Why do women fall in love with men behind bars—especially lifers and convicted serial killers? News reports after the death of Charles Manson reminded us how many women were involved with him during his incarceration. Same with Ted Bundy. Did these women suffer from hybristophilia, which Forensic Psychologist Katherine Ramsland defines as “a sexual disorder in which arousal is contingent on being with a partner who has committed an outrage, such as rape, torture or murder?” In a HuffPost interview, Ramsland also added that “some women also seek fame by proxy, or believe they can tame the ‘wild beast’ in a violent man”—a more garden-variety obsession. Of course, there are false imprisonments, and interested citizens can devote years to seeking the release of a prisoner they perceive as innocent. Think of Bob Dylan’s song “Hurricane,” written to protest the imprisonment of middle-weight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. It took almost 20 years, but Carter was eventually released, free at last.

Amy Lloyd’s man-behind-bars, Floridian Dennis Danson, is a complicated character. See how many boxes she ticks in her portrayal of a possibly innocent prisoner.

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.

The brutal murder of a young girl. Check. True-crime documentary. Check. Online frenzy. Check again. And, most importantly, the possibility that he’s been “wrongly convicted.” Check and mate.

Englishwoman Samantha—Sam—becomes engrossed in the case of Dennis Danson, “eighteen years after the first documentary.” Her boyfriend Mark turns her onto to the story. She binges on every detail she can find. Tellingly, Sam shifts from passively absorbing information to actively working for Danson’s release. Mark becomes her former boyfriend, unhinged by her absorption in Danson’s plight. She signs petitions and joins message boards; she’s on a crusade to free Dennis Danson. Even behind bars, Dennis is a compelling figure.

The fans connected with Dennis on a deep level. In part because, after his arrest, over the years they watched him change from a troubled eighteen-year-old boy to the man he became in prison. There was something almost holy about him, the way he looked in bright white overalls. Serene like a monk, his hands and feet bound together with I-shaped chains as if in some kind of penance.

Never underestimate the allure of a blank slate, a man who exudes a calm, Zen-like acceptance of his circumstances. Fans share stories of their interactions, which leads Sam to write to Dennis; she pours out her soul to him in a girlish, hopeful tone—and expresses the hope she’ll hear back. She does.

Dear Samantha,

Sorry for the delay in writing you. You’re right, I get a lot of letters and it takes me some time to read through what is sent to me. But even though I have a lot of time I do not reply to them all. Something about your letter stood out to me. I’m sorry to hear you are lonely. I’m lonely too.

Fast forward. Dennis and Sam become much more than pen pals—he asks her to come to America; he wants to meet her. The gritty reality of her first jail visit is difficult for Sam, but they have a palpable connection. An irritant, however, is Sam’s possessiveness; she wants to be everything to Dennis. She spends her time away from him methodically tracking down every place and person of significance to him. When she discovers that Lindsay, a childhood friend, has visited him for years, she explodes.

‘Why did you lie, then?’ The pinch of confusion on his face made her feel like a madwoman. ‘I didn’t lie. I just never thought to mention it. She hasn’t been here in seven months. Why are you so mad about this?’

They quarrel. Sam gets up to leave, and Dennis is so upset he bangs “the divide with the heel of his hand.” He shouts, “Marry me!” and presto, they’re engaged. They wed with each on one side of a prison glass divide. Miraculously, evidence is soon found that exonerates Dennis. Lloyd cleverly shines a spotlight on the appeal of an incarcerated spouse—because Sam is very scared about the new reality. She “had grown used to their relationship as it was, separated by a thick Plexiglas wall.”

Out in the real world, their differences sprout up—Dennis is secretive, obsessed with exercising and eating nutritiously, whereas Sam feels nurtured by “luminous iced ring donuts” washed down with a “giant iced coffee.” Par for the course for newlyweds?

