I did not intend to finish this book so quickly. We can thank Southeastern trains and their incredible disappearing staff which led to my four hour delay and finishing this book in 24 hours.
Twenty years ago, Dennis Danson was arrested for the murder of young girl Holly Michaels, and is awaiting the death penalty for that crime. Almost adopted by the media, a documentary is released questioning some of the facts of the case, with a growing pressure group/groupies seeking to set him free and correct a perceived miscarriage of justice. This is where Sam comes in – she sees herself as a normal person interested in the ‘facts’ of the case and believing in the innocence of Dennis. Until she impulsively writes a letter to him one day that opens up the series of events ‘The Innocent Wife’ draws on.
This book lures you in with a ‘ooh look she’s in love with a serial killer’ premise, and to be honest I went into this book thinking that Dennis was probably guilty. I won’t reveal whether my opinion changed because that will probably betray the ending just in case anyone wants to read it.
Sam as a character is fairly complex but not entirely likeable. I mean you do identify with her a bit, but she is portrayed as a fairly weak willed and dependent character who completely identifies herself to the needs of Dennis. The intricacies of hers and Dennis’ relationship pinpoints how screwed up they both are, which at first you don’t want to believe of Sam. The inner romantic within you is still kind of hoping that things can be happy for them rather than grossly dysfunctional and bordering on insane.
The introduction of Lindsay added a different dimension to the pace of the story, and another central female character certainly enhanced this book rather than being all about how messed up Dennis is. Again, reluctant to betray the ending but there was a powerful insight into how past mistakes can tie people together and produce something much more sinister. I’ve found this to be quite a recurring theme within psychological and crime thrillers, there is always this sense of the past, big revelations and side stories you were expecting but at the same time grab you by surprise.
I guess that’s why I keep coming back to crime fiction, so thank you Amy Lloyd for keeping my mind occupied on what was one hellish train journey yesterday.