Wow - not where I thought this book was going at all, and that being said, how great to have actual surprises and twists and turns! Completely enjoyed this book and quickly read through it!

Lila had put her past history behind her when she changed her name. She married Aaron who also had a disasterous childhood. Their marriage was working until Lila found out that Aaron had a secret that was more than she could live with. Aaron disappears and Lila is the main suspect in the investigation. She had carefully plotted her vengence and it starts to unravel when Aaron is found having been murdered twice. This novel is exciting, well detailed and as twisted a story as I've ever read.

Karma has no menu. You get served what you deserve.

And the universe is filled with evil, bad deeds, animosity, and just plain murder and mayhem. We humans can shake the dirt out of any situation and breathe it all in. Again and again........

Lila Ridgefield, from all indications, is the exquisite wife without a hair out of place. She's a lawyer and successful realtor in the beautiful background of Ithaca, New York. Her husband, Aaron, is a well-loved high school math teacher. But there's a chill in Lila's veins. She's seen plenty in life. And Darby Kane is about to open the door on just that.

The initial scenes reveal a highly manipulative and controlling side of Aaron. And Lila is at the receiving end of all that. He insists on room darkening curtains in their bedroom that can never be opened and dumps out drawers if things are not to his liking. Kinda like Julia Roberts in Sleeping With the Enemy on steroids. Aaron's persona is like a quick-change artist depending on the company that he keeps.

But one morning the principal of the high school calls Lila and tells her that Aaron never showed up for class that day. Hours and hours pass and Lila finally involves the police. Days go by without word from Aaron. And then eyes rest upon Lila. Who else could it possibly be?

Darby Kane unfolds this package of doubt, curiosity, and just plain head-swimming confusion. As readers, we're not privy to being witnesses to any crimes here in the making. Kane holds back for good reason. And it all comes hurling down on us like an over-packed closet when the door opens. Expect the unexpected in this one. The cast of characters is a strange little bunch and the writing is clever and highly creative. Pick this one up to see exactly what this Pretty Little Wife has been up to.

I received a copy of Pretty Little Wife through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Harper Collins Publishers and to Darby Kane for the opportunity.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this AMAZING book!!!!

Lila and Aaron Payne.... Lila always put together, closed off, not close to anyone....trophy wife to Aaron.....high school teacher that everyone adores. Until one day he goes missing. One day Lila finds videos of Aaron with his girl students....she plots his death. But Aaron isn’t where she left him. Is he still alive? She starts receiving notes and she is certain he is not dead.

This book took me on a ride and boom after boom after boom the story kept changing and more secrets are revealed. It’s been awhile since I’ve started and finished a book so fast and didn’t want to put down!! This would make an amazing movie!!!!!!! Bravo to this author! You hit a home run!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

In this wonderful novel, we meet Lila and Aaron, who are married and living in Ithaca NY. Aaron is a high school teacher, who does not show up for work one day. And the story begins and progresses from there. This is a good domestic suspense/police procedural featuring strong, smart women. I spent a rainy weekend reading and was not disappointed. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Yes yes yes! Loved this book so much!!! Gave all the stars and even just purchased it. Perfect amount of suspense and loved the ending. These are my types of stories! Thanks for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a pretty interesting book. The characters were good and I enjoyed the story. Kinda felt like it was a movie. I was thrown by the ending because I was not expecting it. Twists and turns keep you guessing. Pretty good book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 incredible stars!

Characters are flawed and unreliable. They're unlovable but you find yourself rooting for them. It was a fun read and kept me on my toes the whole time.

You are following Lila who killed her husband. Or she tried to. Now, her husband's body is not where she left it for the police to find. So not only are the authorities trying to find where her husband is, she is also trying to find out what happened to the body BEFORE the police do. It was a whirlwind and I didn't see the end coming.

When Aaron doesn't show up for work everyone says it is unlike him and when no one hears from him an unofficial police investigation begins. Lila, his beautiful wife, is questioned. What the police find with her doesn't quite fit what they expect. What secrets is she keeping? Does she have something to do with Aaron's disappearance? Is his disappearance somehow tied to a missing woman? The more the police discover the more questions they have. A thriller that keeps you guessing.

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane is a fantastic, fast-paced thriller. I liked the character, the pacing, and the plot. From the very beginning, I was curious about which direction this story would take!

Check it out:

Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems.

A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection, if there even is one. Little do they know they might stumble over only part of the truth….

With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife. She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone.

A missing husband, secrets, and a main character you will root for… this slow-burn novel is the perfect suspense for a cold winter’s night. Snuggle up with some blankets, get a hot drink, and settle in with this novel!

