Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It’s intricate and twisty. The suspense is consistent which helps keep you drawn in and stay engaged. There are 4 povs which can be a bit much to keep straight, especially in the beginning. This book isn't one that you can read without full attention. The end seemed to drag just a little bit.

I love this book! I had a hard time following the characters at the beginning. When I finally figured out the main characters, I really liked how the chapters switched back and forth from each one. I enjoyed the cliff hanger until t came back around to that character again. The whole book kept me guessing and wanting to keep reading!

I thought this book was just ok. As with most of the books by this author, the storyline was good but there was something a bit off with the writing style. I love books about abandoned places and the added piece about the family disappearing seemingly into thin air was intriguing. As the book continued, the storyline became a bit convoluted, though, and I never really connected with the characters.

There were some definite creepy parts in the book and I do think it was unpredictable- plenty of red herrings kept me guessing as to what really happened to the missing family. I wish I could’ve connected better with any of the characters- I felt that I was being told what they were like rather than seeing it for myself in some instances. The ending of the book was pretty satisfying and tied in well to the rest of the story.

Overall, this wasn’t necessarily my favorite book of the year but it was a decent read and I found the setting to be creepily atmospheric. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good book thank you for letting me read in advance. Five stars. Loved the characters and all the twists and turns. Stayed up way to late trying to finish it in one day.

Such a Clever Girl is a novel about a family that disappeared 15 years ago. When the grandfather of the missing family passes away, key players who are intricately involved in the mystery are brought together. The novel is a fast paced who-done it slowly unlayering secrets that have been buried for 15 years.

I really went into this book intrigued, and was getting into it, until it became way too chaotic and confusing for me. I feel like the plot was very all over the place, and made it hard for a reader to properly follow and digest all the relationships between characters. I think the idea of the book was good, but the execution of it was a little confusing.

This is my first Darby Kane novel and I’ve read raving reviews about her. I wasn’t disappointed! This book takes place in Sleepy Hollow, which was a great backdrop for the story in my opinion.

It’s told from 4 POV. Multiple POV can get confusing in some books but in this book, they were easy enough for me to follow along with. There are quite a few characters and storylines, which did get a bit confusing at times.

The characters were mid, as far as being likable but I think that was kind of the point . They all had their own secrets and Hanna was just… strange. Her arrogance and haughtiness throughout the entire novel, like she was smarter than everyone, got old quick. Again.. I think this was purposeful and the author did a good job of making her unlikeable.

I didn’t see the twist at the very end!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ALC.

I just could not get into this book. The writing was good but the story just did not grab me. This novel would probably appeal to many others.

I wish Kane would have leaned into the Sleepy Hollow setting a little more. There was so much creepy potential there! I didn’t really like/want to root for any of the characters and none of the twists or answers were very satisfying in my opinion.

However, I did like the multiple POVs and short chapters. I also really liked the storyline of an entire family disappearing and then the daughter coming back to solve the mystery. I just wanted it to be a little more explosive and I felt like the story dragged at times. I would have also loved to read Victoria, Patrick, and Noah’s POVs.

An entire family disappears one day and only one of them reappears 15 years later. <i>Such a Clever Girl</i> centers around three women who all have something to hide about that day 15 years ago. While I found the plot well-paced and interesting, none of the reveals were particularly satisfying for me.

She's done it again! Darby Kane is queen of the twisty thrillers. From her first novel, Pretty Little Wife, to this new offering, I'm always impressed by her creativity. It's always twist on top of twist.
One afternoon four members of the Tanner family disappeared without a trace. Husband and wife with two children never to be seen again. Police were baffled. Xavier Tanner, a cruel patriarch, was silent. Three young women, Hanna, Stella, and Marni are seemingly connected to the mystery, but how? They aren't talking. The death of Xavier and reading of his will turns the town upside down. Someone thought dead returns to wreak havoc and no one is safe from their schemes.

This one might be Ms. Kane's twistiest thriller yet. I will say that at the beginning I was confused for a bit. Towards the middle, I was able to get on track and felt that the plot was coming together. While I did guess a few things right, I was pleasantly surprised by how everything played out.

A big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Darby Kane delivers a diabolically twisty psychological thriller in Such a Clever Girl. With her signature style—fast-paced, smart, and filled with complex women—Kane creates a chilling narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very last page. The titular “clever girl” is a protagonist you won’t soon forget—calculating, determined, and hiding just enough to keep you on edge. The plotting is tight, the stakes are high, and every chapter ups the ante. This is the kind of thriller that makes you suspicious of everyone—and question everything. If you love cat-and-mouse stories with razor-sharp intelligence, don’t miss this.

