In October 2002, Susan Polk, a housewife and mother of three, was arrested for the murder of her husband, Felix. The arrest in her sleepy Northern California town kicked off what would become one of the most captivating murder trials in recent memory, as police, local attorneys, and the national media sought to unravel the complex web of events that sent this seemingly devoted housewife over the edge.
Now, with exclusive access and in-depth reporting, New York Times best-selling author Catherine Crier turns an analytical eye on Susan Polk's story, delving into her past and examining how over 20 years of marriage culminated in murder. Tracing the family's history, Crier skillfully maneuvers the murky waters of the Polks' marriage, looking at the real story behind Susan, Felix, and their unorthodox courtship.

With extraordinary detail, Crier dissects the dangerous relationship between husband and wife, exposing their psychological motivations and the painful impact those motivations had on their sons, Adam, Eli, and Gabriel. Drawing on sources from all sides of the case, Crier masterfully reconstructs the tumultuous chronology of the Polk family, telling the story of how Susan and Felix struggled to control their rambunctious sons and their disintegrating marriage in the years and months leading up to Felix's death.

But the history of the Polk family is only half the story. Here Crier also elucidates the methodical police work of the murder investigation, revealing never-before-seen photos and writings from the case file. In addition, she carefully scrutinizes the many twists and turns of the remarkable trial, exploring Susan's struggles with her defense attorneys and her shocking decision to represent herself.

Dark, psychological, and terrifying, Final Analysis is a harrowing look at the recesses of the human mind and the trauma that reveals them.