An Entertaining Thrill Ride Through Dysfunction, Deception, and Delightful Drama

Domestic fiction fans, sharpen your claws and pour a glass of wine—Darby Kane’s What the Wife Knew is here to give you a wild, scandalous escape into messy marriages, family feuds, and the ultimate revenge plot. This no-mercy thriller, hitting shelves December 10th, is part murder mystery, part soap opera, and all kinds of deliciously twisted. Buckle up, because this one’s a doozy.

What’s It About?

Imagine this: Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a revered pediatric surgeon and tragic hero, takes a fatal tumble down the stairs. Suspicious, right? Well, his new young wife, Addison Dougherty, is the obvious suspect. After all, their whirlwind marriage lasted only 97 days, and the town already hated her for snatching up the wealthy, freshly-divorced doctor. But here’s the kicker—Addison didn’t kill him. Sure, she was planning to (eventually), but someone else got there first. Now Addison has to clear her name, dodge threats, and untangle a web of secrets that might just make her the next victim.

Along the way, we meet Kathryn, Richmond’s pompous first wife; Elias, the sharp-tongued lawyer Addison loves to hate; and a supporting cast of liars, narcissists, and backstabbers who keep the drama simmering. The cherry on top? A note left in Addison’s bedroom that reads “You will pay”.

What Works?

Oh, where to begin? Kane serves up a steaming dish of intrigue with a side of biting wit. Addison is a standout—a spitfire protagonist who’s equal parts clever, sarcastic, and utterly unbothered by the town’s disdain. Her sharp wisecracks and “take-no-prisoners” attitude make her the anti-heroine we can’t help but root for.

The plot? Wildly unpredictable. Every time you think you’ve got it figured out, Kane tosses in another twist that has you second-guessing every character’s motives. Is Elias really on Addison’s side? What’s the deal with her mother’s lies? And just how many secrets was Richmond hiding? It’s a rollercoaster of betrayals and revelations that’ll leave your jaw on the floor.

The story also deftly explores deeper themes—dysfunctional families, emotional abuse, and the illusion of privilege. Kane doesn’t shy away from showing the dark underbelly of wealth and power, making the characters’ motivations feel disturbingly authentic.

What Falls Short?

If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller, you might find parts of this one a slow burn. Kane takes her time unraveling the layers of deceit, which can feel repetitive at moments. And while the ending ties up most loose ends, a few lingering questions (especially around Addison’s mother) might leave some readers frustrated.

Also, let’s not sugarcoat it—this book is packed with unlikable characters. But honestly, that’s half the fun. It’s like watching a reality TV reunion: you hate them all, but you need to know what happens next.

Final Thoughts

What the Wife Knew is a drama-filled domestic thriller that’ll keep you flipping pages late into the night. With its unapologetically messy characters, juicy twists, and a protagonist you can’t help but cheer for, it’s a must-read for fans of The Housemaid or Big Little Lies. Sure, it’s over-the-top at times, but that’s exactly what makes it so entertaining.

So grab a copy on December 10th, settle in with a cozy blanket (and maybe a stiff drink), and get ready for a ride that’s equal parts outrageous and addicting. Just don’t trust anyone—not even the narrator. This is perfect for readers who love their thrillers with a side of sass and a whole lot of drama.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Darby Kane, for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a thrilling game of misdirection and long carried secrets. Addison is determined to find out who killed her husband Richmond, a prominent pediatric surgeon, because that was supposed to be her job! As she looks further into his life, secrets start to spill out and it appears that more than one person had a motive to kill Richmond, including her. Can she figure out the puzzle before the detectives close in and she is caught up in this web?

I really enjoyed the first ⅔ of this book as the author kept you on your toes with new information and flashbacks to scheming and manipulating. The last third of the book did come on quickly and while it was satisfying, you were able to piece the puzzle together a little on your own before the reveal.

I also thought the final reveal of her father was a little over the top but I did appreciate how Addison kept her composure and finally got out from under this long game she had been playing and finally got her own sense of closure.

Lots of misdirection and kept me on my toes and I thought this was a solid thriller that was well written and enjoyable.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Darby Kane
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

2.5 stars rounded up.

