This is a dark and compelling read. It is the story of an English teacher who, having watched a documentary, becomes convinced of the innocence of a man, convicted at age 18 of a girl’s murder, and now languishing for over twenty years on Death Row in an American prison.
I suppose it takes a certain damaged type of personality to become a Death Row groupie, which explains why she leaves her home, her job and family, travelling to see the convict and take part in a new documentary.
It seems safe to marry him and have a fairy-tale romance, until reality comes crashing in, when he is exonerated and free to live in the outside world. She has no idea who he really is, what his past life was and what prison might have done to him, and her new life as his innocent wife becomes scary and desperately unhappy.
I loved this tense thriller. It is based on a very interesting concept and it was so full of twists and turns that it kept me gripped until the final heart pounding chapter.

Every so often a book comes along that you really enjoy but you can't really work out why,well for me this is most definitely one of those books.

This riveting thriller is a tale that is split into two halves that are set before and after Dennis is released from prison.

Our main protagonist is Samantha who is a teacher,she lives in England and has recently been dumped by her boyfriend.Quite a number of other reviewers have stated that they found Sam annoying and irritating but because she had a number of my own personal character traits, although I didn't like her very much at times,I understood when she had moments of anxiety,paranoia and indecision.I certainly didn't understand why she or anyone else would want to write to a convicted killer but she watches an online documentary about him,she decides to start writing to Dennis Danson who is on death row after being convicted for the murder of a young girl.What starts out as a friendship swiftly develops into a romance and before you can scream `what are you doing you stupid woman` she has accepted his marriage proposal.She also finds herself involved with a film crew who are convinced that Dennis is innocent and are making a true crime documentary about the case.As well as following Sam`s visits to Dennis in prison and the film crew as they make their documentary,there is also extracts from a book that was written about the case.These extracts give the reader background information on where Dennis grew up,his family and upbringing.

When new evidence casts doubt on the case against Dennis and he is exonerated and released,Sam and Dennis start their lives together as a married couple while being under the constant scrutiny of the media.Only as time passes Sam begins to realise that Dennis might not be the loving,nice guy that he appeared to be when he was in prison.The story is rather once sided because you only hear things from Sam`s perspective,a couple chapters told from Dennis`s point of view might have given the reader more insight into his character and true feelings towards Sam.After a short stay in New York,they go to stay at Dennis`s childhood home in Red River County,Florida,which is when the tension starts to build but this is also when the story starts to get a bit predictable.Once a certain character is introduced into the story,it's not difficult to work out who was behind the disappearances over twenty years ago and there was no unexpected twists during the final confrontation.

Like I said,I can't honestly say why I enjoyed this book as much as I did but I can say that it's a well written,debut thriller that could result in some interesting discussions if it was read by a book group.

This was a book I didn't want to put down once I'd started it. It's a credible fascinating story line with believable characters, well researched and written. The Innocent Wife is a chilling intruigingread that will grab you and keep you turning the pages. I would definitely recommend this book and read another book by this author.

Thank you!

A really interesting premise, and I really enjoyed the creepy change in Dennis throughout the book, but I found that I didn't get on with the main character at all, which was a deal breaker for me. Great concept, but not for me.

I loved the idea of this book and I did enjoy it - until the end, which I found to be confusing and left me with questions. I’m still unsure who the guilty party was.

I can honestly say hand on heart that this has totally blown my socks off.... it has left me totally gobsmacked and my jaw is still on floor...I was not expecting that.
I started this book thinking I had heard this type of story before but I was wrong it started off quite slow but it needs to to get to know the backdrop of the story. I could totally imagine being in sams shoes and why she choose the path she did wonderfully written so clever and so detailed and vivid I can’t get over it it all. In my head whilst reading Dennis looked liked Channing Tatum don’t know why but his description reminded me of him ...am I the only one lol.
Amy Lloyd a fantastic novel.
Thank-you for the privilege of reading this awesome novel ...I salute you

Enjoyable for the most part, and agree with others that it could have had a better ending. Nevertheless it was compulsive reading, about a man imprisoned for murder but who has groups protesting his innocence, films made about him, and attracts a lot of media attention. One of those women obsessed by him (yes, seems like it's always women) begins to write to him and then gives up her life in England to fly out to the US to see him. One cannot help but cringe at the unbalanced woman, Sam, who is clearly in need of psychological help herself.
It was a good story, let down a little by the ending, and well written apart from the usual (and common) examples of poor grammar which should have been edited out.

