Love on death row - how you can never really know someone!
I have always been intrigued by the psychology of women who answer those ads, "Innocent death row inmate seeking true love" and i would say that this gives a pretty believable insight, What makes someone want to risk everything to start a relationship with a convicted murderer, let alone marry them?

Once you start reading this book you will find it impossible to put down. With every page comes a new revelation.
The characters feel real, the story believable and it really is a fascinating read. Plus its always nice to read a book that is quite unique to anything else i have read for a long time.
I wouldn't hesitate recommending this book to anyone!

A very well written book that had me grabbed immediately. Will recommend this book and eagerly await the next one.

The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd.
Rating: *****. 4.4/5
Wow, this debut novel from Amy Lloyd had my deliberations swinging liking a pendulum trying to work out who was capable of what. Sam, the quiet British teacher, who progresses from writing to a convicted, brutal murderer on Death Row, Dennis Danson. Dennis brought up in a poor, underprivileged background; hated by the local sheriff.
Throw in a film making crew and agent, moulding and “selling” their product whilst trying to keep control, an ex girlfriend, an ex partner and the sheriff’s son and you have a thrilling, psychological suspense novel.
Amy Lloyd has taken a subject, developed the characters and put them in situations that doesn’t necessarily bring out the best in them. Be prepared to be entertained.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Amy Lloyd for a copy of The Innocent Wife. In return I have given an honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book. I found the plot to be relevant in light of the recent plethora of true crime documentaries and the investigations that they sparked. I found the main character to be a bit naïve at times, however, thought that her motives and thoughts were explained perfectly. The book was entertaining and fast paced, and I would recommend it in the future.

I read this page turner extremely quickly and enjoyed it. It was satisfying though not quite as surprising as I thought it might be in terms of twists. Would recommend for anyone looking for an easy and enjoyable psychological thriller.

*thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

This was an interesting read from beginning to end. I admit, I did expect the ending to be more shocking, but the fact that my attention was caught on every page made up for it. The whole 'instant love' at the beginning was pretty bad. I really did not care for that at all and it did put me off by thinking that that is definitely one way to ruin a good book. But yet again, the rest of the book held strong and that is why im giving this 4 stars and not 3. I was interested to follow the story along, seeing what would happen. It was an enjoyable read and I do recommend it.

I am so glad I never read the blurbs. This has such an unusual start that the blurb would have spoilt. A great hook and grab beginning.
A little creeped out by the main character so far. Only fourth chapter in so we see but not sure if I'm going to like her yet...
Okay about 30% through this story and I'm struggling to find a connection to the main character. Still not liking her and the story although well written has not grabbed my attention. I will continue as I'm on the second faze of the story to see if I can get into this story.
Sorry this story was not for me. Disliked Sam all the way through and the ending was obvious to me.

I feel very conflicted about this book. On the one hand I found it to be compelling and difficult to put down, but on the other hand I thought parts of it were predictable, the characters weren’t always consistent and the pacing was off at points. I think this book is worth reading as it was very contemporary and an interesting exploration of the justice system, but if you’re expecting a thriller with unexpected twists and turns this probably is not the book for you.

the characters in this book were well drawn - Samantha the innocent (or is she?) and Dennis the creep.

Although I found it slow at the beginning, the pace soon picked up as Samantha got drawn into Dennis's world. I initially felt sorry for her being so easily controlled but eventually I realised that she got some sense of enjoyment from it.

It was a strange and disturbing book. and I'm still not sure if I really enjoyed it.

Dennis Danson is a killer. A cruel, sadistic monster who needs to be locked away. He’s in prison for the murder of one girl, and everyone knows he killed several others. Everyone except Samantha.

Samantha (Sam) knows he’s innocent. He’s kind, and caring and understanding; there’s no way he could be the monster that everyone thinks he is. She writes him letter after letter, falling in love and feeling secure for the first time. When he proposes, she travels to America to marry him in prison. They never touch.

But then Dennis gets released. A campaign that never held out much hope suddenly starts working, and quickly. Dennis is out of prison, vindicated, and Sam can be as close to him as she wants. But now that she’s as close as she can be, she starts to think that maybe he belongs back inside.

The plot here is a hard one to summarise, and then it sounds like I’m giving away the ending. It’s more complex than that – the initial parts of the novel are set-up, showing Samantha and Dennis’ evolving relationship. It’s not until Dennis is released that the meat of the novel appears – Samantha’s doubts and fears as she starts to learn more about the man she married.

I thought this was very well-written. The subject matter is miserable and uncomfortable, and that comes across very strongly through the prose. Sam is especially convincing as someone struggling with love, doubt, and self-confidence. If I had to make a comparison, the closest book would be Schriver’s We Need to Talk about Kevin. Both books are uncomfortable to read, but well-realised and compelling.

The book is filled with pop-culture references and mentions of modern technology. On one level, it adds to the realism; books set in the real modern world in which the characters never use or mention ubiquitous technology always sound a little off. However, it also dates the novel, and that’s less positive. Pinning a book too closely to a current fad or social trend lessens its applicability dramatically and harms the flow.

The Innocent Wife‘s strong point is Sam. The story is told in extremely close third person, and Samantha’s thoughts and suspicions are the main draw. The book is at its best when everything is nebulous, when nothing is happening but Sam’s mind is in overdrive. The final section of the book is the weakest one, when the focus shifts from murky psychological threats to a more immediate and action-heavy one. There’s a loss of focus there, though in psychological thrillers, that might be unavoidable.

