old school teacher from England. She has always felt very alone. She needed something or someone to believe in, and in Dennis Danson, she found both. It all started after she watched a documentary “Framing the truth: the murder of Holly Michaels” . It was about Dennis, who is on death row for the murder of the young girl. Dennis has always proclaimed his innocence and has a large group of supporters whose goal is to help him prove his innocence.
After watching the documentary she became obsessed with Dennis Danson's case. She would talk for hours with other armchair investigators online, debating facts about the case and coming up with other possible suspects and theories. Then she finds out a new documentary series is being made about him…..
So she decides to write him a letter.
She doesn’t really expect him to answer her letter…but he does. The letters make her feel less lonely. He really seems to care for her. And when one of the creators of the upcoming series asks her if she’d like to meet Dennis and get involved with the documentary, Sam is quick to jump on a plane. Once she arrives at the prison she’s terrified and almost changes her mind. But then she meets Dennis…
Before she knows it, she’s left her previous life behind completely. Suddenly she’s Dennis’s wife and although he’s in prison, Sam’s life revolves around him. And then they find out he’s going to be released. Will their relationship work when they are no longer separated by the thick Plexiglas wall in the prison?
She has a fantasy about how things will be once Dennis is released. But the reality is very different. Did Sam make a mistake? She is concerned but determined to make her marriage work. She loves Dennis. And she’s still positive he’s innocent…..or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. But what about all of the unanswered questions and the rumors surrounding Dennis?
What about “The Missing Girls of Red River?”
I’ve heard about how much mail prisoners receive, and I have always been interested in and wondered what makes somebody fall in love with someone who is in prison.
I found the first part of the book quite intriguing. But it seemed to slow right down before veering off into a few different directions. It felt like the story kept jumping around on me. However, I kept reading as I really wanted to see how this was going to play out. I actually liked the unexpected ending, though it was a bit confusing and rushed.
Possible Trigger Warning: There were a few instances of violence towards animals. I understand that this was used to give readers insight into a character, but I felt it was unnecessary.
Overall, I found “The Innocent Wife” to be an interesting read, but the issues I mentioned, unfortunately, did lessen my enjoyment of the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 22, 2018
2.5*
Sam is a young woman living a lonely, quiet life in the UK. Now, in the blink of an eye, she finds herself caught up in an international buzz involving a death-row inmate in the US, named Dennis.
As the latest media firestorm sweeps the digital world, seemingly everyone is outraged and rallying to free this un-justly convicted "felon". Documentary crews are busy researching and filming. And the Who’s Who of Hollywood elite are standing behind Dennis, throwing money and support towards his cause.
An ocean away in England, easily influenced Sam, is magnetically drawn to all the drama. She begins writing jail-house love letters to Dennis, quickly establishing a close relationship.
In her mind, the next logical step is to pack a bag and catch the next flight out to the US. She can’t wait to meet this misunderstood victim in person. Ah, young love in bloom!
Only problem is the press coverage worked a little too well, and now Dennis is scheduled to be freed! Freed? The reality of what up until now was pure fantasy, hits Sam like a tidal-wave. Is she about to get a lot more than she bargained for? Is she really ready to continue a relationship with someone who was on death row?
The pros:
Super-fast read. Fantastic premise. I mean, Netflix did an entire series similarly based on the same idea. Had the whole country talking about it and people signing up in droves for Netflix just to watch it.
The cons:
Well, where do I begin...?
The story just never took off for me. I was two-thirds into the book and felt like the story was still being set-up.
The ending left me totally confused with more questions than answers. (Thank you Susanne, for taking me through it step by step to help explain what happened.)
Thrillers are my thing...and if I can’t follow along and get left with “huh?” at the end, well that just doesn’t happen! (Until now.)
This just wasn’t for me! Hope it works better for you!
Thank you to Edelweiss for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Sam is a young woman living a lonely, quiet life in the UK. Now, in the blink of an eye, she finds herself caught up in an international buzz involving a death-row inmate in the US, named Dennis.
As the latest media firestorm sweeps the digital world, seemingly everyone is outraged and rallying to free this un-justly convicted "felon". Documentary crews are busy researching and filming. And the Who’s Who of Hollywood elite are standing behind Dennis, throwing money and support towards his cause.
An ocean away in England, easily influenced Sam, is magnetically drawn to all the drama. She begins writing jail-house love letters to Dennis, quickly establishing a close relationship.
In her mind, the next logical step is to pack a bag and catch the next flight out to the US. She can’t wait to meet this misunderstood victim in person. Ah, young love in bloom!
Only problem is the press coverage worked a little too well, and now Dennis is scheduled to be freed! Freed? The reality of what up until now was pure fantasy, hits Sam like a tidal-wave. Is she about to get a lot more than she bargained for? Is she really ready to continue a relationship with someone who was on death row?
The pros:
Super-fast read. Fantastic premise. I mean, Netflix did an entire series similarly based on the same idea. Had the whole country talking about it and people signing up in droves for Netflix just to watch it.
The cons:
Well, where do I begin...?
The story just never took off for me. I was two-thirds into the book and felt like the story was still being set-up.
The ending left me totally confused with more questions than answers. (Thank you Susanne, for taking me through it step by step to help explain what happened.)
Thrillers are my thing...and if I can’t follow along and get left with “huh?” at the end, well that just doesn’t happen! (Until now.)
This just wasn’t for me! Hope it works better for you!
Thank you to Edelweiss for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2018
Sometimes when reviewing a book that I personally could not relate to, I think maybe I'm too hard to please with some of these thrillers. Then I think that having read so many I am in a unique position to judge what appeals and what does not, what makes sense and what doesn't. Another plot taken from current tv viewing, a man on death row, so many believe he is innocent and fighting to get him released. Sound familiar?
A fictional story doesn't have to make complete sense, but I do think that the characters need a reason for acting the way they do, a reason the reader can find, well reasonable. Plus, if you are going to give me a book full of unlikable characters, which for me isn't a deal breaker, give me a plot that doesn't have holes in it, one I can believe in, or at the least give me some fantastic atmosphere. This book failed for me on all counts.
This was a sisters read and we were pretty much in agreement with our feelings on this, and I enjoyed our discussion. Still, all books do not fit all readers, and this has gotten many rave reviews, so it is always best to try it for yourself and see where you fall.
ARC from Edelweiss.
A fictional story doesn't have to make complete sense, but I do think that the characters need a reason for acting the way they do, a reason the reader can find, well reasonable. Plus, if you are going to give me a book full of unlikable characters, which for me isn't a deal breaker, give me a plot that doesn't have holes in it, one I can believe in, or at the least give me some fantastic atmosphere. This book failed for me on all counts.
This was a sisters read and we were pretty much in agreement with our feelings on this, and I enjoyed our discussion. Still, all books do not fit all readers, and this has gotten many rave reviews, so it is always best to try it for yourself and see where you fall.
ARC from Edelweiss.
January 2, 2018
As soon as I read the premise of the storyline.... my twitchy fingers requested this on Netgalley. I was super excited to dive into this read!
Dennis Danson is a convicted murderer on death row for killing a young girl in Florida's Red River County. Dennis has claimed from day one his innocence....and also has a huge group of followers that support his innocence. One of these followers, Samantha, a schoolteacher has become obsessed with Dennis and starts sending him letters in prison. Gradually, Samantha and Dennis begin to form a "relationship"through these letters and she decides to go see him in prison. Soon after, Dennis and Samantha fall in love and she's marrying him! Dennis's case skyrockets into a political campaign and not long after he is released from prison.
Samantha is so excited to finally start her life with Dennis but she starts seeing red flags from Dennis soon after his release. Dennis is acting strangely and things are not adding up with his innocence. Sam becomes paranoid and starts wondering how innocent Dennis really is?
I struggled with rating this one.... a lot. I don't per say... feel that I am a tough critic? But, I had some issues with this one.
The letters from Dennis and Samantha to me.... are the bold set up to the storyline. I thought it was pretty lame that all of a sudden they just fell in love after two letters? So.. this gave me a bad taste already going in. But, it did pick up speed about 25 percent in after Dennis was released....
As the book went on I felt that the pacing was a little off for my liking. Towards the middle/end was dragging for me a little. Then, the ending felt completely rushed for me. I don't like my books to be rushed with the ending :(. Although, I wasn't expecting that kind of ending... so it did have some surprises in there. It just didn't have the bang I was looking for unfortunately.
3 stars rounded down for me on this one.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date 3/6/18.
Dennis Danson is a convicted murderer on death row for killing a young girl in Florida's Red River County. Dennis has claimed from day one his innocence....and also has a huge group of followers that support his innocence. One of these followers, Samantha, a schoolteacher has become obsessed with Dennis and starts sending him letters in prison. Gradually, Samantha and Dennis begin to form a "relationship"through these letters and she decides to go see him in prison. Soon after, Dennis and Samantha fall in love and she's marrying him! Dennis's case skyrockets into a political campaign and not long after he is released from prison.
Samantha is so excited to finally start her life with Dennis but she starts seeing red flags from Dennis soon after his release. Dennis is acting strangely and things are not adding up with his innocence. Sam becomes paranoid and starts wondering how innocent Dennis really is?