Incidents crop up after they go back to Dennis’s childhood home. Not everyone is glad to see him. He quarrels with a shopkeeper who tells him he doesn’t want his business. A few days later, Sam and Dennis are visited by a cop who asks if Dennis killed the shopkeeper’s dog. The dog was “gutted, torn apart.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. The officer asks Sam to confirm Dennis’s whereabouts, and she lies: “He was with me,” she said again, fixing her eyes on his. “All night.” It’s the first such instance in their marriage, so she confronts him, and it doesn’t go well.

‘You want points for lying or something? I was here. I went for a run around the woods, that’s it. They’re just bothering me like they always did.’

Doesn’t she believe him, Dennis asks? “You know, you’re either on their side, or you’re on mine.” What can Sam say? Of course, she believes him, trusts him … or does she? Imagine being married to someone and weighing the evidence of what you begin to discover versus embracing an uprooted life that depends for its validity on trusting someone you don’t actually know that well.

Lloyd keeps the reader guessing until the very last page. Make sure you have an excuse for being sleepy at work the next day because The Innocent Wife is unputdownable.

A unique psychological thriller. One that kept me engaged from the beginning to the very end. Interesting twists and well -developed characters. I really enjoyed this book. The writing, the pace, the suspense. I totally recommend it.

Albeit frustrating, I liked how THE INNOCENT WIFE teased me with “Is Dennis guilty or not?”. This book is really about Samantha, the Brit who fell in love with a convicted felon, someone she hasn’t met ever but whose story she’s followed, so in love that she left her country, moved to the US and married Dennis, a reality TV star/convicted serial killer (at the time of their courtship) who’s been incarcerated for 20 years. How can I NOT read this train wreck of a love story?

Anyway, THE INNOCENT WIFE is truly an emotional read. I felt a lot of anger towards Samantha and how the story unfolded. It teases too much and lingered a lot on trivial stuff like cohabiting and marital issues, and I found the reality TV star angle not only distracting but also proved to be a useless plot device in the grand scheme of things as it failed to tie that thread with the meat of the story as soon as the book dug to its core.

Then there’s the ending. I’ll just leave it at my anger isn’t sated because the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. The resolution could’ve been better

I picked up Amy Lloyd’s The Innocent Wife after reading quite a few positive reviews on both Twitter and Goodreads. The story has received a ton of praise from people whose reading tastes closely align with my own, and I was eager to try it for myself. Fortunately, I got a review copy, and I can now add my voice to all the buzz surrounding this release.

Dennis Danson has been on death row for twenty years, but he proclaims his innocence almost daily. Of course, no one takes him seriously. He was convicted of murdering a young woman in his home town, and the evidence was quite damning, but Dennis refuses to give up. Eventually, someone will believe him and help him regain his freedom, or at least, that's the belief he clings to.

Samantha is a school teacher in London. She finds it difficult to maintain healthy romantic relationships, and she fears her life will be forever at a standstill. On a whim, she logs on to an online forum created for people who believe in the innocence of Dennis Danson. Initially, Samantha doesn't know what to think. The man has been in prison for two decades, so why are his claims of innocence just now being taken seriously? But as she learns more about Dennis's case and the group of people who are fighting desperately to free him, she begins to believe in his innocence, too.

Soon, Samantha and Dennis are exchanging letters as often as they can, and Samantha is completely won over by him. She decides to visit him in person, so she takes a leave of absence from her job and takes off for Florida where she hopes not only to meet Dennis but also play a meaningful part in the campaign to get him released from prison.

When Samantha meets Dennis for the first time, she can't help but admit that she's falling in love with him. His letters may have sparked her attraction, but actually being able to spend time in his presence cements all those feelings for her. Dennis shyly confesses that he has feelings for Samantha as well, and the two are married soon after.

