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Colleen Lewis co-authors book with Nelson Hart's ex-wife

A local journalist who closely followed the Nelson Hart murder trial has teamed up with Hart's ex-wife to write a book about the couple's alleged abusive relationship, and the events surrounding the death of their daughters.

"I'd cover [the trial] and go do my two-minute story at the end of every evening and, for me, it wasn't telling the entire story," Colleen Lewis said in an interview on CBC Radio's Weekend AM Saturday.

In 2007, Hart was convicted of two counts of murder in the drowning deaths of three-year-old twins Krista and Karen Hart.

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His conviction was largely based on a confession made to undercover officers during an elaborate sting operation in which police posed as members of the mob.

In late July of last year, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Hart's confession inadmissible and he was released from prison.

"There was just so much information as journalists we were leaving out every day .... That is when I started to realize it was a book," said Lewis.

'She was angry and she wanted to tell the truth'

Lewis said she got a call from Jennifer Hicks, Hart's ex-wife, back in 2013.

"[Hart] was looking at getting bail then and she was really afraid at that time," said Lewis.

Until then, she said, Hicks had always appeared sympathetic and supportive of her ex-husband.

"[But] she was angry and she wanted to tell the truth. She wanted people to know a side of this story that she hadn't told before."

"Her story is one of a woman who spent a fair bit of time in transition houses," said Lewis.

"She felt that her husband, at the time, didn't love her children and she told me that she had not given a victim impact statement and there was a lot that she wanted to say."

'There were many, many days when we would just have to stop'

Lewis said the details of the trial were tough to stomach, but she found the story especially difficult after having a daughter of her own.

"Much of the interview process took place here at my house and Jennifer would be here with me, going through these stories, and she'd be surrounded by all these children's toys."

"There were many, many days when we would just have to stop and just pick it up another day — we left it in tears."

The book, Mr. Big: The Investigation into the Deaths of Karen and Krista Hart, includes testimony from undercover officers as well as Hicks' own perspective on the case.

Lewis also discusses the lifestyle Hart was exposed to during the controversial sting.

"I tried to give readers an idea of what went on during that operation, how this was his dream job," she said.

"[Someone] who's suddenly in hotel rooms and eating in fine restaurants and counting out amounts of cash that sometimes exceeded $100,000."

Lewis said Hart only had a Grade 5 education, and she agrees with The Supreme Court's decision to throw out the confession.

"As a journalist, you don't often get to tell a story so in-depth and that's what I really enjoyed about it. I doubt this will be my last novel."

According to Lewis, Hicks is engaged and plans to remarry next summer.

Both women appeared at a book signing in Gander Saturday to mark the release of the book.