I struggled with rating this one.... a lot. I don't per say... feel that I am a tough critic? But, I had some issues with this one.
The letters from Dennis and Samantha to me.... are the bold set up to the storyline. I thought it was pretty lame that all of a sudden they just fell in love after two letters? So.. this gave me a bad taste already going in. But, it did pick up speed about 25 percent in after Dennis was released....
As the book went on I felt that the pacing was a little off for my liking. Towards the middle/end was dragging for me a little. Then, the ending felt completely rushed for me. I don't like my books to be rushed with the ending :(. Although, I wasn't expecting that kind of ending... so it did have some surprises in there. It just didn't have the bang I was looking for unfortunately.
3 stars rounded down for me on this one.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date 3/6/18.
January 24, 2018
3.5 stars
This novel follows the investigation of a murder trial through a true crime documentary series twenty years after the trial. Dennis Danson was convicted of a brutal murder and has been sitting in prison for two decades. He has a following of ‘fans’ who believe he is innocent. One of these ‘fans’ is a young school teacher, Samantha, who writes to him in prison, marries him and helps him fight for release.
I found this to be a fast read that had me intrigued throughout. It had similarities to the “Making A Murderer – Steven Avery” Netflix series which I found very interesting.
There were quite a few pieces of this story that were rather far-fetched and had my eyes rolling, however, I still found myself flying through the pages to find out how everything would come together in the end. I didn’t like ANY of the characters yet surprisingly that didn’t bother me with this book – I still found myself curious to see how things would pan out for them.
This was a Traveling Sister Read with Norma, Kaceey, Susanne, Holly and Diane. We had some great discussion, varying opinions and lots of laughs throughout this novel. I personally wasn’t “wowed” by this one, but found it very readable and addictive in its own way.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin and Amy Lloyd for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
This novel follows the investigation of a murder trial through a true crime documentary series twenty years after the trial. Dennis Danson was convicted of a brutal murder and has been sitting in prison for two decades. He has a following of ‘fans’ who believe he is innocent. One of these ‘fans’ is a young school teacher, Samantha, who writes to him in prison, marries him and helps him fight for release.
I found this to be a fast read that had me intrigued throughout. It had similarities to the “Making A Murderer – Steven Avery” Netflix series which I found very interesting.
There were quite a few pieces of this story that were rather far-fetched and had my eyes rolling, however, I still found myself flying through the pages to find out how everything would come together in the end. I didn’t like ANY of the characters yet surprisingly that didn’t bother me with this book – I still found myself curious to see how things would pan out for them.
This was a Traveling Sister Read with Norma, Kaceey, Susanne, Holly and Diane. We had some great discussion, varying opinions and lots of laughs throughout this novel. I personally wasn’t “wowed” by this one, but found it very readable and addictive in its own way.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin and Amy Lloyd for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
January 3, 2018
2.5
Wild Gone Wrong...
I can't explain my reaction to this book because it was all over the place and yet I did want to continue reading!
Samantha lives in England, but she still falls for Dennis Danson who was convicted of murdering a young woman twenty years ago in Florida. He was 18 at the time and has been incarcerated and on Death Row since his conviction. A documentary is being filmed to support new evidence and try to get Dennis released.
Sam and Dennis marry and then this story goes completely off the rails for me. Their so called marriage/relationship is awkward and creepy. They are sent wedding gifts from Katy Perry and Johnny Depp sends them apples? What? really?
The story continues and is describing a lot of mundane tasks and I'm asking why? and having to question where this is going? The interviews are repetitive and this story is running in circles.
At times I laugh at something outrageous, or silly. At times I'm cringing at something disgusting. At times I am just wondering how much more I can take! There seems to be a lack of cohesiveness in this story, going from some suspense to Dennis just casually taking a shower??
I do believe the author is talented and has a way of playing the reader by using some suspense to engage, but this was just not the book for me.
This was a Traveling Sister Read and we had lots of fun discussing some of the antics used. As always, people enjoy different books so read other reviews and decide if you'd like to give it a go!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the advanced arc.
Wild Gone Wrong...
I can't explain my reaction to this book because it was all over the place and yet I did want to continue reading!
Samantha lives in England, but she still falls for Dennis Danson who was convicted of murdering a young woman twenty years ago in Florida. He was 18 at the time and has been incarcerated and on Death Row since his conviction. A documentary is being filmed to support new evidence and try to get Dennis released.
Sam and Dennis marry and then this story goes completely off the rails for me. Their so called marriage/relationship is awkward and creepy. They are sent wedding gifts from Katy Perry and Johnny Depp sends them apples? What? really?
The story continues and is describing a lot of mundane tasks and I'm asking why? and having to question where this is going? The interviews are repetitive and this story is running in circles.
At times I laugh at something outrageous, or silly. At times I'm cringing at something disgusting. At times I am just wondering how much more I can take! There seems to be a lack of cohesiveness in this story, going from some suspense to Dennis just casually taking a shower??
I do believe the author is talented and has a way of playing the reader by using some suspense to engage, but this was just not the book for me.
This was a Traveling Sister Read and we had lots of fun discussing some of the antics used. As always, people enjoy different books so read other reviews and decide if you'd like to give it a go!
Thanks to Edelweiss for the advanced arc.
January 7, 2018
2.25 Stars* (rounded down)
Sam is a teacher in England who incessantly follows the story of a man imprisoned for murder. His name is Dennis Dawson and he was arrested for the brutal murder of a young girl in Florida twenty years prior. Now he is the subject of a documentary that is trying to prove his innocence. Sam can’t help but be drawn in. Dennis is a handsome and charismatic man. She starts corresponding with him and the two form a relationship. Before she knows it she is traveling to Florida to meet him and then, she marries him even though they have never touched, never held hands and never kissed.
In the craziest events, the campaign to free Dennis works, new evidence comes to light and he becomes a free man. Sam is caught up in a whirlwind. Their life together is nothing like Sam imagined. Dennis is not the man she thought he was. Slowly, secrets begin to unravel and Sam learns what is real and what is not. As she soon finds out, the truth is a terrifying thing.
“The Innocent Wife” started out very slow. In fact, it dragged on endlessly and was a complete snoozefest until about 2/3rds of the way in. I was not even remotely invested in any of the characters or the storyline. Around the last 1/3rd of the book, it actually got a little interesting and become totally convoluted. Unfortunately, the novel itself didn’t work for me - there were several plot holes and the storyline just didn’t make sense.
This was a Traveling Sister Read. It included: Kaceey, Lindsay, Diane S., and Holly. Though the book wasn’t a successful read, I had a fabulous time reading this with my sisters - and we were all in agreement for the most part - which gave us lots of laughs. Thanks sisters!
Thank you to Edelweiss, Hanover Square and Amy Lloyd for an ARC of this novel.
Published on Edelweiss and Goodreads on 1.7.18.
*Will be published on Amazon on 3.6.18.
Sam is a teacher in England who incessantly follows the story of a man imprisoned for murder. His name is Dennis Dawson and he was arrested for the brutal murder of a young girl in Florida twenty years prior. Now he is the subject of a documentary that is trying to prove his innocence. Sam can’t help but be drawn in. Dennis is a handsome and charismatic man. She starts corresponding with him and the two form a relationship. Before she knows it she is traveling to Florida to meet him and then, she marries him even though they have never touched, never held hands and never kissed.
In the craziest events, the campaign to free Dennis works, new evidence comes to light and he becomes a free man. Sam is caught up in a whirlwind. Their life together is nothing like Sam imagined. Dennis is not the man she thought he was. Slowly, secrets begin to unravel and Sam learns what is real and what is not. As she soon finds out, the truth is a terrifying thing.
“The Innocent Wife” started out very slow. In fact, it dragged on endlessly and was a complete snoozefest until about 2/3rds of the way in. I was not even remotely invested in any of the characters or the storyline. Around the last 1/3rd of the book, it actually got a little interesting and become totally convoluted. Unfortunately, the novel itself didn’t work for me - there were several plot holes and the storyline just didn’t make sense.
This was a Traveling Sister Read. It included: Kaceey, Lindsay, Diane S., and Holly. Though the book wasn’t a successful read, I had a fabulous time reading this with my sisters - and we were all in agreement for the most part - which gave us lots of laughs. Thanks sisters!
Thank you to Edelweiss, Hanover Square and Amy Lloyd for an ARC of this novel.
Published on Edelweiss and Goodreads on 1.7.18.
*Will be published on Amazon on 3.6.18.
December 28, 2017
Well... any time I start a new book and finish it within the same day will always get a 5 star rating from me. I picked up
The Innocent Wife
this morning on my subway commute to work and couldn't put it down! I read it during my lunch break, commute home, on the stair master (I literally kept going until my legs tired—so keep that in mind if you need a cardio read), and when I got home. It was just that addicting!