I felt this was a strong novel, dealing with complex ideas in a clever way. It’s not a happy one, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who reads crime for the neat wrap-up at the end. But if you want something tormented and thought-provoking, this fits the bill.

A believable account of how a lonely vulnerable young women was taken in by a convicted criminal. I have seen true crime stories where women write to prisoners and subsequently end up in relationships. This explores that issue but goes a step further when the prisoner appeals his conviction. Very interesting read, if slightly far-fetched at the end.

I absolutely loved The Innocent Wife. It's a fairly unique read, with a nod towards shows such as Making a Murderer and not like anything I'd read before. The tension builds and builds and towards the end I was genuinely scared! It was a hard story to end and I thought it became a tiny bit too far fetched towards the end, but I really liked the final chapter and how the story was left. Definitely one to read if you like a good crime/mystery/thriller.

I'm not sure if I was part of the target audience for this book but I didn't really enjoy it at all. The characters seemed weak and the plot was easy to predict. I had a hard time finishing it.

Sam… awkward, lonely, and self conscious has a bad break-up with a boyfriend. Intrigued with death row inmate, Dennis Danson’s story, she begins to write to him. He writes back to her swearing to his innocence. After 20 years of being wrongly locked up, he is exonerated!

Can Sam and Dennis marry and begin living a normal life together…Or is there more to Dennis’s past than he is telling Sam? As his past resurfaces and childhood friends begin coming around, Sam soon realizes that she might have been better off thinking things thru. But it’s too late for that. Now she has to make decisions that will affect how the end of this story plays out!

Amy Lloyd did a great job casting characters that were very memorable. After reading straight through half of it and going to bed, I found myself not being able to sleep. Thinking about Dennis, Sam, & Lindsay and what could possibly have happened all those years ago kept my mind racing! I had to read straight through the rest when I woke up!

So… a fast paced, heart pounding, mind racing thriller that fans of suspense and crime should definitely read!

An excellent debut and a gripping read. Elegantly written and well thought-out. I'm always suspicious when something is so highly lauded that it's going to be hype over substance. But this was great

I really loved the concept of this book, as I've always enjoyed creepy stories and I'm fascinated by women who write to convicted men. However, Samantha wasn't a character I could connect with and I struggled with most of her decisions, as she wasn't crazy enough for me to find her remotely interesting. Of course, I never liked Danny at all either, but the book was actually really entertaining and overall an easy read. I'm sad to say that I didn't care much for the mystery. It wasn't entirely predictable and it wasn't surprising either.

Not my usual type of book but I did enjoy this, although I did find it quite creepy.

There was an underlying sense of tension throughout the story - particularly in the second half which made me keep on reading to find out what was going to happen. There was depth to the characters, I enjoyed getting to know them. It is a twisting tale and I was surprised by the ending.

An excellent debut novel and I will certainly look out for further books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book draws you in from the very start and is written in such a way that it keeps the reader engaged throughout as the tension builds until it reaches its climax.

Dennis was eighteen years old when he was convicted of brutally murdering a young girl in his hometown of Red River County, Florida. For the past twenty years or so he has been in prison, on death row, but has always proclaimed his innocence.

Following his conviction a documentary was made about the case, evidence which was discarded and other such things which throw doubts on the conviction. There were forums and websites dedicated to Dennis whose followers also believed his innocence.

Samantha, a schoolteacher from England, was introduced to Dennis’ case by her then boyfriend Mark and she soon became fixated with the case and with Dennis himself. She starts writing to Dennis and soon love blossoms between the two.

Samantha gives up her life in England to go and visit Dennis in prison. He persuades her to become involved in the new documentary being made about the case and eventually asks her to marry him. The new campaign throws up evidence which sees Dennis exonerated and free to lead his life.

Samantha thinks that things will really take off between them now but Dennis is more reserved than she thought and takes time to get used to his freedom having been locked away for so long.

Not everyone believes Dennis is innocent and soon there are cracks in his and Samantha’s relationship which leave her wondering if in fact he is as innocent as he proclaims.

I read this book in one sitting as I was hooked. I can’t say that I really warmed to any of the main characters - Samantha was a bit flaky and Dennis was a bit shady.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This story gripped me right from the start. It afforded an (imaginary) insight into what it might be like to be tied up with a serious crime or in love with someone who had committed one. It gives such an interesting perspective on the psychology of the situation and what might cause someone to fall in love with a person who may be fundamentally bad.
I was really gripped throughout and I would definitely recommend it.

The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd is a contemporary psychological thriller that will mess with your mind as truth and lies merge. Goodness and evil blur as the reader the reader tries to work out what really happened.
The novel has misfits thrown together because the world doesn't seem to want them.
There is the theme of abuse in childhood. The sins of the fathers seem to have far reaching effects.
Evil has a face. The reader just has to work out whose face it is.
Fear and curiosity are motivating forces. Sometimes fear seems mesmerising. The mind is a powerful force. It will lead us to believe things that are not necessarily true. Our mind can lead us where we do not really want to go.
The Innocent Wife was gripping. I read with heart racing. I definitely developed trust issues, along with the characters as I read on.
A compulsive read that you do not want to read alone.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.