4.75 rounded up to 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read Darby Kane's first book, Pretty Little Wife, and absolutely loved it. What the Wife Knew was no exception! I think I enjoyed it just as much.

In What the Wife Knew, there were so many twists and turns, and I actually enjoyed the fact that I disliked many of the characters, including our MC Addison. However, as the tangled web unraveled, I started to really love some of these unlikable characters, and this twisted tale turned into an interesting commentary about toxic family. I had no idea how it was going to end, and I was absolutely clueless to how depraved some of these people really were. It was tense, unpredictable, and still had a great message at the heart of everything.

I feel like this is a perfect read for anyone who loves a well-rounded domestic thriller. Were some parts totally outrageous? Absolutely, but that was half the fun! I highly recommend this, as well as the author's other books.

3.5 stars, rounded up. This is a solid one from Darby Kane! The author knows how to write messed up families and relationships well, and this one is peak dirty secrets with surprises and shocks all the way through.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Marrow for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Darby Kane books and this one does not disappoint! The book opens at the funeral of Dr Richmond Dougherty, a pediatric surgeon, with his first wife and then yes, his current, second wife, both being recognized as the wives of the deceased, who died under suspicious circumstances...you know this will be salaciously juicy!!!

I love the dry wit and sarcasm of the characters in this well written mystery. There are plenty of twists and the pacing is fast. The familial relationships are quite dysfunctional and morally grey. The storyline is a revenge-filled, mind-blowing psychological thriller! What's not to love?!

Highly recommend this suspenseful murder mystery!

This book is told in dual timelines past and present via the wife and the husband. Addison and her husband Richmond. Upon marriage Richmond mysteriously gets unalived and the only regret Addie has is not being able to make his life miserable before he died. Throughout the book the storyline unravels and we find out Richmond isn’t as great as he was portrayed. This book did have a lot of profanity which I don’t mind in mild moderation but it had large amounts and I prefer not to read them. I skipped over the majority of it. I think the only likable character in this book was Addie.

In a book where there only one particularly likeable character, one wonders why there weren't more murders being executed.

What the Wife Knew is my first read of Darby Kane. While I won't say that it will be my last, I can say that it wasn't one that will go on my oft read shelf. The premise of the book was enticing: A woman wronged, married to a pillar of the community whom she gladly wants to kill. Jus tot keep things lively, he wants to kill her right back. Imagine the surprise of both when, after living a War of the Roses, existence, Richard ends up dead. Although the gold-digging Addison become the town's primary suspect, Addison knows the truth: she didn't kill him but she knows why. In the search to find a killer and clear her name, Addison discovers that her husband was an even worse person than she knew. Secrets unravel, true colors are revealed and the game becomes kill or be killed.

Despite the intriguing starts, the book quickly falls prey to the fact that no one is likable, so you don't particularly care who is guilty or why. Addison is ridiculous in her loyalty, in the execution of her plan, in her interactions with everyone from Richard to the neighbors, in the protection of her home...really, in every possible way. She became so annoying to me that I really wanted someone to shoot her. Richard is, of course, slimy and vile, and yet his behavior with Addison doesn't ring true. Add to that people just walking into a secured house at will and you find the book devolving into the story absurd. And yet, not the worst book I've ever read!

If you are looking for an easy afternoon read, with a reality tv sort of vibe (the suspense isn't suspenseful nor the mystery mysterious), a and you enjoy an abundance of plot twists and red herrings then this book is for you. And I dont mean that is a bad way. It is simply lighter hearted fare than the premise would lead you to believe.

Thoughts:
From the first page, I had so many questions about what was going on. It was a little difficult for me to get lost in, but I am glad I stuck with it. But the further I got into the story, the more questions I had and I still had no answers. We were about halfway through when the story started to make sense and I was hooked. I didn’t see most of the twists & turns coming. The ending kept me on the edge of my seat. This was a creepy psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Summary:
Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a renowned pediatric surgeon and a national hero after stopping a school shooting. He is also dead under mysterious circumstances. It appears to be an accident, but after neighbors point their finger at his new wife and accuse her of murder, the police look further into the case. He had been married to Addison for 97 days and in that time had two suspicious accidents and now Addison has inherited all of his possessions. The neighbors aren’t the only ones suspicious of Addison, so are Richmond’s first wife and his children. But Addison had a plan for revenge when she married Richmond and she won’t let his death keep her from following through on that plan. Richmond is not the man anyone thinks he is and she is determined to ruin his reputation if it’s the last thing she does.

Oh wow! Talk about a twist! I loved reading every second of this book!

Addison Dougherty was groomed for one thing since she was 18 years old from her emotionally manipulative mother without even realizing it until she was older. She broke up a marriage by blackmailing the prominent Dr. Richmond Dougherty for something he did to Addison's mom, Lizzy, while she was pregnant at 16 years old. And Addison was constantly reminded of it her whole life how she owed her.

Richmond was a famous renown pediatric surgeon, an infamous tragedy survivor when he was just 17 years old, and a cruel manipulative man; just like her mom. Addison blackmailed him into divorcing his wife and two kids and marrying her. In return, he made living with him absolute hell. But now he's dead before she was able to enact her revenge and she has no idea who killed him because she wasn't even home.