Out on December 29, pre-order here.

A wonderful fun and snarky read! I loved everything about this story and there are twists and surprises throughout, it is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Lila Ridgefield seems to have everything she ever wanted. She has a husband who is a teacher, she's a realtor and has the life. But everything was not as it seems. Aaron disappears and Lila doesn't understand how that is possible. Lila left his body where someone would find him. She's getting threatening messages and needs to figure out what is going on before it's too late. Full of twists and suspense.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

At first I thought this was going to be a cliche/predictable thriller novel. Unfortunately, while I love this genre, it is so over saturated with books with “wife” in the title!

However, this book surprised me and the pace picked up halfway through. I really got into it and couldn’t put it down until I finished it! I think this book will do well with the thriller crowd, especially readers of BA Paris

This was a fun book to read! The beginning and middle were solid. The end became disturbing and too detailed in the torture.It was such a good “she killed him but now he’s not there. Who killed him and where is he?” suspense/thriller, but then it got stupid and disturbing really fast.

Lila is supposed to be living every woman's dream. Her husband is loved by the community, their neighbors, and the students he teaches. He has money--enough that she doesn't have to work. They have a social life. She gets along with her brother-in-law.

But her marriage is a carefully crafted image. She doesn't love her husband, and while he claims to love her he doesn't love her enough to stop the emotional abuse.

Then Lila finds the videos. Videos of Aaron and his underage students… And Lila knows it's time to end her marriage for good.
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For a book that opens with a murder (it's not a spoiler if it's on the back cover), I expected a lot more action as the book progressed, but the bulk of the plot is a slowly-plodding police investigation alternating between Lila's perspective and that of the female detective working the case. Both of them "know the other one is holding something back" and "know there's more to the investigation" but that's about all the suspense we get.

Things start to pull together in the final third of the book, the pace picks up, and I wanted to stay up late to find out what was going to happen next. The twists at the end aren't entirely unpredictable, but they are satisfying and well worth the journey to get there.

If this book had just been the first few chapters and the last third, it would have easily been a 5-star, but I can't get over the struggle through the middle that almost turned this into a DNF.

It took me awhile to get invested in the story, but once I did....wow! There was so many twist and turns. Just when you think one thing is going to happen another shock comes to light . Really enjoyed it.

First of all, can I just reiterate that this is a debut novel? I'd forgotten that as I read this book and although there were a few small things that made me not give it a 5/5, it was still a darn good book and a fantastic debut. If this is an indication of novels to come from Kane I am here for it!

The beginning had a bit of a rough start for me. I had a hard time falling into it and the writing seemed vague. However, after a chapter or two I was fully committed and had to know what on earth was going on.

This novel jumps back and forth between the past and present, and it also gives us a few points of view as well, which you all know I absolutely love. In the past we see how Lila's relationship with Aaron began and how it came to be the mess that it was. We find that Lila has begun to hate her husband and has discovered some secrets that he's been keeping that no wife ever wants to uncover.

In the present Aaron has disappeared. Lila is sure she killed him, planting his body so that it looks like a suicide. Except the body disappears. Mix this in with a couple missing young brunettes and you're left wondering who killed who and what on earth is going on.

Looking for twists? This is the book for you. And the ending? SO worth it. Get your hands on this book!

A book that is going to make readers ask themselves, "What did I just read?" and "That was a debut author?"

Lila seems to live a charmed life with a handsome school teacher husband in a lovely neighborhood. But almost immediately, the reader sees the relationship between Lila and Aaron is breaking down. And the awful truth about why is drawn out, page by page. Soon, Aaron is missing and Lila is the police's prime suspect. And, as the reader knows, for good reason - because she killed him and placed the body at the school, hoping for it to look like a suicide. But...he hasn't been found. Nor has his car. And now Lila is getting strange notes. If he was dead when she left him, who has him now? And what do they know? As the police close in, more of Lila's past comes out - as does Aaron's past, all leading to a shocking ending no one saw coming.

This is a crazy ride of a book that will leave readers speechless as they wonder if Lila will get away with it and just where Aaron went. Bravo to Kane!

Pretty Little Wife was a pretty solid mystery novel with a twist. I really enjoyed the pace of the plot, as it didn't seem to move to quickly or slowly. Lila kills her husband only to find that his car and his body have disappeared. She plays a quiet game of cat and mouse with law enforcement while more and more of her secrets become made public. The characters are interesting and well developed, and I was pleasantly surprised with how the book ended. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of domestic suspense and crime fiction. It was a great read!

I really enjoyed this one. I got into it pretty quick and it kept my interest. I will look for this authors next book! Thank you for the opportunity to read it early!