This was such an interesting book. It was about a case I had not heard of before. I just could not put this book down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Such a good read. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had no idea this happened in Dallas, and it was kind of fun recognizing a lot of the places referenced. This book was clearly written from the wife’s side of things, but when I was looking for other books and information on this case, there’s very little.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for the ALC to review.

Jim Schutze is a well known journalist in Dallas, and when I saw he was the author of this book in addition to it being a true crime case in Dallas I could not pass it up, plus it was available via audio which was a bonus. It did not disappoint, this was a CRAZY case, especially for back then (this was originally published in 1992). The narrator was just ok but the story was what I was really here for. Linda drove me nuts at times and I echoed her attorney’s and the FBI’s frustration with the fact that she was not connecting the fact that her husband had hired an assassin to take her life and if she wanted to stay alive she had to go along with their plan. I was captivated from the start with this one and it was intense until the very end. If you like true crime then I definitely recommend this one.

Linda's marriage to the successful Robert seems perfect from the outside, but Robert is abusive and cruel. Linda eventually finds the strength to leave Robert. What follows seems to insane to be true. While going through a contentious divorce, the FBI discovers that Robert has taken out a hit on Linda. Linda must fake her disappearance, telling on one but her lawyer and parents. The FBI has an airtight plan, Linda's parents would report her missing at a certain kind of date to a specific police officer. The FBI didn't count on small town Dallas and the fact that Linda is important to her community. Friends and family know immediately that something is wrong.

While this seems like the plot of a crime procedural, there are very real emotions involved. What Linda, her family and friends go through is gut wrenching. Linda must leave her children, telling them nothing. The children are already traumatized by the divorce and time with their father. Linda's friends are convinced she is dead. The author goes into details about the situation.

The narrator does a great job.

This book has everything a true crime fan is looking for. Abusive marriage and the resolution of said marriage, murder for hire, and lots of drama. I really feel sorry for Linda and especially her children as they are seriously damaged because of this one awful man. Abusers and controllers will go to any lengths to get what they want and not care who they hurt in the process. Definitely a decent read.

Gripping, raw, revealing, this is a frightening tale of a woman (Linda) battling an egocentric, narcissistic husband (developer Robert Edelman) and stopping him from doing the unthinkable. The narrator significantly builds tension, and is skilled at bringing the main players here to life. His reading demands attention, and lifts this above a general re-tell. The book is significantly detailed. There is a lot here, and while there's some extrapolation perhaps added for narrative verve, it's nonetheless fascinating.

There are two types of True Crime content. One which recounts crime in a very separate, focused way. Detailing the crime and the investigation. The other type turns the cases into stories. Here the case is way too detailed, the people involved start feeling like characters. The crime feels fictionalized. This audiobook is the latter, containing (presumably made up) dialogue in excruciating detail. The narrator is able to look into the brain of each person involved. While listening to this I realized I much prefer the former kind of true crime content.
My husband's trying to kill me is an interesting story about domestic violence, divorce, and power. The text is certainly of its time (1992) and some points contain questionable phrasing. Overall, due to its storytelling structure the real people involved start to turn into frustrating characters. At certain points the text contains flash forwards and flashbacks which are not always transitioned smoothly in the audiobook. Same for switches between the different points of view. The plot gets weighed down by long sidetracks into stuff that's just not relevant to a listener/reader. Why do I need to know all the trophies the important-witness-would-be-killer has? Also, there is a weird fake-out plot twist? Is this a thriller? If yes, it would be a strange one: never truly succeeding in creating tension past the annoyance over the FBI’s inability to consider the human factor, every single person clued into the string going on to clue even more people in. Creating a chain reaction of ppl that know whereas the FBI doesn't know that they know. The sting appears to derail completely and it’s incredibly frustrating to listen to. Since this is a true crime story, that is not the fault of the writer. I did question however, why I had to hear about all these frustrating, all-the-same, conversations again and again.
I would recommend this audiobook to people who are interested in both true crime and thrillers. It is a very unknown case and an interesting insight into the way domestic abuse was handled a few decades prior. However, I don’t think this audiobook is suited for those true crime fans who are interested in learning about cases and investigations or how the perpetrators work. It is more of an memoir about one specific relationship with a terrifying and abusive man than a typical true crime story.
I received an advanced copy of this audiobook, thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this opportunity. This did not influence my review.

Narrated by Jonathan Sleep ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
by Jim Schutze ⭐⭐⭐
A very interesting story of Murder for Hire.
This true crime story is written like a fiction novel which Is an interesting way to do it, can't say I loved the style and it took me a while to get my head around it but overal it was good.

