What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane
My rating:
4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Addison married Doctor Richmond Dougherty to expose his past and with every intention of killing him, but someone killed him before she had the chance.

I really enjoyed this one! There were a lot of twists and turns to this domestic thriller and I honestly had no idea where the story was going at the end! While the main plot could be seen as predictable, the ending was not for me!

I really enjoyed the past and present timelines and the short chapters. I would say this had a good pace to it and always kept my interest.

The main character was likeable and I liked getting to know more about her past.

This is my third book by the author and I would consider her an autobuy author for me! Thank you netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC! This will be published December 10th 2024, so add it to your to be read shelf now!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book pulled me in right away and kept me guessing the whole time. Twisty and intense! I read it in 2 days. The only cons were I liked the story a little less once Addison’s mom was introduced. I found her over the top and annoying. Also the constant trying to out-twist each other toward the end was a bit much.

All in all I did like the book and enjoyed it. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 since it was a quick read, good story and I wasn’t able to put it down.

Okay get ready to buckle up tight for this wild ride!!!! Holy moly, this was GOOD! I was so hooked from the beginning and my husband even was asking how it was ending. Such a great book!

Have you ever started a book and just a few pages in thought… yep, this is going to be an incredible 5 star book? Well, that’s how this one was for me. The first three pages alone are absolute gold. I’ve already added it to my list of top reads for 2024✨

short summary: addison’s still a newlywed, but she is attending her husband’s funeral. Unfortunately, someone killed him before she had the chance to, and she’s in a race to find out who did it before she is arrested for the murder she didn’t commit.

Read if you love:
-short chapters
-hilarious inner monologue (think Lucy from Listen for the Lie)
-dual POV
-dual timeline
-whodunnit mystery with lots of potential suspects
-twists and turns throughout the book

5+ ⭐️

HUGE thank you to Darby Kane who mailed me a signed advanced copy of this book!!! Thank you SO much, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next!! 😍 also thank you to William Morrow for my advanced e-copy. I loved it!

Pub date 12.10.24

Had potential to be great but fell short. Maybe if the author stopped focusing so much on everyone trying to outwit each other with words, she could have focused on a better plot and sub-plot. A game of cat-and-mouse where you're wondering who is actually the cat and who is the mouse, but is confused and a disappointment more than anything.

Strong 3.5 weak 4 star. Started off strong, but not sure if it's because I've read so many thrilllers now, it slightly sizzled out for me at the end. Still overall a good premise, and I enjoyed the book for what it was.

Synopsis: Someone had the chance to kill Addison’s husband before she had the chance to. Can she find out who’s guilty before she’s arrested for a murder she didn’t commit.

Thoughts: This was a TWISTY domestic thriller with so much family drama, potential suspects and unlikable characters. It was a wild ride figuring out what was going on beneath the surface of Addison’s marriage, and the conclusion was executed perfectly after all the suspense. I didn’t love any of the characters (minus the kids) but also think that was the point.

Read if you like:
-Short chapters
-Con artists stories
-Rich people problems
-Twisty stories
-Dual POV and timeline

This book could have been a 5 star read for it. It started out so strong but it sizzled out as it went on. I felt like it took a while to get to the end. But it still kept my attention until the last page.

This is one of those books that, in retrospect, feels like it was predictable. Like, this happened, so of course, that happened. But that's only in retrospect. In the moment, it's a gripping and twisty read that only gets more exciting with the introduction of a few wild cards.

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.