For me, a good thriller/mystery requires two things: an engaging plot and character development. But, for an engaging plot to succeed, it needs strong character development. Take Knives Out...it works because yes, the mystery is good, but also that family is wild!

This is what I wanted for What the Wife Knew. It had a compelling hook: a successful do-gooder doctor dies tragically, and all eyes are on his much younger wife of barely six months as the suspect. And for reasons that gradually unfold, she wanted him to suffer, but not die.

Most of the characters in this book are caricatures and don't have much depth. This book lost some steam at the climax.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

DNF
not for me. The writing just wasn't it. I was super excited for this one. It sounded great...but it just wasn't.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book was kind of slow at times, but kept me guessing. I was never totally sure where it was going or who to trust. That was sometimes a good thing, sometimes not. I didn't really like any of the characters in this one, but the plot was twisty. The ending was bizarre in an okay way. I didn't really like it, but it was a surprise. I kept thinking it's not really going to go there is it and then it did.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

If you haven’t read any books by Darby Kane, that simply needs to change! This book was the definition of addicting! She has written some of the most twisty domestic thrillers and this book is no different! I was fascinated with the characters, all the rich family drama, and the juicy twists at the end bumped this book to a solid 5 star read!

Read if you like:
Domestic thrillers
Morally gray characters
Revenge plot lines
Binge worthy & twisty reads

This book comes out soon! So put your preorders in!

I really enjoyed this plot. Addison has a plan, actually more of her mother’s plan, to expose Richmond’s secrets. This was a book that dragged a good bit, but had a lot of action and twists. It was interesting to see the people Addison ended up being able to trust…. and those she couldn’t.

My favorite Darby Kane yet! This one drew me in fast with all my favorites: Murder, dysfunctional families with truckload of secrets, revenge, blackmail and twists galore. Addison’s husband that she is in a mind game contest with is murdered and she is suspect #1. The whole town has been poisoned against her by his exwife and even the stepkids think she did it but someone is framing her and this means she is in danger as she tries to figure out who also hated her husband. . It was a fast paced and fun read!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for thecARC!

What The Wife Knew is a thrilling novel following Addison after her new husband is murdered, but she’s confused because even though she is a suspect, and she did want him dead, she didn’t do it. The book started out very fast, but became a slow burn. Overall a good read!

Overall this was a good read. I loved the build up and twists, but some things were a bit of a stretch. I did enjoy the storyline and will be checking out more books by this author in the future,

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC!

I received this as an arc from netgalley. Overall, I liked it. I felt that there were definitely some oddities and unrealistic happenings but it was still a good read. You wanted to find out how it all tied together and who did what. Would recommend.

The beginning is quite engaging, but it soon takes a turn for the bizarre. Unfortunately, none of the characters are particularly memorable. Thanks NetGalley for sending me an advance copy

"What the Wife Knew" by Darby Kane is about a marriage based on blackmail. Addison Dougherty is the second wife of Richmond Dougherty. Addison's troubled marriage in the death of her husband. The marriage begins to unravel as Richmonds dark secrets are exposed. Addison's knowledge of Richmond's fake heroism during a high school shooting exposes the secrets of his first marriage. In an exciting conclusion of family secrets, Addison learns the truth about her mothers twisted motive in her marriage to Richmond.

"What the Wife knew" is a twist of dark family secrets that has a twist you won't seeing coming till the very end. I highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
What the Wife Knew is a wild ride of a domestic thriller, and perhaps Darby Kane’s most juicy book since Pretty Little Wife. No wonder, as they both involved dysfunctional marriages/families and dead husbands. In fact, this one was perhaps more jaw-dropping in how it explored those themes, because of the extent of the family ties. It’s also highly implausible, but that didn’t make it less entertaining.
All the characters, from Addison to Richmond to everyone else are all incredibly unlikable, but this is balanced by making them incredibly entertaining to follow. They each have their own secrets and motivations for backstabbing each other, and I loved digging into all of that. Perhaps the most intriguing was Addison’s mother, whose past with Richmond sets Addison on her path of vengeance, but even that is not entirely what it seems at the outset.
The plot itself has a lot of twists and turns, and I liked how the structure of the book played into that. Initially, the book is told solely from Addison’s perspective in the present, with some flashbacks to the past during her brief marriage. But over time, we get some flashbacks to Richmond’s perspective, filling in the gaps, highlighting Richmond’s awful behavior, and further foreshadowing the killer reveal. While the reveal of the killer was a little obvious, the extent of the family drama and rot made this story truly horrifying, especially finding out how Addison is connected to both Richmond and the Dougherty family.
This was such a twisted read about a deeply dysfunctional family, and I recommend it to readers looking for a juicy, drama and suspense-filled domestic thriller.

