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.

I was going into this one with such HIGH hopes and it was just an ok read for me. I had heard so many great things about this one that I was so excited to get a chance to read it. It definitely didn't live up to the hype. I felt that it dragged on and the "climax" just seemed to go on forever. Many details that you think is the truth end up being lies over and over again, which made me roll my eyes. Overall, it was just an ok thriller for me.


*Thank you partner @thrillerbookloversthepulse and @hkdimon for the #gifted e-galley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book. Everyone will be talking about this one. Addison had plans to kill her husband. But someone beat her to it. And now they are playing a cat and mouse game with her. Framing her. That’s just what drew me in. There is so much to their story.

Mostly told from Addison’s POV in the present and when she was first married, and there are a few chapters from her husband’s POV to fill in some gaps of info.

It’s complex and layered. There’s almost too much going on but it never feels that way. The very end was a little whiplashy with its twists and that was its only downside.

I binge read this one in a day as I needed to know what was happening. If you love a twisty thriller, you need to read this one.

Solid thriller. A typical Darby Kane book. Nothing super special or over the top but a good one. Loved the middle. Slow start

Not one of the cast seems to have a singular, redeeming quality… as we enter the story of Richmond and Addison (wife #2), it is coming to a close… and the book picks up with a true murder mystery.

Addison intended to kill her handsomely, rich husband… but SOMEONE else has beat her to it. Lots of twists.

#whatthewifeknew #thriller #murdermystery #domesticthriller @williammorrowbooks @hkdimon @bookshell_f

What the Wife Knew is a twisty domestic thriller about a wife no one would ever want. This wife tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding. You’d think someone would have taken notice of that..

Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a renowned pediatric surgeon, an infamous tragedy survivor, a national hero and unfortunately, the husband. None of his honourable mentions kept him from a deadly fall down the stairs. The neighbours who have no use for the new wife, say she’s responsible for his deadly fall. Oh but this newest Ms. Dougherty, named Addison is a clever girl. The marriage to thus mysterious young woman was sudden and it only lasted ninety-seven days! suspicions abound! Did I mention that Richmond’s death now affords Addison the life of a very wealthy woman?

Not only are neighbours suspicious, now law enforcement has started to look in on Addison, causing people in town to become increasingly hostile as they are siding with Kathryn, Richmond’s high school sweetheart, wife number one, and the mother of his children.

Then Addison discovers a shocking note left on her bedroom wall: “You will pay”. But it will take a lot more than threats to stop Addison.

This is a good story but I felt there were too many “twists, even though the big twist caught me by surprise. I had trouble keeping up with the many many characters and storylines.

I was ready to give it up at 56% but did skim on to the end,

A go to author for me. This book was an excellent thriller and although I guessed the first twist it had many more to uncover. This is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of marriage, trust, and deception. The narrative centers around a wife who discovers unsettling truths about her husband, leading to a suspenseful unraveling of secrets.

Kane's writing is sharp and engaging, with well-developed characters that draw readers into their turmoil. The plot twists are expertly woven, keeping you guessing until the very end.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

What The Wife Knew By Darby Kane
Publication Date: December 10, 2024
Publisher: William Morrow

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

If you're looking for an incredibly twisty domestic thriller, with chilling revelations of secrets you will NOT see coming, look no further than What The Wife Knew!

This fast-paced thriller was SUCH a fun read! Featuring dual POVs and multiple timelines from chapter to chapter, this book was a page-turning read that I couldn't read fast enough. The story was steeped in secrets -- and this was a whodunnit plot with a myriad of suspects who were all potentially equally despicable.

I love books with unreliable narrators, when you can't figure out who's a good guy and who isn't. Everybody seemed to have a shady streak in this one -- and their antics had me on the edge of my seat.

The suspense in this one was perfectly timed, peeling back the answers to the characters' secrets one at a time, like the careful peeling of an onion's layers. I really had no idea how this was ultimately going to wrap up, and when the bombs started dropping at the end of the book...My. Mind. Was. Blown. 🤯🤯 I'll say no more, because going into this one with no spoilers is the only way to read it!

If you are a fan of clever domestic thrillers, like The Mrs. Parrish series or The Mrs. Strom series, you're gonna love this one! If you enjoy unexpected twists that are revealed just as the book reaches its conclusion -- don't miss this one! My friends at Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse have gone crazy over this read - and I think you will too. A big thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#WhatTheWifeKnew #DarbyKane #WilliamMorrow #thrillerbookloversthepulse #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #domesticthrillers #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Addison has become the second Mrs. Dougherty but not out of love. She is a pawn in a revenge plot so much bigger than her, but someone beats her to the punch.

