This book is so freaking twisted and when you don't think it could be twisted anymore, Darby throws in another twist that will blow your mind! All of us at @thrillerbookloversthepulse cannot stop talking about this book. Thank you @netgalley @hkdimon
And @williammorrowbooks for the ebook and this is my honest opinion.

Dr Richmond Dougherty is a renowned pediatric surgeon, a national hero and a narcissist that has many secrets. Addison has been planning on ruining and killing Richmond for years. But someone has beaten her to it. Addison is now the number one suspect in her husband's death. But the real killer is leaving her threatening notes. I think Richmond got what he deserved. His ex-wife Kathryn only wants back what Addison took from her and is not beyond using her children Wyatt and Portia to get what she wants. Kathryn isn't the only one manipulating her children. Addison's mother makes mommy dearest look like a saint. She has been manipulating Addison all her life and she won't leave until she gets what she deserves from the Dougherty family. Elias was Richmond's lawyer and is now Addison's. Besides the children, he was the only character I really liked. But I wasn't sure he could be trusted.

This story is told in dual POV going from present to past and 97 days ago. There are several characters that I suspected of killing Richmond but I was so wrong. This dysfunctional family is so twisted. I could not read this book fast enough to find out who was the killer. Every twist is jaw dropping. Preorder this book now! Make sure you feed your family and lock the door because you are not going to want to put this one down!

It’s always the spouse, or is it? A classic who done it story that kept me coming back. I wanted to read this and longed for more time to do so each day.

The book grabs your attention early on. Following the aftermath of a tragic death newlywed with a twist Addison finds herself in the middle of turmoil as investigators work to solve the death of her husband. While I jumped to conclusions that were correct there were moments I didn’t see coming.

I’m sure this will be a popular read in December and January 2025.

Thank you William Morrow, the author, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

"What the Wife Knew" is a thriller that makes readers question what they really think about trust, betrayal, and how far people go to get what they want. Addison is the young widow of Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a famous pediatric surgeon who dies under suspicious circumstances. The tension between Addison and Richmond’s first wife, Kathryn, is really well-written and at first it's hard to decide if it's the much younger second wife you should be sympathizing with, or the more "age-appropriate" first wife.

I thought the author did a really great job of blending the suspense with her character's development. Overall, "What the Wife Knew" is a thriller that really pulls you in and keeps you on your toes!

The premise is interesting but it felt poorly executed.

1. The twists were somewhat predictable, This is not a bad thing per se. There were many twists, and I enjoyed some of them more than others.
2. The writing was choppy at times. There were a few sentences in particular that really threw me off. It felt like the author was trying to reveal too much information in just one sentence, to the point where they felt unnatural and weird, especially when it was part of dialogue.
3. I didn't like the alternating POVs. I think it would've been more interesting to stick with just Addison's motivations, leaving some of the mystery about Richmond unsaid.
4, Even after finishing the book, I'm still not sure I fully understand Addison's motivations. I think the psychological part of the book felt a little weak. It was also strange how she became friends with the lawyer. I'm also surprised that the kids took to Addison so well.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read, so it was worthwhile for me.

This book starts out with a bang, throwing you right into an insane situation.

What The Wife Knew follows Addison in the aftermath of her new husbands murder, someone who killed him before she had the chance to.

This book was a lot of fun and I couldn’t help but like Addison. The reason for Addisons revenge is a little silly and far fetched. The twists weren’t particularly shocking but I still had a lot of fun reading it.

