Richmond Daugherty was married to Kathryn and had two children, Wyatt and Portia. Richmond was a wealthy surgeon. At her mother's behest, Addison blackmailed Richmond into divorcing his wife and marrying her. 27 years ago, he had killed his parents and a kid at school but was deemed a hero. Addison and her mother had the proof of his deeds.

Addison slept with a baseball bat under her bed and Richmond was killed with said baseball bat. Addison was the number one suspect. Richmond had told Catherine that he was going to kill her and then they'd get back together. Clearly that's not what happened.

Richmond was an acclaimed surgeon. The father of one of his patients who died accused him of killing his son. But the accusation was that he hadn't actually done the surgery but had someone else do it instead. That turned out to be true. And that opened an investigation into his other surgeries.

This book made me nuts. The author kept bouncing around to various times in the storyline with no rhyme or reason. It was day 3 into the marriage, and then 27 years ago, and then day 21 of the marriage and so on. The time frames were haphazard. It drove me crazy. The only reason, and I mean the ONLY reason I finished the book was because I wanted to know who killed Richmond. The only saving grace was that there was a twist ending. I gave this book three stars only because of the ending.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with another gripping domestic thriller. In “What the Wife Knew”, we enter a world of suspicion, betrayal, and calculated revenge.

Dr. Richmond Dougherty, a renowned pediatric surgeon, meets an untimely end—thanks to a fall down the stairs. His neighbors point fingers at the newest Mrs. Dougherty, Addison. Their marriage lasted only ninety-seven days, during which Richmond suffered two suspicious “accidents.” Now, Addison is a wealthy widow.

Despite rising tensions and hostility from the town, Addison is determined to unravel Richmond’s legacy. She becomes a target, facing faceless threats and a chilling note left in her bedroom. But she won’t be stopped. Her plan to marry Richmond and ruin him may have been derailed by his death, but she’s far from finished.

Kane masterfully weaves unreliable narrators, secrets, and unexpected twists. The isolated location and approaching storm add to the suspense. As characters fall on the swords of their cover-ups, the plot spins like a tornado.

What the Wife Knew keeps readers guessing until the final revelation. If you crave a domestic thriller with layers of intrigue, this one won’t disappoint. 🌟📖✨

Based on the recent reviews I read, I may be in the minority here, but I just didn’t love it. It was just meh. I typically enjoy Darby Kane’s writing but this just didn’t do it for me. It was really hard to like or sympathize with the main character for at least the first 60% of the book. She came off snarky and unlikable with no redeeming qualities. Once you finally start to see the other side of her, it’s almost too late. The story is driven by Addison’s mother’s vendetta against Richmond Doughtery and her plot to use her own daughter to exact revenge for his crimes from 27 years earlier. It was just not believable. And it was just not that enjoyable. Sorry, Darby.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks for allowing me to read an arc ahead of its publication on 12/10/2024.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and Willow Morrow-Willow Morrow Paperbacks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: December 10, 2024
Pages: 368

A well-written and suspenseful novel by Darby Kane, new author to this reader. This story gives you just enough to have your mind reeling with all kinds of twists. It is well-written suspense thriller leaving you turning the pages. Although a good read, it had its drawbacks…narcissistic characters, too many changes in the twists leaving you sighing to care about what happens at the end and toggling between POVs is not my favorite when reading.

Well written and full of suspense, What the Wife Knew is a thriller well worth a read. If you're a fan of stories that grip the reader and don't let go, Darby Kane's work will be right up your alley. Full of vivid descriptions and tension, it deserves a space on your reading list, particularly if you're a fan of suburban angst or domestic thrillers.

Full disclosure: it's a bit of a lengthy read, and there's more than one twist, but if you're looking for a story that will leaving you turning those twists over in your mind after reading, this is it.

Solid. 3.75 stars.

Wow! I enjoyed the entire book but the ending was amazing. So surprised by the reveals. And when I thought it was done, there was more. Definitely recommend.

This book was great. It kept me guessing u til the end. The writing was great. I can’t wait until more from this author

WHAAAAAT. The last 15% had my head in a tailspin. So many of these twists came from left field and were well executed. The “him” chapters were deeply unsettling. This was a lot darker than I anticipated and I enjoyed it. (I’m not a weirdo)

I wish we got more character development into Elias. The rest of the crew seemed pretty well fleshed out minus him. There were some side plots that got a bit overwhelming but did ultimately tie in and were relevant.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was my first Darby Kane book. And I am now questioning why that is! I was invested in this book from the jump. I stayed up WAY too late some nights reading it. I found myself watching the clock at the end of the work day so I could grab the book and see how it continued to play out.

