A creepy tale which scares me when I think of Netflix and Making A Murderer. (Fans of the series should read this book)

I've never read anything along these lines before. It was great to read, what was to me, an original plot.

I enjoyed the book and was curious to know if he did it, that said I feel that all along I knew he did? The defence wasn't strong enough and even when they charged the other guy you knew that he would be connected with it in some way - but I was at least curious to learn how.

A really interesting, thought provoking book. 3.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Amy Lloyd and Random House for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I should say from the start that I didn't get this book. Sam in particular. Not sure what she expected marrying a suspected murderer. I realise there are miscarriages in justice and that some women do move from England to marry men they've never met but the story as a whole just didn't ring true for me at all. Sam was naive to the extreme and she wandered through life and had no part in her own story it would seem. I do think fans of Making a Murderer would find this interesting though as you get to go behind the media frenzy of such a case.

Like a number of other reviewers I have watched "making a murderer" and similar documentaries, and also wondered what makes people form a relationship with, and even marry, a Death Row inmate. I have tended to assume they are fairly certain the person will not be released and are therefore safe from the possibility of a life together. As a result I found the premise of the book with Samantha's anxiety about Dennis' release very believable and their difficulty in trying to start a marriage while living life in the spotlight with people who loved and hated Dennis in equal measure. The story was well paced with the tension and suspicion gradually increasing to a satisfying conclusion

Just finished this book and I found it hard to put down. The storyline was unique but relevant to today as these types of documentaries are popular. I am looking forward to reading more of this authors work!

I thought this book was amazing! The author immerses you in the USA, putting a small town English woman into the heart of a gritty, Floridian psychological thriller. I really felt for Samantha and could picture exactly the kind of scenery she was in when she chose to go to Florida to visit a man on death row who she had fallen in love with. It's rare to find a book that explores 'that' relationship - one that so many of us fail to understand. I started the book thinking 'WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS??' And some point midway through, it just started to click into place and I could see the methodical monotonous way in which Samantha had been reeled in. The book explores Samantha's relationship with her now husband once he is released from prison and we really and truly find out what happened 'That Night.' The innocent wife...? You decide...

Although I haven't watched much of it yet, if you're a fan of 'Making of a murderer' then this book will probably interest you. Similarly, if you read and enjoyed 'The Girls' by Emma Cline, this has the same gritty feel although is a different storyline.

This is not something I would have normally picked and paid for myself however I'm so glad I took a chance on it as the story wrapped itself around me keeping me hooked.

Lots of different things involved to keep you wondering right to the end. Very readable

While i thought the concept of this book was very good, i found the extreme animal violence to be gratuitous and wholly unnecessary. When an animal was introduced i found myself dreading reading the next coming pages waiting for something terrible to happen to it and it completely ruined the story for me.

Excellent book - Great characters and plot. I would highly recommend this book.

A really great book told form a perspective that I'm not used to reading about, but have always wondered about, the whole writing to an inmate thing. I felt this book was excellently written and well paced. 5 stars for a great read. Can't wait to read more from this author in the future. *****

The Innocent Wife

A story that grabbed my attention as I have always been intrigued by women writing to men in prison or in particular on death row, not understanding the attraction to why they do this. 20 years ago Dennis was arrested and charged for the murder of Holly. Always proclaiming his innocence his story is picked up by a film crew who are helping campaign for his release. Samantha, a British woman sees the show and starts to write to Dennis. After a while they fall in love and when Dennis is released Samantha moves to Florida to be with Dennis but soon finds out things aren't as they first seem. A fast paced thriller, highly recommended.

From time to time we read of women that write to imprisoned men in death row. We even see them interviewed and if I am honest I have always been bewildered by them, critical but somewhat mesmerised.

Twenty years ago Dennis Danson was convicted of the murder of Holly and is now housed in death row. However, there is a groundswell of support for Dennis; people believe he is wrongly accused and what follows are books, documentaries and now a new film is scheduled. Sam, our heroine living in England becomes interested and begins to write to Dennis in support. Slowly the relationship between the prisoner and the ‘pen pal’ develops to such an extent that Sam becomes involved in research and eventually leaves England to travel to Florida to marry Dennis. The film-makers welcome her with open arms and support her through the marriage and also through the period following his release.

This psychological thriller is absolutely brilliant and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I was fascinated by Sam’s position and troubled by her. What would make a young woman take such drastic action? Loneliness, lack of self-belief, or wanting to validate herself? Are these the actions of a rational woman? The most interesting part is when Sam and Dennis are finally united after his release. Dennis is feted by journalists, companies that shower him with presents, fame – he even has an agent. And Sam is an observer on the edges of the action, worried and somewhat bewildered.

Dennis’ personality changes and Sam is left to question, and fear, the consequences. I can say no more on the plot. Suffice it to say that I was not disappointed. Even the parts that I had guessed turned out rather differently than I expected.

Absolutely brilliantly written, characters are well-drawn and believable and I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

The Innocent Wife is a brilliant read. I was hooked from the start and read in within a couple of days. I loved how much depth there was to each character making you are the reader feel you really knew them.
Dennis is on death row for a murder he says he didn't commit. He is followed by a film crew who are helping him campaign for his release. A British women called Sam sees his story and starts to write to Dennis. Time passes and they both fall in love. When Dennis is released they start there new life together but all is not what it seems.
I can not wait to read more from Amy Lloyd, I believe she will be an author to watch.
Thank you to Random House for an ARC via Netgalley for me to review

(To be posted closer to publication date on Goodreads and Amazon)

Ever since I learned about women who write to, fall in love with and marry men on Death Row, I've been fascinated by this phenomenon, so this book was a must-read. Lloyd keeps the first three-quarters or so beautifully on track as Samantha obsesses about a handsome killer, gets involved in the campaign to free him and marries him, despite him being effectively a stranger.

Along side this main story is a sub-strand which calls into question Samantha's own past behaviour and quite how balanced she herself is. This teetering between him and her reminded me a little of the Gone Girl dynamic, though this isn't as subtle overall or as clever in probing gender stereotypes and the conceit of marriage.

All the same, this keeps the tension high and I changed my mind a couple of times as to where I thought the book was going, and ended up staying up late to find out whether I was right (sort of!).

The dénouement is a little too flashy, a lttle too brief and a little too truncated to have quite the effect it should have - all the same, a dark thriller at the more credible end of the spectrum (mostly) with a good tense atmosphere.

The Innocent Wife was a brilliantly immersive read - if you watched Making A Murderer you'll probably like this - taking that type of premise as a starting point then taking the reader on a kind of "behind the scenes" journey - focusing on Sam, obsessed with the subject to the point that she drops everything, moves to the States and ultimately marries him. Then, however, the campaign is successful and she's faced with living with a man she barely knows and who may not be as innocent as he seems.

Through her we meet the television crew, the people from the hometown of the dead girl, various other involved parties and start to slowly uncover the genuine truth of the matter. What I loved about it was the way the author obfuscates her characters, making it hard to see realities but done in a very realistic manner. Dennis is a mass of contradictions, one moment you are full of sympathy for his plight, others you think "ooh this guy is dangerous" but until you reach the final pages you are never quite sure.

Sam as a character I did find a little insipid - she's easily lead and suffers from extreme jealousy, she is often blinded to the truths around her simply by the sheer force of her obsessive nature - but this makes her very real, it didn't feel strange that she left her life and married a possible murderer.

Overall a really great, gripping, page turner of a read. You just want to know - I also thought the ending was cleverly thought provoking.

Recommended.