3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Oh my, the dysfunctional family dynamics in this one are incredible! No parent in this book comes out looking evening blandly bad. The story begins with the death of star pediatric surgeon Richmond Dougherty following a fall down his palatial stairs. Recently divorced from his high school sweetheart and newly married to wife # 2, young Addison, the police quickly focus on the new wife when it becomes clear that his fall was no accident.
The only trouble is that Addison didn't kill him. And she really wants to know who beat her to the punch!
Many of the characters are unlikeable, and everyone is hiding something. This twisty tale keeps the surprises coming with a tight plot and perfect pacing until the shocking ending. If you like suspense that features highly dysfunctional families, this is definitely the book for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

Whoa! My head has just exploded and it is still spinning! The number of twists and turns in this book is jammed packed. Especially at the end. Oh, that end, let me tell you! From the first sentence I was at a dead run to finish and see what is going on. The drama is phenomenal, the story is fantastic, and I was here for it all!

Addison has just married Doctor Richmond Dougherty. A hugely successful pediatric surgeon. Who is also a well-known hero for stopping a school shooting. He has made it his goal to be the biggest narcissist to his second wife and two children. This guy put God complex on the map. Whenever he is in public, he is the calmest, most put together person in the room. The man who everyone needs to talk to, shake hands with, be his friend. Remove him from the people and he becomes dark. Dig a little into his past and a chill ran down my spine. But the good doctor has had an accident and fallen to his death. The police have one suspect, Addison. With her own questionable backstory, I was up to my neck in details. That I will not be sharing, you need savior this book on your own.

This book was intense, fast paced, told from multiple points of view, and the family aspect is dark. I loved Addison's snarky attitude; it added a bit of lightness to this dense read. This is now my favorite Darby Kane read. It would be a perfect addition to your TBR. What are you waiting for add it! Thank you to Darby Kane and William Morrow for this stunning read.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Even though it started strong by mid point it just dragged on and on and I did not like the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Looking for a book with female rage, dual timelines, and a dead husband with a sordid past? What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane has all of the above! Kane is a master of writing female rage, as previously shown with Pretty Little Wife. What the Wife Knew had a similarly addicting pace and plot that had me racing through the chapters, desperate for some answers!! Every character is morally gray at best, and a raging psychopath at worst. And it’s unclear where anyone fits on that spectrum.
I did take one star off, and that was mostly for some of the very last twists. I was so satisfied with the ending…and then it got twisted. And twisted. And twisted. Which was still fun, and in the moment I was literally clutching my pearls. But once I’d finished the book and sat with it for a moment, I wished it hadn’t gotten so ridiculous at the end. However, I enjoyed the rest of the book so much, and definitely think it’s worth a read!
If any of this book's weirdly specific traits caught your eye, you should definitely give it a shot! I’d also recommend it if you’re looking for a great “so glad your husband’s dead” book!
Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was excited to receive my first-ever advanced reading copy from NetGalley and William Morrow, and even more excited that it was a book by Darby Kane, whose work I have enjoyed in the past.

The book is a thriller and domestic drama that explores the question, who killed the worst husband ever? A terrible spouse and a terrible human, Richmond Dougherty obviously had it coming to him. Any number of the multiple other terrible humans in this story could have done it.

And therein lies the problem - this book is full of terrible human beings and unlikeable people. It took me until almost the end of the book to feel any empathy for the main character. I enjoyed the story and the mystery, but just wasn’t feeling the characters.

A lot of people love to watch rich people treat each other terribly on TV. If that’s your jam, then you should absolutely read this book, and I bet you’ll love it. If, like me, you find those shows disgusting and disturbing… maybe pass on this book for now.

This psychological thriller was completely messed up in the best way. It felt like an intensive barrage of REVENGE, lies, family drama, suspense, shocks and twists. 🤯 I had such a fun time reading this whodunnit.. and I really enjoyed its crazy plot twists and love to hate characters.. all being just so ridiculously full of greed, revenge, secrets and jealousy. But my favorite character with her incredible talent for quick witted sarcasm was Addison.. she’s the icing on the cake. She sure gave them a run for their money, but most of all the dead husband got exactly what he deserved. 🤣

Addison’s mindset on following through with her guise, and in seeing her plan fully to fruition was everything!

Oh and then we have her so called “mother.” Bleck.

