A very good read, once started I couldn't put down. All the way through I thought I knew what the outcome was going to be but the end had a surprising twist. Well worth the read

I am always intrigued why woman write to convicted Murderers who are strangers to them and this book gives an insight into what drives a Woman to do so. Although not my usual genre I found this an interesting read and it didn't go the way I thought it was going so did hold the suspense. There was a lot of depth to the characters and I thought that the way the relationship was explored, when Dennis was acquitted and released from prison and Sam moves to America to be with him, was well written. The ending was a surprise to me too. If you are a fan of thrillers you may enjoy this book as I did find it easy to read but personally for me it wasn't particularly memorable.

A must for fans of true-crime documentaries, raising interesting questions about the justice system and how well we can ever really know someone.

This book started as one story where I thought I knew how it was going to unfold but then swerved quite quickly into a darker and more intriguing story. I found the characterisation spot on and was strangely attracted and repelled by Dennis. A great piece of writing. The descriptions of Dennis’ family home were so well done that I felt I was looking at a photograph. Well done Amy Lloyd

I absolutely loved this story of a woman who falls in love with a man wrongly convicted of murder - or is he? While the characters are all unpleasant in their own way, Lloyd sucks you into the mystery of what really happened and why as Sam and Dennis adjust to married life outside of prison and the uncovering of long buried secrets. This is one of those books you'll devour in one sitting.

I was so gripped by this story. I started off believing in Dennis, then I wasn't sure, then I was again. That was my rollercoaster emotions throughout this book. I don't want to spoil it for anyone so all I can say is, READ IT! Not sure I'd do the same thing in Samantha's shoes but to each his/her own. The author did a brilliant job with the book and I definitely recommend it.

This was a dark, psychological thriller. Three people who were damaged by their upbringing, hold dark secrets. The story shows the gullibility of people taken in by a handsome face, corrupt police force and a closed community. The conclusion was totally unexpected but did it really address the problems revealed during the story? Totally absorbing read..

A storyline that gripped me from the start and made me reluctant to put the book down opens with Sam, a teacher from England corresponding with Dennis in a Prison in Florida serving his sentence as a convicted serial killer. They marry while an appeal is being made against his conviction and he is released after the campaign is successful. The writer takes you on uncomfortable journey of doubt, certainly, suspicion and intrigue and my decisions of his guilt or innocence changed throughout and the ending took me by surprise. Did he do it? Read and find out - you won't be disappointed

3.5 stars.
Most of the story was compelling and held my attention, although I did find it a little repetitive and mandate in places; even though the characters were not very likeable, they were interesting and flawed; the writing wasn't bad. The ending, however, was rushed and left me disappointed. Overall, I enjoyed the book and will read another by this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I'm sorry I didn't really enjoy this book. A good beginning and thought I would be gripped but it seemed to loose it's way in the middle and got a little confusing but in the end the characters for what they deserved.

I loved this book, totally believable characters, flaws and all. Kept me guessing till the end. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I received a copy of this book free for an honest review.
An interesting and unusual approach to an intriguing plot
Good main characters backed up with some strong secondary characters
Well written., with some interesting twists and turns

Samantha is living in the UK and is a teacher. She becomes obsessed with the case of Dennis Danson who has been given the death sentence in the USA for the murder of a young girl twenty years ago. Now a documentary is being filmed, focussing on the flaws in the case and hoping that he will be released from prison. Samantha starts writing to Danson in prison and he replies and they start a long distancee relationship. Samantha decides to book a flight and fly to the USA to meet him. Danson is eventually released from prison and they marry, then the story unfolds. But is Dennis really innocent and what secrets has he withheld? This is a very gripping read which I enjoyed but was a little disappointed with the ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a big let down it felt like something was missing from the start although I couldn't say what it was, it just did not grip me.
The beginning was good with the dead body but then it was like that had been forgotten and it seemed like it wasn't important.
Maybe because it's part of a set you have to read the others first but this book was slow and boring very hard to follow I gave up sorry.

Hybristophilia is a paraphilia in which sexual arousal is contingent upon the sexual partner having committed a serious crime. That explains a certain number of men and women, who are drawn to violent offenders. The majority of women (smaller number of men) are attracted to violent offenders simply because they know they are unobtainable.

Writing to someone you know will realistically never be released from prison makes them less of a threat. You can admire a serial killer from the safety of your sitting room without ever having to worry about them chopping you up into tiny pieces.

Samantha fits nicely into the above category. A schoolteacher in the UK with an obsession for a man on Death Row in the US. It’s creepy, needy and far from the norm. She never expects her relationship with Dennis to become a living, breathing thing, and she is somewhere between panic and fear when she comprehends that Dennis is about to become a free man.