Life as a married woman is everything Samantha dreamed it would be. Sure, she has to visit her husband in prison, but she doesn't seem to mind that. In fact, the reader is given the distinct impression that she actually enjoys the prestige being married to a convicted killer brings her, but things get messy when Dennis is finally released from prison on a technicality, enabling him and Samantha to truly start their lives as husband and wife. Suddenly, Samantha isn't so sure of Dennis's innocence. He's very secretive, and his mood can change on a whim. Plus, he begins to control her in small ways that grow increasingly more intense the longer they're together. Now, Samantha must face the very real possibility that the man she married isn't at all the person she thought he was.

The Innocent Wife is a complex novel of love and lies that builds in intensity with every chapter. Like so many successful psychological thrillers, it relies on the relationships between the characters to keep it moving forward. There are definitely some action-packed moments, but they're more the exception than the rule here. Even so, I wasn't at all bored; Ms. Lloyd does a great job keeping the reader engaged and interested.

Samantha is a difficult character to relate to. In a lot of ways, I felt sorry for her, especially when Dennis began to exert more and more control over her actions, but I couldn't keep from feeling like she brought a lot of what happened to her on herself. She refused to listen to anyone who spoke out against Dennis, and she was always ready to excuse his behavior, no matter how bad it was. There was an air of desperation about her, and I often struggled not to grow frustrated by things she said and did.

Some of the novel's twists were pretty clear to me early on, but this didn't detract much from my overall enjoyment of the story. I’ve read a lot of books like this one, and while I definitely appreciate the ones that take me completely by surprise, I don't consider it a requirement. Ms. Lloyd did keep me guessing about a few key points, and that was enough for me. Plus, even the things I did figure out didn't happen in the exact way I expected them to, and I ended up reading late into the night so I could see how things would turn out.

To sum up, The Innocent Wife is an intricately plotted thriller that I'm happy to recommend to fans of the genre. It may not be the most original mystery you'll read this year, but it has quite a lot going for it just the same. Ms. Lloyd has proven herself to be a very gifted storyteller, and I'll definitely pick up whatever she comes up with next.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

While the premise completely drew me in, I thought the beginning started off a little slow but picked up the further I read. The plot developed nicely, however, I couldn't read the animal cruelty scenes. I put the book down as I found them unnecessary and troubling. I know they may have been used to prove a character point but they didn't work for me and I wish I would've known ahead of time that this story contained them. This is a didn't finish for me so I only rated because I need to the review. My rating is based on the beginning and what I read up until the animal cruelty scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Amy Lloyd and Harlequin (US & Canada) for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review! Although, the premise of this book sounded quite intriguing to me I was unable to actually enjoy this story enough to finish it. I will try again in the future but at this time this book just wasn't for me.

“A young schoolteacher falls for a man on Death Row whom she believes is falsely accused, only to begin wondering after their marriage – and his release.”

As soon as I read that line in the description, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book!

Samantha (Sam) is a thirty-one-year-old school teacher from England. She has always felt very alone. She needed something or someone to believe in, and in Dennis Danson, she found both. It all started after she watched a documentary “Framing the truth: the murder of Holly Michaels”. It was about Dennis, who is on death row for the murder of the young girl. Dennis has always proclaimed his innocence and has a large group of supporters whose goal is to help him prove his innocence.

After watching the documentary she became obsessed with Dennis Danson’s case. She would talk for hours with other armchair investigators online, debating facts about the case and coming up with other possible suspects and theories. Then she finds out a new documentary series is being made about him…..

So she decides to write him a letter.

She doesn’t really expect him to answer her letter…but he does. The letters make her feel less lonely. He really seems to care for her. And when one of the creators of the upcoming series asks her if she’d like to meet Dennis and get involved with the documentary, Sam is quick to jump on a plane. Once she arrives at the prison she’s terrified and almost changes her mind. But then she meets Dennis…

Before she knows it, she’s left her previous life behind completely. Suddenly she’s Dennis’s wife and although he’s in prison, Sam’s life revolves around him. And then they find out he’s going to be released. Will their relationship work when they are no longer separated by the thick Plexiglas wall in the prison?

