Fatal Romance

The shocking true crime story of a D.C. romance novelist who died at the hands of the man she loved in 1999.

***Please note: This ebook edition does not contain the photos found in the print edition.***

Nancy Richards was a young, beautiful speechwriter when she met Jeremy Akers, a decorated war hero and environmental lawyer. Nancy was immediately taken with the daredevil adventurer, and it wasn't long before their intense courtship led to a whirlwind marriage and children. Discovering she had a talent for penning historical romance novels, Nancy found fame as a bestselling author. But Nancy’s life was far from the happily-ever-after romances she wrote about...

Nancy’s friends alleged that behind the doors of the couple’s home in one of Washington, D.C.’s most exclusive neighborhoods she suffered repeated abuse at the hands of her husband. They also said that Nancy had told them Jeremy was resentful of her success and growing independence, and his beatings soon escalated into death threats. Torn between being forced to give up her kids and risking her life by remaining with Jeremy, Nancy moved into a one-bedroom basement apartment with a young male friend. After several pleas to visit the children, Nancy was finally allowed to take them on an outing. And just when she dared to hope that the worst was over, Jeremy shot her twice in the back of the head, killing her in front of their two youngest children. He then drove to the Vietnam War Memorial, where he killed himself with a shotgun.

“An absorbing account of a romance that was anything but storybook.” —Publishers Weekly