Lloyd draws some inspiration from a few controversial cases that have been plastered all over the media, such as the West Memphis Three. In 1994 three teenagers were arrested and later found guilty of the murder of three eight-year-old boys. In 2011 they were released on time served with 10 year suspended sentences based on new evidence. Due to media attention and quite a few major celebrities flying the innocence flag for these three men, they are now walking around as free men. At this time no one is serving a prison sentence or being investigated for the murder of those three young boys.

Lloyd turns the spotlight on the question of hype and crusades interfering with the judicial system. Although Dennis seems to be innocent of the murder of one young girl there is still question of what happened to all the other missing girls in his home-town. Is he really a victim of the wrong place and wrong time or do his friends and neighbours know something that isn’t tangible, but is enough to convince them of his guilt.

These are the questions Samantha also has to ask herself, although to be perfectly frank she seems to enjoy the excitement of being right in the middle of all the controversy. She also has her own issues with impulse control, jealousy and being borderline criminal. One could say it is a match made in heaven.

If scenarios like this weren’t happening all the time in real life I would probably say the author has a great imagination. Unfortunately this story is uncomfortably close to the truth, especially when it comes to the celebrity status given to violent offenders and the pedestals they are put on by other big names in the world of celebrity. Everything is a conspiracy. Nobody could possibly be capable of being an bad person, right? Well we all know that is just a simplistic way of looking through rose coloured spectacles to view the world and the people we are surrounded by.

Lloyd pulls this tale of suspense off with a set of truly unsympathetic characters. Can one feel any empathy with a woman who worships at the feet of a murderer? I guess that is the charm of The Innocent Wife, the feeling of ‘what did you expect?’

It’s a minefield of guilt and home truths. Many shades of grey instead of clear black and white scenarios. Is the innocent wife perhaps not so innocent?

The Innocent Wife

I've long been intrigued by women who correspond with death row inmates and then become romantically involved. Frankly, I find it bizarre and Catherine Tate epitomised the weirdness ( and sadness) in a series of sketches a few years back. The Innocent Wife explores the situation and is an accomplished debut which held my attention throughout.

I didn't warm to either of the main characters, but nor would I expect to, so that's a plus. Sam is obsessive, weak and easily manipulated. Dennis is controlling and exploitative, but the plotting is intricate, so I was never clear just how it would finally play out. The structure is interesting; events are seen, in the main, from Sam's viewpoint. Letters and a TV documentary add to the backstory and intrigue and work well to create intense and often claustrophobic scenes.

Overall, this is a thriller with a difference. It combines elements of murder mystery (did he/didn't he) along with some chilling insights into the motivations and psychological profiles of both characters. This isn't an action packed thriller, but Amy Lloyd has impressed me with a well written and plausible tale which I found intriguing and interesting. I'll certainly watch for future books and my thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

The Innocent Wife is a good read.. Sam is obsessed with a convict and drops everything, moves to the States and ultimately marries him. When however, the campaign to get his conviction overturned is successful, she is suddenly living with a man she hardly knows and who may not be as innocent as she thought. The plot is sufficiently twisty to hold your interest, even though I did find the main female character somewhat frustrating in her complete compliance, lack of savvy.

Firstly I would say don't read the reviews.. but that's a bit silly as I am posting my review in the hope I can encourage you to read the book!  If you do read the reviews you will see that The Innocent Wife is a real MARMITE book, but as I love marmite I wasn't put off by the negative comments.

I'm not going to rehash the blurb here, but will say this book has really unlikable and unsympathetic characters and I did read most of the book thinking "why, why, why?" when reading about Samantha and her obsession with convicted child killer Dennis Danson.  It's a disturbing and uncomfortable read especially knowing there are women who do correspond with Death Row prisoners.

My emotions were all over the place throughout the book ranging from pity to shock and never quite knowing who to believe.  The Innocent Wife is a thought-provoking and well written debut novel.  Personally I really "enjoyed" it and it kept me gripped throughout.

This was just not for me I'm sorry to say. The plot sounded like something I would enjoy but almost from the start I found it unbelievable and the characters very weak. If I hadn't known Amy was a mature school teacher I would have thought she was a teenager in how she came across.. Then the so unlikely scenario of a documentary producer wanting her, someone she has never met and even from a different country, involved in a project was just so silly.
Story never improved with lots of undeveloped characters and plot with an ending that manipulated the main characters behaviour to fit the story.
Could have been a good book but needs a great deal of improvement before it can qualify for that plaudit.

This is not my normal read but I found that once I started reading I could not put it down.

I always wonder about women who write to prisoners and then marry them. This story draws you in and you can understand why they do.

I will definitely look out for more from this author.