Thank you William Morrow and Darby Kane for the gifted digital ARC!

It was an honor to get to help reveal the cover of this book along with the rest of my friends at Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse. (Hereinafter referred to as Pulse Pals). This one has us all super excited and we're very grateful to William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this early!

I feel like if you've enjoyed Kane's previous thrillers you will also have a good time with this one. It's nonstop madness from page one, and it kept me flipping pages until I figured out what everyone's secrets were.

The ending has a twist that is sure to get people talking, I won't spoil anything but suffice to say Kane *went there* with this one.

What the Wife Knew pub date is December 10!

This was a great psychological thriller by Darby Kane!

Addison is newly widowed from a man with a stellar reputation as a pediatric surgeon and a hometown hero when he was younger. She was his second wife of only a couple months before his untimely demise. She married him in a calculated revenge plot that would take this story is 100 directions!! So many twists and turns I did not see coming all the way until the last page!

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow books for this eArc!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC of What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane. Addison sets out on a revenge trip against Dr. Richmond Dougherty who is a well-respected and renowned surgeon. She intends to take him down and wreck his life. It is crazy from start to finish as we find out she might not be the only one after the doctor. The first 2/3 of the book was fantastic as the plot built and background details were revealed. While I was hoping for a more clever ending, this is a solid thriller, and I finished in an afternoon.

This is a great quick read but with no likeable characters. I found myself hooked and I have very enjoyed this book. From the beginning you know the husband dies but it revisits the past and does Multiple POV. It was so fascinating to learn the husbands POV and see how the characters connect. There are so many twists and shocking moments. I really wish though that there was one more likeable character. I think the personal main character was decent, but I did not necessarily root for her. I also felt that it was a bit unrealistic with how she handled the husband. I did find it so fun to read and will reread it, but this was a solid 3-3.5 for me.

Publication date: December 10th, 2024
Page number: 368
Audio length: n/a
Narrator: n/a
Genre: domestic thriller
POV: multiple
Setting: suburban home

97 days after getting married, Addison’s husband The national hero and pediatric surgeon Dr. Richmond Dougherty falls down the stairs and dies. All suspicion turns to Addison who would benefit financially, but Richmond‘a death prevented Addison from completing her plan that she had been working on for years of to ruin Richmond herself. After Richmond’s death, Addison’s safety is at risk.

The story is fast paced and would make a good beach read. It is the story of family dysfunction. All of the characters are unlikable and unreliable. There were many twists- but perhaps not all of them were needed- some of them seemed to be a distraction from the building tension.


Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced audio copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

We’re feeling awfully lucky over here at @thrillerbookloversthepulse because we got our grubby little hands on @hkdimon’s upcoming release, 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒆𝒘 and lemme tell ya—Killa Kane is on the loose! (Kinda feel like that needs to catch on…anyone? Bueller? 🥴) #killakane

First off, the tone of this narrative is just spot.on. Absolute perfection. 👌🏼 Addison’s character is both devilishly entertaining and complex; you can’t help but root for her. This is how you do a revenge plot. Well done, Ms. Kane. Well. Done. 👏🏻

Many thanks to @netgalley and William Morrow for the #gifted digital review copy! 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒆𝒘 is out December 10, 2024!

A terrific, fast paced, very cleverly plotted mystery. I disliked the chapter headings as HIS or HER. They were off- putting in my opinion. Tell us who the chapter focuses on. The characters were overblown a bit but they fit the pulse of the novel… wild and crazy. The story was a little far fetched but enjoyable and I loved it.

Rating 3.75

This book had such potential to be 5 stars. It started out strong and immediately had me intrigued. I was thinking about all of these different outcomes and who the real murderer was. But when I got to about chapter 40 I was thinking dang, how much is left in this book? Which is never something you should be thinking about when you're only halfway through. This book has 70 chapters which is WAY too many. The author could have cut about 25 chapters and still gotten their point across. The ending didn’t feel as satisfying because by the time I got there I was just ready to be finished with this book. I also guessed the ending pretty early on so there was no shock factor for me. I do appreciate that the author tried to add in some additional twists but at a certain point it becomes too twisty and doesn’t make sense. Overall, this was a good book but the pacing goes from fast to slow and the writing can feel a bit repetitive. I would still highly recommend it.

In Darby Kane's latest domestic thriller, Addison Dougherty faces the chilling truth that someone attempted to kill her husband multiple times before ultimately succeeding—an outcome she doesn't mind. Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a renowned pediatric surgeon and local hero, meets his demise under suspicious circumstances, leaving his young widow under intense scrutiny. As accusations fly and tensions escalate, Addison remains determined to uncover Richmond's secrets, undeterred by threats against her life, as she pursues her plan to dismantle his legacy.

