The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd

 

Nina Mosley has lived an incredible life.  She married young, a man named Randall Moseley, Randy to his friends.  Randy traveled for his work but when he was home, the couple was happy.  They had a son and Nina thought everything was fine.  Then Randy began to change and eventually, she began to suspect him and found evidence that he was a serial killer.  His trademark was to remove the eyes of his victims and replace the eyes with various items such as marbles or nuts.  Nina went to the police and testified at Randy's trial.  Now he sits on Death Row waiting for his execution date.

Nina is left behind to support herself and raise her son alone.  She moves across the country from the West Coast to North Carolina and changes her name to Leigh Wren.  Leigh finds a job and over the years is promoted until she has a good position.  She has friends and even dates a bit.  But all that changes one night.

Leigh is grocery shopping when she is approached by an older man.  He tells her that he knows who she is because Randy killed his daughter and he doesn't believe she never knew what Randy was doing.  He has hired private detectives to find her and plans to publicize who she is.  He does just that, accusing Leigh of being involved in the murders.  Leigh's life is blown up.  Everyone knows who she is and her son now knows his father is a serial killer.  Worse, a copycat killer is now recreating Randy's crimes and he also knows where the woman who testified against his mentor is.  Can Leigh and the police find this new killer before he finds Leigh?

This book was released in 2008 and was the debut novel of the author.  I can find no evidence that he wrote any more novels which is a shame as this was a good start.  The author got Leigh's personality down pat, how someone could be fooled and then find out an earthshaking secret that required them to completely reinvent themselves.  The twist at the end is well done.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.