Killing your husband so you'll have something to write about? Bold move, that.

In March 2022, Kouri Richins suddenly lost her husband, the father of her three boys. 

She channeled her grief into writing a book for those little guys. Are You With Me is blurbed thus on Google books:

Wherever you go, whoever you become, their love remains with you.

A heartwarming and reassuring book that gently guides children through the difficult experience of losing a loved one. Written by a loving mother who personally

faced this challenge, this book is designed to offer comfort and solace to young minds in a way that is both accessible and engaging.

With vivid and colorful illustrations, "Are You With Me" follows the story of a child who has lost their father, but who is reminded that his presence still exists all around them, just like an angel watching over them. Whether it's playing at the park or simply enjoying a quiet moment at home, the child is comforted by the knowledge that their father is always by their side.

As a book that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, "Are You With Me" is a must-read for any child who has experienced the pain of loss, and for parents who want to provide their children with the emotional support they need to heal and grow.

A story of hope, healing, and the unbreakable bond between parent and child... (Source: Google Books)

Heartwarming...reassuring..."written by a loving mother who personally faced this challenge..."

The book was published on the first anniversary of Eric Richins' death. Kouri Richins capped the book's rollout with an appearance on a Utah news segment. The anchors congratulated her "for being an amazing mother."

But that was then, and this news is now. Kouri Richins has been arrested, charged with killing her husband with fentanyl.

Wow! They say to write what you know, and Kouri Richins sure knew what it was like to explain their father's death to her children. (Kind of like writers who go to war so that they'll have something to write about.) But killing your husband so you'll have something to write about? Bold move, that.

From the get go, Eric Richins' family suspected that his death wasn't quite the weird accident/bad luck/one-drink-and-a-gummy/maybe-he-was-hooked-on-painkillers passing the Kouri Richins claimed. 

...Eric’s family members told investigators shortly after his death they suspected Kouri killed him. According to warrants, “he warned them that if anything happened to him, she was to blame.” (Source: KPCW)

One of Eric's sisters alleges that on a trip to Greece a couple of years back, he believed his wife had tried to poison him. 

The suspicions of your sister-in-law wouldn't actually make for much of a case, but there's plenty more, including Kouri's having fiddled around with her husband's insurance policy. (Seriously, how dumb are people that they don't realize that this information would come out. Cherchez l'insurance policy is pretty automatic, no?)

Then there's some suspicion that, a month before his death - on Valentine's Day 2022, of all sweet and sentimental things - Eric nearly died from an allergic reaction after a romantic dinner.

Court filings say Kouri had purchased $900 of fentanyl pills from an acquaintance a few days before their dinner. Two weeks later, she asked for $900 more, and shortly after that, Eric had died of an overdose.

Eric definitely smelled a rat: 

Before his death, Eric changed the beneficiary of his will and his power of attorney, replacing Kouri with his sister.

His sisters claim that Eric "believed Kouri might 'kill him for the money.'" It's alleged in the warrant that Eric was planning on filing for divorce. Etc. 

Anyway, the bereft (merry?) widow decided to write about 'grieving for kids.' In her TV appearance touting her book:

...she disclosed plans to publish sequels. The next title in the works was “Mom, how far away is heaven?” as well as a book for young girls struggling with grief and husbands who lost their wives.

Maybe that sequel should be "Mom, how far away is prison?"