I loved the entire tone this book sets from the very first sentence to the last. It grips you and pulls you in having you go round and round. in a merry-go-around wanting to know what lurks behind the next page. A domestic suspenseful thriller dripping with sarcasm, attitude, and secrets will have you guessing the outcome of the many different events that take place. I am rating this 5 stars because this is not your average domestic thriller, and again with a tone unlike most books and a plot that is so twisted you'll want to read cover to cover in one night.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks for this ARC for review. This was a fun twisty thriller as expected from Darby Kane. Dr Richmond Dougherty is a renowned surgeon and very dead. He had just married a new, young woman, Addison, so all things point to her as the murderer as she is now the rich new widow. But there is also the previous Mrs. Dougherty who hates Addison. And Addison had a plan to marry Dr Dougherty and then ruin him, not kill him.... Now Addison needs to find out what really happened before she gets blamed.

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane is about a wife wondering who tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding because that was supposed to be her job. 

The story wasn't as page-turning as I was expecting. There were some slow parts in the middle. The flashbacks got a bit tedious to deal with. Plus, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and the story just never connected for me.

Overall, What the Wife Knew was just an okay read for me. It never really resonated nor left an impression; it was just an average read.

#WhattheWifeKnew #NetGalley @WmMorrowBooks

I’ve liked almost all of Darby Kanes book. Her first one was by far my favorite but this was had some good twists and kept me engaged. The switching of His/Her and timelines was a good way to keep the story going.

What The Wife Knew is a revenge thriller with a cast of characters so ruthless we'll be glad they're fictional. One is more contemptible than the next. The story is told primarily by Addison, an antagonist determined to ruin the man she marries for reasons made clear as the story unfolds. One can only describe Addison as single minded in her quest to destroy her target. The woman is all hard edges and isn't afraid to use them. She learned detachment from her cold, narcissistic mother. There are a few scenes where Addison shows a modicum of vulnerability, and these are especially sweet because we learn she's caring at her core. But revenge takes its toll on a person. Especially when plotting murder.

Readers will need to suspend disbelief from the first chapter to the last in this twisty thriller set in a community of the ultra-rich. The story is high drama all the way. Fans of HelenKay Dimon might enjoy reading this novel by her alter-ego, Darby Kane.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Thanks NetGalley for the free ARC! Honestly, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a clever storyline.! Lots of surprises, twists and turns, and revenge at its finest. I would definitely recommend for an engaging read.

4.5 stars.

✨This was my first book by Darby Kane, and it did not disappoint. I’ve already been busy adding her backlist titles to my TBR.

✨I loved the main character who is layered and flawed with a soft heart in spite of herself – and completely likeable. She’s snarky and entertaining, and I couldn’t help but root her. The remaining cast of characters are those you love to hate. A nasty crew, that one.

✨Oh the scheming! And the scandalous, shocking twists and turns! I was glued to the pages.

✨This was a fast-paced rollercoaster ride, and I was thoroughly entertained.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Domestic thrillers
✨Multiple timelines
✨Jaw-dropping reveals
✨Dysfunctional family drama

"What the Wife Knew" by Darby Kane is an engrossing puzzle of a read mostly told from the point of view of Addison, a young woman who married an older man. We get a few flashback scenes from his POV, and from the beginning it's clear that they bear murderous levels of animosity toward each other. So of course when Richmond, the husband, is murdered, Addison becomes the prime suspect in the eyes of the whole town that had idolized Richmond and despised his newcomer, homewrecker wife. The only thing is, not only did Addison not do it, she's also now in danger herself.

Bit by bit Darby Kane dribbles out clues to how and why this mismatched pair was together in the first place, and what role their pasts--and their family members--play in this tense mystery. The story is an enjoyable page-turner. I especially appreciated getting to know the enigmatic Addison, who at first seems cold and heartless.

The only thing that did not work very well for me was the writing of the last bit of the book. Whereas the rest of the story moved along nicely, the ending seemed a bit mired in navel gazing and exposition. Still, I gobbled the story up and would rate it 4.5 (rounded to 5) stars...and will probably look for more Darby Kane stories to read!

Thanks very much to the author and publisher for the advance copy on which I based this honest review.

I usually read everything Darby Kane writes and love it. This one was just ok to me. The ending felt rushed. It was a fast read.

This book started off very good. I really liked the main character Addison. I found some of her humor funny and yet I felt sorry for the life that she endured with her mother.

Addison is rushed into a marriage in name only with a man who is an outstanding pediatric surgeon and very wealthy. There are a lot of questions surrounding this quick marriage and his divorce from his wife that he has been with since high school. When her husband ends up dead naturally, all eyes turn to her pointing the finger did she kill him…

The storyline is very well developed. I felt the end of the book was a bit rushed, and I was very disappointed that there wasn’t an epilogue giving us an insight as to where the characters were a year or two down the road. I would have liked to know they were all in a better place. Of course, I am a sucker for a happy ending!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Willian Morrow for an advanced copy of this book.

