I finished this book last night and I’m still trying to wrap my brain around what happened. What The Wife Knew takes you for a wild ride filled with dysfunctional family members, so many lies and so much scheming! I was flying through the pages trying to figure out where this was going to go. So many times you think you know the inner-workings of the main character (and her awful mother) but friends, keep reading because you are in for it.

This was my first book by Darby Kane and I’m looking forward to reading more! So grateful to be part of #thrillerbookloversthepulse as we get our hands on some amazing upcoming thrillers! Thank you to the author and publisher (William Morrow) for this advanced copy! Pub date: December 10!

3.6
I was having a great time up until the very moment I wasn't. I checked out hard with about 40 minutes left to read. Which, that's a super strange time to stop caring about the outcome of this sort of story, if you see what I mean.

A wonderfully suspenseful and twisty thriller.

A prominent doctor is found dead at the base of his stairs. His second wife, Addison is now very wealthy after a short time of marriage and a suspect. The first wife is protecting their children while seeking to make sure Addison is proved guilty. However, Addison receives some unusual messages. Who is she and what really happened?

The novel will keep you guessing and reading as fast as you can to find out the truth.

This book was well written and flowed perfectly and there were some slow parts that I was able to push through. But overall a good read.

I have to say that Darby Kane is quickly becoming one of my top authors. This was such a great, fast-paced, twisted domestic thriller…with some great twists, so of course I love it.

Dr. Dougherty, is a celebrated hero turned surgeon, and he has been found dead after a fall., when his ex-wife starts throwing accusations around, suspicion falls on his current widow, Addison. Their whirlwind marriage lasted only 97 days, and the marriage started under questionable terms. It seems that Addison isn’t who we think she is. But she is desperate to expose her husband for who he is, and it may not be who the world thinks either.

This book was so well written and flowed perfectly and of course I didn’t want to put it down. I got through it pretty quickly, but there were some slow parts. I liked how the chapters alternated between Her and Him as well as between timelines, revealing many people with shocking secrets. Another excellent book by Darby Kane.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Murrow and Darby Kane for the eARC of What the Wife Knew. Publication Date is 10 Dec 24. Make sure you add this one to your list.

I love a good revenge plot and this gave it to me! Some of the characters are unreliable and unlikeable, but I love Addison. She’s newly a widow, to her much older husband who she recently married. We see they hate each other and we soon it unravel to the reason why got married only 97 days prior to his death.

I am such a huge fan of Darby Kane’s books and What The Wife Knew was no different. This was a fun and twisty domestic thriller with sprinklings of medical elements that I really loved. This just may be in my top two of her books and I always look forward to her next release.

Thank you so much to Darby, William Morrow and Netgalley for my review copy!

Addison is the new Mrs. Dougherty. Wife to an honorable hero and surgeon. Married for only 97 days to be exact before the Mr is found dead. Friends of the family side with his ex wife and very quickly fingers are pointed when it comes out that Mr. Dougherty was murdered. Addison tries to find out who did it as she deals with backlash family drama from his ex wife and kids after inheriting his fortune. This is a fast paced edge of your seat read.

What the Wife Knew, by Darby Kane, is a fantastic psychological suspense that had so many twists I could barely keep up. (in a good way!) I was definitely rooting for Addison as she tried to figure out who killed her awful husband before she is the next victim or takes the fall for the true killer. Highly recommend!!

This has instantly become my new favorite novel by Darby Kane.

Although all of this authors previous books were also very good- this one takes the top of the list for sure. ‘What The Wife Knew’ was such a fun, twisted rollercoaster ride of a read. This domestic thriller was jam packed with secrets, lies, betrayal, (and also tons of murder).

You will question every single character in this story as you learn all of their secrets and hidden agendas. I had absolutely no idea who to trust, and the book kept me guessing all the way until the last page.

This one was super fast-paced and definitely an unputdownable page turner!

Thank you so much for my ARC! 🤗

Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for the eARC of What the Wife Knew by @hkdimon in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Dr. Richmond Dougherty is dead and about to be buried but how did he fall down the stairs to meet his untimely demise? When the police report suggests foul play, we are all left wondering who killed him? This was my first Darby Kane book and it did not disappoint! Wonderfully written and perfectly fast paced, What the Wife Knew provides the right amount of suspense to keep you turning the pages! The chapters titled “Her” offer a juicy insight into the mind of a woman with a vendetta against Richmond and leave us with so many questions! This one certainly earned the unputdownable novel award!