Twenty years ago, high school jock, Dennis Danson was arrested for the murder of Holly Michaels in Red River County, Florida. The death of Holly Michaels sparked a nationwide investigation into the deaths of several other women in the small rural town—sending shockwaves through the media. Dennis's story is picked up by a documentary team and the rest is history. Dennis is a worldwide topic, gathering the attention of many celebrities, politicians, influencers, and 31 British schoolteacher Samantha. Samantha becomes immersed in Dennis's story and becomes an active member in the online following that he has garnered. After a brutal break up with her boyfriend Mark, Samantha goes out on a limb and decides to write Dennis and try to show him support. Samantha is surprised when Dennis appreciates the introduction and the two begin to have a budding relationship. It isn't long before Samantha and Dennis are married. As the case continues to gain recognition, evidence is released the proclaims Dennis's innocence. Samantha is more than ready to begin her life with Dennis and start their happy life together as husband and wife, but as their time together begins to grow, things are not what they seem. Why is Samantha growing suspicious of the man she once trusted with all her might?
The Innocent Wife is a quick, light mystery that will hook you in from the beginning. I was deeply drawn into Amy Lloyd's interpretation of society's interest in these Making a Murderer-esque shows and her original storytelling thereafter. When you first pick up this book, you will feel as if this is a typical suspense story and that you have it all figured out, but you're wrong. The Innocent Wife goes from zero to sixty real fast, with no lack of emotion and suspense. If you like Ruth Ware and Riley Sager, you'll love this one. I have always wondered what the perspective was from the eyes of these people who marry inmates in jail. I wonder, 'what are they thinking?', 'are they desperate?', 'are they mentally sound?'. These types of questions do not go unnoticed in this novel.
Thank you Hanover Square Press for my advanced copy for an honest review.
Twenty years ago, high school jock, Dennis Danson was arrested for the murder of Holly Michaels in Red River County, Florida. The death of Holly Michaels sparked a nationwide investigation into the deaths of several other women in the small rural town—sending shockwaves through the media. Dennis's story is picked up by a documentary team and the rest is history. Dennis is a worldwide topic, gathering the attention of many celebrities, politicians, influencers, and 31 British schoolteacher Samantha. Samantha becomes immersed in Dennis's story and becomes an active member in the online following that he has garnered. After a brutal break up with her boyfriend Mark, Samantha goes out on a limb and decides to write Dennis and try to show him support. Samantha is surprised when Dennis appreciates the introduction and the two begin to have a budding relationship. It isn't long before Samantha and Dennis are married. As the case continues to gain recognition, evidence is released the proclaims Dennis's innocence. Samantha is more than ready to begin her life with Dennis and start their happy life together as husband and wife, but as their time together begins to grow, things are not what they seem. Why is Samantha growing suspicious of the man she once trusted with all her might?
The Innocent Wife is a quick, light mystery that will hook you in from the beginning. I was deeply drawn into Amy Lloyd's interpretation of society's interest in these Making a Murderer-esque shows and her original storytelling thereafter. When you first pick up this book, you will feel as if this is a typical suspense story and that you have it all figured out, but you're wrong. The Innocent Wife goes from zero to sixty real fast, with no lack of emotion and suspense. If you like Ruth Ware and Riley Sager, you'll love this one. I have always wondered what the perspective was from the eyes of these people who marry inmates in jail. I wonder, 'what are they thinking?', 'are they desperate?', 'are they mentally sound?'. These types of questions do not go unnoticed in this novel.
Thank you Hanover Square Press for my advanced copy for an honest review.
December 19, 2017
As soon as I read the description of The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd I knew that this was a book that I needed to read. I’ve heard of woman becoming pen pals to prisoners and forming relationships with them so my curiosity of just what the author would do with this subject was definitely high.
When reading I thought that the set up of Samantha seeing the documentary with Dennis Danson behind bars and those trying to prove his innocence was perfect for today’s society. While I hadn’t watched Making a Murderer myself I had heard about it from others and know that it was a popular show so it just made sense to have the character watching something similar and becoming obsessed with what she believed was an innocent man.
Samantha’s character was also done perfectly in my mind to fit this story. She’s timid and unsure and really didn’t know her place in the world which made her seem like she was perfect to be molded by this convicted killer. Dennis also seemed to be what most folks would expect with one face for the cameras and another behind the scenes.
As the book went on I did think though that the pacing was a bit off balance to me as it seemed to slow a bit after the initial intrigue but then the ending felt a tad rushed when it came about. I wasn’t quite overly surprised by how things turned out but it was a solid enough read that I would rate this one at 3.5 stars when finished with just enough creepiness to keep the pages turning.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
When reading I thought that the set up of Samantha seeing the documentary with Dennis Danson behind bars and those trying to prove his innocence was perfect for today’s society. While I hadn’t watched Making a Murderer myself I had heard about it from others and know that it was a popular show so it just made sense to have the character watching something similar and becoming obsessed with what she believed was an innocent man.
Samantha’s character was also done perfectly in my mind to fit this story. She’s timid and unsure and really didn’t know her place in the world which made her seem like she was perfect to be molded by this convicted killer. Dennis also seemed to be what most folks would expect with one face for the cameras and another behind the scenes.
As the book went on I did think though that the pacing was a bit off balance to me as it seemed to slow a bit after the initial intrigue but then the ending felt a tad rushed when it came about. I wasn’t quite overly surprised by how things turned out but it was a solid enough read that I would rate this one at 3.5 stars when finished with just enough creepiness to keep the pages turning.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
October 19, 2023
EXCERPT: They sat rigid, unspeaking. Sam unwilling to back down and Dennis confused, possibly wondering what he had got himself into, she thought, disgusted with herself. But it was happening now, the worms inside her were squirming, and she couldn't stop them.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Twenty years ago, Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned for the brutal murder of a young girl. Now he’s the subject of a true-crime documentary that’s whipping up a frenzy online to uncover the truth and free a man who has been wrongly convicted.
A thousand miles away in England, Samantha is obsessed with Dennis’s case. She exchanges letters with him, and is quickly won over by his apparent charm and kindness to her. Soon she has left her old life behind to marry him and campaign for his release.
When the campaign is successful and Dennis is freed, however, Sam begins to discover new details that suggest he may not be quite so innocent after all.
But how do you confront your husband when you don’t want to know the truth?
MY THOUGHTS: I did not request an ARC of this book from NetGalley when I had the chance, mainly because I have never been able to understand why a woman would strike up a relationship with someone in prison, to whom they have been attracted by their notoriety and/or their claims of innocence, would move away from their friends and family to be closer to the prison, and why they would actually marry, when there was little or no hope of ever having anything resembling a normal life with their spouse. I JUST DIDN'T GET IT! And, to a certain extent, I still don't. But The Innocent Wife has opened my eyes, and my mind, a little. It is still something that I would never contemplate, but I can now see how it could happen.
Sam is needy, and unhappy. We don't learn too much of her back story, just that she was in an emotionally abusive relationship for a number of years before being unceremoniously dumped. Dan is a safe option. She can have a husband without all the pitfalls of a normal relationship because he is safely out of her reach, and she out of his . . . . until he is freed.
The truth was that Sam had grown used to their relationship as it was, separated by a thick plexiglass wall. Without that wall, Sam worried, there was nothing to stop them hurting each other, as she and Mark had done. Or all the other things people did to each other: walking away, lying, switching off their phones, little cruelties she and Dennis had so far been shielded from.
And it is from this point on that the book begins to get interesting. . .
🎅🎅🎅.5
THE AUTHOR: Amy Lloyd won the Daily Mail and Penguin Random House First Novel competition in 2016 with her thriller 'The Innocent Wife'.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Leanne of Little Scissors, Otorohanga, New Zealand, for insisting I read The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd, published by Century, a division of Penguin Random House. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. (Just out of interest, this was a five star read for Leanne.)
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Twenty years ago, Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned for the brutal murder of a young girl. Now he’s the subject of a true-crime documentary that’s whipping up a frenzy online to uncover the truth and free a man who has been wrongly convicted.
A thousand miles away in England, Samantha is obsessed with Dennis’s case. She exchanges letters with him, and is quickly won over by his apparent charm and kindness to her. Soon she has left her old life behind to marry him and campaign for his release.
When the campaign is successful and Dennis is freed, however, Sam begins to discover new details that suggest he may not be quite so innocent after all.
But how do you confront your husband when you don’t want to know the truth?
MY THOUGHTS: I did not request an ARC of this book from NetGalley when I had the chance, mainly because I have never been able to understand why a woman would strike up a relationship with someone in prison, to whom they have been attracted by their notoriety and/or their claims of innocence, would move away from their friends and family to be closer to the prison, and why they would actually marry, when there was little or no hope of ever having anything resembling a normal life with their spouse. I JUST DIDN'T GET IT! And, to a certain extent, I still don't. But The Innocent Wife has opened my eyes, and my mind, a little. It is still something that I would never contemplate, but I can now see how it could happen.
Sam is needy, and unhappy. We don't learn too much of her back story, just that she was in an emotionally abusive relationship for a number of years before being unceremoniously dumped. Dan is a safe option. She can have a husband without all the pitfalls of a normal relationship because he is safely out of her reach, and she out of his . . . . until he is freed.
The truth was that Sam had grown used to their relationship as it was, separated by a thick plexiglass wall. Without that wall, Sam worried, there was nothing to stop them hurting each other, as she and Mark had done. Or all the other things people did to each other: walking away, lying, switching off their phones, little cruelties she and Dennis had so far been shielded from.
