The Stranger She Loved: A Mormon Doctor, His Beautiful Wife, and an Almost Perfect Murder

by Shanna Hogan Narrated by Pam Ward

Overview

In 2007, Dr. Martin MacNeill-a doctor, lawyer, and Mormon bishop-discovered his wife of thirty years dead in the bathtub of their Pleasant Grove, Utah, home, her face bearing the scars of a facelift he had persuaded her to undergo just a week prior.


At first the death of fifty-year-old Michele MacNeill, a former beauty queen and mother of eight, appeared natural. But days after the funeral, when Dr. MacNeill moved his much younger mistress into the family home, his children grew suspicious. Conducting their own investigation into their mother's death, the MacNeill daughters uncovered their father's multiple marital affairs, past criminal record, and falsified college transcripts he used to con his way into medical school.


It would take six long years to solve the mystery of Michele's murder and secure a first-degree murder conviction against the once prominent doctor. New York Times bestselling author Shanna Hogan delves into the high-profile case, unmasking the monster beneath the doctor's carefully concocted facade.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Hogan weaves a cohesive and engaging account, and her narrative chronology makes this a compelling read." ---Library Journal

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"Hogan weaves a cohesive and engaging account, and her narrative chronology makes this a compelling read." —Library Journal

Library Journal

02/15/2015
In April 2007, Michele MacNeill, a much-beloved mother of eight, is found dead in her bathtub. The scene is grisly. Michele, who appears to have drowned after an overdose, was recovering from a face-lift and the sutures are broken and bleeding. Her husband, Dr. Martin MacNeill, seemingly attempts CPR but to no avail: Michele is pronounced dead at the hospital. Weeks later, MacNeill brings his eldest daughter to the Mormon temple so he can pray for someone to help him with the younger daughters. A woman in white appears—presumably an answer from above. In truth, he's seen her many times before: it's his mistress. When MacNeill shamelessly moves her into the family home days later, his already-suspicious daughters and Michele's family launch a dogged, well-publicized fight to bring the man to justice. The writing is histrionic at times and the portrayal of MacNeill is clearly subjective; he is universally despised by virtually everyone in the book, including the author. This makes it difficult to understand why Michele loved him—or why anyone would, really—regardless of the book's title. VERDICT Despite the issues mentioned, Hogan weaves a cohesive and engaging account, and her narrative chronology makes this a compelling read. MacNeill's bizarre and narcissistic behavior, his extensive criminal history (including identity theft and sexual assault), and a wide array of sources give the author a substantial amount of information to navigate, but she charters the waters with efficiency.—Erin Entrada Kelly, Philadelphia, PA

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170600991
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	11/17/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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