Linda Edelman didn't know the truth about Robert until he first punched her in the face. A real scum bag, he was only interested in money and winning. He made her life hell when she finally asked for a divorce, using the children as pawns against her. He didn't care about them -- he only cared that he was taking them away from Linda. Unfortunately, there are many abusers out there, but not all of them stoop to hiring a hitman.

Written like a fiction novel, this book spans from the early part of their marriage until Robert is tried and convicted. It is well written, well researched, and it kept my attention. I was eager to keep listening, and was always astonished and disgusted at Robert's antics.

I would definitely recommend it to true crime fans.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cantor Audio and the author for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Okay fellow murderinos wondering if this book is your next read, you definitely should. This is book is like binging an entire season of your favorite true-crime podcast without having to wait a week between episodes.

Wow. This story is absolutely insane and Linda DeSilva is one badass lady. This is a story of incredible tracking, investigating and plotting on both DeSilva's side and her husband (who is barking mad by the way). Who goes into a marriage thinking there is ever a possibility of your husband hiring a hitman to kill you...especially when you have children together.

This book felt very relevant (regardless of this being a republication) considering the true crime podcasts and stories in the news now. I honestly was not even aware that it was a republication until writing this review. Plus it bridges so many different genres of reading: psychological thriller, domestic violence and family drama, true-crime, narrative nonfiction, and mystery. It is not exactly a who done it- as we absolutely know who is being everything, but the can we save Linda before it's too late and will they be able to catch Robert Edelman (the husband)?

This did take me a little while to get into, but I would say after a few chapters I listened almost straight through. You become very invested in Linda and her story. I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know if she made it or not.

This book was a reminder of the horrors that some women experience in their lives while also reminding us of the relentless spirit and resilient drive to survive inside all of us. Horrifying, yet empowering at the same time?

There were also some very sarcastic, dry-humor jokes throughout that made me chuckle despite the seriousness of the story at hand, which I enjoyed. It made all of the individuals within the story seem like real people, rather than just characters.

As for the narration, Jonathan Sleep did well with providing emphasis where it was needed and also sounded genuine in his reading.

A murder for hire, an attic trap door, neighbors turned private investigators, and an almost botched FBI sting.

A classic story of girl meets boy, boy marries girl, boy becomes a Dallas real estate tycoon, boy coercively controls and abuses entire family, girl tries to divorce boy, boy takes out a hit on girl. Luckily for Linda, the FBI get tipped off to her abusive soon to be ex-husband's plot and enlist Linda, her parents, and her children into a scheme to catch him red handed. Unfortunately, not everything goes without a hitch. Linda's friends and neighbors do not sit by quietly when Linda goes "missing" and Linda's parents are not good enough actors to convince her children or friends that "surely Linda will be back shortly" which throws the whole plan into chaos from start to finish.

The production of the audiobook is really good. I do wonder about the choice for a male narrator when the story is about Linda, a woman. It felt like a woman should be telling the story, even if the author is a man. When it comes to true crime this leans more dramatized reenactment than "let's go through the case files". Some sections were a little long with details that felt more like conjecture and weren't needed to drive the plot forward. With that said, I wish there was something about coercive control and abuse as a learning moment for readers. Robert may have had enough money and connections to take a hit out on his wife but there are plenty of Roberts out there, and Lindas who need help.

If I hadn't know this one was a TRUE crime, and thought it was a thriller, I'd say to need to suspend belief to feel the story is real. It was that wild and the lengths this husband went to are horrifying. I feel for Lynda and her kids and all they endured. Recommend to my true crime friends. This one was a wild ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I just couldn’t get into this book. I was really looking forward to it. May try again later but right now it wasn’t for me.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
I was excited to read this book because I read the synopsis. But I just didn't like it. I know it is based on a true story but I felt like it was unrealistic and a bit over dramatized. I felt like I just didn't believe the extreme details.
Also the language is absolutely horrible. Very very strong.

This...got annoying.

So, originally this was published by HarperCollins in 1992/1993. And if I'm being honest, we should have left it there.

I LOVE true crime. And this is an interesting story - in fact, they made a movie about it in the 90s.

Linda is trying to get away from her abusive husband, Robert. But Robert is a narcissist and simply wants to win. That means he has to have all the money and he DEFINITELY has to win the children in the custody battle. Even though he doesn't particularly like the children.

When Linda gets a new lawyer and it looks like Robert might lose, he decides to hire someone to kill his wife.

Luckily, the FBI find out there was a hit and they decide to set up a second hit with one of their men. They're going to fake Linda's death, and arrest Robert.

Only it kind of falls apart. The FBI are messy. Linda and her family are messy. And her friends are SUPER messy. And by that, I mean they are busy bodies who are like EXCUSE US, OUR FRIEND IS MISSING AND WE'RE GONNA FIND HER! Which is exactly what you want in a friend, but not what you want if you are the FBI and trying to pull off a sting.