Review of an advance digital copy from the publisher.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest throughout and had me guessing right until the end. I would definitely recommend it.

This book kept me guessing until the end. The story unfolds of someone 'wrongly' imprisoned and the twists and turns take you on a journey, but you're not sure where it will all end.

I really enjoyed it although at times was shouting at the characters in the book!

A haunting story about a young girl's obsession with an American on death row. We follow Sam as she becomes increasingly involved with campaigning for Dennis's release. Against all odds, the campaign is successful and Dennis and Sam try to adjust to a new life together. But gradually their world begins to unravel with Sam needy for acceptance whilst Dennis is strangely aloof. The characterisation was impressive and it seemed that both Sam and Dennis were social misfits in their own way. It is one of those novels that you just need to keep on reading!

I thought this book was seriously scary and menacing . It is a slow burner and I did nearly give up on it,but am so glad I persevered with this creepy and chilling book. I started reading this book with a sense of dread and uneasiness, would it be a story of a death row romance and misguided love that could only flourish with the knowledge that a person wouldn't be let out of prison,or was it a simple case of fighting against a miscarriage of justice.
Sam believes in the innocence of Dennis Donson,who is serving time for the murder of Holly Michaels and at least six other young girls. She leaves England and visits Dennis in prison and ends up getting married to him. Upon his release,not saying how/ why,as don't want to spoil the story,the story becomes darker and more psychological as the story swings from like/ dislike of Dennis and feeling frustration about how Sam is becoming needy and pathetic .
The denouement is expected and slightly humorous and everything is tidied up very nicely. The conclusion can be guessed almost from the start,but the way the characters develop and the storyline evolves is done very well. I thought Dennis was cold and calculating and utterly believable. I didn't find Samantha to be a very resolute person,but to be fair,if I had been in that situation,then I would have got the hell out of there as soon as possible!! A well written book,scary and thought provoking . I have left a copy of this review on Goodreads today.

I was looking forward to reading The Innocent Wife as the premise of the book intrigued me. We hear so often of women who befriend and fall in love with me on death row so when I saw this novel on NetGalley it was an easy request.

I did enjoy this book though have to say I did get slightly annoyed with the main characters and found I couldn’t gel at all with Sam.

This book is a quick and easy read though and flows well.

I would give this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

This is a creepy, tense psychological thriller about Sam, a British woman who becomes obsessed with Dennis, a US murderer who is on death row. They write to each other, she visits, they fall in love and marry. She loves the yearning for him after their weekly visits, but her life is in limbo. Then the campaign for his release succeeds and he is exonerated of any crimes. Suddenly they are properly together as man and wife and everything is more than a little strange as he comes out to instant celebrity status and not everyone thinks he's innocent. In fact they think he had something to do with the disappearance of several young women, not just the murder he was convicted for. The story gets more and more intense as Sam starts to get to know her husband and his background. And, of course, Sam has secrets too.

I loved this book and the way the author built up the tension and suspicion. It flagged a little in the middle, and I did get a bit fed up of living in hotels, but once his father died and they moved to his place, then things started to get really creepy. I thought the female characters in this were all well drawn and the writing was excellent. Dennis remained a mystery, but then that was the whole essence of the story. I also liked the way she built the tension between Sam and Lyndsey, his ex-girlfriend who insisted on hanging out with them. No real surprises at the end but a great read all the same.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

The concept of this book was fantastic, I loved the dynamic of a woman falling in love with a man on death row. Such a great idea.
It all started falling apart for me when he was released and they started to live together - the details of his adapting to life on the outside were good and realistic - but their relationship didn't ring true for me after that.
There were some questions left unanswered for me - did he kill the dog? why did he not admit he had accomplices in the murders - and mainly as soon as she found out her husband WAS a killer why did Sam stay with Dennis? She only pursued him initially because she believed he was innocent?
Still, the premise kept me reading and I certainly wanted to know what happened.

