Absolutely gripping and brilliantly written. If you enjoy the Serial podcast or Making a Murderer on Netflix then you will completely love this. I’m always amazed at women who fall in love with prisoners, this helps you feel empathy for a very lonely, very complicated woman. Recommend!

Another book that I was sent via Netgalley, and frankly this is one I spent most of my time eye-rolling through.

Dennis Danson is in prison in Florida for the murder of a young girl, but he's also the subject of a true-crime documentary that believes he has been wrongly convicted. In England, Samantha is obsessed with his case, and the two build up a relationship through the letters they exchange. In fact, Samantha even travels to the US where they marry while he is still imprisoned. But then all the campaigning for Dennis' release is successful: he is free, and Samantha realises she is married to a man she doesn't know - or trust...

I am a big fan of true crime, and I can clearly see the influence of Making A Murderer and the Serial podcast on this book. I really wanted to like this; the premise seemed so intriguing. But this book just ended up annoying me, to be honest.

Samantha is naive to the point it irritated me. I understand that the character was meant to be a lonely woman - hence her attraction to the 'misunderstood murderer' - but I just don't believe any grown woman would be such a wet blanket all the time. I found myself exasperated by the one-dimensional actions of Dennis, who was written as if he was a cartoon villain. Like, yes, we get it - is he all he seems??? But there was just no subtlety to any of it - less psychological thriller, more smashing-your-face-in with 'clues'.

Also, I found the ending of this just ridiculous. Next to nothing of real importance happens for ages, and then the last few chapters contain the most unrealistic, unbelievable story. I was glad to be finished with it. Only gave this two stars as for some reason I still wanted to know what happened.

Decent thriller, read it in three sittings.
Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for opportunity to read in return for unbiased review.
Has the potential to be made into a film in my opinion.
An author worth watching.

This book was such a fantastic read, it had me hooked from the start! It had everything a good suspense thriller needs! I was at the edge of my seat after every chapter!
The writing was fantastic, very descriptive writing but easy to read. I literally could not leave it alone, wanting to find out what happened, and something seemed to happen on nearly every page. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This was a very sad story really. I did enjoy reading it, but felt that Sam was so naive about how Dennis would be & just how innocent he was. It was very well written though.

When a debut novel wins a prize pre-publication, it sets my expectations high. Happily, Amy Lloyd’s The Innocent Wife doesn’t disappoint and justifies all the attention.

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of person writes to, let alone marries, a convicted murderer, then Amy Lloyd offers up a credible contender in Samantha. It’s easy to trace and accept how this clearly not stupid, grown woman is drawn in by Dennis and his campaign.

Sam comes with her own issues, sometimes being too weak and reactive, or jealous and needy, and her own skeletons (though they’re only figurative compared to Dennis’ real ones). And in giving her these, Amy Lloyd ensures we see her as a real person and possibly not as wholly innocent as the title suggests.

Things start innocently enough though, when Sam’s introduced to the world of true-crime documentaries by her then boyfriend and they watch one about Dennis. It’s what follows, through Sam’s need to know more about his case and how this escalates, which makes The Innocent Wife such compulsive reading.

It’s one thing marrying a prisoner, it’s another entirely when they’re released and you find yourself having to find a way of living together and making a marriage work. Sam doesn’t appear to have given much thought to what would happen if Dennis’ campaign succeeded. And then suddenly there’s no perspex separating them, no relationship conducted by correspondence, no media circus or documentary team following them around anymore. It’s just two people who don’t know each other very well.

Sam needs to adjust when her former safe fantasy suddenly become her new reality, and Dennis needs to catch up with smartphones, message boards and everything else that’s happened since he went behind bars, while coping with his new-found freedom. Dennis’ reaction to white privilege stood out for me here, and also how all the forums and social media used so effectively to campaign on his behalf simply weren’t there when he was convicted. While with Sam it’s watching her adjust to her new life in the States, getting to know her husband, while beginning to question if the right thing’s been done in releasing him.

Amy Lloyd’s clearly poured her own love of true crime into her debut novel. The Innocent Wife worked exceptionally well for me: I confess I may have become a little obsessed with it and kept wanting to google Dennis’ case, before having to remind myself that it wasn’t real. The hallmark of a great book.

The Innocent Wife is a compelling read and one of this year’s standout thrillers. Highly recommended.

The Innocent Wife was a great psychological thriller that hooked me from the first few pages, I could not put it down.
Lonely teacher Sam starts a long distance pen pal relationship with Dennis who is on death row in Florida.
Sam flies to Florida, they marry and finally Dennis is released. Is Dennis all that Sam thought he was? Have a read you will love it.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a well written, gripping read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended!

