OH. MY. GOD!!! There are simply no words for the utter perfection held within the pages of What the Wife Knew. From the morally gray characters to the twisty, twisty plot, I was spellbound from the epic first line until the breathtaking final last page. I’m not joking. A fast-paced, revenge-filled storyline that was filled with plot charging drama, I couldn’t get enough of this mind-blowing psychological thriller. Trust me when I say that you’re going to have a hard time putting this one down no ifs, ands, or buts.

As much as I loved the whip-cracking plot, the characters were what made this book sing. A combination of thoroughly unlikeable characters and one strong, snarky protagonist at the center of the action, I became more and more invested as the plot rolled along. Addison, however, was firmly my favorite. Bringing to life dysfunctional family dynamics, it was her dynamite character arc that brought it all full circle by the downright explosive conclusion as I enthusiastically cheered her on from the sidelines.

Returning to the intoxicating premise, I was beyond thrilled to finally find a synopsis that—for once—didn’t even hint at the shocking twists and turns. With dual POVs and plenty of flashbacks, the puzzle pieces slowly slotted into place with a steady IV drip of jaw-dropping revelations. Packed full of devious schemes, long-buried secrets, and unthinkable lies, all I could do was hold on for dear life as Darby Kane pulled the wool firmly—and happily—over my eyes.

All in all, while I already knew that this book was sure to be a slam dunk due to the author, I had no clue it was going to turn into my favorite of Ms. Kane’s—at least so far. It’s also not surprising that all of my colleagues at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse have been clamoring over this one for weeks. Action-packed, thrilling, and smartly plotted, I highly advise you to clear your calendar before picking up this novel. After all, you’ll surely be ignoring chores, sleep, and maybe even your children just to read one more hypnotic page. Rating of 5+ stars.

Thank you to Darby Kane, William Morrow, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.

War of the roses!🔪🌹
Does anyone come away unscathed?

The main characters:
Kathryn - The first wife and mother of Richmond’s two children. She may be the ex but she’s not about to let go and watch another woman waltz off with her extravagant life, I mean her husband.😉

Addison - You guessed it, the new wife. She’s in the marriage for everything except love. You’ll find out her reasons soon enough.

Richmond -The knight in shining armor. Pediatric surgeon. Pillar of the community. A man everyone looks up to. Everyone except his current wife. Now why would that be?

I really enjoyed most of the book but the ending just didn’t work for me. I’m all about a shocking final twist. Always in search of that final jaw-dropping moment where you sit back and let out a whispered “wow”. But this ending just went a bit too OTT🙈.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow

I think a solid 3 stars!! Maybe 3.5. Having a dual POV and back and forth timeline always keeps me entertained 🤷🏼‍♀️ I was really into how the FMC was strong and smart. The plot kept me interested but none of the twists shocked me! it was still a fun and easy read!

This book started out so strong! Addison finds herself newly widowed after her husband is murdered and the whole town thinks she’s the one who did it. She did in fact want her husband dead, but someone else must have beat her to the punch. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened and Addison’s snarky narration fully drew me into the story. I thought for sure I was going to love this one!

However, around the halfway mark, it all goes off the rails. The text becomes repetitive, the characters’ motives no longer make sense, and the twists just don’t work. It all becomes very heavy handed and overly drawn out.

From the very beginning, What the Wife Knew, had me hooked. The plot pulls you in fast, and I couldn’t wait to uncover who was behind Richmond’s murder. I really enjoyed the way the story shifted between flashbacks of Richmond and Addison, his new wife. The characters were written so well-it was easy to “love to hate” Richmond’s ex-wife while feeling sympathy for her children. Overall, this is a gripping thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. If you’re a fan of mystery and suspense, this book would be a great choice!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was able to get an ARC for this book. I am glad to say the book did not disappoint; It met my expectations. I will say, initially, I was drawn in by the title, I was then drawn in by Addison, whom I found to have many layers to her. I enjoyed the way the story was written from two different points of view, with the different time lines, and short chapters. Be ready if you read this for multiple twist and turns.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Wow, just wow! I finished this book in two days and truly had trouble putting it down to go to bed between the two. I’ve read many revenge-based psychological thrillers, but this was a first where the main character wasn’t getting the revenge for themselves OR someone who was dead and couldn’t do it themselves. This book forces readers to examine the relationships between mothers and daughters, and family as a whole, as the main character struggles to decide who in the family she can trust. Not only was the story well written and thought out, it was clear that Darby Kane put a lot of thought into the interactions between the characters - that each one had a purpose. There were no extra scenes simply for the use of adding length to the book. There was also no extra fluff during character conversations. Rather, there was well throughout dialogue, a lot of which held surprising humor. It was clear throughout the book and throughout each interaction who the main character was starting to like, dislike, trust, etc. The well written nature of this made me as a reader like, dislike, and trust characters as well. Over all, I loved this book. It was the first one I’ve ever read written by Darby Kane, but there is no way it will be my last!

Decent thriller. Loved the "him" and "her" chapter delineation, but that plus the shifts in time period were difficult for me to keep up with. I do like this author and will read more from her!

I’m honestly not really sure where to start with this review. It had the ingredients for a great story, but I struggled to get into it. Richmond was reprehensible. His ex wife was certainly unpleasant, and the detective and lawyer came off as slimy individuals as well. I didn’t mind the main character, although she was clearly intended to come across as manipulative and possibly selfish. That said, even with established character personalities and a interesting (and twisty) plot, the book seemed to drag a little.

The ending, however, did get me. It made me skin crawl a bit, but it did legitimately surprise me.

This was alright! I enjoyed the first half, but you lost me in the last. Very, very unlikeable characters and almost too many characters in general. The plot twists were there but one of them felt very unnecessary. It was very fast paced but once I finished the last page I wasn't satisfied. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This was my first book by this author, and it was very enjoyable. A very good suspense that just keeps throwing jaw droppers at you, it makes you keep wondering what is next. It takes a bit to get used to the different flashbacks, but they are pretty well explained so not too hard to follow. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this "who-done-it" book. Some crazy twists and turns, some predictable some not. It did have me cheering for Addison. Family is complicated and sometimes hurtful and not always flesh and blood. A good, decent quick read.
Thank you to #Netgalley & #WilliamMorrow paperbacks for the ARC copy.

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane was an evenly paced thriller/suspense book. This is my first book for this author and it won't be my last. This story is told with two different points of view with two different times lines and switches back and fourth.
This one had me on the edge of my seat and I had a hard time putting it down,

Im a big fan of the author so I was super excited to dive into this book. The writing was great- twists were well thought out. I enjoyed how in depth the character development was and it was easy to keep reading. With that said, the content of this book was a bit heavy so not something I love to read about in my spare time.

I have enjoyed all of Darby Kane's books so I was so excited to read her latest one. This one was a wild ride ! I was able to fly through this thriller in a day. So much dysfunction and crazy in one family. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. I love reading thrillers in the fall for the spook vibes and this one did not disappoint. Give it a read !

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book kept me on my toes for sometime. While it became predictable towards the end, if you’re an avid reader of mystery/suspense that tends to happen.

I enjoyed the story from Addison’s view. The going back and forth between times allowed the reader to see why the story developed the way it did. The constant coming and goings in the house could have been minimized some but I understand why the author wrote that way. As a second wife that the town didn’t want to know, it was clear that the characters at the home made more sense than public interactions.

I was kept on my toes with the whodunnit at first as there quite a few characters that could have caused the doctor’s death.

This book started at an odd place, a funeral. The drama happening behind the scenes was the best part of this book in my opinion. After the funeral and some back story the story stalls a bit.

I enjoyed the protagonist, and the plot was one I didn't expect. There were way too many characters that brought no value to the story and the reveal at the end felt unimaginative and a bit lazy almost like someone told the author they were going to turn the lights out hurry and end the story.
So much potential but this didn't quite deliver for me.

I received this galley in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review.

WHAT THE WIFE KNEW by Darby Kane
⭐️ rating: 8/10

read if you like:
😱 revenge plots
🕵🏻 whodunnits
🏡 family dramas

summary:
I’ve loved many of Darby Kane’s other books and this one was no exception. It follows Addison, who finds herself the prime suspect after her husband, Richmond, a famous pediatric surgeon, dies in a seemingly accidental fall down the stairs. Their short marriage was driven by an unusual agreement - Addison was to inherit a significant portion of her husband's wealth in exchange for keeping his dark secrets. As the police investigate his death, Addison finds herself caught up in the drama that surrounded Richmond’s life, and must uncover the secrets he was hiding in order to protect herself and destroy him.

This book has a unique plot line — at least nothing like anything I’ve ever read — so it takes a bit to get into and understand. But once it gets going, you won’t be able to put it down. The characters in the book are fun and almost a little comedic for a thriller. Once you figure out Addison’s backstory, she’s easy to like, and Richmond’s family — including his children, ex-wife and lawyer, all add to the story. The book is also written from multiple perspectives and a split timeline, which add to the insight behind the mystery. While it seems like it might be surface level (at first), the flashbacks add a whole other context that makes the story even deeper.

If you enjoy unique thrillers and family dramas, I highly recommend this! Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and check this out when it releases on December 9!

What the Wife Knew is another hit by Darby Kane. Just like her other books you will not be disappointed with this book. Addison is the new Mrs. Dougherty and her husband Dr. Richmond Dougherty has recently died leaving her the sole benefactor of his estate. Kathryn, who was the first Mrs. Doughery is not happy about this. Now Kathryn want Addison to sign everything back over to her and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Addison is hiding secrets of her own and that includes the real reason for why she blackmailed Richmond to divorce Kathyrn and marry her. The more Addison digs into Richmond's affairs the more she is uncovering of all his undoings. Now someone wants Addison gone permently and will stop at nothing to either kill her or frame her for Richmond's death. I would like to thank both NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

What a roller coaster ride! The characters had a great deal of depth and the author did a great job of showing how they adapted to changes in their circumstances that caused a shift in what they believed.

It would have been easy to totally dislike the main character, Allison from the very beginning and yet I had a sense that there was more at play then her seemingly nasty personality. I loved how the author twisted things around and yet it all made sense.

Great book!