A really interesting and good read.. Dennis is serving life on death row for murder....In the UK Samantha believes he is innocent of the crime helped in her belief by a Netflix documentary, various online forums and her ‘gut feeling’....she writes to Dennis....she then goes to visit him and doesn’t return as she decides to stay and ‘fight his cause’....they marry in prison....out of the blue someone else confesses to the murder and Dennis is released.....then the story starts!!!!! Samantha little by little starts to realise all may not be as it seems and the book hurtles to an amazing and terrifying conclusion
Fantastic narration by Sam, the descriptive writing is wonderful, funny, sad, dark, obsessive, scary and yet you ‘get her’ and why she is as she is, I loved Sam’s character and her self deprecating humour
The other characters in the book are quick to be identified and you feel emotions, good n bad, towards them
I really enjoyed this book and the style of writing and would recommend it to anyone, it was hard to put down and exciting from the first to the last page

As I concluded reading this novel, I wondered if the wife of the title was more naive than innocent. She had no real idea what she was letting herself in for when she began a friendship with a man on Death Row. But anyone with an ounce of common sense would have exercised a degree of caution at least as the relationship progressed from penpals to prison visiting, and a hasty marriage to a man she barely knew, except from the letters he had penned.

Dennis Danson seemed Innocent enough. His appearance belied the seriousness of the murder charge. Sam firmly believes him to be so, as she joins online forums supporting his release and finds herself totally preoccupied with it to the exclusion of all else. Her zeal propels her to act unwisely, throwing caution to the wind as she become enmeshed in dangerous situations beyond her control.

Her newly released husband isn't quite the man she hoped he would be, or able to fulfil all her romantic dreams. There's an adjustment to be made after lengthy years inside, and her own perceptions shift as unfolding events leave her wondering just who to trust. I had little sympathy for Sam at times but I did like the twist in the epilogue which showed her being a bit more self-protective. It's an interesting read, generally pacey, with valuable things to say about misconceptions and false judgements.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut by Amy Lloyd.
Why would a teacher from England write to and subsequently fall in love with a man on death row in America? Is Dennis innocent? Does he love his wife Sam?
These were, among other questions, ones which I kept thinking I had figured out and then flipped back and forth on throughout the book. The talent of the author shone through in making me want to go on the journey with Sam to find out the truth and more about why she behaved in the way she did.
Very good easy read, recommended for those who like to try to work out what is happening rather than be spoon fed all of the way.
I will definitely read Amy’s second book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This an intriguing premise for a book. I am fascinated by why, and how, women fall for men who have committed terrible crimes. In this case, Dennis insists he is innocent and Sam travels to America to marry him. She is swept up with the media storm to free Dennis Danson but hardly knows the man she marries. This is an absolute page-turner of a book, full of suspense, and with an overwhelming sense of Sam being in danger from the man she loves. If I have a criticism it's that the main voice of the story, Sam, is a bit pathetic and it was difficult to get behind her. But still, Amy Lloyd has done a great job or writing a story that you just can't put down.

Reviewed on Amazon also not the usual husband and wife storyline a very different road taken and decisions made to keep the marriage alive - loved it

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is well written and I was drawn into the story but I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, particularly Sam. It’s difficult to understand why some women seem to be attracted/obsessed with men who have killed or are accused of killing but it seems to be a recurrent phenomenon which is fascinating and quite repugnant in equal measure. Sam is clearly a disturbed individual herself and I felt I should have more sympathy for her than I did but she just annoyed me.
This is quick read with a reasonable pace but it was a little too predictable.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.