I am definitely going to check out some of her other books!

Run, don't walk to grab this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

I was already a Darby Kane fan before reading this book, but this solidified her as a "Must Read Author" for me. I was hooked from the first page and flew through this book in two days. I loved how fast paced it was, the surprises along the way, and that it kept me guessing until the very end! Bonus for me: the short chapters & alternating timeline/POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I wasn't necessarily planning on reading this book so soon when the pub date is so far away, but I read the first page of this book and I was hooked. I am not sure how I have not read a book by Darcy Kane before, but I am definitely planning on reading more books by her in the future. This book is super addictive and juicy and if you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, then this is the perfect book for you. I can't recommend this book enough.

5 stars +


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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A young woman marries an older man, a doctor seen as a hero from a past tragedy. This is no ordinary marriage involving a quickie divorce, suspicions, abuse. He is found dead and the current wife is the main suspect. This book was fast paced and kept me reading to uncover all the secrets.

While it’s hard to like any of the characters in this book, I did eventually end up rooting for Addison, her back story is just so twisted and saddening that you can see why she becomes who she does.
There are too many changes to what one is led to believe the truth is that by the end I had given up caring.
Reading about thoroughly narcissistic people does not bring me joy and I’d rather spend my time elsewhere.
The redemption did not salvage the journey.
Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary ebook, this did not impact my review.

I think this book will be uber popular! The plot sounds so good!

From GR:
Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with another twisty domestic thriller about a wife wondering who tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding… because that was supposed to be her job.

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 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.


I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. My review rating is based on the summary of this book.

, I really liked the main character, and the plot was very unique! This book was so fun to read. I highly recommend for thriller lovers.

This book is a dark thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. This is a quick entertaining read. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely read more. Thanks to netgalley and rhe publisher for an ARC of this book.

This book was really good!! I love Darby Kane, but I went in as unbiased as I could. This plot line was super intriguing, detailed and entertaining. It was fast and had lots going on but was never confusing or unbelievable. There were lots of times where you thought you knew what was going on, but the ending still gives a shock- and is satisfying up until the very end.
The writing is very good and I would definitely recommend this book, and already have. Darby Kane remains a favorite!

Outlier review!
2.5 ⭐️

I was THRILLED to receive a VERY early copy of this book, not due out until December 10, 2024-but unfortunately I wasn’t quite as thrilled with the story.

Dr. Richmond Dougherty was not only a renowned pediatric surgeon, but also an infamous tragedy survivor, and a national hero.

That is-he WAS until an unfortunate fall down the stairs.

And, it doesn’t look good that in the ninety-seven days since marrying the SECOND Mrs. Dougherty, Addison, that he’d had not one, but TWO other suspicious “accidents”.

Now Addison is a VERY rich widow-but one who has been left wondering WHO tried to kill her husband TWICE before succeeding-because that was supposed to be HER job!!

This was an ORIGINAL premise that started out well, unfolding from the very SNARKY first person POV (including inner thoughts) of our main protagonist, Addison. I was “ALL IN” !

Then at 50%, we were privy to a chapter from HIS POV-one of those long conversations where the bad guy confesses his sins so that we have an opportunity to see just how despicable he REALLY was.

AND then things took a turn for the worse…

Addison’s home became a CONSTANT revolving door of uninvited guests, and the entire second half felt like one conversation after another until “what the wife knew” was revealed.

Things became pretty convoluted at this point and the ending made me CRINGE!

Really? WHO would do that??

I think my tastes may just be changing. I still love mystery/suspense but in the last few years, I feel like my love for the PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER may be waning. This genre seems to be getting TOO TWISTY and TOO OTT for me, as authors try to AMP UP the shock value.

Be sure to read a sample of reviews to determine if this one might be a better fit for you!

Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted ARC, provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts.

This book is partially the story of a marriage in name only, with Richmond and Addison as the unhappy couple who hate each other but are stuck with one another. When Richmond is murdered, Addison is a suspect, but she knows the murderer is still at large.

There's a lot going on, from the past and the present. The past is full of family murder, a high school shooting, teenage pregnancy, and medical malpractice. Addison seems like a strong character but her manipulative mother has been calling all the shots. Kathryn is Richmond's first wife, and keeps showing up to throw out zingers at Addison and uses her teenage kids to manipulate Addison.

The story started out strong, but the pacing got bogged down in the last half. Kathryn became such a desperate caricature that she was comical in the melodrama of a climax.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.