The synopsis of this story had me immediately rushing to request an advanced reader copy. I mean, how can you not love a good old fashioned revenge story especially when it features a much younger woman ensnaring an older husband with a some skeletons in his closet?

Sadly, the story itself left much to be desired.

To begin with, several of the main characters were particularly unlikable, to the point that I occasionally found myself siding with Addison aka the second Mrs. Doughtery. Even though she had her own reasons for wanting to bring about the downfall of her husband, it was easy to see that she was also the victim in a way due to things beyond her control, and she was also capable of empathy, and even sympathy when certain details were revealed. I understand that every good book needs a villain or two, but this one just continued to be over the top with the sheer number of people that were constantly in and out of the story.

And then there was the plot. Something that was just so over the top and unbelievable, that try as I might, I just could not stop rolling my eyes. From the start, we are told that Richmond suffered “two accidents” before he “fell down the stairs.” We know that these accidents happened shortly after his marriage to Addison, and we know that the police (and everyone else in town it would seem) believe she is guilty of his murder. And yet, it takes the police days to obtain a search warrant for the house and property? Conveniently giving Addison enough time to not only find the murder weapon, but to make a rushed attempt at cleaning DNA off of it as well. Of course, that was when the police finally showed up, search warrant in hand, but even catching her directly after the act and smelling of bleach wasn’t enough for them to charge her with anything.

Of course, shortly after Addison begins to unravel the truth about her husband that even she didn’t know. Another aspect that was horribly unrealistic and that not only cost a child his life in the operating room, but then called his entire career (and that of his associates) into question. But now the secrets are coming out and Addison must be silenced as well.

Again, the perfect opportunity for the author to ramp up the suspense. Only, they don’t. Sure, they tossed in a few failed attempts at intimidation, and some red herrings to keep the reader occupied, but when those who were responsible started coming to light? Well, let’s just say I got to pay myself on the back in congratulations that I had figured it out ages ago. After all, who out of everyone had the most to lose?

I think the biggest surprise for me was that final twist, and even then I had half expected it before the scene in the diner (if you know, you know). However, that just leads me to an even bigger unanswered question because if that was truth, then her lawyer obviously knows it and lied to her. So I can’t help but wonder, what exactly is in it for him to keep that secret?

All things considered, I was interested enough in this one that I did keep reading until the end, and I firmly believe that this author holds a lot of promise. I would read more from them in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I loved this book! A quick read! So much drama and secrets. I never could tell who was actually being truthful.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for the book #WhatTheWifeKnew by #DarbyKane. I didn’t expect to finish the book in one sitting but that’s what happened. I literally could not stop reading this book. Addison married Richmond but not for love and now he is dead. She now finds herself as a suspect in a town that hates her. She is not done with what she set out to do and keeps forging on. Who else wanted him dead and why? I absolutely loved this non stop drama with a plot twist that left me shocked.

For people like me who read mostly mystery and thrillers, stories like this one can start to become a bit cliche. A rich, powerful older man marries a beautiful young woman and, in turn, ends up dead. Yes, that basic storyline has been used many times over, but this author took that concept, tangled it up, and slowly unraveled it, delivering a vengeful, twisty, addicting story that was not only memorable, but satisfying. No one can be trusted, and everyone is hiding something, making this hard to put down until the last page is turned. The scheming between the characters was brilliant, and the ending was surprising. This was a solid four star read to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC.

Over the top, an unbelievable story no matter how far I stretch my imagination. The book had lots of action, lots of twists and numerous unlikeable characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. This review is my own words and opinion.

What the Wife Knew had a promising premise with a vengeful woman seemingly taking down a powerful, evil man. It was quick and engaging at the beginning, but got a bit repetitive and lost my interest in the middle. The ending was solid, with an interesting twist but nothing shocking or mind-blowing.