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

If you like pageturners then this is a good one! It's a bit slow to get to any juicy thriller-details but it was worth the slow burn. No one in this book was likeable but the plot was welldone for being a common type trope - new young wife, divorced wife, horrible husband ... dead husband at that! I liked the humor throughout.

This was a highly anticipated read for us at @thrillerbookloversthepulse and it did not disappoint! It was fast-paced, jam-packed with twists and turns and I could not put it down. I found myself stealing little moments to read because I needed to know what happened! This book had a bit of a Freida McFadden vibe and I was living for it. The main character, Addison, was undoubtedly my favourite part of the book. She was morally grey as they come, but was also smart, sarcastic and seriously funny.

Read if you like:

✨Rich people behaving badly
✨Family dysfunction
✨Morally grey characters
✨Twisty reads

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a national hero, is murdered. Allison, his new young wife, has intentions of exposing and killing Richmond to unveil his true character. However, someone else beats her to the punch, thrusting her into a complex investigation to uncover the real murderer and their motives.
“What the Wife Knew” contains numerous twists, but in my view, they didn’t quite achieve their intended effect.

This twisty and smart domestic thriller will give you a shock that has everyone talking at The Pulse!

Dr. Dougherty, a celebrated surgeon and survivor of a national tragedy, is found dead after a fall. Whispers turn into accusations as suspicion falls on his widow, Addison. Their whirlwind marriage lasted only 97 days, marked by two "accidents" that seem anything but. As the spotlight intensifies and the town divides, Addison remains undeterred.

Driven to expose the truth about Richmond, she finds herself targeted. A chilling message scrawled on her wall reads: "You will pay." But Addison won't back down. Her plan to expose Richmond may have been disrupted by his death, but she's determined to finish what she started.

This book had me glued to the pages. I raced through it, loving the sharp wit of Addison. The story cleverly flips between Her and Him chapters and also switches between timelines, revealing a past shrouded in secrets. This fast-paced, shocking story will keep you guessing until the very end. Dive in and see what everyone's talking about!

Thank you William Morrow for the ARC!

Another wicked domestic thriller by Kane. I am always up for her books.

When a successful pediatric surgeon dies from falling down the stairs, his newest wife Addison is under suspicion. After all, they had only been married ninety-seven days. Now Addison has a nice home and bank account. Number one problem is she is UPSET, because she wanted him dead.

Dr. Dougherty’s ex wife Kathryn suspects Addison, she is determined to get back what she deserves.
Both these women have something to lose, so its no surprise they don’t get along and are determined to get what they want, no matter the cost.
This is a nail-biter and one I won’t forget soon. Their marriage is NOT what it seems and this one makes it so fun as you discover what is really going on.

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! Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book! There were times I could not put it down. The twists had me wanting more. I will be purchasing this and recommending it at my library! Thank you again! I cannot wait for the next book by Darby Kane!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of What the Wife Knew.

Halfway through I thought for sure this was going to be a 5 star read. It jumps right into the middle of the action, I really liked the main character, and the plot was very unique! After that point, though, things really went downhill. Ultimately, there were just too many minor characters whose story lines didn't contribute to the bigger picture, and the two big reveals at the end felt unimaginative and a bit lazy. So much potential but this didn't quite deliver for me.

3 stars.

Summary: Addison is a newlywed…and now a widow. Her husband, Richmond Dougherty, was a celebrated surgeon who changed lives and made millions. Richmond Dougherty was also a liar and a nasty piece of work who was trying to kill Addison. Now he is dead and Detective Sessions is focusing on Addison as his prime suspect. Addison is also public enemy number one in her wealthy suburban enclave where the ex-wife, Kathryn, is proclaiming to everyone that Addison definitely murdered him. While Addison hides out in her mansion and tries to stay off the detective’s radar, the real murderer is clearly out to get her next. Threatening messages show up and then there are the break-ins. Addison knows she needs to figure who really killed Richmond before they get to her.

Thoughts: I couldn’t help but reflect on my cosmic good fortune to be born to my parents as I read this novel. Addison is not acting in an ethical or honourable way when she seeks out and marries Richmond Dougherty, however one might argue that she had little choice given her upbringing by a narcissistic and amoral mother. The more the reader finds out about Richmond Dougherty, the more you wonder why someone didn’t kill him sooner!

Most of the novel is told from Addison’s perspective, with periodic chapters from Richmond. Many of the characters are quite unlikeable, although some are simply misunderstood. Almost to the very end, the reader is second-guessing who can be trusted. And there are great plot twists all throughout which will keep you engaged. A top-notch thriller! I loved it.