by Amy Lloyd. That is the original title, for which Lloyd won the first novel prize by Daily Mail/ Penguin Press. She is from Cardiff, Wales. Red River is much more appealing and apt than what it is marketed as in the States, The Innocent Wife. Why it was changed I cannot imagine. It doesn’t describe the work, and it sounds like chick lit.

Somehow I got past the title and tried the book. Wanted a quick weekend diversion. Although it is a mystery, there are nuances and layers which are neither hackneyed nor expected. Dennis will stay with you. A Truman Capote-worthy character. The women are less compelling. Samantha never comes into focus, which may be part of her problem. All in all, a good psychological thriller.