His bitter ex-wife, Kathryn, is trying to get his estate, the police are convinced that she committed the crime, and the only person on her side is Richmond's attorney. Surprisingly, Richmond left everything to her, including his attorney, Elias; who didn't like him much. But Richmond also left behind many enemies and lots of secrets that would have ruined his pristine reputation. His reputation was all he ever cared about, which is why he went ahead with this sham marriage. Surprisingly, his kids disliked their parents, but craved their love, just like Addison always did with her own narcissist, selfish mother.

Now more than ever, Addison is determined to destroy his reputation for good. But she needs to dig up those dirty secrets first. When her mother shows up in town unexpectedly, she brings nothing but chaos. But when Addison finds out the real truth behind her mother's reason for Richmond's downfall, she finally breaks her daughter for good.

A definite must read!!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a very fast-paced, action-packed opening, immediately throwing me into a high-stakes situation with a sense of urgency and momentum with little time to catch my breath as the plot rapidly unfolded. Whew this was a wild one!!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another Darby Kane book in the books and I really enjoyed it - just like all the others!

I thought this was really well done and enjoyable!

This book was well written, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was one of them that I was confident I had pinned, and I found out I was wrong! I love when a book proves me wrong and shocks me at the end of it. I enjoyed this one!

4 out of 5 Stars!

When Dr. Richmond Dougherty died, all suspicion fell on his new wife, Addison. Their marriage was sudden and short, only being married for 97 days until his death. But in those short days, several accidents threatened Dr. Dougherty. Now, Addison is a rich widow.

So, what happened to Dr. Dougherty? Did Addison really kill him? That’s what the entire town is thinking, including Kathryn, the first wife and high school sweetheart of Richmond. While trying to uncover what happened, Addison becomes a target herself. But Addison had always had a plan, even before getting married.

“What the Wife Knew” by Darby Kane was a twisty, psychological thriller that had you guessing until the very last page! There were multiple mysteries involved in this thriller, with a murder to figure out to what happened to Dr. Dougherty all of those years before. With multiple perspectives and a nonlinear timeline, this thriller will keep you on your toes until the very end.

I really enjoyed the main character, Addison! She was very mysterious but also carried huge confidence throughout the novel. She had a very interesting backstory that contributed to the mystery of the novel. I really enjoyed this book, I just felt a little bored in the middle of the novel. There were a lot of characters, and it was hard to keep track of, as none of them really stood out other than Addison.

Overall, I think this book is a solid ⅘! If you are looking for a psychological thriller, this is the book for you!

Pick up “What the Wife Knew” by Darby Kane on December 10th, 2024!

Thank you to William Morrow, Darby Kane, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

initial thoughts: the premise of this was intriguing and it did start off strong. i really enjoyed Addison's POV and her revenge plot. then, another POV was added in (Richmond's) and things just fell off for me at that point. i didn't like any of the characters and the ending was unbelievable.

a big thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC. while i was disappointed in the ending of this story, it did keep me entertained during my daily dog walks & chores around the house.

This read was fantastic. I thought I had it figured out, but I didn't. I definitely didn't see it coming. Kept me engaged the entire time. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Although I thought Addison's revenge was silly and farfetched - I really enjoyed this novel and it was fun to read. You really get thrown into the wind as soon as the book starts which sets a fast pace in the beginning.

As with any thriller, go into it as blind as possible. I found this book to be a quick read with plenty of twists and turns and unlikeable characters. Usually I feel disengaged when I don't like any of the characters, but for whatever reason, this book still had me hooked and wanting to know what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the sneak peek, this book is out tomorrow!

Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a renowned pediatric surgeon, an infamous tragedy survivor, and a national hero. He’s also very dead—thanks to a fall down the stairs. His neighbors angrily point a finger at the newest Ms. Dougherty, Addison. The sudden marriage to the mysterious young woman only lasted ninety-seven days, and he’d had two suspicious “accidents” during that time. Now Addison is a very rich widow.

When I first started this book, I immediately loved Addison. She is no nonsense, she is smart, and she has herself in a mess. There is something about Addison that I felt sorry for, but yet I knew that was misplaced… or was it? The ending tells a bit of a different story.

This novel has a lot of moving parts and it will keep you on your toes with all of the questions about the past!

OK, y’all, I have never read this author before. I’m gonna have to pick up some of her books. I enjoyed the movement of this novel. I enjoyed the characters. And I definitely enjoyed the thrill. This ending will have you wanting to punch somebody, just letting you know. So be ready. 😉

Need a quick, twisty thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I was really excited to read this, the story sounded so fun! But it just didn’t wow me. It was a bit predictable towards the end. This was a quick easy read nonetheless.

Fell really flat but still entertaining. The book has potential but it just didnt give me a shock value

This was a super fun read. I really enjoyed the storyline, the character development, and the questions that kept me guessing! Would definitely recommend this for folks who don’t like over the top gory thrillers, but still want all the intrigue!

This is a poignant, entertaining and articulate psychological thriller that weaves together the complexities of family relationships and dysfunction.

Dr Richmond Dougherty who, 27 years earlier survived a tragedy and became a national hero, is now a renowned, married pediatric surgeon. He is a serial womanizer and when he meets Addison who is much younger and beautiful the attraction is instantaneous. And, she has definite plans for him. Plans based on a deep-seated desire for revenge. Richmond is killed just 97 days into their marriage. And during that less than four month period he has two nearly deadly “accidents”. As law enforcement and the residents of the town point to Addison as the killer she becomes a target.

This is a well-written book with flawed characters that are easily understood and family dynamics that are relatable. Kane has a gift for a well-form phrase. The story evolves at a rapid fire pace with shocking revelations that come together for an explosive finale. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.