And it is from this point on that the book begins to get interesting. . .
🎅🎅🎅.5
THE AUTHOR: Amy Lloyd won the Daily Mail and Penguin Random House First Novel competition in 2016 with her thriller 'The Innocent Wife'.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Leanne of Little Scissors, Otorohanga, New Zealand, for insisting I read The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd, published by Century, a division of Penguin Random House. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. (Just out of interest, this was a five star read for Leanne.)
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
December 28, 2017
Every so often a book comes along that you really enjoy but you can't really work out why,well for me this is most definitely one of those books.
This riveting thriller is a tale that is split into two halves that are set before and after Dennis is released from prison.
Our main protagonist is Samantha who is a teacher,she lives in England and has recently been dumped by her boyfriend.Quite a number of other reviewers have stated that they found Sam annoying and irritating but because she had a number of my own personal character traits, although I didn't like her very much at times,I understood when she had moments of anxiety,paranoia and indecision.I certainly didn't understand why she or anyone else would want to write to a convicted killer but after watching an online documentary about him, she decides to start writing to Dennis Danson who is on death row after being convicted for the murder of a young girl.What starts out as a friendship swiftly develops into a romance and before you can scream `what are you doing you stupid woman` she has accepted his marriage proposal.She also finds herself involved with a film crew who are convinced that Dennis is innocent and are making a true crime documentary about the case.As well as following Sam`s visits to Dennis in prison and the film crew as they make their documentary,there is also extracts from a book that was written about the case.These extracts give the reader background information on where Dennis grew up,his family and upbringing.
When new evidence casts doubt on the case against Dennis and he is exonerated and released,the couple start their lives together as a married couple while being under the constant scrutiny of the media.Only as time passes Sam begins to realise that Dennis might not be the loving,nice guy that he appeared to be when he was in prison.The story is rather one sided because you only see things from Sam`s perspective,a couple chapters told from Dennis`s point of view might have given the reader more insight into his character and true feelings towards Sam.After a short stay in New York,they go to stay at Dennis`s childhood home in Red River County,Florida which is when the tension starts to build but this is also when the story starts to get a bit predictable.Once a certain character is introduced into the story,it's not difficult to work out who was behind the disappearances over twenty years ago and there was no unexpected twists during the final confrontation.
Like I said,I can't honestly say why I enjoyed this book as much as I did but I can say that it's a well written,debut thriller that could result in some interesting discussions if it was read by a book group.
Many thanks to Random house uk / Cornerstone for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
This riveting thriller is a tale that is split into two halves that are set before and after Dennis is released from prison.
Our main protagonist is Samantha who is a teacher,she lives in England and has recently been dumped by her boyfriend.Quite a number of other reviewers have stated that they found Sam annoying and irritating but because she had a number of my own personal character traits, although I didn't like her very much at times,I understood when she had moments of anxiety,paranoia and indecision.I certainly didn't understand why she or anyone else would want to write to a convicted killer but after watching an online documentary about him, she decides to start writing to Dennis Danson who is on death row after being convicted for the murder of a young girl.What starts out as a friendship swiftly develops into a romance and before you can scream `what are you doing you stupid woman` she has accepted his marriage proposal.She also finds herself involved with a film crew who are convinced that Dennis is innocent and are making a true crime documentary about the case.As well as following Sam`s visits to Dennis in prison and the film crew as they make their documentary,there is also extracts from a book that was written about the case.These extracts give the reader background information on where Dennis grew up,his family and upbringing.
When new evidence casts doubt on the case against Dennis and he is exonerated and released,the couple start their lives together as a married couple while being under the constant scrutiny of the media.Only as time passes Sam begins to realise that Dennis might not be the loving,nice guy that he appeared to be when he was in prison.The story is rather one sided because you only see things from Sam`s perspective,a couple chapters told from Dennis`s point of view might have given the reader more insight into his character and true feelings towards Sam.After a short stay in New York,they go to stay at Dennis`s childhood home in Red River County,Florida which is when the tension starts to build but this is also when the story starts to get a bit predictable.Once a certain character is introduced into the story,it's not difficult to work out who was behind the disappearances over twenty years ago and there was no unexpected twists during the final confrontation.
Like I said,I can't honestly say why I enjoyed this book as much as I did but I can say that it's a well written,debut thriller that could result in some interesting discussions if it was read by a book group.
Many thanks to Random house uk / Cornerstone for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
October 14, 2020
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I did enjoy the plot of this book, I had a friend when I was younger whose mum got friendly with someone in prison. I know! Right?! So reading this reminded me of that fact, right back 30 years or so.
That didn’t have a good ending either and she emigrated from U.K. to New Zealand!
I was fascinated by why a person was attracted to people in jail. Romance blossoming etc.
Anyway, there was an obvious way of how this came bout in this story.
I listened to it on audio today, I’m wondering if it would have been better if I read it by physical book or ebook. I remembered then I had this on my Kindle. So I swapped.
It didn’t really make it better, only that I could hear my inner voice reading it instead of someone else.
I’m glad I read this, there were short bursts of me being engrossed, it did jump around a bit.
The ending was 10/10 though.
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I did enjoy the plot of this book, I had a friend when I was younger whose mum got friendly with someone in prison. I know! Right?! So reading this reminded me of that fact, right back 30 years or so.
That didn’t have a good ending either and she emigrated from U.K. to New Zealand!
I was fascinated by why a person was attracted to people in jail. Romance blossoming etc.
Anyway, there was an obvious way of how this came bout in this story.
I listened to it on audio today, I’m wondering if it would have been better if I read it by physical book or ebook. I remembered then I had this on my Kindle. So I swapped.
It didn’t really make it better, only that I could hear my inner voice reading it instead of someone else.
I’m glad I read this, there were short bursts of me being engrossed, it did jump around a bit.
The ending was 10/10 though.
December 21, 2017
A schoolteacher falls for a man on death row who she believes is falsely accused. Twenty years ago Dennis Danson was arrested for the brutal murder of Holly Michaels in Florida's Red River County. Now he's the subject of Making a Murder - style documentary. Samantha is thousands of miles away in Britian, but she is as invested in Dennis's case as any of his lawyers.
The plot to this story is mainly based on did he or did he not do it. Samantha writes to Danson on death row, falls in love with him and then marries him. We have all heard of women who have done this. There is so much tension in this story. A gripping page turner and a good debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author Amy Llyod for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot to this story is mainly based on did he or did he not do it. Samantha writes to Danson on death row, falls in love with him and then marries him. We have all heard of women who have done this. There is so much tension in this story. A gripping page turner and a good debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author Amy Llyod for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2018
4 very twisted stars
This psychological thriller has some pretty messed up characters and some amazing twists!
SUMMARY
Bored with her life and reeling from a very bad break up, Samantha becomes obsessed with Dennis, a high profile death row prisoner. She summons the courage to write to him and is thrilled when he writes back. They develop a relationship which culminates in her leaving England, moving to Florida and marrying him.
Since Dennis's case is highly publicized, he has a large group of influential and wealthy supporters, including well known celebrities. A generous legal fund is set up for his defense, allowing him to hire a top notch attorney. When his verdict is overturned, it's a dream come true for Samantha! Or is it? Is he really innocent? Is it possible for him to live a happy, normal life after twenty years in prison? Is he really the man Samantha thinks he is? What about Samantha herself? Is she truly a stable person? Who would marry a convicted murderer, let alone one they barely knows?
WHAT I LOVED
Probably the best part of this book is the constant feeling of suspense! Clearly, moving to a different country to pursue a relationship with a death row inmate is not the best idea ever but I was unsure how the plan would unravel. While I was pretty sure none of the characters were exactly mentally stable, all I could do was keep reading and watch it all fall apart. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book. Every time Samantha walked into a dark room or went into the woods or Dennis got upset about something, I felt sure danger was right around the corner. I read non-stop just to see how (not if) it was all going to implode. Even if neither Dennis nor Samantha became the problem, Dennis had some very "sketchy" friends from his past and there was an extremely angry group of protesters who are convinced Dennis should still be in prison. Not to mention the police still have it out him and someone may be watching them from the woods. The threat could be coming from any where.
There were several great twists. I never knew who to trust and had no idea what anyone's intentions were. There were several things I never saw coming. It kept me reading.
This book, refreshingly, was written in chronological order and was in third person from only one characters point of view, making it super easy to follow. No stopping to recount who knew/ did what at each point.
WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE
There was a time or two when reality seemed a bit stretched toward the very end. Just one or two events, not many.
There was a bit of violence.
The ending was a little confusing. I had to go back and re-read it a couple of times before I understood what happened.
My biggest complaint would probably be that I could not really connect with any of the characters. I cannot understand why anyone would have such low self-esteem that they would consider a death row inmate a viable love interest. I know it happens but I don't get it. Through most of the book I could not decide whether Dennis was a good or bad person, therefore I couldn't connect to him. Lindsey was a whole new level of codependent crazy that I cannot fathom. I could probably connect most to Carrie who spends her entire life looking for someone to save but I still do not understand the need to chase down causes at that level. They made the story interesting but I never connected with any of them.
OVERALL
I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers. It would make a good book club selection, there is a lot to discuss.
