This was a Dastardly good mystery. The story moves along quickly despite jumping back and forth from Present Day to past and being from 2 different POV. I didn't realize until I was a quarter of the way in that it was 2 different POV, which you need in order to get the full stories and why certain things are happening. The 2nd wife, Addison, was written great and in comparison to the the 1st wife , Kathryn, appears to be a good person who's being played by her own mother. While they are battling after Richmond is murdered it's quite the story to figure out who murdered him and why all the other mysterious things are happening and who in the world is behind it. If you like a fast moving mystery that will keep you guessing for sure pick up this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I am so sad to give this 2 stars but I truly forced myself to finish this novel. I have loved all of Darby Kanes other novels and was soooo excited to read this one. Unfortunately, there was way too much banter for me, the twist wasn’t as twisty as her usuals and I guessed pretty early on who the murderer was and what the plot was.

Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks for an advanced readers copy of this title via NetGalley.

A prominent doctor is dead. Was it an accident or was it murder? If murder, was it his wife? And, if so, which wife? Kathryn is his first wife. High school sweetheart. Beloved by the community. And the second wife? That would be Addison. The classic younger woman. But is she really the young woman who caused Richmond to divorce the beloved Kathryn to go for a fling?

In this well-written book, the author takes us through twists and turns. All we read might not be quite right. The characters are well-developed. I loved Addison's dry wit. The ending was unpredictable. I really enjoyed this book.

What the Wife Knew is a bombshell! I inhaled this book, because I simply could not stop binging the short chapters. This book was intelligent, and so messed up. I did not see the twist coming. Oh, I thought I did, but I was so, so wrong. The true villain wasn’t the dead husband, no. Or even the wife scorned. You’ll be surprised who was.

I love that with every thriller, Darby Kane’s past as a lawyer infiltrates the book and the characters. It adds an element that is irresistible. It makes her thrillers seem more than a story. It’s like a live action drama playing out before your eyes. So few authors are capable of crafting a movie-like book like that for me, and it’s honestly what makes Darby Kane one of my auto buy authors.

Thank you so much to William Morrow for the gifted copy!

Addison's marriage to Dr. Richmond Dougherty is about revenge and grudges. Addison is furious when Dr. Dougherty dies unexpectedly and is eager to figure out who prematurely ended his life and thwarted her plans for revenge. This book is TRULY twisted and there were so many parts I did not see coming. Thank you to the author and published for this pre-publication copy.

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!