The setup? A whole family disappears—poof! Blood on the door, dinner still warm, and a bookstore burning to the ground. Fifteen years later, three women who were there that night (each with secrets they’d very much like to keep buried) are pulled back together... and then, surprise! The teenage daughter they all thought was dead walks into the room. Awkward.

Cue lies, tension, flashbacks, buried bodies, and one guy who really wants to write a book about it all. This is a juicy, twisty, bingeable read with morally messy characters and a pace that does not quit.

I especially loved Hannah’s chapters—she’s messy in the best way, and I was rooting for her from page one. Four stars from me, and big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the early peek at this wild ride!

@hkdimon continues to deliver gripping, atmospheric, and twisty thrillers! This upcoming novel is vivid in both its setting and shady characters. With so many points of view, it took some time to figure out who had the motive or means concerning the disappearance of the Tanner family. Everyone seems to have a secret surrounding this cold case, so I never knew who to trust. The friends and family dynamics added an addictive layer of drama!

Such A Clever Girl by Darby Kane
Published by William Morrow

Such a Clever Girl is non-stop action with so many delightful psychological twists and turns that it’s hard to put down before you reach the end. In the town of Sleepy Hollow Halloween is coming and the wealthy and mysterious Tanners are again making the news. Tragedies seem to befall the Tanners in every generation and there are very few Tanners left. The book takes a deep dive into the lives of three women and how they have been impacted by these tragedies and the secrets they’ve kept. This book will keep you guessing more than a game of Clue. Come along for the ride and watch as the mysteries unfold.

My thanks to William Morrow for allowing me to read this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced ARC. When a women who has been missing and assumed dead for 15 years shows up ar the will reading for her grandfather, three women"s lives are upended and secrets are revealed, This book had a lot of twists and turns with a good many characters so you never quite know what"s going on or who to trust. If you liked any of Kane"s previous books, give this one a try.

Darby Kane is a must read author for me. I love her twisty mind and how she takes pieces from seemingly different puzzles but always makes them fit so perfectly together. Such a Clever Girl is totally unique for Kane but still fits the bill!

Filled with unlikeable characters, mysterious events and potential deaths from 15 years ago, and so much more, Such a Clever Girl is a fast-paced novel that kept me guessing and page flipping. With so many despicable people and so much money at stake, it was hard to know who to trust and what really happened all those years ago when the Tanners went missing. I loved Aubrey’s dramatic reemergence, overall mysteriousness, and her badass /don’t give a flip persona. I also liked that Marni, Hannah, and Stella were frenemies but still sort of had each other’s backs (maybe?) and the drama that kept them together (and apart!).

I didn’t totally understand why the novel takes place in Sleepy Hollow. For such an infamous and iconic setting, I didn’t think it actually added much to the story and I kept waiting for a ghost plot line or a headless horseman that never came. But overall - Secrets and money and dead patriarchs playing games - what more could you want?!

Definitely a fun one and I totally get why everyone at The Pulse all drops everything to grab Kane’s new release each year! Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Everyone at @thrillerbooklovers is buzzing about this 2026 thriller and for good reason! I have read all of Darby Kane’s books and get so excited when she has a new release coming! Her writing is so addictive and twisty. Such a Clever Girl is a fast paced domestic thriller, I couldn’t help but devour it! There are multiple POVs that she pulls off exceptionally well, I love when we get to see into the minds of more characters! And some of these characters were my favorite in thrillers, ones I love to hate! They have terrible morals and definitely cannot be trusted! Every character is hiding something, and it’s a race to figure out what those secrets are before it too late! This one was a treat, as I’ve come to expect with Kane!

Darby Kane always writes an engaging story, and this book is no exception! If this is your genre and you’ve liked any of Kane’s previous works, give this one a try!

When a woman who has been missing and assumed dead for 15 years shows up at the will reading for her grandfather, three women’s lives are upended and secrets revealed.

This book was fairly fast paced, fun and kept you guessing. Even when you thought the story was leading you one way it would suddenly jerk you the other. It was just the right amount of thriller cheesiness without crossing over into corny. My only complaints about the book is it may focus on too many POVs in order to truly connect and care about any one character, and it got a tad repetitive when so many chapters ended with some form of “I was lying”. Overall though this was a quick, run read that kept me entertained, and I’d suggest it for anyone who enjoys a solid thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Darby Kane for allowing me to read this ARC.