This psychological thriller has some pretty messed up characters and some amazing twists!
SUMMARY
Bored with her life and reeling from a very bad break up, Samantha becomes obsessed with Dennis, a high profile death row prisoner. She summons the courage to write to him and is thrilled when he writes back. They develop a relationship which culminates in her leaving England, moving to Florida and marrying him.
Since Dennis's case is highly publicized, he has a large group of influential and wealthy supporters, including well known celebrities. A generous legal fund is set up for his defense, allowing him to hire a top notch attorney. When his verdict is overturned, it's a dream come true for Samantha! Or is it? Is he really innocent? Is it possible for him to live a happy, normal life after twenty years in prison? Is he really the man Samantha thinks he is? What about Samantha herself? Is she truly a stable person? Who would marry a convicted murderer, let alone one they barely knows?
WHAT I LOVED
Probably the best part of this book is the constant feeling of suspense! Clearly, moving to a different country to pursue a relationship with a death row inmate is not the best idea ever but I was unsure how the plan would unravel. While I was pretty sure none of the characters were exactly mentally stable, all I could do was keep reading and watch it all fall apart. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book. Every time Samantha walked into a dark room or went into the woods or Dennis got upset about something, I felt sure danger was right around the corner. I read non-stop just to see how (not if) it was all going to implode. Even if neither Dennis nor Samantha became the problem, Dennis had some very "sketchy" friends from his past and there was an extremely angry group of protesters who are convinced Dennis should still be in prison. Not to mention the police still have it out him and someone may be watching them from the woods. The threat could be coming from any where.
There were several great twists. I never knew who to trust and had no idea what anyone's intentions were. There were several things I never saw coming. It kept me reading.
This book, refreshingly, was written in chronological order and was in third person from only one characters point of view, making it super easy to follow. No stopping to recount who knew/ did what at each point.
WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE
There was a time or two when reality seemed a bit stretched toward the very end. Just one or two events, not many.
There was a bit of violence.
The ending was a little confusing. I had to go back and re-read it a couple of times before I understood what happened.
My biggest complaint would probably be that I could not really connect with any of the characters. I cannot understand why anyone would have such low self-esteem that they would consider a death row inmate a viable love interest. I know it happens but I don't get it. Through most of the book I could not decide whether Dennis was a good or bad person, therefore I couldn't connect to him. Lindsey was a whole new level of codependent crazy that I cannot fathom. I could probably connect most to Carrie who spends her entire life looking for someone to save but I still do not understand the need to chase down causes at that level. They made the story interesting but I never connected with any of them.
OVERALL
I highly recommend this book to fans of thrillers. It would make a good book club selection, there is a lot to discuss.
June 25, 2018
I was disappointed with this book, weak character, weak plot and a very unsatisfactory ending at least for me . It felt like a cheap movie .
January 28, 2018
3.5 stars
The Innocent Wife is the uneven debut novel of Amy Lloyd and its conception and release is no doubt intended to capitalise on the surge in interest of documentaries such as “Making a Murderer”, which investigated the potential gross miscarriage of justice that led to a man’s long-term incarceration. Although there is no doubting that the novel does become increasingly compelling in the second half once the story focuses on the dynamics of the marriage and the media circus has largely exhausted itself, the first half is workmanlike at best. Much of the plot is eminently predictable with few readers likely to be in any doubt that the novel is heading towards a “did he or didn’t he” denouement and what has proven a divisive ending. Whilst I doubt The Innocent Wife’s woeful characterisation will overwhelming inspire confidence things do improve significantly and staying the course has its rewards.
After a messy breakup from boyfriend Mark, thirty-one-year-old lonely and insecure schoolteacher, Samantha, is at a loose end and looking for her next fixation. Stuck in a job she loathes she can at least thank her ex for introducing her to “Framing the Truth: The Murder of Holly Michaels”, the smash hit US documentary investigating the veracity of Dennis Danson’s conviction for a brutal murder in 1993 in Red River County, Florida. Sentenced to incarceration on Death Row at just eighteen years old Sam finds herself obsessively following the forums and message boards which promote the conspiracy theories surrounding Danson’s wrongful conviction and campaign for his exoneration. At breakneck speed Sam begins a tentative correspondence of weekly letters with Danson that by page twenty-five has climaxed to full blown declarations of love. Admittedly the dates of the letters identify that the correspondence has taken place over a year but entirely devoid of momentous personal revelations or candour (platitudes such “you brightened an otherwise dark day”), the letters do nothing to support the credibility of Lloyd’s story. Mixed with extracts from a biography of Danson which conveys his impoverished childhood at the hands of a sadistic father and a depressive mother, Lloyd fails to elicit any empathy for impressionable Sam. With Danson cautiously optimistic about the prospect of a retrial ahead of the new documentary being aired, it is co-producer and live wire director Carrie who enthusiastically encourages Sam to jet out to Florida.
After a swift marriage and an unexpected confession pave the way for Danson’s release things only start to become interesting once the newlyweds are left to their own devices and struggle for intimacy with Danson failing to eschew the effects of two decades behind bars and Sam riven with self-loathing. Feeling unwanted and inconsequential to her husband Sam becomes increasingly resentful and jealous of the competing demands for his attention, resorting to petty mind games. Convincing herself that she sees occasional signs of empathy and affection from Danson, Sam awaits the start of their married life proper, but when the death of Dennis’ father leads to a prolonged visit to his remote rundown childhood home of Red River County, the history and adoring eyes of an odd childhood friend, Lindsay Durst, threaten to derail Sam’s dream marriage. As Sam begins to realise that she has got used to being separated by a wall of Plexiglas she discovers she is unprepared for the realities of a relationship and the dark moods which make Danson inaccessible and antagonistic. As questions about his guilt of Danson become increasingly hard for Sam to ignore she is confronted with the dilemma of whether her husband is really as innocent as he claims..
For me the principal detracting factor was the superficiality of the whole story and the inability of a novel of four hundred pages to do justice to any likelihood of portraying a remotely believable connection between Samantha and Danson. The route from correspondence to the release of Danson glosses over the markedly more fascinating aspects of a woman who lacks the self-belief and confidence to think she is worth more than throwing herself at a serial killer that she knows next to nothing about. This is hard to equate with someone who holds down a responsible job such as teaching which obviously demands a certain level of intelligence. Regardless of opinions about Sam’s likeability is the unrelated issue of whether she is remotely plausible that is the sticking point and I would argue that Lloyd never really gets to grips with conveying what made her tick or any sense of her rationale or reasoning. To me she seemed as unpredictable as Danson and the likelihood of such a flaky and pathetic individual making it from teaching a class of students in a Bristol school one day to Florida’s Altoona Prison the next? Mmm, doubtful.
Although there are hints about Sam’s jealously and behaviour in her past relationships, Lloyd delays regaling her audience with the specifics until the reader has seen much of Sam in action with Danson for themselves. I am unsure whether this was supposed to convince that reader that Sam was a balanced individual in the first instance as it was always patently obvious to me that she had her own mental health issues and questionable relationship with the truth. The character of Carrie also left me in a quandary and I spent much of the novel veering between thinking she was as dense as Sam or in cahoots with Danson and intent on pulling the wool over Sam’s eyes, all of which weighs into my very mixed feelings about this novel.
Amy Lloyd chooses to hold back from the reader until much further into the story that victim Holly Michaels was just eleven-years-old when she was murdered and the details surrounding the number of other Red River girls whose are unaccounted for. These staggered details do imbue the character of Danson with greater menace and add a bristle to the whole Red River atmosphere making everything feel slightly more depraved into the second half. Although the climax feels somewhat rushed, the closing pages undeniably make for an uncomfortably tense conclusion which is admirably defiant and hints at Lloyd’s characters having clearer intentions than she manages to convey throughout proceedings. So whilst the denouement is a good one, whether it is worth spending time with the flaky character of Sam for three hundred pages is another matter entirely!
The Innocent Wife is the uneven debut novel of Amy Lloyd and its conception and release is no doubt intended to capitalise on the surge in interest of documentaries such as “Making a Murderer”, which investigated the potential gross miscarriage of justice that led to a man’s long-term incarceration. Although there is no doubting that the novel does become increasingly compelling in the second half once the story focuses on the dynamics of the marriage and the media circus has largely exhausted itself, the first half is workmanlike at best. Much of the plot is eminently predictable with few readers likely to be in any doubt that the novel is heading towards a “did he or didn’t he” denouement and what has proven a divisive ending. Whilst I doubt The Innocent Wife’s woeful characterisation will overwhelming inspire confidence things do improve significantly and staying the course has its rewards.