I've got a few issues with this book.

1. It's LONG. I'm sorry this is essentially about a divorce and a hired hit. This audiobook is like 12 hours long. That's the length you should save for serial killers who have a long history.
2. While the narrator did a good job, it's weird to have a male narrator when it's essentially a female story. It feels....odd.
3. This is written as a narrative, not a non-fiction book. This means there's a lot of "Linda sighed." Like, did she? Are we sure? I just found it annoying. And because it's a true story you can't take a lot of liberties, which means you end up with a more "tell and not show" type of writing.
4. The children. Holy crap did they become annoying. And I say that because, again, this was written narratively so the author clearly took some liberties with how dramatic the children acted by not being able to get a hold of their mother. The little boy immediately starts to wail and say his mom has been murdered, and he never lets up. And it is annoying to listen to. Again, I think it's how it was written and not because this poor child literally thought his mother had died, which I'm sure he did, and I'm sure he was distraught. But again, it's the writing.
5. I don't think she ever says, "My Husband's Trying to Kill Me." In fact, it seems like she didn't know he was trying to. Linda seemed pretty naïve the entire book.

I know true crime is super popular, and I am all for revisiting content that was already produced and getting it back out there, but I think this is one that could have been left back in the 90s.

This was a dark but fascinating look into this story. I don’t typically read this genre but since I am an avid true crime podcast lover I thought I’d give it a shot. My only qualm really is with the book are the chapter length. Narrator is good.

Title: Gripping Tale of Survival: "My Husband's Trying to Kill Me!" Audiobook Review

Jim Schutze's "My Husband's Trying to Kill Me!" delivers a chilling account of Linda DeSilva's harrowing journey from the facade of a perfect marriage to the reality of a life-threatening situation. Narrated with intensity and empathy, the audiobook plunges listeners into the depths of DeSilva's turmoil, making for a riveting listening experience.

Schutze skillfully unveils the layers of deception and abuse lurking beneath the surface of what appeared to be an ideal life. DeSilva's courage in confronting her abuser and her resilience in the face of escalating danger are portrayed with gripping detail, keeping listeners on the edge of their seats throughout.

The audiobook's strength lies in its ability to convey the emotional and psychological toll of domestic violence, as well as the complexities of escaping such a perilous situation. DeSilva's collaboration with the FBI to ensnare her husband adds a thrilling dimension to the narrative, showcasing both the power of determination and the risks involved in seeking justice.

Narrator's delivery enhances the story's impact, capturing the tension, fear, and ultimately, the triumph of survival. Each chapter unfolds with a sense of urgency, propelling listeners forward as they root for DeSilva's liberation from her nightmarish circumstances.

Despite the dark subject matter, "My Husband's Trying to Kill Me!" offers a message of hope and empowerment. It serves as a reminder of the strength found within individuals facing adversity and the importance of breaking the silence surrounding domestic violence.

In conclusion, Jim Schutze's audiobook is a compelling exploration of one woman's fight for freedom and justice. Gripping and thought-provoking, "My Husband's Trying to Kill Me!" is a must-listen for those drawn to true-crime narratives and stories of resilience against all odds.

My Husband's Trying to Kill Me is a true crime story that ocurred in Dallas, Texas in the 1980s. The story started very interesting and I enjoyed learning about the couple's marriage and subsequent divorce proceedings. When we got to the point that her husband was trying to kill her I was suprised to see that there was still 60% of the story to go.

The pace of the book changed dramatically at that point and became very slow. Every conversation was relayed in sometimes excrutiating detail. The dialogue was stilted and honestly made some of the characters sound entitled, hysterical and not very bright. This could have been magnified by the narrator's voice choices for he female characters.

This book could have been very good if the author had spent less time on some of the minutia and spent more time discussing the back story of the marriage and covered the subsequent trial with more detail.

At the end of the book is when we learn that the book was originally written in 1992 and was only now being reissued as an audio book. I would have liked a quick chapter updating where the important characters were now 30 years later.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly could not finish the book. The writing is well done and the storyline was very intriguing but the narrator sounds like they could not be less interested and like they’re just reading it off the paper for the first time, lacking all feeling. The monotony of the narrator encouraged me to wait for the book to come out so I could just read it myself instead of an audiobook

Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Jim Schutze for an advance listening copy of My Husbands Trying to Kill Me in exchange for an honest review. I love me some true crime and this one was another great true crime story (if there is such a thing as "great true crime"). Linda and Robert seem to have the perfect marriage on paper and to the outside world until they dont. When Linda asks Robert for a divorce, we see the extremes he will go to to get her killed. It was interesting to follow along with the narrator (who did a great job at keeping me hooked) as we tried to navigate this dicey journey. This one is out now and should be on every true crime junkie's radar.