The characters seemed a bit stereotypical and there were perhaps a few too many obvious misdirects. But it's a quick read, you will certainly be surprised by something along the way, and fans of Freida McFadden won't be disappointed.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Addison, the newest Mrs Dougherty, finds herself front and center of a murder investigation, since her dear husband, Richmond, was found at the bottom of their steps, dead. We learn that Addison is out for revenge on Richmond, that their marriage wasn’t what it seems, and we slowly learn why.

This book was told in two points of view, Addison and Richmond, both in the past and present.

I absolutely loved Pretty Little Wife and The Engagement Party, however this book fell flat for me. It was honestly underwhelming. The idea behind the book intrigued me, but the twists fell flat. There were some outlying characters in this book that I felt didn’t need to be there as their storylines seemed pointless.

The reason I gave It a 3 vs something lower is that the book did keep my attention and I did root for Addison along the way. I finished the book fairly quick, so in my eyes it wasn’t a total dud.

A complicated plot of extreme lengths some people will go to in order to exact their revenge. Addison married but not for love, not dreaming someone else is ahead of her in the revenge plot against her husband.

An improbable scenario designed to tantalize the reader. Intriguing, even shocking, to think this could be someone else’s reality.

I genuinely believe that Darby Kane is one of those authors that get better and better with each book. So many times authors find what works for them, stick tightly to that, and their books become borderline repetitive. While Kane has found her niche, her dark humor and near pitch-perfect timing shine through much more with each passing novel. This one-without a doubt- is my favorite of her books. I don't suppose I should root for Addison, but it's impossible not to.... without giving away too much, it was lovely watching her make her way ti her happy ending, even if she didn't get there the way she had originally anticipated. Addison is a smart, strong woman who came from a disastrous childhood, and like a Phoenix, she rose from the ashes and took control of her life, even if the origin of her "plan" was manipulated by her mother. I could probably go on about this book for much longer, but at this point it appears I'm writing my own novel.... let's just sum this up by saying that I'll definitely by recommending this to ALL readers, and I'll obviously be waiting with bated breath for future novels written by Darby Kane.

This novel brings to light what people will do for money. A mentally abusive mother, unloving marriage, and being accused of murder puts the protagonist fending for herself. It's a thriller that doesn't lack in twists.
I rate it 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4). The protagonist seemed to repeat her thoughts a lot in regards to her mother's manipulation and the twists became a little much for me. I'd still recommend to others looking for a quick thriller to read.
Thanks to the publishers for an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darby Kane's latest novel, "What the Wife Knew" is one of her best books to date. Domestic suspense thriller at it's very best. Quick, great read.

Step right up and dive on in to Darby Kane’s 5th and most explosive thriller.

What the Wife Knew, is jam packed with a cast of characters you will love to hate (Portia and Elias, the only exceptions).

After concluding this book all I wanted to do was go to mom’s house for a big hug. The amount of gratitude I had toward her for NOT being like the mom’s in this book superseded all the times she brushed my hair a bit too hard or forbid me from dating a long line of boys in kindergarten…

Kathryn? Lizzy ?

Ick

I still get the chills thinking about them.

What the Wife Knew, is completely unique to DK’s previous work. We don’t have any deranged brother in laws and there is a lot less blood shed.

I would categorize this one as more of a psychological suspense book with a side of murder mystery .

Multiple time lines and points of view will give you a panoramic view of all that transpired to lead to present day.

In true DK fashion, there are many twists but the final one will just about snap your head of your neck.

5 stars

Always

Check out this teaser :

Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with another twisty domestic thriller about a wife wondering who tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding… because that was supposed to be her job.

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.

As law enforcement starts to circle in on Addison and people in town become increasingly hostile, sides are chosen with Kathryn, Richmond’s high school sweetheart, wife number one, and the mother of his children, leading the fray. Despite rising tensions, Addison is even more driven to forge ahead on the path she charted years ago…

Determined at all costs to unravel Richmond’s legacy, she soon becomes a target—with a shocking note left on her bedroom wall: You will pay. But it will take a lot more than faceless threats to stop Addison. Her plan to marry Richmond then ruin him may have been derailed by his unexpected death, but she’s not done with him yet.

Addison is 27 and a widow. She is the much younger second wife and her husband just dropped dead. Was the death suspicious? Many people think so including the cops, the ex wife. There are many characters that we meet including Richmond’s former lawyer who lives a bit too close and Addisons Mom plays a big role. Addison grew up with a dysfunctional home life. We learn about Addison marriage and the loveless marriage based only on blackmail. This book has all the juiciness - greed, murder?, dysfunctional family relationships , oh and a suspicious murder spree that was possibly foiled based on the hero Richmond. I really enjoyed how this unfolded and wondered how it was going to all play out. I must admit I never would have predicted the ending and who dunnit and some other juicy revelations.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book, with my honest review below.