After a messy breakup from boyfriend Mark, thirty-one-year-old lonely and insecure schoolteacher, Samantha, is at a loose end and looking for her next fixation. Stuck in a job she loathes she can at least thank her ex for introducing her to “Framing the Truth: The Murder of Holly Michaels”, the smash hit US documentary investigating the veracity of Dennis Danson’s conviction for a brutal murder in 1993 in Red River County, Florida. Sentenced to incarceration on Death Row at just eighteen years old Sam finds herself obsessively following the forums and message boards which promote the conspiracy theories surrounding Danson’s wrongful conviction and campaign for his exoneration. At breakneck speed Sam begins a tentative correspondence of weekly letters with Danson that by page twenty-five has climaxed to full blown declarations of love. Admittedly the dates of the letters identify that the correspondence has taken place over a year but entirely devoid of momentous personal revelations or candour (platitudes such “you brightened an otherwise dark day”), the letters do nothing to support the credibility of Lloyd’s story. Mixed with extracts from a biography of Danson which conveys his impoverished childhood at the hands of a sadistic father and a depressive mother, Lloyd fails to elicit any empathy for impressionable Sam. With Danson cautiously optimistic about the prospect of a retrial ahead of the new documentary being aired, it is co-producer and live wire director Carrie who enthusiastically encourages Sam to jet out to Florida.
After a swift marriage and an unexpected confession pave the way for Danson’s release things only start to become interesting once the newlyweds are left to their own devices and struggle for intimacy with Danson failing to eschew the effects of two decades behind bars and Sam riven with self-loathing. Feeling unwanted and inconsequential to her husband Sam becomes increasingly resentful and jealous of the competing demands for his attention, resorting to petty mind games. Convincing herself that she sees occasional signs of empathy and affection from Danson, Sam awaits the start of their married life proper, but when the death of Dennis’ father leads to a prolonged visit to his remote rundown childhood home of Red River County, the history and adoring eyes of an odd childhood friend, Lindsay Durst, threaten to derail Sam’s dream marriage. As Sam begins to realise that she has got used to being separated by a wall of Plexiglas she discovers she is unprepared for the realities of a relationship and the dark moods which make Danson inaccessible and antagonistic. As questions about his guilt of Danson become increasingly hard for Sam to ignore she is confronted with the dilemma of whether her husband is really as innocent as he claims..
For me the principal detracting factor was the superficiality of the whole story and the inability of a novel of four hundred pages to do justice to any likelihood of portraying a remotely believable connection between Samantha and Danson. The route from correspondence to the release of Danson glosses over the markedly more fascinating aspects of a woman who lacks the self-belief and confidence to think she is worth more than throwing herself at a serial killer that she knows next to nothing about. This is hard to equate with someone who holds down a responsible job such as teaching which obviously demands a certain level of intelligence. Regardless of opinions about Sam’s likeability is the unrelated issue of whether she is remotely plausible that is the sticking point and I would argue that Lloyd never really gets to grips with conveying what made her tick or any sense of her rationale or reasoning. To me she seemed as unpredictable as Danson and the likelihood of such a flaky and pathetic individual making it from teaching a class of students in a Bristol school one day to Florida’s Altoona Prison the next? Mmm, doubtful.
Although there are hints about Sam’s jealously and behaviour in her past relationships, Lloyd delays regaling her audience with the specifics until the reader has seen much of Sam in action with Danson for themselves. I am unsure whether this was supposed to convince that reader that Sam was a balanced individual in the first instance as it was always patently obvious to me that she had her own mental health issues and questionable relationship with the truth. The character of Carrie also left me in a quandary and I spent much of the novel veering between thinking she was as dense as Sam or in cahoots with Danson and intent on pulling the wool over Sam’s eyes, all of which weighs into my very mixed feelings about this novel.
Amy Lloyd chooses to hold back from the reader until much further into the story that victim Holly Michaels was just eleven-years-old when she was murdered and the details surrounding the number of other Red River girls whose are unaccounted for. These staggered details do imbue the character of Danson with greater menace and add a bristle to the whole Red River atmosphere making everything feel slightly more depraved into the second half. Although the climax feels somewhat rushed, the closing pages undeniably make for an uncomfortably tense conclusion which is admirably defiant and hints at Lloyd’s characters having clearer intentions than she manages to convey throughout proceedings. So whilst the denouement is a good one, whether it is worth spending time with the flaky character of Sam for three hundred pages is another matter entirely!
October 18, 2017
This novel could have been so good, had it not been for the excessive waffle and annoying characters. I enjoyed a lot of this story but in the end, the conclusion really let this novel down.
Ever since Making a Murderer came out, I've seen hundreds of non fiction books and new documentaries tackling the subject of the wrongfully convicted. However, I hadn't seen many fiction books taking on the topic which is what lured me into reading this one. I think the plot for this one was quite unique for what's on the market today but it wasn't as well executed as it could have been... still good but let down by a mediocre ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of this book but it was drawn out. It felt as though Lloyd was trying to reach a word goal rather than actually add substance to the plot. A lot of what happens is a repeated. Each time there are slight changes to what happens, but it can't distract from the fact that you are reading basically the same thing as before.
This book just whooshed past me! The time in the book goes super quickly. Even big events in this book, like Dennis' release from prison, passes in a couple of pages. I thought this was a bit strange, honestly, to not have any time for a big part of the novel to sink in before you're whisked off to a new situation. I didn't like the fact that the book took away from the significance of the important events in this way.
In terms of characters, Sam was pretty annoying. She was really hysterical and whingy. It got to the point that when something actually happened to warrant a hysterical moment or a whinge, I didn't really care. I thought the rest of the book was really well written, but I felt a disconnect with Sam. She could go from two extremes in the matter of seconds and so that made her really feel like a character, not someone I could imagine being a real person.
Dennis on the other-hand was very real feeling. He could be such a nasty piece of work and then turn into the sweetest gentlemen ever. He was exactly the kind of man every girl is told to avoid, a man who can pick you up and then make you feel like dirt a second later. And even as a reader I was sucked into this pattern of thinking he was an OK guy, troubled because of his 20 year incarceration, and then thinking he was a dirtbag for how he could behave.
Although I enjoyed various things in this book and even though I found it a little drawn out and repetitive I would have still given this a 4 star review because I had liked getting to know the characters, even the annoying ones, and I liked the plot line. Unfortunately a predictable and strange conclusion to the mystery really made for a disappointing ending, one that knocked a whole star from my rating!
Lloyd is good at writing and building characters but her storyline lacked excitement and shock. If you don't read this one, you're not missing out on much.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!
Ever since Making a Murderer came out, I've seen hundreds of non fiction books and new documentaries tackling the subject of the wrongfully convicted. However, I hadn't seen many fiction books taking on the topic which is what lured me into reading this one. I think the plot for this one was quite unique for what's on the market today but it wasn't as well executed as it could have been... still good but let down by a mediocre ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of this book but it was drawn out. It felt as though Lloyd was trying to reach a word goal rather than actually add substance to the plot. A lot of what happens is a repeated. Each time there are slight changes to what happens, but it can't distract from the fact that you are reading basically the same thing as before.
This book just whooshed past me! The time in the book goes super quickly. Even big events in this book, like Dennis' release from prison, passes in a couple of pages. I thought this was a bit strange, honestly, to not have any time for a big part of the novel to sink in before you're whisked off to a new situation. I didn't like the fact that the book took away from the significance of the important events in this way.
In terms of characters, Sam was pretty annoying. She was really hysterical and whingy. It got to the point that when something actually happened to warrant a hysterical moment or a whinge, I didn't really care. I thought the rest of the book was really well written, but I felt a disconnect with Sam. She could go from two extremes in the matter of seconds and so that made her really feel like a character, not someone I could imagine being a real person.
Dennis on the other-hand was very real feeling. He could be such a nasty piece of work and then turn into the sweetest gentlemen ever. He was exactly the kind of man every girl is told to avoid, a man who can pick you up and then make you feel like dirt a second later. And even as a reader I was sucked into this pattern of thinking he was an OK guy, troubled because of his 20 year incarceration, and then thinking he was a dirtbag for how he could behave.
Although I enjoyed various things in this book and even though I found it a little drawn out and repetitive I would have still given this a 4 star review because I had liked getting to know the characters, even the annoying ones, and I liked the plot line. Unfortunately a predictable and strange conclusion to the mystery really made for a disappointing ending, one that knocked a whole star from my rating!
Lloyd is good at writing and building characters but her storyline lacked excitement and shock. If you don't read this one, you're not missing out on much.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!
April 11, 2020
“And something would because women were so stupid. They thought a man like Mark would appreciate them more, that because he was dull and ugly he would love them just for loving him. But it wasn’t how it worked; she knew this now. Even the fat and boring ones thought they were entitled to more.”
― Amy Lloyd, The Innocent Wife: A Novel
Fascinating..utterly and completely fascinating.
I sure did not expect to like this nearly as much as I did.
I found The Innocent Wife utterly addicting and read it in one sitting. The whole true crime docudrama thing is not something I know a whole lot about however I have been hearing so much about it. Still..with mysteries such as this, one never really knows what they are getting. What I got was such an interesting character study.
With this book....I just loved the way it was written. And I found both main characters, not really likable as much as just wholly intriguing..in an extremely creepy sort of way.
I think this differs from your average thriller. I found it more to be sort of a psychological profile of BOTH of the two leads. Samantha fascinated me.She maybe one of the loneliest characters I've read about in a long time. It is extremely difficult however not to feel for her.
And Jack was very creepy, to the point where it is rather eerie to kep turning the pages. But I was hooked on this one. This story was not over the top at all in my mind. We read about such things happening every day.
