darby kane always delivers! and such a clever girl was no different. family secrets, betrayal, small-town drama.. this one had it all. aubrey showing back up after her family vanished years ago? chills. the twists were clever, the atmosphere was dark, and some moments — 「looking at you, aubrey + noah」 left me so unsettled. definitely recommend! especially if you love psychological suspense, messy family mysteries, and small-town secrets.

This one was fun with lots of little twists. Loved the secrets of each person in the family and how it all contributed to the final climax of the book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A group of women all either related to or connected to a prominent, wealthy family all have secrets to hide and more than one knows where a body is located.

Darby Kane has done it again. Her books never disappoint and this was no exception. Darby Kane's ability to send the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions is unmatched. The beginning of this book packs a punch, while the middle seemed to go slower than I normally like, but I loved how the author ties everything up nicely at the end. I highly recommend this book to the domestic thriller lover.

Thank you NetGalley, Darby Kane, and William Morrow Publishing for the eArc.

I’m on the fence about this book. The premise was intriguing, but the pacing felt uneven and the story moved too slowly at times. None of the characters were particularly likable, which made it harder to connect with the narrative. While I appreciated the concept, the ending left me unsatisfied.

What a twisty and outrageous book! I loved it! The characters were interesting and exciting! I thought all the different personalities clashing and meshing was fun! Whenever you have a super rich family there’s bound to be a host of deadly secrets! There was so much mystery and I was locked in! I always have fun reading a Darby Kane thriller!!!! I hope you find the time to check it out and that you enjoy it!!!

Gotta love a good Darby Kane novel with the expected twists and the unexpected final twist.

One thing I love about these books are that Darby leads you through the story and leaves some things out so you can fill in the blanks. I like being able to think ahead and plan out what I think is about to happen. This was a pretty on par book for the course nothing shocking an unexpected but a great easy before bed read.

Our missing woman that comes back from the dead Aubrey is full of secrets. But does she actually hold the key to why her entire family went missing? Or does the answer lay in the people that were left after that fateful night?

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the eerie atmosphere. The plot pacing was fantastic, however I strongly think that the publishing date needs to be during the fall months

I went into Such a Clever Girl with high hopes, but it fell flat for me. The story felt overly repetitive, with every detail spelled out multiple times as if the reader couldn’t connect the dots. A tighter, more concise style could have made for a much sharper, more suspenseful read.

I also found the timelines frustratingly inconsistent—ages, time passed, and relationships didn’t quite add up, which kept pulling me out of the story. By the time the “big” reveal came, I wasn’t invested anymore, and it wasn’t much of a surprise anyway. Overall, I’m disappointed this one didn’t deliver on its potential.

Set fifteen years after the mysterious disappearance of the Tanner family, Such a Clever Girl follows Aubrey Tanner's startling re-appearance. As she drops clues, the mystery unwinds. Alliances that were made on that fateful day begin to fray. As the story unwinds, the true masterminds of the crime are slowly revealed. There are enough hints to keep the reader engaged, but not enough to give away the final twist. This book kept me engrossed the entire time.

This book is full of suspense, twists, and manipulation. Its told in several POVs, you’ll get some of the story from different people but still wonder who is telling the truth, which i personally like in my books. This is my first book by this author and I loved it!!

The Tanner family disappears one day, leaving behind blood stains but no bodies. 3 of their close friends walk in and out but pretend they don’t know anything. 15 years later and the daughter, Aubrey Tanner resurfaces.
Now the 3 friends are thrown back into the Tanner family drama and scared of what Aubrey might dredge up. The story covers all 3 friends perspectives as they try to figure out who the murderer is and who is still messing with them.
I really enjoyed the different friends perspectives and the look into the Tanner lives. The characters were so flawed you kept hoping they had some redemption coming and it kept you pulled into the story. 3.5 ⭐️s rounded to 4.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC!!!

I have loved all of this author's novels. I was so excited to get this ARC. This book literally had me so entranced from the beginning pages. I did not expect the ending at all. All of the twists along the way were just as surprising as well. This definitely is my favorite of her's so far.

