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Summary
Summary
Six years after her courageous testimony helped put her husband on death row for a string of gruesome murders, Leigh Wren has almost succeeded in putting her past to rest. She has moved from the West Coast to North Carolina with her young son, adopting a new name and a new life. But the world that she has created for herself is shattered when the father of one of her ex-husband's victims begins stalking her, then confronts her late one night. In the days that follow, he exposes Leigh, in newspapers and on television, to a startled North Carolina community. And just as her marriage to Randall Mosley, a man who became known to the world as a deviant serial killer, is brought back to light, a more deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.
A new killer has emerged, one whose methods are frighteningly similar to those used by Mosley, who is awaiting execution thousands of miles away. Leigh and her son appear to be in the assailant's scope, and it becomes clear that he is more than a copycat killer--his targets are all tied to Leigh's former life. With the clock ticking down and the victims of a new killer mounting, Leigh is forced to probe the darkest corridors of her past to protect her life and her son's. She must also confront her own feelings of responsibility: Leigh has always professed her ignorance, but how complicit was she in her husband's horrific murder spree, as it was taking place?
From a major new voice in suspense, The Killer's Wife is a story driven by psychological insight and harrowing revelations, asking how well you can ever really know the person sleeping beside you.
Author Notes
Bill Floyd lives in Morrisville, North Carolina, with his wife, Amy. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University. This is his debut novel.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Despite the intriguing premise of exploring a serial killer through the eyes of his wife, Floyd's debut falls short of its potential. Six years after Nina Mosley discovered evidence linking her husband, Randy, to a string of murders across the country, she's finally settling into a new life with their seven-year-old son, Hayden, in Cary, N.C. Now calling herself Leigh Wren, Nina hopes that she's heard the last of her ex-husband, who's on death row in California. But when the father of one of Randy's victims tracks her down and exposes her identity, Nina knows her troubles are far from over. As friends shun her, Nina struggles to come to terms with her past. When Hayden's life is suddenly put in jeopardy, Nina must revisit Randy's crimes and uncover who's continuing his killing spree before it's too late. Floyd shifts awkwardly between Nina's past life with Randy and her new life as Leigh, while his textbook portrayal of a serial killer offers nothing new for veteran thriller fans. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
A serial killer's wife takes on a copycat murderer. First-time novelist Floyd staggers unashamedly into movie-of-the-week territory with this undemanding, awkward take on marital terrorism and matriarchal responsibility. A single mother, Leigh Wren, is accosted in her local grocery store by Charles Pritchett, the obsessed father of a girl murdered by Wren's imprisoned ex-husband, Randall Roberts. A sexually depraved and wildly narcissistic California suburbanite, Roberts made an ugly habit of his compulsions, murdering more than a dozen people and leaving foreign objects lodged in their eyes like calling cards. Thanks to an intervention by his wife, Roberts is ultimately convicted. The back story is delivered in nail-biting snippets by narrator Wren, who now finds herself back in the tabloid press: A new killer has surfaced, and he is exhibiting behavior unique to the original "Cross-Eye Killer." Understandably protective of her young son, Hayden, Wren forms a bond with a pair of private detectives originally hired to dig into her past. When Hayden's teacher is executed and he is abducted, Wren is pushed beyond her limits. Floyd delivers a serviceable plot via the cops and private eyes hot on the trail of the Roberts copycat, but the thriller, reminiscent of a poorly written television show, is undone by an unsophisticated premise and cardboard characters. An uncomplicated, unfulfilling heroine, in a thankless debut. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Nina Mosley has taken a new identity and moved halfway across the country to distance herself and her seven-year-old son from her notorious ex-husband, a deviant serial killer now awaiting execution on death row in California. Then she is accosted by the father of one of the victims, who outs her to the news media. Her life once again becomes a nightmare as she is hounded by the press and forced to answer questions about her past life and her knowledge of her husband's gruesome crimes he was known as the Cross-Eye Killer for his signature move of replacing his victims' eyes with small objects. Then new crimes surface that appear to be the work of a copycat, and a desperate Nina turns to a husband-and-wife PI team for help. Floyd doesn't fully explore his intriguing premise, offering the standard portrait of a cruel killer who subtly terrorizes his wife while abetting her sense of denial. Still, readers never seem to tire of portrayals of serial killers who succeed in passing themselves off for years at a time as workaday suburbanites.--Wilkinson, Joanne Copyright 2008 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Imagine the gut-wrenching psychological impact of realizing your lover is a serial killer. In Floyd's very promising first novel, the author shares his insights into the thoughts and feelings of one of the least visible of a killer's victims: his immediate family. Tony Award nominee Isabel Keating does a successful job with the reading, and the interview with the author--which can be heard online at us.macmillan.com--should bring listeners added enjoyment and pique their interest in future books by the author. Highly recommended for adult crime fiction and mystery collections. [Also available from Macmillan Audio as a retail ed. unabridged CD. (ISBN 978-1-4272-0270-3. $29.95); audio clip available through www.bbcaudiobooksamerica.com; the St. Martin's Minotaur hc received a starred review, LJ 11/15/07.--Ed.]--Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.