A really interesting book, and like other reviewers, I think this book will appeal to fans of The making of a murderer etc. A book that questions the readers judgement - is he guilty or is this a huge miscarriage of justice based on stereotypes? I enjoyed the book and my only criticism would be that the end seemed to be rather rushed. Other than that, a really good read.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.

I loved loved loved making a murderer! And I was constantly drawing parallels to the documentary.

Sam was the ‘innocent wife’ and Dennis the ‘innocent husband’

I didn’t like either of them

It was a good fun and easy read. But I read on my kindle and it was setting the background and lots of build up. Then an event and I was sort of thinking, ah it’s gonna get gooooooood! And then like 50 pages later it was over?

It did end well (no massive cliffhangers etc) but it ended quick!

Judging by other reviews mine may be unpopular...

I didn't want to put this book down. Only because I wanted to move onto my next book. Twice I considered putting it in my DNF pile but persevered because surely it had to get better?! Nope. The main character (Sam) made me alternate between boredom and infuriation for being so bloody naive!

Normally an author has a way of making the reader empathise with characters being controlled by spouses but for me this wasn't the case - I couldn't help feeling that she brought it all on herself which made me question myself and my beliefs; something that didn't sit well with me at all which annoyed me even more!

And WTF was the epilogue about? Seriously?! Ugh!

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oooooh this was good. I read it in two days, I didn’t want to put it down.

Dennis is on death row for murder. He’s had documentaries made about him and books written about him and the crime he says he didn’t commit. Samantha has seen the documentary and believes Dennis has suffered a miscarriage of justice. She starts writing to him and eventually becomes his wife. She joins the campaign for Dennis to be freed but when he is things don’t go as she had planned them.

You follow Dennis and Samatha as they adjust to life as a couple, a couple who aren’t separated by bullet proof glass and no touching rules, a couple in the spotlight of fame and below the line comments.

Then things start to go wrong.

This is a fast paced novel and in the current climate of Netflix documentaries such as Making a Murderer and The Keepers you are easily drawn into the story with the well written characters.

I would definitely recommend this book.

They say you can't help who you fall in love with and this is certainly the case for Samantha. After hearing about men who are on death row she decides to write a letter introducing herself. Dennis Danson, who's been in prison for over 20 yrs writes back to her and they form a bond. There's been a campaign to get Dennis freed and Sam becomes involved with it, even leaving her job and moving closer to Dennis so she can visit him. Not only does she fall in love with him but they end up getting married.
At long last Dennis becomes a free man and they settle down to married life although Dennis finds it very hard to adjust as so many things have changed in the world while he was imprisoned.
The officer who was on the case at the time knew Dennis and never liked him. Was evidence held back by him so he could get that conviction. So many people believe he was guilty, but was he? and what secrets does Sam discover?
This is a gripping thriller that I not only enjoyed but it had you guessing....did he or didn't he?
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review

I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Brilliant debut read, an ontebse psychological thriller, a page turner, the characters have depth and I was keen to find out how the story ends. Look forward to more books by this author.

Firstly, many thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House and Author Amy Lloyd, for the privilege of being able to read a preview copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This gripping tale of loneliness, obsession and betrayal with the unusual premise of an English teacher falling for an American on death row had me hooked.
Not for the faint hearted and with an underlying tension throughout, the story maintains its hold until the last page.

I would like to thank Random House UK/Cornerstone and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Innocent Wife’ by Amy Lloyd in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned twenty years ago for the murder of Holly Michaels in Red River County, Florida. Sam, a school-teacher in London, is watching a documentary about Danson and becomes so obsessed with him that she begins writing to him. So determined is she to prove his innocence that she travels to the States, meets him and they get married while he’s in prison. When the police arrest someone else for the girl’s murder and Danson is released, Sam realises that her new husband may not be the man she thought he was.
The first part of ‘The Innocent Wife’ was more like a TV crime documentary than a fictional novel with excerpts from documentaries and books written about Danson, interviews with the police officer in charge of investigating the murder, and letters written between Dennis and Sam. Then the excitement begins!
I was completely absorbed with this dramatic thriller, from each twist and turn to the shocking and unexpected conclusion which left me holding my breath. This is an amazing debut novel from Amy Lloyd and I look forward with much anticipation to her next.