I also just found all the people involved in the "free jack" group fascinating. And Samantha as well. It is a rare mystery that can hook me so quickly so it gets a four for that!
A we bit of animal violence..that is why no five.
Anyway if you are seeking a psychological thriller that is a bit different you have found it here. I enjoyed it greatly.
― Amy Lloyd, The Innocent Wife: A Novel
Fascinating..utterly and completely fascinating.
I sure did not expect to like this nearly as much as I did.
I found The Innocent Wife utterly addicting and read it in one sitting. The whole true crime docudrama thing is not something I know a whole lot about however I have been hearing so much about it. Still..with mysteries such as this, one never really knows what they are getting. What I got was such an interesting character study.
With this book....I just loved the way it was written. And I found both main characters, not really likable as much as just wholly intriguing..in an extremely creepy sort of way.
I think this differs from your average thriller. I found it more to be sort of a psychological profile of BOTH of the two leads. Samantha fascinated me.She maybe one of the loneliest characters I've read about in a long time. It is extremely difficult however not to feel for her.
And Jack was very creepy, to the point where it is rather eerie to kep turning the pages. But I was hooked on this one. This story was not over the top at all in my mind. We read about such things happening every day.
I also just found all the people involved in the "free jack" group fascinating. And Samantha as well. It is a rare mystery that can hook me so quickly so it gets a four for that!
A we bit of animal violence..that is why no five.
Anyway if you are seeking a psychological thriller that is a bit different you have found it here. I enjoyed it greatly.
January 17, 2018
This one was a disappointment for me. I’d read some good reviews on it but it just didn’t do it for me. It seemed like immature writing & unrealistic to actual eye rolls. Maybe I’ve read too many thrillers so I have high expectations but this one fell flat.
August 31, 2023
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
School teacher Samantha lives in England and becomes obsessed with a man she has never met via a TV documentary. The documentary features death row prisoner Dennis Danson who has spent the last twenty years behind bars for the brutal murder of a teenager when he was just eighteen-years-old.
The documentary looks at the case, new evidence and whether Dennis could, in fact, be innocent. Could he have been wrongly convicted?
Sam begins to write to Dennis and then travels from her home to Florida where she sets about meeting him. Soon they began having a relationship and she becomes his wife. The documentary serves it’s purpose and Dennis is freed. However, Sam discovers her own evidence that could mean that she was wrong and that Dennis really was the killer. He’s also not the man she thought he would be. But what can you do when you are possibly married to a murderer?
The book reminded me of the Netflix series Making a Murderer and the new Ted Bundy Files. As a nation, we seem to have become obsessed with murderers as their lives and reasoning intrigue us and we try to understand the psychology behind such gruesome acts.
The book is quite a slow burner and though it moves at a steady pace, that pace is about as fast as a snail. The plot though was certainly intriguing. Men like Dennis are predators to women like Sam. She is shy and meek and is smitten that he has taken notice of her. She believes that he loves her and wants her. Dennis, however, is the kind of man that women in domestic violence relationships live with. The kind that is nice on the outside to others and a perfect gentleman but behind closed doors it’s like a monster has taken over and you can see the evil in their eyes.
There are some strange and very weird moments in the book that do make you think ‘really?’ Would that really happen in real life? There were also times when I felt like there were passages of information I didn’t need to know, they didn’t add anything to the plot.
That being said I did find myself engrossed in the story and 3/4 the way through the pace quickens and we have an action-packed ending which for some might come as a shock but unfortunately I saw it coming. Though it did feel a little rushed and I it was at this point I wanted the book to last a little longer. This is the type of book that I could see being made into a popular series or movie
School teacher Samantha lives in England and becomes obsessed with a man she has never met via a TV documentary. The documentary features death row prisoner Dennis Danson who has spent the last twenty years behind bars for the brutal murder of a teenager when he was just eighteen-years-old.
The documentary looks at the case, new evidence and whether Dennis could, in fact, be innocent. Could he have been wrongly convicted?
Sam begins to write to Dennis and then travels from her home to Florida where she sets about meeting him. Soon they began having a relationship and she becomes his wife. The documentary serves it’s purpose and Dennis is freed. However, Sam discovers her own evidence that could mean that she was wrong and that Dennis really was the killer. He’s also not the man she thought he would be. But what can you do when you are possibly married to a murderer?
The book reminded me of the Netflix series Making a Murderer and the new Ted Bundy Files. As a nation, we seem to have become obsessed with murderers as their lives and reasoning intrigue us and we try to understand the psychology behind such gruesome acts.
The book is quite a slow burner and though it moves at a steady pace, that pace is about as fast as a snail. The plot though was certainly intriguing. Men like Dennis are predators to women like Sam. She is shy and meek and is smitten that he has taken notice of her. She believes that he loves her and wants her. Dennis, however, is the kind of man that women in domestic violence relationships live with. The kind that is nice on the outside to others and a perfect gentleman but behind closed doors it’s like a monster has taken over and you can see the evil in their eyes.
There are some strange and very weird moments in the book that do make you think ‘really?’ Would that really happen in real life? There were also times when I felt like there were passages of information I didn’t need to know, they didn’t add anything to the plot.
That being said I did find myself engrossed in the story and 3/4 the way through the pace quickens and we have an action-packed ending which for some might come as a shock but unfortunately I saw it coming. Though it did feel a little rushed and I it was at this point I wanted the book to last a little longer. This is the type of book that I could see being made into a popular series or movie
December 14, 2017
Samantha becomes infatuated with Dennis Danson, a man who has been incarcerated for the murder of a young girl for twenty years. He claims he is innocent and has a large online following of supporters who strongly believe in his innocence, Samantha being one of them. She begins to correspond with him, then travels to America to visit him and shortly after marries him.
After a successful campaign for Dennis' release due to new evidence, Samantha is thrust into a new reality, having to begin her marriage in earnest to a man she doesn't know very well and whose unstable moods and shady behaviour soon has Samantha questioning her husband.
I have always found it difficult to comprehend the concept of women falling for and marrying a convicted killer. I was therefore intrigued as I read the blurb for this one, hoping it would give me a little more insight as to what would motivate a woman to become infatuated in that way.
To be honest, I still cannot grasp such infatuation, with the book leaving me even more baffled than I originally started out. I just cannot wrap my head around it! I found Samantha to be deluded, weak and pathetic. Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of the direction in which this book went, particularly the epilogue, although I can understand why the author decided to go that way given the personality types in the story.
I also found that the story started off strong, but became long winded and drawn out until around the 90% mark, at which point it built a nail biting amount of tension. Only to find I was let down by the plot holes and the unbelievable and sketchy explanation of the original crimes. How disappointing.
Sad to say, but this wasn't my cup of tea, although many reviewers seem to have enjoyed it, I am clearly in the minority here.
I would like to thank the author, Netgalley and Random House UK, Corner Century for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
After a successful campaign for Dennis' release due to new evidence, Samantha is thrust into a new reality, having to begin her marriage in earnest to a man she doesn't know very well and whose unstable moods and shady behaviour soon has Samantha questioning her husband.
I have always found it difficult to comprehend the concept of women falling for and marrying a convicted killer. I was therefore intrigued as I read the blurb for this one, hoping it would give me a little more insight as to what would motivate a woman to become infatuated in that way.
To be honest, I still cannot grasp such infatuation, with the book leaving me even more baffled than I originally started out. I just cannot wrap my head around it! I found Samantha to be deluded, weak and pathetic. Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of the direction in which this book went, particularly the epilogue, although I can understand why the author decided to go that way given the personality types in the story.
I also found that the story started off strong, but became long winded and drawn out until around the 90% mark, at which point it built a nail biting amount of tension. Only to find I was let down by the plot holes and the unbelievable and sketchy explanation of the original crimes. How disappointing.
Sad to say, but this wasn't my cup of tea, although many reviewers seem to have enjoyed it, I am clearly in the minority here.
I would like to thank the author, Netgalley and Random House UK, Corner Century for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
May 21, 2018
I didn't dislike The Innocent Wife, but it was quite a bit slower than I anticipated. Also, I listened to the audiobook and the narration switching between British English and a Texan accent was a bit jarring. That being said, the story was engaging and the writing polished. Ultimately, I did guess at the ending, but it was still never boring. I would read another book by this author in the future.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
November 13, 2017
4.5 ⭐️
When I read the book description for The Innocent Wife I knew it was one I had to read. I’ve often wondered about the woman and men who write to prisoners on death row, and then go on to fall in love with them. I’m sure the reasons are complex and way beyond my comprehension, but intriguing never the less. If you are a fan of true crime documentaries then this is a book you won’t want to miss, as it’s a story which reads very much like a true crime story.
As you will see from the book description The Innocent Wife is a thriller about Samantha who strikes up a friendship with Dennis a prisoner on death row. What start’s out as a relationship based wholly on writing to each other, soon escalates into something far more intense. The author has created a very intriguing but flawed set of characters, I found myself sympathetic to Dennis’s predicament one minute, and then a couple of chapters later I found myself questioning his innocence and his motives for marrying Sam.You would think a character who has spent twenty years on death row would be the only flawed character, but no Sam is just as flawed, she’s obsessive with HUGE trust issues, not a good combination and doesn’t bode well for “a happy ever after”.