What the Wife Knew was very twisty, but had far too many twists for its own good! Getting into the mystery of Richard’s death and why his new wife, Addison, who stood to inherit everything would hate every day of her marriage so much was fascinating. What lost me a bit was the mystery and unfolding of the murderer and Addison’s own stake in it. Specifically her Mother’s role. That piece was vile, but also just a lot happening.

A great more unique thriller / mystery read but I could have lived without some of the final twists of the knife!

DK has been writing amazing novels for years and this one is just proof that they aren't going to stop making absolute mind benders anytime soon. This one for me personally had me wanting to never put it down. Everything from the characters to the mystery of it all was just amazing.

𝐈'𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝.

I wanted my first read of April to be a really good one, but nothing was holding my interest. As soon as I read the first few pages of Darby Kane's upcoming thriller, I was hooked and knew I had found the one!

I absolutely loved Addison's character. She is the much younger replacement wife of renowned surgeon Dr. Richmond Dougherty, who is not only known for his skill in the operating room but for also being the survivor of a high school tragedy that made him a national hero. Addison has been married to Richmond for 97 days before a fall down the stairs killed him. Addison is devastated because SHE was supposed to have done the deed.

With all the dark humor reminiscent of the classic tale 𝑾𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔, the reader will be delighted to find out why these two people who absolutely loathe each other are now bound together in supposed wedded bliss. Addison has forged the path to Richmond's demise for years, and she won't let his meddling ex Kathryn derail her from obtaining her revenge.

This was devilish good fun with plenty of twists and surprises along the way. Filled with characters you will both despise and root for, WHAT THE WIFE KNEW is a darkly comedic tale of revenge, the shift of power, and what it means to be a woman scorned. Thank you so much to William Morrow for the early copy. This title will publish December 10, 2024.

Triple wow once again! This book really gave my brain cells a workout with its hurling twists and complex dysfunctional family relationships that I needed to fully absorb. I can honestly say that this has become my favorite Darby Kane novel to date! I've enjoyed her previous works as well, and interestingly, I've never been keen on reading psychological thrillers focused on unlikable and unreliable characters. However, this time, I can make an exception because this book is just too intelligent and deliciously intriguing, even though most of the characters cannot be considered decent human beings and are mostly despicable entities disguised in human furs, including the victim, Richmond Dougherty, whose innocence becomes hard to define as his past is revealed throughout the chapters. Before reading his point of view, we already get a picture of this narcissistic, cheating, manipulative man who would go to extreme lengths to secure a win.

Now, let's delve into the main plot, which mostly revolves around Addison, only 27 years old and an unlucky widow of Dr. Richmond Dougherty, who passed away after only being married for 97 days, which felt like an eternity of entitlement. A survivor of a school shooting at a young age and hailed as a hero for saving his fellow student friends at the expense of stopping his own brother, Richmond was a shining star as a pediatric surgeon, with everyone singing his praises. When he leaves his longtime wife, Kathryn, to marry his younger wife, Addison, nobody blames him except the second wife, who may have been manipulated into a forged marriage. After his death under suspicious circumstances, questions arise within the community, loyal to Richmond and his first wife Kathryn, who has deep connections in society and the police squad. Kathryn plays the martyr card from the beginning, pointing fingers at the second wife as a person of interest.

Addison knows two things for sure: she despises Richmond Dougherty, whom she was forced to marry as part of a revenge plan that turned into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game until the end, and she is not the person who killed him.

She is also certain of two more things: she must find the killer before the biased police officers, influenced by Kathryn's statements, throw her behind bars, and she must carry out her plan to tarnish Richmond Dougherty's reputation. But how can she accomplish this dangerous task when Richmond's enemies are closing in to take a piece of him, and someone is obviously targeting her to silence the secrets she knows? Everyone in town wants to see her fail, including Richmond's ex-wife and two elder kids. And another opponent decides to reveal herself, making things even more complicated, as this person is so close to her and may have already ruined her life, leaving Addison with compromised options and the feeling of being trapped in her own inherited mansion.

Overall, this is a smart, riveting page-turner, filled with a web of lies, scheming, and twists that you never see coming. Every character in this book harbors big secrets and hidden agendas, and nobody can be trusted. While you may have questions about Addison's past as a con artist at the beginning, as you learn more about her tragic history, you understand her motivations, and she becomes the only character you may root for amidst the rest of them committing jaw-droppingly despicable acts that would make any decent human being cringe.

I'm awarding this book 5 stars, even though the characters completely irritated me, because the pacing, cohesion, and conclusion of the book were executed perfectly. I truly enjoyed every bit of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this addictive thriller's digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.