The Good Wife

The Shocking Betrayal and Brutal Murder of a Godly Woman in Texas

By: Clint Richmond

Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby

Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Roger and Penny Scaggs seemed a poster couple for family values. Evangelical Christians living in booming Austin, Texas, in the mid-1990s, they were respected leaders in their church and community. As Roger diligently worked his way up the high-tech corporate ladder, Penny kept a pristine home and coached similarly devout young women on how to be perfect wives. But on a windy March evening, this godly woman met the devil head-on. And when the police discovered her lifeless body—repeatedly bludgeoned with a lead pipe, then mutilated with a knife from her own spotless kitchen—they were shocked by the rage and savagery behind her slaying.

The Good Wife is a startling true story of greed, hatred, betrayal, and an unimaginable murder—a tale of the dark decay that can be hidden behind a façade of saintliness when a marriage seemingly made in heaven descends into hell.

©2007 Clint Richmond (P)2023 Tantor

Very good!

This is a good, well-written, and certainly well-researched, with good explanation of Texas law as well. Not my favorite narration but still could follow it very well.

Very detailed and well narrated

I really enjoyed this book and I feel like I got to know Penny as a friend

Kept me Interested

A great police procedure and forensic science descriptions. You’d hope all law enforcement would do the same. Fascinating human story.

The Good Wife

I enjoyed this book. It is a mystery that kept me going. I also liked the description of the thorough evidence collection.

Great True Crime Book

Well-written. Fabulous narrator. The book gives lots of detail and background, which I enjoy, but is still engaging. There is some interesting history provided of societal trends impacting the case and the context. Solid true crime book. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

well preformed totally engaging.

An even handed and fair approach to a tragic story albeit predicable story. Wife appears to actually embrace her life has a subservient wife and even teaches classes to other young wives, on how to be, in my personal opinion, a doormat, but in the evangelical world. I guess . it is called having a "godly" marriage. Many bible verses used as basis for mandating a man to be the "head" of the household and dismissive of the wife as near childlike. She needs to bury who she is, any intellect she has, any desires and aspirations need to be subverted so as to only serve her man, and please him, all with a plethora of bible verses to back up that world view. I must say cringe worthy to listen to sometimes. As hard as she tried to make that work, it is an untenable life. And so it unraveled. If you are at all a fan of true crime stories, this is not an uncommon ending.

Misrepresentation

Why do you liberal authors lie about the Bible. The marriage is a joint partnership. The women shall submit to the man and to the man to the women. Nothing about a women staying home and cooking.

There is nothing about a women being below the man. Not one thing about it .

You try to to make human failure as some society problem.

Interesting, a bit dry

The case is interesting, a bit reminiscent of the Chad Daybell mess what with the husband discussing remarriage so soon after the death of his wife. It’s crazy how many choose murder over the “disgrace” of divorce, especially among very religious folk. Written with respect although a bit dreary at times.

So Much Padding

The case is itself pretty dull, and the author adds so much trivial detail that I lost interest. In 2023, I don't need a breakdown on how fingerprinting works. The interviews with detectives and witnesses are also very impersonal and sound like press release statements.