Married to the Black Widow: A chilling true story of lies and deception (Paperback) - Rob Parkes

The chilling true story of the man who survived decades of abuse at the hands of his ex-wife, culminating in her taking a hit out on his life, before she was finally imprisoned.

WINNER OF BEST NEW AUTHOR AT THE TRUE CRIME AWARDS 2024

*AS FEATURED ON CHANNEL 4's 24 HOURS IN POLICE CUSTODY*

'Not many people know how much their life is worth. I do.

'The value of my life, or more specifically the cost of ending it, can be measured on a sliding scale based on method, reliability and efficiency. Fifteen thousand pounds would buy you plausible deniability and a brick across the back of the head from a London-based professional hitman. Or, if you're on a budget, five grand for "some nutter" to come down from Glasgow.'

Rob and his now ex-wife, Victoria, met at university. Their relationship started off happily, they married and moved to Falmouth in Cornwall. However, it quickly descended into a nightmare marriage of psychological manipulation, coercive control and emotional abuse - all from the woman who was supposed to love him.

Rob's life was gradually destroyed as Victoria extended a web of lies around him, manipulating, suffocating and isolating him from the outside world. It was only through his baby daughter, Grace, that he found the courage to leave Victoria. But even then, Rob could never really escape, and Victoria continued to haunt and torment his life. In fact, her actions became more and more extreme, culminating in approaches to at least six different men with requests to help her murder Rob.

As featured in Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody, Married to the Black Widow is both a bone-chilling, real-life, psychological thriller and a powerful and honest true story of a father's unrelenting battle for freedom and justice.

About the Author

Born in 1980, the youngest of four brothers, Rob Parkes grew up in and has subsequently returned to live in rural Northamptonshire. After obtaining a degree in Psychology and Criminology at Teeside University, he then studied to be an advertising copywriter before working in Marketing and Account Management roles.

Rob is also the former husband of Victoria Breeden, the subject of the Black Widow episode Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody, a special feature-length episode that explored their coercive and abusive relationship, securing the programme's highest-ever viewing figures.

This is his first book.