Why would a normal woman with a job, good looks, and an engaging personality fall in love or even marry a convicted criminal? Amanda Vicary found herself asking that question when she learned her coworker fell in love with the infamous Yosemite killer, Cary Stayner. Despite the fact that he had brutally murdered several young women, Lisa, a married mother, developed a close relationship with Stayner until an FBI raid on her house caused her to finally consider the consequences of dating a serial killer.¿

After realizing no one had ever systematically studied the phenomenon of women falling in love with murderers, Vicary set out to do just that. She wondered if the negative stereotypes would hold true: A woman who would fall in love with a man convicted of horrible crimes must be unattractive, socially awkward, a victim of abuse, or, indeed, just "crazy." What she found is that the truth is much more complicated.

Using her background as a psychologist, combined with the trust she developed with these "prison wives," Vicary takes the reader on a first-of-its-kind investigation into love, sex, murder, marriage, infidelity, the difficulties of dating behind bars, and the equally exciting and terrifying question: What happens when the men get out?