A refreshing read from a different angle, I was intrigued from not even the first page. The back synopsis had me.

This plot line reminded me about a series recently shown on Netflix, something I enjoyed.
There was one line which gave me the indication that he wasn’t that innocent but in what way I needed to know.
Also what interested me was the character Samantha and her back story and why she would marry a man on death row that she didn’t know. I would of wanted to known more about her past to be honest as it would help me understand her actions.

I enjoyed the story and certainly wanted to know how it would end, it left me un-nerved at times especially when I was reading at night. There was something about Dennis that I didn’t like...
A good thriller from a new angle, it was refreshing.

An Intriguing and different book hard to put down as you just had to know how it would end up. I tend not to read a lot of books set in America but obviously the story worked better set there and to Amy’s credit the writing and story flowed so well I often forgot. A good ending which made me go sigh and go mmmm (if that makes sense!) With thanks to the publisher for an early copy, to be reviewed on Amazon.

I was a little muddled whether it was a true story or not to start with but as it unravelled ! I was surprised by the way the story unfolded. It was an interesting read. I do prefer my reads to feel more real than this was.

The Innocent wife is an ideal read for anyone who enjoyed the Netflix series Making of a Murderer. Chapter by Chapter the novel unfolds in a similar episodic way with each layer unveil reveal more secrets.

A very interesting read, one of those I found difficult to put down, a thriller from start to finish

Sam is a teacher in the UK, and Dennis is on death row in the U.S., convicted of the murder of a young girl 20 years previously. His case has always been in the media, as there are many who believe he is innocent. After the end of a relationship, Sam fills her time trawling through all the sites and messages about Dennis and his case, and starts to write to him. Months later she's on a plane to visit him in prison, and before long her life takes a very different turn.

I enjoyed reading this book, though I found Sam's character rather unnerving. She's obviously an educated young lady, but she's also naive, paranoid and jealous - not exactly ideal attributes in life, especially when you start a relationship with a convict. Perhaps it's those that need help themselves, who offer help to others? I wasn't sure whether we should feel sorry for her, or be frightened of her. I think the surroundings she found herself in were such that they changed her completely.

A great book for those who love easy-to-read thrillers. You're never quite sure which way it will go until you actually reach the end.

Thanks for the ARC in exchange for a fair review!

This is a very intriguing and complex book. The protagonist is incredibly unlikable but in a wonderful and relatable way. I think we've all known or met someone like Sam, and her issues are very well articulated and show why she's drawn to Dennis. There are moments of very real tension and unpredictability within the relationship that ramp up towards the end.

It's gripping and timely, set on a backdrop of Twitter and Netflix, and keeps the reader engaged throughout. I kept finding that this was on my mind when I wasn't reading it, the sure sign of a good book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Wow, I haven't read a book quite like 'The Innocent Wife' before. It had me hooked right from the start and eager to keep reading right until the last page. It tells the story of two characters who seem to be polar opposites - Samantha, a schoolteacher in the UK and Dennis, a convicted murdered on Death Row in the US. Yet, as the novel unfolds, not all is as it seems. The book is full of twists and turns as the ultimate truth unfolds. A thoroughly engaging and thrilling read, with a few not-to-be-read-at night sections!

The book was exciting and she really was a innocent wife. She was not loved before and just fell for the guys lies as she was lonely and guilable. Could not put it down, I am a fast reader but even for me finished in a day.

Really enjoyed this book. I have always been fascinated by the women who marry prisoners on death row, and this book gives an insight, especially in the fact that none of the characters really know each other properly only what they think they know.

Mixed feelings about the book. i thought it was well thought out and had a good plot. Well written but just not what i like in a book. Just purely because of the way it was done. behind the scenes type. But i havent marked it down as this is just my personal feeling on there

Truly disturbing! Left me pondering the nuances of the definition of innocence and guilt. If this was a movie I would have spent much of it with my knees pulled up, watching it from behind my fingers.