Overall, this was a fast paced domestic thriller. But I was left wondering why certain characters made certain choices. There was the typical evil monologue which I don't think fits well into the story and detracts from the overall motivations of the characters.

This book was an ARC that I received from NetGalley due to release December 10, 2024 by author Darby Kane. This main character Addison is the new wife to Richmond whose ex wife Kathryn is upset Addison stole her husband and broke up her family.

Richmond is a pediatric surgeon who ends up dead but also has enemies, so who could have killed Richard. The beginning took a while to draw me in but I got into it eventually. Karen wants Addison out of the house and to basically pay for her and her kids lifestyle! This lady really got on my nerves. I’m usually good at figuring these cases out before the end of the book and this one took me to almost 50% before I got it. There are a lot of players in this book so pay attention.It was a lot of back and forth until you find out what the wife knew. The ending was wild!!!

Over all I give this book 3 1/2 stars because it was well written, I would recommend to others.

When you start reading this book, buckle up, you're in for a wild ride. This book has so many twists and turns and so many secrets to reveal. When Richmond dies from a skull fracture and a tumble down the steps everyone is eager to blame his wife Addison. The problem is, she was planning to kill him but someone beat her to it. This is my first book written by Darby Kane and it won't be my last! Thanks to @Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Review: Another 5 ⭐️ thriller for Darby Kane. Addison, marries her doctor husband (Richmond), for one reason only, revenge.
There are many twists and turns in the book, including Addison’s husband and children. The majority of the setting is Richmond’s mansion.
The book is written in shorter chapters with multiple POV. I absolutely loved it.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒙. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕."

Special thanks to @hkdimon @thrillerbookloversthepulse @williammorrow and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twisty, unhinged, jaw dropping! These are the best words to describe this masterpiece.

I love Addisons sarcasm. It beings a real life feel to the book which I can appreciate. Love the dual pov and multiple timelines. This one starts off with a bang and just goes full steam ahead.

Kathryn is unhinged and you'll love to hate / love Elias, but the last 20% of this book will have you on the edge of your seat with you head in your hands saying "what the actual f**k" Because holy sh*t this will live rent free in my mind!

Preorder this now, you won't be disappointed!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Dec 10, 2024

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Would you blackmail someone for a family member?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #thepulse #pulsepoint #thrillerbooklovers #whatthewifeknew #darbykane
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Some books are slow burns and some grab you right away. This one had me at the first page.

What a ride! It did such a good job of parsing out the mystery to keep me guessing but not drawing things out to the point of frustration. It's a very twisty tale with a lot of layer about manipulation, hero worship, narcissism, and toxic parents. I really liked Addison as a protagonist.

I speed through it and would definitely recommend to any thriller or mystery fan.

Loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I loved all the twists! Loved the evil ex-wife and the evil mom. All the character development was great.

THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE. A who-dunit with unexpected twists and turns that led you one way but ended up being another.

Looks like I'm going to be an outlier on this one – it just didn't do it for me! I was interested in the twists and turns for sure, but I also found this to be one of the less compelling thrillers I've read lately. There wasn't anything that was outright terrible, but at the same time, there wasn't anything that was super shocking and outstanding. It was fine, but I wasn't rushing to finish it either. The reveals were interesting, but I think one of them alone could've been enough with appropriate storytelling on either side. Like not love.

It was a good book with a good potential. The first half really had me and I was so hooked. The middle was a little confusing to me and the end was as little to OOT for me. Still a fun ride!

This was a fun one. I've read almost every Darby Kane book as they've come out and enjoyed all of them. This one was a bit different, but in the best way possible. Our MC, Addison, is no shrinking wallflower. She is bold, confident, sarcastic, and offensive. I loved every second of her inner monologues. Honestly, I think the character would have made the book a win by herself, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the plot (as far-fetched as it may have been). The switches between past and present were well utilized and easy to follow, and there were quite a few fun twists that came out of nowhere for me. The ending with Kathryn did feel a bit forced, and is what brought this down to a 4-star read instead of a 5-star read. That climax felt unfulfilling and very fake. Other than that, though, this is a great read if you're looking for a female-centered revenge story with lots of soap-opera drama included. Highly recommended!

The book had me captivated for the first half but then I was kind of lost in the second half and the ending was a little far fetched.