Book #68 The Innocent Wife

The Innocent Wife by Amy Lloyd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Samantha. Clingy, paranoid and possessive Words uses by Mark to describe Sam, the woman with whom he wanted a “no-strings” relationship. Sam knew how to sulk and her fighting destroyed their relationship, in Bristol.

Sam takes to her computer and comes across an online group campaigning for a case review for ‘the boy from Red River’, a prisoner on Death Row in the USA, found guilty of the horrific murder of a young girl some 20 years ago. Sam doesn’t just participate, she becomes involved. Why on earth would she do that? There are many persons in the USA who consider the verdict unsound. Dennis Danson is innocent…

Sam begins to correspond with Dennis - for months. Declares that she loves him. Naive and sentimental, stupid even. When he replies that he loves her too she decides to travel to Florida where Danson is incarcerated, to meet him. Meets his campaign team and… decides to marry him. A strange companionship develops between Sam and Dennis, either side of a visitor’s glass screen. And all the time I felt somewhat detached from the story line…

When the totally unexpected happens and another inmate confesses to the murder, Danson is pardoned and released from prison amidst mounting media hysteria. Sam is faced with the reality of a real husband/wife relationship.

Revelations emerge about other girls who went missing from Red River, so many years ago. Sam becomes indignant when locals voice their opinion that Danson was responsible. But as their relationship develops, doubt starts to fill Sam’s mind. Is there anything in these accusations? Does her paranoia emerge? Does she find evidence that she tries to conceal? Foolhardy?

There is much more to the plot that, to reveal, would spoil for others.

For me? It did not make my pulse race. It is well written, but I expected more.

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