What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Im trying to find an adult fictional book, unsure of its genre. It was written 1980 or earlier (older book). Its about a male professor in the 70's or 80's with a young wife in a new town. She is different like crazy and stays at home. And there is this strange imagery with a tree of black birds attacking her one day during a psychotic break. And for some reason i keep thinking there is a moth on the cover of the book or something similar.
I read this book from a public library in 2008 but it was written a couple of decades or more before. Please help!

SPOILER


Professor ends up shooting himself with a shotgun in his home study.

A long shot - The Strange Attractor (1992) by Desmond Cory?

(Google search > Images tab: "site:www.goodreads.com -nonfiction professor crazy wife moth")

Added a spoiler alert to the topic header.

Kris, that isn't it but a good possible read. Thank you for helping. This book I'm trying to remember was written in the 80's I believe.

I feel like I've read this book being searched for, but I can't find where.
Was the wife carrying pillow (with painted face) under her dress? And there was something about incest (rape?) with her father (stepfather?) Something she was hiding in drawer and her husband found?

Ayshe, are you thinking of this other request...from 2016? That's an impressive memory. (I searched the discussion posts for "professor pillow".)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Christiana, does anything from this other request match your book?

Kris wrote: "Ayshe, are you thinking of this other request...from 2016? That's an impressive memory. (I searched the discussion posts for "professor pillo..."

Yes! The "birds and tree" detail sounded familiar, and then I remembered the pillow :)

I think I found the other thread's book: Lovers Living, Lovers Dead

Ayshe this may be it. I need to reread to be sure because I don't remember some of the things mentioned in the synopsis but it sounds right. Thank you!

You're welcome! Let us know if that was the book when you do.

Here is Amazon's short "Look Inside" preview of Lovers Living, Lovers Dead by Richard Lortz - Ayshe's suggestion:

https://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Living-... There are different cover images.

Christiana Bond, was Ayshe's suggestion your book, or are you still looking?