Wow! This was the best Darby Kane book I’ve read!
4.5⭐️

I loved all the twists and turns. It seems pretty straight forward for most of the book and even parts fairly predictable but the twists keep coming right to the very end.

The FMC isn’t overly likable yet she has redemption arc over the course of the story. I enjoyed the duel time line with most of it being from “Her” point of view but with 2-3 times having “His” POV. It kept the plot interesting and moving.

So for thriller/ mystery lovers this is definitely a book to put on your TBR and would make a great holiday gift as it comes out Dec 4th 2024.


I am thankful to have gotten an eARC for free from Netgalley and William Morrow Books to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I made the terrible mistake of confusing author Darby Kane with another author whose work I do not like. And I skipped Darby’s books. That was a terrible error because she is an excellent author! I loved Pretty Little Wife and What the Wife Knew did not disappoint.

I love a story about a dysfunctional family, especially when you do not know who to trust. After a prominent surgeon passes away, everyone suspects his new, young wife.

Of course…things are never what they seem. Excellent book, especially if you enjoy a tightly written suspense!

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.

ohhhhhh kay there Ms. Kane. Like what is happening in your brain!?!

This was good! Probably my fav by her!
Couldn't get it read fast enough!

This is just an okay read for me. It started off promising and interesting, but I felt at times that the conversations between the characters rambled and the book spun in circles for a bit in the middle. The characters themselves are unlikeable and not in a good way. The twist at the end was very ick.
I would hesitate to recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

I enjoyed this a lot. The writing was good. I did feel that there was a few run on conversations. I loved the beginning the book at me hooked but as it went on I felt that it lost some of the hook and appeal with all the twists and turns. Overall it was good and I would recommend it to die hard thriller readers

Not very many likable characters, but you want to see what happens next. Haha. Great writing, decent flow, & short chapters. The "twists" weren't very shocking to me. The last twist towards the end is mostly why I gave this 3 stars. I just can't with that. It was an alright read for me. Recommend giving it a read if it sounds interesting to you. Some content could be triggering though.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Paperbacks, & the author for this eARC.
*All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

#WhattheWifeKnew #NetGalley #DarbyKane

What a tangled web!! I enjoyed all of the misdirects and twists throughout the book. I was never quite sure who to trust, including the main character, Addison. The author did a good job of writing the villain in this story, because regardless of what the other characters were doing, he was easy to hate. Definitely, a fun and captivating read!

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane
Release Date: 12/5/24
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I love a messy marriage thriller and it is so clear that What the Wife Knew was going to deliver that from the very first chapter. This was sorta like a marriage of convenience if the “convenience” is not having super serious blackmail outed and your life ruined. Let’s just say they definitely hate each other.

As things progress, I enjoyed that this reads sort of as a bottle episode where our FMC is rarely leaving her house. I think this can be really well done to build tension! However, after a while this book just felt like a series of visits that got quite repetitive until the final 20%.

I didn’t necessarily dislike this thriller, but it just felt a bit long for what it was. Did it have twists? Yep! Did I like them? Not really. And there was a red herring situation that just didn’t make any sense.

That being said, it is quick chapters and I moved through it pretty quickly. Not a bad book but I am starting to think Kane might just not be for me and that is ok!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

I really enjoyed this book. I am pretty sure this is the first book I have read by Darby Kane. It was well written. The plot was very good. It kept my interest throughout. I would recommend to a friend for sure. And will suggest to my book club once it officially releases.

Overall, this is a smart, page-turner, filled with a web of lies, scheming, and twists that you never see coming. Every character in this book has a web of 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.



Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted ARC, provided through NetGalley.

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane

Blackmail and a fake marriage are at the center of this staggering tale. Old tragedies converge with a revenge plot as newly married Addison is suspected of murdering her husband, a respected and beloved surgeon. Secrets, lies, unexpected twists are found on almost every page of this domestic thriller. I couldn’t read fast enough to get to the inconceivable ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Allison, the young second wife of famous physician Richmond Dougherty, deals not only with his murder (and her being a suspect) but also with his first wife and children in this novel full of twists and turns. Although the storyline was an interesting one, none of the characters are really all that likable, and as a whole the book contained too many subplots and minor characters, most of which were totally unnecessary to the resolution of the murder mystery. All in all, I found this to be a good and entertaining read, but certainly not a great one.

Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a pediatric surgeon who has recently fallen down the stairs to his death...or was he pushed? His neighbors are accusing his second wife, Mrs. Addison Daugherty. She is young and a suddenly very widow, as their marriage only lasted a little over 3 months.

Wife number one is Kathryn, Richmond's high school sweetheart, with whom he had two children. So, the question is: who done it'?

Giving off The Last Mrs. Parrish vibes, this novel was easy to go down and one I won't soon forget!

This was a good popcorn thriller to satisfy my mystery itch! I was able to predict it, so it made things feel a little slow at times, but I still enjoyed it! I look forward to reading what Darby Kane writes next!

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a strong, vengeful female and lots of twists, this book is for you. I love Darby Kane, and I will definitely recommend this book! #WhatTheWifeKnew #NetGalley

Unfortunately, while entertaining and attention-keeping, this was mostly a huge mess and one big trauma dump. Characters’ motivations were never fully fleshed out. The whole purpose of the marriage between Richmond and Addison still does not make sense to me. Setting was poorly depicted. Major events were drawn out for a long time. There were short chapters but chapters ended and began at very odd times, making the practice very unnecessary. Twists were piled upon other twists diluting any kind of shock value that could be had. This just is not a thriller I would recommend.

You know what I've been loving lately? Books about feminine rage. Women out for vengeance and getting it. What the Wife Knew is this times 10. It starts out with a death of a husband. A "renowned pediatric surgeon. Childhood hero. Infamous tragedy survivor." But he deserved death. How did he get there and who brought him to his early demise?

This is a story of a woman out for vengeance against a horrible man. Who just so happens to be her husband. But who got to her husband before she did? Told in dual POV and with parts of the past interspersed with the present, this domestic thriller is exciting, fast paced, and filled with characters that aren't always likable.

"You can only push a man so far before he shoves back. Enjoy your win. It's temporary."
"But ruining you will be forever."
"Be careful what you wish for."

Addison has been married to her husband Dr Richmond Dougherty for only a few months when he falls to his death in their home. Of course Addison is suspect number 1 as all spouses are. And their marriage seemed to come out of nowhere. But don't count out other people in this man's life because he seemed to have a lot of 'balls in the air'.
His first wife, Kathryn who is the mother to his two children wants to know who killed her ex- husband as they ended their marriage quite abruptly before he married the younger Addison. She wants answers AND his money.
And those are only the wives. What about the other women he scorned? What about his children that he left behind with his first wife? What about the lawyer that always seems to turn up at the most opportunistic of times? What about his colleagues? What about the person that keeps messing with Addison?

Although this book wasn't filled with likable characters, I have to say that I enjoyed Addison and her snarkiness most of all. She didn't hold back and held a strength about her that gave her power in most situations. She didn't care that she was a suspect, but she would be no victim.

Darby Kane dropped us right into a story of "the rich behaving badly" and did it with characters that are all questionable and not exactly likable in the traditional sense. This story was filled with layers and twists that keep coming until the very end. Just when you think you've figured it all out, there is another piece revealed. The shorter chapters makes it easy to stay engaged and to appreciate the way everything came together in the end. Although some aspects of the story were a little far fetched (and perhaps disturbing) in the end, I really enjoyed the whole ride. Revenge domestic thriller for the win!

This is such a twisted book. You will be unraveling what happened right up to the end. The only thing that I will say about this book is that the reveals take longer to unravel than the murderer. I felt like that got drawn out a little bit too much. Which is mostly a pacing issue. When there are over 40 pages left after the main mystery is solved, I get a bit concerned. This was the only downside that I had with this novel, otherwise readers are going to enjoy unraveling the twisted tale that leads to Addison marrying Richmond, and why Richmond ended up dead.
Thank you so much to William Marrow and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Addison married Dr. Richmond Dougherty, but their marriage is very brief. After a fall down the stairs, he is dead. Addison is now a rich widow and the prime suspect in Richmond’s death.
This is an entertaining domestic thriller with some twists that I wasn’t expecting. I found myself rooting for Addison, but also shaking my head at her at times. The plot is fast paced, and I enjoyed the short chapters. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC!!

Righteous, homicidal, female rage it totally my jamb right now, and Darby Kane delivers in spades! Our gal's hubby ends up dead and this throws a monkey wrench in her plans, since that was supposed to be HER job. Who is trying to frame her for the murder she DIDN'T commit?