This book starts off with a really big twist in the beginning and there is a lot going on within the first few chapters.
The book sounded really good but it just didn’t work for me. There was multiple POVS and I got confused on who some of the characters were at first. It just tosses you into the book without really telling you much about the characters. Once I got the characters figured out it was easy to follow.
I will say it was a little repetitive and not much going on. I would say it’s a slow pace book. I would say this is more of a drama type of book.
The last chapter of this book explains a lot of my questions I had throughout the book.
I will say I liked Aubrey she was an interesting person.
What I did like was the setting, it was based in Sleepy Hollow. I wish it brought elements of Sleepy Hollow into the book

A big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC!

Absolutely captivating! This brilliantly crafted narrative kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. The intricate relationships among the characters truly drew me in. Hanna, Stella, and Marni, despite their distinct personalities, all harbored secrets dating back to the disappearance of the Tanner family. I found Aubrey Tanner to be an unlikable character, even with the unexpected conclusion. This book deserves a spot on your reading list! I would rate it a strong four stars!

Darby Kane has a winner with Such a Clever Girl. This is one twisted on top of twisted. The mystery element here doesn't let up, and the cast of characters are intriguing. This is the type of psychological mystery thriller that will keep you guessing. You will never figure out everything. The ending will even through you for a loop. Excellent. Must Read.

Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane is a gripping domestic thriller. In the prologue, Kane plunges readers into a chilling tableau: the Tanner family of four has vanished—dinner half-eaten, a bloodstain by the door, their bookstore in Sleepy Hollow, New York, on fire. Fifteen years later, the Tanner’s presumed-dead daughter, Aubrey, returns at just the moment an emergency court hearing is taking place regarding the estate of her late grandfather Xavier Tanner, sparking an unlikely alliance of three of the women in the room who hold long-buried secrets.
The courtroom scene is narrated by Stella, a psychologist whose mother Isabel is Xavier’s niece. Marni Richards is an elementary school teacher who suffers with great anxiety. Hanno Sato is the owner of the local coffee shop. In one way or another, each woman has a connection with the Tanners.
The story of what happened on the day the Tanners disappeared is rolled out with tension-ratcheting momentum as each woman takes the stage briefly in the telling of what happened that day. However, the multiple point of view structure of the thriller with all four women telling the story is a challenge to readers trying to keep track of so many voices.
Aubrey challengers and threatens Stella, Marni, and Hanna with what she knows and what she thinks the role of each woman was on the day the Tanners disappeared. Before the story reaches its conclusions, one of the women will be questioned by the police, another will be caught up in the terror involving a son who has gone missing, and the third will be wrecked by the reveal of all the details about what happened 15 years ago.
Darby Kane is the pseudonym of HelenKay Dimon a former trial attorney and an award-winning romantic suspense author. A native of Pennsylvania, Dimon lives in California.
My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 11, 2025.
I would like to thank William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Darby Kane has done it again with another nail-biting, eerie domestic thriller! Such a Clever Girl is a twisty, fast-paced read that had me hooked from page one-and I devoured it in record time. I absolutely love when a mystery keeps me guessing, and this one delivered in spades. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong (multiple times, much to my delight!).

Told through multiple perspectives, the narrative unfolds in a way that adds depth and tension to the story, making the final reveal all the more satisfying. I went into this one completely blind, and honestly, I recommend you do the same. It’s a 5-star read that will keep you up late flipping pages!

If you’re ready for suspense, twists at every turn, lies, deceptions and manipulation, have I got a book for you. Told in multiple POVs, you’ll get bits and pieces of the story from different characters but still wonder who is telling the real story.

A family goes missing without a trace. The town left to assume the worst. For fifteen years no one really knows what happened, just stories and speculations. During the probate hearing of the family magnate, in walks one of the missing family members. Where has she been? Was she responsible for what happened? The remaining family members and those close to it have been keeping secrets as to their part in what happened all those years before. Who? What? When? Where? Why? You may need to keep notes because the twists will keep coming to the end. Will you be clever enough to unravel the mystery of that fateful day?

I discovered Darby Kane with her last book, What the Wife Knew, and I’m glad I did. This was a hard book to put down. I reluctantly tried, as there was a list of things needing to be done, but I just found it back in my hands. She is definitely an author I will be keeping my eye on. Such a Clever Girl is not to be missed.


Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoy all of Darby Kane’s books but this one took awhile to get into. I finished it but it wasn’t as readable as all her other books. Thanks for accepting my honest review and the ARC.