Wow! What a wild ride! Hold on to your seat as Darby Kand takes you on an adventure full of murder, deception, and family dysfunction. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was a twist! Put this one on the top of your list!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: December 10, 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I love a fast paced thriller that makes your heart race and your mind run and this did that for me. This will take you by the collar and pull you through page by page. A doctor mysteriously dies and his wife is being framed but by who is the question. The ex-wife is out to find this answer out as is Addison our FMC (the wife).

Twists, turns and secrets will keep you on edge the entire time. Can Addison figure out who was behind this and all the other things that happen along this story before it’s too late and they get to her next. Definitely a great domestic thriller and I can say that I love everything about our authors writing. Loved this!

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Domestic Thriller, Fast Paced, Who-Did-It Mystery, Dual POV, Dual Timelines, Family Drama, Revenge.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was really fast paced and the suspense had me invested. All the plots and surprises in the book had me gasping however towards the end, I felt the creativity died. Like the aurthor lost motivation and just wanted to end the story. With that being said, the ending felt cut off too short. I read the ending not knowing it was the ending. The FMC was just thrown off by a surprise and you'd think it'll continue a little longer but then it just ends. You would think since the FMC was set on exposing the bad guys that she would throw everyone involved into the fire but she doesn't. Which is a tad disappointing. If she wants to sever the ties with her mom, then turn her in to the police. But nope she writes her off like it'll solve everything. Don't get me started on the detective. He was so dead set on the FMC being the perpetrator and then as soon as something major took a turn, he's all for the FMC? Even covering up evidence? Like what was his reasoning for helping her? So the the real MRS. couldn't get the money? It felt like no one was actually doing the digging and investigation. Like the characters just took whatever they could find and ran with it. It just sounds like a whole bunch of bs to me. The beginning was really a good start, it build the story up and was going somewhere. I was hoping that all these plots and what not had a good explanation behind it but it kind of just fell through.

What a great book. I absolutely loved it. Full of surprises and shocking moments! Would definitely recommend this to everyone

Addison wanted her husband dead, just not before she had a chance to ruin his life. dead or not, she still plans to ruin his spotless reputation; just after she figures out who’s trying to frame and more importantly are they after her next? the more Addison digs, the more she finds that she may not have been the only person to want Dr. Richmond Dougherty dead. will the cops see that or is she doomed to go down for his murder?

I loved this book! It had me hooked from the first chapter. I felt it was so well written with so much to untangle to keep you engaged and wanting to learn more. Could you maybe guess the end? Probably but there are so many ways it could go, you might also be wrong! 5/5⭐️ from me!

What the wife knew by Darby Kane

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this advance reader copy!

This book had me at chapter one wondering how the author will weave this web of past and present. Chaotic and cryptic, as I flew through the throng on chapters it faded as the story pushed on. I loved the initial hook and propensity of the story but it honestly kept me saying What in the world.

I was engulfed in the story as it unfolded and I was constantly watching the secrets and lies getting whiplash from the crazy!

What a wild ride!!

Thank you William Morrow / Harper Collins for early access to this psychological thriller.

Details were important in the book. Being written in a non-linear timeline with multi-person point of view. The past had a big part of what drove this book. And do you think people are truthful when a murder is committed?

This book starts out like no other suspense I’ve read. People normally don’t say they want to kill their husband. But the new, young wife does and she has a baseball bat.

Her name is Addison, not only is she young but beautiful. Addison manipulates the wealthy doctor into leaving his wife and marrying her. But why? No one knows? Dr Richmond Dougherty, well respected and highly regarded pediatric surgeon, who has numerous accolades and awards. Not to mention a hero who saved classmates during a school shooting. But is there something Addison knows? Is he everything they say he is?

So, when the great Dr ends up murdered there is a lot of speculation. New wife? He has money. Old wife? Bitter divorce. Children? Angry over the whole situation. Unhappy patient? What don’t we know?

I liked how there were so many possibilities to solving this crime. It wasn’t simple and obvious. The characters were spelled out for you. They were built as the book progressed and they had layers.

Mystery/suspense plots can be obvious but I appreciate when you have to pay attention to all details and read to the very end. in my opinion, those are the best ones.

You are here because you LOVE LOVE LOVE Twisty domestic thrillers. In the thrillers, the wife is always downtrodden and pitied early on.

NOT HERE! Darby Kane has taken this trope and flipped over and over and over to make a fantastic, sharp and zippy thriller that will leave you with your mouth wide open!

Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a surgeon. Rich, white, beloved community member and still known as a hero from a school shooting when he was a student. When he dies from a fall, all eyes are on his very unlikeable new wife Addison. Who is Addison, why did he abruptly marry her (leaving his wife of 20 years). Did she kill him?

Nothing is what it seems but Kane makes it believable and presents characters that are interesting and complicated. She is a go-to for me and she should be for you! Grab your wine, turn off your phone and open this book!
#williammorrow #whatthewifeknew #darbykane

This book had a fast pace and rather abrupt, quite direct writing. It wasn't terribly appealing to me. Just a basic read. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

*What the Wife Knew* by Darby Kane starts strong with a twisty, page-turning plot that kept me hooked. The quick pacing was a plus, but the story eventually spiraled into too many directions. Unfortunately, the characters and their motivations fell flat for me, leading to a disappointing finish. Overall, it’s a 2-star read.