The Innocent Wife: A Novel

Amy Lloyd

Mar 2018 · Harlequin

About this ebook

A woman falls in love with a celebrity convict, only to discover a truth more sinister than she could imagine in this “compulsively readable thriller” (Booklist, starred review).

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 charm and kindness to her. Soon she has left her old life behind to marry him and campaign for his release. When the campaign is successful and Dennis is freed, however, 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?

Winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition

Ratings and reviews

When I finished The Innocent Wife, I found myself wishing that I could rate it in sections. If that were the case, it would be rated in thirds with the first part earning a strong four-stars, two and a half for the middle, and three for the final third of the story. To explain, the beginning is quite gripping and pulled me in, especially with the letters and early visits between Samantha and Dennis. However, once Dennis is released from prison, the story slows to almost a crawl at times. There are some moments when the creep factor rises and I hoped the pace would pick up, but it didn't. Then, what could have been a truly heart-pounding conclusion is rushed to the point that it loses that thing that makes you hold your breath in anticipation. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, but for this story, it works. The author does have talent and this could easily have been a four or even five star read had she found a balance in the pacing.

The middle of the book was drawn out but now I see it was needed to tie it all together at the end. Good book.

About the author

Amy Lloyd studied English and Creative Writing at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She won the Daily Mail First Novel competition for The Innocent Wife in 2016. She lives in Cardiff, Wales, with her partner and two cats.