The synopsis of this story had me immediately rushing to request an advanced reader copy. I mean, how can you not love a good old fashioned revenge story especially when it features a much younger woman ensnaring an older husband with a some skeletons in his closet?

Sadly, the story itself left much to be desired.

To begin with, several of the main characters were particularly unlikable, to the point that I occasionally found myself siding with Addison aka the second Mrs. Doughtery. Even though she had her own reasons for wanting to bring about the downfall of her husband, it was easy to see that she was also the victim in a way due to things beyond her control, and she was also capable of empathy, and even sympathy when certain details were revealed. I understand that every good book needs a villain or two, but this one just continued to be over the top with the sheer number of people that were constantly in and out of the story.

And then there was the plot. Something that was just so over the top and unbelievable, that try as I might, I just could not stop rolling my eyes. From the start, we are told that Richmond suffered “two accidents” before he “fell down the stairs.” We know that these accidents happened shortly after his marriage to Addison, and we know that the police (and everyone else in town it would seem) believe she is guilty of his murder. And yet, it takes the police days to obtain a search warrant for the house and property? Conveniently giving Addison enough time to not only find the murder weapon, but to make a rushed attempt at cleaning DNA off of it as well. Of course, that was when the police finally showed up, search warrant in hand, but even catching her directly after the act and smelling of bleach wasn’t enough for them to charge her with anything.

Of course, shortly after Addison begins to unravel the truth about her husband that even she didn’t know. Another aspect that was horribly unrealistic and that not only cost a child his life in the operating room, but then called his entire career (and that of his associates) into question. But now the secrets are coming out and Addison must be silenced as well.

Again, the perfect opportunity for the author to ramp up the suspense. Only, they don’t. Sure, they tossed in a few failed attempts at intimidation, and some red herrings to keep the reader occupied, but when those who were responsible started coming to light? Well, let’s just say I got to pay myself on the back in congratulations that I had figured it out ages ago. After all, who out of everyone had the most to lose?

I think the biggest surprise for me was that final twist, and even then I had half expected it before the scene in the diner (if you know, you know). However, that just leads me to an even bigger unanswered question because if that was truth, then her lawyer obviously knows it and lied to her. So I can’t help but wonder, what exactly is in it for him to keep that secret?

All things considered, I was interested enough in this one that I did keep reading until the end, and I firmly believe that this author holds a lot of promise. I would read more from them in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I loved this book! A quick read! So much drama and secrets. I never could tell who was actually being truthful.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for the book #WhatTheWifeKnew by #DarbyKane. I didn’t expect to finish the book in one sitting but that’s what happened. I literally could not stop reading this book. Addison married Richmond but not for love and now he is dead. She now finds herself as a suspect in a town that hates her. She is not done with what she set out to do and keeps forging on. Who else wanted him dead and why? I absolutely loved this non stop drama with a plot twist that left me shocked.

For people like me who read mostly mystery and thrillers, stories like this one can start to become a bit cliche. A rich, powerful older man marries a beautiful young woman and, in turn, ends up dead. Yes, that basic storyline has been used many times over, but this author took that concept, tangled it up, and slowly unraveled it, delivering a vengeful, twisty, addicting story that was not only memorable, but satisfying. No one can be trusted, and everyone is hiding something, making this hard to put down until the last page is turned. The scheming between the characters was brilliant, and the ending was surprising. This was a solid four star read to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC.

Over the top, an unbelievable story no matter how far I stretch my imagination. The book had lots of action, lots of twists and numerous unlikeable characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. This review is my own words and opinion.

What the Wife Knew had a promising premise with a vengeful woman seemingly taking down a powerful, evil man. It was quick and engaging at the beginning, but got a bit repetitive and lost my interest in the middle. The ending was solid, with an interesting twist but nothing shocking or mind-blowing.

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!