It’s such a fantastic murder mystery. I could not put it down. Definitely put this on your radar. 5 stars — Pub. 12/10/24

I received an arc copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

LOVED!!! Wow what a great read!! Twist after twist, despicable characters, lots of suspects and lots of family drama. I was glued to the pages and could not put this down. Explosive until the very end!!! A definite must read!!

Five out of five stars. One of the best books I’ve read all year. Super unpredictable and just enough madness to make it work. I couldn’t stop reading long enough to even consider who did it.

Thank you Net Galley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This was a quick read with many twists. It started out with keeping my interest but I really couldn’t get into the characters. I really wanted to like this book. It just didn’t do it for me.

I love a quick, fast paced thriller and What The Wife Knew is exactly that. A well known pediatric surgeon is pushed down the stairs and everyone thinks it’s his new wife Addison. I don’t want to give much away, but this one kept my attention from the beginning and I got through it quickly. I liked the couple of twists and turns. Solid thriller! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to William & Morrow & NetGalley for the ARC!

This book started off with the perfect first line to hook me in, “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.” Who wouldn’t need to read on to see what happened to lead up to that moment!

This book was one twisty ride filled with morally grey characters, and I loved every minute of it. Addison’s character was fantastic, and although she was flawed, I was rooting for her throughout the book. Kane’s writing was spot on and kept the reader on the edge of their seat with the multiple timelines leading up to a completely thrilling ending. When I thought I had everything figured out, Kane threw in another twist and completely blew my mind.

After finishing this book, I now know why everyone at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse has been raving about it! I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR!

Thank you to the author, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

This is a fast paced thriller with some great twists and turns. Addison married her husband, the renowned Dr Richmond Dougherty, to enact revenge on him. She is blackmailing him with evidence she has but what really is her motivation? Richmond unexpectantly is murdered and Addison is the key suspect. She contends that she has nothing to do with it and she has an alibi. Soon Addison is receiving threats. What is really going on? There is a great cast of characters that all seem unreliable and the twists were fun! This is definitely a page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for thriller fans.

I love a quick, diverting thriller, and What the Wife Knew started off strong. The story revolves around the mystery of who killed the hero Dr. Richmond Dougherty. Of course, the main suspect is his much younger wife, Addison, and the fact that she's searching her house for the murder weapon doesn't exactly bode well.

This has quick chapters that jump back and forth through time to reveal that there was much more to Addison and the late Dr. Dougherty's marriage. Much of it was working for me until about halfway through when the story started to become a little too convoluted and ran out of steam for me. It also became challenging to want to spend time with characters I mostly disliked and had a hard time connecting to. This is a debut, and I find that, unfortunately, they tend to hold too many ideas at once, as if the author fears they won't get another chance to tell a different story in the future.

So while this didn't ultimately work for me, I think that Darby Kane shows promise as a writer in this genre and I was happy I had a chance to give this novel a try.

A quick read that passed the time just fine - thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

A very tense, twisty domestic thriller that fizzles a bit at the end.

Just three months after Addison marries renowned pediatric surgeon Richmond Dougherty, he falls down the stairs in a fatal accident. The police immediately suspect Addison, but she knows she didn’t kill him—she wanted to, but someone beat her to it and she needs to figure out who. As Addison starts to investigate Richmond's secrets, other persons of interest pop up, including a disgruntled business partner and the father of a young boy who died during surgery. The book is told in several timelines, flashing back to scenes from the previous three months of the marriage, and earlier in Addison’s life as well, as we learn how and why she came to marry Richmond in the first place.

This was told in short, action-packed chapters that were quick to read and I didn't have any trouble keeping track of the time jumps. The premise was interesting and the first half of the book moved along really quickly, but the second half started to drag a little bit and it felt like things were a bit too drawn out by the time the big reveal happens at the ending. The author gets points for plotting because I didn't see the ending coming, but it did feel like the author packed in one twist too many. Not a bad read but not the best psychological thriller I've ever read either.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.