The Innocent Wife

A 2018 Richard and Judy Book Club pick: ‘This book had me hooked’ – LISA JEWELL

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Pub Date Dec 28 2017 | Archive Date Jan 31 2018

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Description

__________________________
Your husband is innocent. Isn't he?
__________________________
As recommended by MY FAVOURITE MURDER: 'It is so really ****ing good!'
'This book had me hooked from the first page to the last.’ Lisa Jewell

NOW A TOP TEN BESTSELLER
__________________________
You're in love with a man on Death Row in Florida, convicted of a brutal murder twenty years ago.

You're convinced he didn’t do it, and you're determined to prove it. You're part of a mass online campaign that picks holes in the case, uncovers evidence of police incompetence, and agitates for this miscarriage of justice to be overturned.

Now you're married to him, and he’s a free man, his conviction thrown out. You have the rest of your lives to spend together.

You’re overjoyed. After all, he’s innocent.

Isn’t he?
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Amy's readers are raving about the book they 'just couldn't put down':

“I picked up The Innocent Wife this morning on my subway commute to work and couldn't put it down! I read it during my lunch break, commute home, on the stair master… It was just that addicting!

“Absolutely fantastic book… couldn’t put it down

“a superb rendering of sustained storytelling that grips you from the off

“I read the book in two days, couldn't wait to find out what happened next

Fantastic, gripping, page turning… Drew you in and kept you there until the very end”

“A fantastic debut! … It gets you hooked from the very beginning, and yet it's never predictable, you're in for some surprises until the very last page”

The Innocent Wife was gripping. I read with heart racing”

I literally couldn't wait to steal five minutes with it during the day and loved my evenings completely immersed in the tension”

“I couldn't put this down… thriller fans, you're in for a treat

complex and fascinating… very clever and very well executed”

“original and utterly compelling … I honestly feel bereft now that I've finished it and can't wait to spend 2018 talking about this fantastic novel”

__________________________
Your husband is innocent. Isn't he?
__________________________
As recommended by MY FAVOURITE MURDER: 'It is so really ****ing good!'
'This book had me hooked from the first...


Advance Praise

“You can hear the ominous music from the first line onward - this is a fantastic thriller.”

Lee Child

If you're an addict of true crime documentaries, you will binge all night on The Innocent Wife. It's a terrific, believable thriller that answers a seemingly unanswerable question. What kind of woman falls in love with a stranger an ocean away?

Julia Heaberlin, author of Black Eyed Susans


“An original, assured and compelling tale of obsession.  Amy Lloyd is a startling new talent, destined to become a big name."

Peter James, bestselling author of the DS Roy Grace series

“I devoured Amy Lloyd's novel The Innocent Wife in one sitting, ignoring everyone I knew until it was done! A unique setting, deeply flawed characters, a crackling mystery, and an unexpected ending make this one of 2018's must-reads!”

Hollie Overton, bestselling author of Baby Doll

“The Innocent Wife is a stunner. A smooth and confident new voice in the world of crime fiction, Lloyd leads the reader down a twisty path to a surprising, yet satisfying conclusion. You won't be able to stop turning the pages!”

Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King's Daughter

“You can hear the ominous music from the first line onward - this is a fantastic thriller.”

Lee Child

If you're an addict of true crime documentaries, you will binge all night on The Innocent Wife...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781780898117
PRICE £9.99 (GBP)
PAGES 400

Average rating from 401 members


Featured Reviews

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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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