She has a fantasy about how things will be once Dennis is released. But the reality is very different. Did Sam make a mistake? She is concerned but determined to make her marriage work. She loves Dennis. And she’s still positive he’s innocent…..or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. But what about all of the unanswered questions and the rumors surrounding Dennis?

What about “The Missing Girls of Red River?”

I’ve heard about how much mail prisoners receive, and I have always been interested in and wondered what makes somebody fall in love with someone who is in prison.

I found the first part of the book quite intriguing. But it seemed to slow right down before veering off into a few different directions. It felt like the story kept jumping around on me. However, I kept reading as I really wanted to see how this was going to play out. I actually liked the unexpected ending, though it was a bit confusing and rushed.

Possible Trigger Warning: There were a few instances of violence towards animals. I understand that this was used to give readers insight into a character, but I felt it was unnecessary.

Overall, I found “The Innocent Wife” to be an interesting read, but the issues I mentioned, unfortunately, did lessen my enjoyment of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dennis Danson was convicted for the brutal murder of a young girl but a lot of people believe in his innocence and one of them is Samantha, a school teacher who lives in Britain. She starts corresponding with Dennis through letters and ends up falling in love with him. Soon after they get married Dennis’s case is reopened and he is released from prison . Samantha is excited about starting their married life together but starts observing changes in Dennis’s behavior. Was Dennis just getting used to life outside prison or was there something sinister behind his actions?

This book started real strong with in depth characterization of Samantha and Dennis. The author portrays Samantha’s insecurities and timidness and Dennis’s actions with great conviction but somewhere in the middle the book fell a little flat for me. The end though rushed was unexpected and so would rate it 3 stars.
I would like to thank Harlequin & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Posted January 14th on Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read Blog

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.

3.5 stars

This novel follows 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.

I found this to be a fast read that had me intrigued throughout. It had similarities to the “Making A Murderer – Steven Avery” Netflix series which I found very interesting.

There were quite a few pieces of this story that were rather far-fetched and had my eyes rolling, however, I still found myself flying through the pages to find out how everything would come together in the end. I didn’t like ANY of the characters yet surprisingly that didn’t bother me with this book – I still found myself curious to see how things would pan out for them.

This was a Traveling Sister Read with Norma, Kaceey, Susanne, Holly and Diane. We had some great discussion, varying opinions and lots of laughs throughout this novel. I personally wasn’t “wowed” by this one, but found it very readable and addictive in its own way.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin and Amy Lloyd for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

As soon as I read the premise of the storyline.... my twitchy fingers requested this on Netgalley. I was super excited to dive into this read!

Dennis Danson is a convicted murderer on death row for killing a young girl in Florida's Red River County. Dennis has claimed from day one his innocence....and also has a huge group of followers that support his innocence. One of these followers, Samantha, a schoolteacher has become obsessed with Dennis and starts sending him letters in prison. Gradually, Samantha and Dennis begin to form a "relationship"through these letters and she decides to go see him in prison. Soon after, Dennis and Samantha fall in love and she's marrying him! Dennis's case skyrockets into a political campaign and not long after he is released from prison.

Samantha is so excited to finally start her life with Dennis but she starts seeing red flags from Dennis soon after his release. Dennis is acting strangely and things are not adding up with his innocence. Sam becomes paranoid and starts wondering how innocent Dennis really is?

I struggled with rating this one.... a lot. I don't per say... feel that I am a tough critic? But, I had some issues with this one.

The letters from Dennis and Samantha to me.... are the bold set up to the storyline. I thought it was pretty lame that all of a sudden they just fell in love after two letters? So.. this gave me a bad taste already going in. But, it did pick up speed about 25 percent in after Dennis was released....

As the book went on I felt that the pacing was a little off for my liking. Towards the middle/end was dragging for me a little. Then, the ending felt completely rushed for me. I don't like my books to be rushed with the ending :(. Although, I wasn't expecting that kind of ending... so it did have some surprises in there. It just didn't have the bang I was looking for unfortunately.

3.25 stars for me on this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date 3/6/18.

An interesting premise and quick read that left me wanting more in the way of character development and backstory; although I will recommend.

Kept me on my toes through the entire book! I was totally surprised at the ending...Thank you Netgalley, Amy Lloyd and Harlequin (US & Canada) for giving me a chance to read this book!!

Not especially good or bad, but did not live up to my expectations. It started off well enough but fell flat halfway through. I found the main character very needy and clingy and in denial for most of the story. I can't even imagine why she fell for this guy in the first place. Some people may enjoy it more than I did.

This is the first book that I have read by Amy Lloyd. This was a hard book to read. The story line was very well written but the subject matter was distracting. I just wonder about people who go out of their way to make friends with prisoners. Also, I did not really like Samatha as a person.

There was not much I liked about this book. Characters were 2 dimensional. I felt no sympathy, mostly annoyance for Samantha which was a sign I should have stopped reading. There was not a redeeming quality of any of the characters and the plot seemed highly recycled. It was a quick read and I did finish the book but by the last page I could have already guessed what would happen. This book just wasn’t for me.

I've always been fascinated with women who fall in love and marry inmates. I've always felt that these women want a relationship but not a true relationship. It's almost like a fantasy.

I think Amy Lloyd did a wonderful job in exploring that dynamic with Samantha and Dennis. Sam wanted to escape her life and found it in an obsessive love with an inmate in America. She never truly thought they could be together so never thought of the consequences.

I thought the development of the relationship and Dennis' exoneration was rushed. The author needed to spend more time in setting everything up. I loved the tension throughout the story though. Little hints dropped here and there - about Sam and Dennis - makes you question everything.

This was a great book. The writing style made for a fast paced read. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books from this author.

https://thebookobserver.blogspot.com/2017/10/review-11-innocent-wife.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2139911471

I hate to rate a book so low. I know the author put a lot of work into it. But, the story is just an exercise in frustration. Sam marries a guy in prison. I'm not really sure why, except maybe she had low self esteem from a bossy boyfriend. Unfortunately, the book doesn't ever really explain or give you any back story on anything or anyone. You keep turning the pages and hoping to find out, but you never do. None of the characters are fleshed out enough. Especially, Dennis. He has all these weird behaviors and you have no clue why. Even the end of the book is anti climatic. The killer is revealed but you know nothing about the girls he murdered, or why he murdered them, or how he murdered them. UGH.

Another page-turning thriller to haunt me for days! The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd caught my attention with this description:

Twenty years ago Dennis Danson was arrested for the brutal murder of Holly Michaels in Florida’s Red River County. Now he’s the subject of a Making a Murderer-style true crime documentary that’s taking the world by storm – the filmmakers are whipping up a frenzy of coverage to uncover the truth and free the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice.

Samantha may be thousands of miles away in Britain, but she is as invested in Dennis’s case as any of his lawyers. Perhaps even more so, as her letters to the convicted killer grow ever more intimate. Soon she is leaving her life behind to marry Danson and campaign, as his wife, for his release.

But when the campaign is successful, and Dennis is freed, events begin to suggest that he may not be so innocent after all. How many girls went missing in Red River, and what does Dennis really know?

WHY am I so into these kinds of stories? I blame Gone Girl. I read that book and it started me on this path of wanting to get deep into the story of an unreliable narrator and try to figure out the plots of these books.

This is another book that is getting awesome reviews and I look forward to settling down with my dogs and reading it this afternoon!

This story held me tightly in its grip from the first pages and never let go. Taking it beyond the common mystery novel, Lloyd brought to life a story based on the mysteries of personalities and relationships and the secrets that are always hidden behind the exterior. My emotions mimicked Sam's as she longed for a marriage and intimacy, both emotional and physical, that always seemed just beyond her reach. At the end, I was left wanting more...not for lack of writing, but only because I wasn't ready to detach myself from their lives just yet. I can't wait to read more from this author!