The Innocent Wife is told mostly in a documentary style, eye witness accounts and documents which gives the reader an in depth look into Dennis life and his personality. The plot is very much based on did he do it? Or not? So throughout the book has a sinister and threatening feel to it. I did think this book lacked any real drama or excitement, but then the focus is very much on the did he or didn’t he? conundrum. The author kept me guessing right up until the last few chapters, which is always a bonus and guaranteed to heighten my enjoyment of a book. Twisted and compelling The Innocent Wife is well worth a read if your looking for an original thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the final chapter.
All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
When I read the book description for The Innocent Wife I knew it was one I had to read. I’ve often wondered about the woman and men who write to prisoners on death row, and then go on to fall in love with them. I’m sure the reasons are complex and way beyond my comprehension, but intriguing never the less. If you are a fan of true crime documentaries then this is a book you won’t want to miss, as it’s a story which reads very much like a true crime story.
As you will see from the book description The Innocent Wife is a thriller about Samantha who strikes up a friendship with Dennis a prisoner on death row. What start’s out as a relationship based wholly on writing to each other, soon escalates into something far more intense. The author has created a very intriguing but flawed set of characters, I found myself sympathetic to Dennis’s predicament one minute, and then a couple of chapters later I found myself questioning his innocence and his motives for marrying Sam.You would think a character who has spent twenty years on death row would be the only flawed character, but no Sam is just as flawed, she’s obsessive with HUGE trust issues, not a good combination and doesn’t bode well for “a happy ever after”.
The Innocent Wife is told mostly in a documentary style, eye witness accounts and documents which gives the reader an in depth look into Dennis life and his personality. The plot is very much based on did he do it? Or not? So throughout the book has a sinister and threatening feel to it. I did think this book lacked any real drama or excitement, but then the focus is very much on the did he or didn’t he? conundrum. The author kept me guessing right up until the last few chapters, which is always a bonus and guaranteed to heighten my enjoyment of a book. Twisted and compelling The Innocent Wife is well worth a read if your looking for an original thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the final chapter.
All my reviews can be found at http://thebookreviewcafe.com
October 20, 2018
4.2-4.5 Stars here! I had somewhat low expectations for this one because of all the mixed reviews and some of my more reliable fellow book nerds' opinions, but this in no way shape or form disappointed me! This book was so fast-paced I found it hard to put down, I can't remember when I've read a book like that in all honesty! I love True Crime documentary and this reads very much indeed like one. I enjoyed the tension and the build-up throughout up until the very end. If I had to make some criticism I would say the main protagonist, Sam, is probably one of the more annoying characters I've read. She's very insecure and very needy and Lloyd's writing is superb in fleshing that out! I can literally feel the shear annoyance and impatience coming off of Dennis, our other protagonist! I usually don't like needy, annoying, helpless female lead characters so that was one of the things I struggled with, if anything, in this book. Another thing, I'm still processing the ending and whether I like it or not but I can say that I don't hate it, so we will see. That is the only thing keeping this from a five-star read in fact! I absolutely cannot wait for Lloyd's next book, and I full heartedly would recommend this book to anyone!
October 11, 2017
In the 90s, a documentary film makes Dennis Danson – imprisoned at 18 for murder on the basis of flimsy evidence – something of a cause célèbre. Our protagonist, Sam, is introduced to the case by her boyfriend, and becomes obsessed, spending hours on forums with other fans, researching the case and attempting to uncover new evidence that will exonerate Dennis. When her relationship breaks down, she begins writing to him. It’s their correspondence that leads to her involvement in the original filmmakers’ new project: a Netflix series they’re convinced will prove his innocence.
When Sam (who’s British) travels to the USA, she meets Dennis for the first time and their relationship, such as it is, deepens. The truth is, Sam doesn’t really think Dennis is ever going to be released; she’s more comfortable having a star-crossed romance with a man behind bars. And when he is pardoned, and immediately becomes famous, she finds their real life together falls far short of her fantasies.
The Innocent Wife takes two strong concepts – the problematic ethics of true crime in the Making a Murderer mould, and the morbidly fascinating idea of the type of ‘fans’ who lust after (and marry) criminals on Death Row – and stitches them together to excellent effect. Honestly, it’s a bit of a grim book, and I often felt like I was inhabiting a nightmare while reading it, but it’s compelling as hell. Sam’s awkward relationship with Dennis and her discomfort with unwanted attention are painfully believable. Lloyd also does a brilliant job of fleshing out Dennis’s history, with his small-town background – particularly the ramshackle hellhole that is his father’s house – really coming to life.
Like a lot of thrillers, it does fall apart a bit towards the end. I wasn’t at all convinced by the rather perfunctory explanation for the original crimes, and one character seems less like an actual person than a plot device with legs. Some of the detail around Sam explaining social media (and identity politics) to Dennis is also a bit cringeworthy. Thankfully, the final chapter is pretty satisfying, and wraps up the story exactly how I wanted it to be wrapped up.
I received an advance review copy of The Innocent Wife from the publisher through NetGalley.
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When Sam (who’s British) travels to the USA, she meets Dennis for the first time and their relationship, such as it is, deepens. The truth is, Sam doesn’t really think Dennis is ever going to be released; she’s more comfortable having a star-crossed romance with a man behind bars. And when he is pardoned, and immediately becomes famous, she finds their real life together falls far short of her fantasies.
The Innocent Wife takes two strong concepts – the problematic ethics of true crime in the Making a Murderer mould, and the morbidly fascinating idea of the type of ‘fans’ who lust after (and marry) criminals on Death Row – and stitches them together to excellent effect. Honestly, it’s a bit of a grim book, and I often felt like I was inhabiting a nightmare while reading it, but it’s compelling as hell. Sam’s awkward relationship with Dennis and her discomfort with unwanted attention are painfully believable. Lloyd also does a brilliant job of fleshing out Dennis’s history, with his small-town background – particularly the ramshackle hellhole that is his father’s house – really coming to life.
Like a lot of thrillers, it does fall apart a bit towards the end. I wasn’t at all convinced by the rather perfunctory explanation for the original crimes, and one character seems less like an actual person than a plot device with legs. Some of the detail around Sam explaining social media (and identity politics) to Dennis is also a bit cringeworthy. Thankfully, the final chapter is pretty satisfying, and wraps up the story exactly how I wanted it to be wrapped up.
I received an advance review copy of The Innocent Wife from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
January 26, 2018
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Oooh I really enjoyed this book! The story moved at an excellent pace, creeping slowly to build up the suspense - this was most definitely a book for me!!
I thought that Samantha was a brilliant character, timid, lonely, and mild mannered - I could really feel for her, she was finally following her heart and where would it take her... would she finally find the happiness she craved...
I love watching documentaries on true crimes that deal with things like this and the women that fall in love with those on death row really fascinate me so this book was ideal!! The plot was well researched and it flowed really well to make sure I stayed captivated throughout.
Four stars from me, highly recommended - a thoroughly enjoyable story!!
Oooh I really enjoyed this book! The story moved at an excellent pace, creeping slowly to build up the suspense - this was most definitely a book for me!!
I thought that Samantha was a brilliant character, timid, lonely, and mild mannered - I could really feel for her, she was finally following her heart and where would it take her... would she finally find the happiness she craved...
I love watching documentaries on true crimes that deal with things like this and the women that fall in love with those on death row really fascinate me so this book was ideal!! The plot was well researched and it flowed really well to make sure I stayed captivated throughout.
Four stars from me, highly recommended - a thoroughly enjoyable story!!
September 25, 2020
Brilliant read!
Suspenseful, captivating and chillingly realistic...
Sam is in a strange place in her life. She is writing to Dennis, who is in prison. Sam believes he is innocent though.
Then she gets to meet him, and before she knows it, Dennis is free and he is her husband.
Isn't it a wonderful beginning for a "happily ever after"?
But Sam's life doesn't seem to get any less strange or any happier. Being beside Dennis makes her feel that they actually are drifting further apart. Dennis has his secrets and his ways of dealing with people and situations.
Sam is feeling less and less confident in herself and in their marriage.
What had started as movie script is unraveling into a disappointment. And then it becomes not only disappointing but also scary...
Very well written. Portrayal of Dennis is so chillingly believable, and Sam is so realistically ordinary.
Suspenseful, captivating and chillingly realistic...
Sam is in a strange place in her life. She is writing to Dennis, who is in prison. Sam believes he is innocent though.
Then she gets to meet him, and before she knows it, Dennis is free and he is her husband.
Isn't it a wonderful beginning for a "happily ever after"?
But Sam's life doesn't seem to get any less strange or any happier. Being beside Dennis makes her feel that they actually are drifting further apart. Dennis has his secrets and his ways of dealing with people and situations.
Sam is feeling less and less confident in herself and in their marriage.
What had started as movie script is unraveling into a disappointment. And then it becomes not only disappointing but also scary...
Very well written. Portrayal of Dennis is so chillingly believable, and Sam is so realistically ordinary.
November 20, 2021
I had really high hopes for this book in the first few chapters but then for me it really went downhill. No content, no real twists or turns and I thought the ending was really odd 🤷🏻♀️
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