The campaign to free the handsome and misunderstood Dennis from a US prison has become Samantha’s life crusade and there seems to be no one discouraging her. The brakes of good sense are simply never applied and before she can blink, Samantha is married to a convicted felon, having convinced herself that she is the only one able to make such a troubled and beautiful soul truly happy. Joining up with a tv production team keen to continue the public’s fascination with the young and attractive murderer, Samantha’s new relationship is played out in real time and online to thousands of followers.
Dennis on the outside is vastly different to the man first met by Samantha when he was in prison restraints. The eyes of the world won’t be on him forever though and young Samantha feels she has proven her commitment, uprooting her whole life in the UK to support the man she has fallen for and believes innocent of the murder of a young girl. Surely it should be Samantha’s greatest wish, to be alone with the man who has given her life new direction and purpose?
THE INNOCENT WIFE plays out largely as a detached relation of one woman’s desperate need to belong and be part of something larger. It is possible to read the entirety of this book and not find a single character that you care enough about to wish a happy outcome. That’s quite a feat. Perhaps this lack of soft focus was intentional, to create a work where the reader is driven forward for reasons other than a sustained emotional investment.
Depicting without apology the train wreck that our modern culture has become, THE INNOCENT WIFE is an uneasy read of shame and loneliness. Killers are feted as visionaries, the public is relentlessly hungry for salacious content, and our constant connectivity has resulted in the plague that is social media. We are ourselves to blame for what we have become. For what we accept as normal.
The pacing of this interesting thriller prepares us for the inevitable, which is a collision somewhere soon around the corner. That feeling of voyeurism pervades throughout as Samantha attempts to validate herself with her connection to Dennis, who is both entirely and not at all what he seems. THE INNOCENT WIFE is a conceivable nightmare with nothing to cushion the inevitable fall. If you’re in the mood for some harsh lighting in your crime reading, THE INNOCENT WIFE will deliver.

I couldn't get into The Innocent Wife the first couple of times, but on the 3rd attempt we got there!
I felt the ending was quite rushed considering the slower pace of the rest of the book, I was gripped enough to finish it but unfortunately not one of my favourites.

A tense and well paced thriller that keeps the reader guessing.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Loved it! Couldn't stop turning every page. Read it in 24 hours and didn't want it to end. Full of suspense, twists and turns, this book definitely lived up to it's social media reputation.. Similar to other books in it's genre however, you fall in love Sam and I personally related to her a lot. Amy Lloyd writes with care and exposure that makes you route for the characters and you want Sam's hopes to be met but the truth will destroy it all!

Just finished 'The Innocent Wife' by Amy Lloyd. A great psychological thriller, I couldn't put it down. After a nasty break up Samantha is lonely and bored and joins a campaign to free a man on death row. I will be watching for her next book, a great read.

I'm fascinated by true crime documentaries, so The Innocent Wife really intrigued me. Dennis Danson, a death row inmate, is made something of a celebrity after a documentary is made about his case (think Making a Murderer on Netflix). Sam, our protagonist, is a teacher in the UK who becomes obsessed with Danson, researching his case and trying to discover new evidence that will prove his innocence. When her current relationship breaks down she begins writing to Danson and consequently becomes involved in the new documentary series being made which aims to exonerate him.

Sam makes her way to the USA to meet Dennis for the first time and their relationship evolves. She doesn't ever believe that Dennis will be released and is comfortable with a relationship behind bars. When Dennis is pardoned, and becomes an overnight sensation, their relationship isn't quite what she expects.

This was - rightly so - an uncomfortable read. The relationship was awkward and - at times - dangerous. Sam's desperation to be away from the spotlight was believable. The content of this book is grim, very dark and twisted. The characters and plot are well developed and the author has really fleshed out Dennis Danson's back story, creating a vivid picture of his family home and the difficult upbringing he had.

I struggled with the book at first. I felt that the obsession and building of Sam and Dennis's relationship was too quick, almost uncomfortably so. The ending of the book surprised me and I sped through it! It wrapped up the way I wanted it to, although I was surprised the author went down that route.

Overall, a page turner with a dark and twisted plot. A quick, compelling read.

I really enjoyed this book as it was completely different to a lot of the psychological thrillers on the market at the moment. I will definitely be recommending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

"HOW DO YOU CONFRONT YOUR HUSBAND WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?

Twenty years ago, Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned for the brutal murder of a young girl in Florida's Red River County. 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.

But when the campaign is successful and Dennis is freed, 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?"

We follow 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.

This is a fast-paced novel which I flew through, but I felt that there was not much in the way of storyline. Most of the action occurred right at the end of the book, and this was also very predictable. I saw the ending coming from a mile off and the premise was far from revolutionary. However, the short chapters alongside the author's cohesive writing style made for a really quick read and I would definitely pick up more from Amy Lloyd.

I disliked most of the characters. In fact, I disliked all of them except Carrie. Dennis is dislikable for obvious reasons, but Samantha irritated me. Her constant insecurities and whining (which I know is realistic considering the situation) really grated on me after a while. This wasn't so much of a problem overall, because I still found myself wanting to pick the book up and find out more, it was just annoying at times.

I enjoyed the book but it wasn't outstanding. 3/5*

One of my all-time favorite authors.

This was a great addition to the series and does not disappoint.

Realistic characters, action-packed and keeps you wanting more

A murder mystery about a British woman (Samantha) who marries an American man (Dennis) who is on Death Row for murder in the USA. Dennis is then released after being locked up for 18 years following the discovery of evidence that seems to exonerate him. But not everyone believes he is completely innocent, including his new wife.

For me this story was spoiled by all the media/social media craziness which I didn't think added much to the story. The parts in Red River were the best parts of the book, and quite suspenseful on occasion, but overall the story is slow and uneventful and a bit too far fetched.

This is a very quick read and a good book if you want a lightweight thriller, but it simply wasn't my cup of tea.

Stunning, and kept me guessing until the end. I loved the characters and style of writing. Makes you wonder if it could happen to you!

Full of suspense. Gruesome and well written. Everything was well described. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended