Another twisty story By Darby, Kane! Murder, manipulation, mysteries, and more! What else could you want from a book?

I highly suggest pre-ordering this one! Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

I love Darby Kane’s writing style so I was so excited to read What The Wife Knew. The writing pulls you into this shocking, twisty story from the beginning. If you love books about revenge, lies, and gas-lighting, manipulative parents with a shocking twist you’ll love What The Wife Knew.

So much fun! Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a man with many secrets but is hailed as a hero and renowned pediatric surgeon. After he discards wife #1, Kathryn, to marry young Addison, his life unravels at an alarming rate. When Richmond is violently murdered, Addison is annoyed that she hadn’t had time to expose his sinister past and she needs to find out who killed him before she could do it herself and before she is accused of the crime.

This is a very fast paced story even though it alternates between two POVs and multiple timelines. The ending was a bit over the top but the twists are definitely gasp worthy.

Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on December 10, 2024

Really love Darby Kane but this one fell a little short at times. I enjoyed the storyline and the ending was okay. Enjoyed her other stories more. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

When Addison’s Husband ends up murdered, she is the obvious culprit, but just how many enemies did Richmond really have?

This book was one of those books that draws you in from the beginning and doesn’t let go! The twists were well thought out and weren’t the obvious routes that are overdone time and time again. This novel had great pacing and kept me in suspense with every page. I am so excited to read other books written by Darby and am now adding her to my favorite authors list!

Addison is a young woman used by her toxic mother to settle an old vendetta with a narcissistic, ego-maniacal surgeon, Richmond, whose life has largely been a lie. When Richmond, who Addison marries for the sole purpose of destroying his life, turns up dead, the intrigue begins. As the new, much younger wife destined to inherit her husband's wealth, Addison becomes the prime suspect.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Addison isn't the only possible suspect who may have wanted him dead. Could it be his partner at his medical practice, his ex-wife, Kathryn, the father of a child who died in his care, or even his son. Tied in with who killed Richmond is the question of why Addison's mother wants revenge on him.

As far as a thriller goes, What the Wife Knew definitely has a ton of twists and turns that keep you guessing. However, the number of characters added throughout the story almost seemed to be introduced for the whole purpose of confusing the reader and added little depth to the plot.

I want to thank Darby Kane, William Morrow Paperbacks and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title for an honest review.

I loved the authors prior book but I was disappointed in What the Wife Knew. The twist felt obvious, the writing disjointed and I did not care about any of the characters.

I received an ARC from William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down

I received an ARC of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I am a little stumped on how to rate this one. It is a very original premise, with first person POV and supremely unlikable characters.

The original reveal of "what Richmond did" came at an appropriate time before I got frustrated with hints/foreshadowing. But then it became a bit too long/slow; I found myself checking the location percentage on my Kindle. Some characters' actions defied belief, which is always a problem for me since I vastly prefer realistic books. The bait & switch near the end was kind of insane.

Despite all these issues, I did develop a soft spot for Addison, mostly due to how she empathizes with others.

Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a famous surgeon and past shooting survivor hero, is married to his second wife, Addison. But Addison knows his secrets, and has plans for her new husband, including killing him. The only problem: someone beat her to it. What The Wife Knew is a sharply written, taut thriller with a pace so fast it’ll have your head spinning. Despite her murderous intentions, you can’t help but love Addison’s character, as her witty and laugh-out-loud sarcasm make this a delightful read and she carries the story effortlessly. The twists and turns rival any rollercoaster, the dialogue is truly compelling, and this thriller definitely delivers the goods. Can’t recommend this one highly enough, devoured this is one sitting, and loved every second.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Derby Cane’s debut, but this one didn’t live up to it. The storyline got confusing and convoluted, and some of the final reveals felt like they got buried because there were so many twists that came in at the end. I liked this book and would probably recommend it, but thought it was going to be much better.

What the Wife Knew was my first novel read by this author, and I immediately went and bought another one of her books. This fast-paced book had me on the edge of my seat, attempting to guess twist after twist.

Richmond is not only a well-renowned surgeon, but he is also a hometown hero. Addison is his second wife who not only wants to tarnish his reputation, but she also wants him dead. That is until she finds someone beat her to the kill. Now the authorities, townsfolk, and Richmond's ex-wife Kathryn believe she harmed Richmond. Addison begins getting threats in her own home as she struggles to prove her innocence all while still trying to unravel Richmond's legacy.

I could not put this book down. I had to know what blackmail Addison had on Richmond, who really killed him, who was threatening Addison, and why this was planned years in advance. I would recommend this read to anyone who likes suspense and a twisty psychological thriller.

Holy cow! Darby Kane does it again! Another twisted thriller that hooked me early on and just never let go. Fabulous characters, some I loved and some I loved to hate. I was trying to talk sense into the characters and considered tossing my kindle across the room. Secrets, lies and family ties at its best!
Thank you NetGalley, Darby Kane and The William Morrow Team for the opportunity to read and review this cracker of a book.

Very convoluted story line. It was shocking and a thriller. Keep my attention throughout the entire book. Felt a little too twisted and convoluted to be realistic.

Oh this was an interesting look at dysfunction and how it follows you your whole life. Really loved all of Darby Kane's books and this one is just as good!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC .

This one sucked me in and held me captive from the very first page.
I loved (and hated) each well developed character accordingly.

The writing was engaging. The story, captivating. This author will be added to my “to read” list.

Do yourself a favor; read this book!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out really great, and was difficult to put down. Towards the last third when twists were being revealed is when it slowed down for me. As another reviewer said it felt like just one conversation after another, that all seemed to take place in the house. It started to lose it's interest for me, and the ending didn't make things better.

What the Wife Knew is a twisty thriller full of unlikeable characters and short chapters. I enjoyed the book overall but disliked one of the twists.

I received an ARC from William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “What the Wife Knew” has an expected publication date of December 10, 2024.
And check out all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog. A new reviews is posted every Monday.
Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a renowned pediatric surgeon and national hero, is dead. That much we know from the opening pages. But how did he die? Was it an accident, or murder? And who was the killer if he was murdered?
Those questions and more abound in the soon-to-be-released mystery-thriller “What the Wife Knew” by Darby Kane. The twists and turns are as dizzying as a winding country road and will keep you guessing while you turn the pages at a rapid clip.
Yes, Dougherty is dead. But it seems this supposed national hero who survived a family tragedy had more enemies than friends. That starts with his second wife, Addison, a much younger woman who he’d been married to for only ninety-seven days. Seems she was stalking him for years before he suddenly divorced his first wife, Kathryn.
And Kathryn, despite putting on a great show of tears at the funeral, is more concerned with her greatly reduced financial status now that there’s a second Mrs. Dougherty in the picture.
Then there’s Thomas, Dougherty’s partner, who it seems has been covering for Dougherty for years. Seems the renowned pediatric surgeon was more concerned about maintaining his image than practicing medicine.
And let’s not forget Addison’s mother who I guarantee you will not need more than a few scant pages to despise. She’s nasty, conniving, and one of the more narcissistic, self-centered characters I’ve ever come across.
Little by little, Kane peels back the layers to this domestic drama. But each time she does it seems there are more layers buried beneath. Dougherty’s legacy is monumental, so it’s no small chore unraveling what has taken decades to assemble.
But then there’s Elias, Dougherty’s (and now Addison’s) attorney, who is the calm amid all the chaos. Someone, after all, has to counter-balance all the craziness.
The narrative is written first-person in Addison’s voice for about the first half of the book, then periodically alternates to Dougherty’s voice as we learn more about his, Kathryn’s and even Addison’s early life – all of which sheds great light on the multi-layered mystery.
“What the Wife Knew” is a fun read that at times may have prompted you to question, “Which wife?” But you’ll have to get to the final pages before that and many other questions can be answered.
Five full stars for this very entertaining novel.

This book was WILD. I was invested from the first page. I love thrillers and any type of medical setting or story/writing. This book did not disappoint. Kane did an excellent job keeping me engaged till the very last page.

Thank you to both the author and publisher for this early galley. This book was both a breeze and a delight to read. I found myself constantly changing my mind about who the killer was….i was wrong in the end! This book contained many twists and kept me on the edge of my seat reading as fast as I could.