Fifteen years ago, the Tanner family vanished without a trace! It’s been a mystery that remains unsolved until Aubrey (the daughter) returns. Was she a victim of what happened or do her secrets explain the truth of that day?

This book has lots of twists and turns with a lot of characters so you never quite know what’s going on or who to trust. A good mystery that will keep you on your toes!

3.5 stars

Darby Kane sure does know how to concoct a convoluted domestic thriller! The premise of this book pulled me in right away with the mystery behind the Tanner family's disappearance and the eerie vibes. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to them, so I dove right in! We start out with a huge twist that establishes this feeling of overlying dread and sets a creepy tone for the rest of the story. There were multiple characters introduced who all had secrets of their own and the author provided us with four different POVs to unravel the mystery. And....this is where my excitement started to wane. I usually have no trouble following along with so many characters if the delivery is executed well; however, it was hard for me to keep track of them in this book. With the POVs of Stella, Hanna and Marni, all of their voices seemed to blend together. There were many times where I had to go back and reread in order to figure out which person was speaking or thinking. This occurred in all of the chapters where the three women were together. Aubrey's POV was stellar though! She added an extra layer of suspense and expectation like a predator lying in wait for its prey. I also struggled with all of the different family relations. It was A LOT to follow for anyone not to be confused. I did enjoy the ending. It was a bit of a surprise and cathartic in its resolution. Overall, it was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the plot and the mystery, but the writing and confusion of characters created pauses in my attention to the story and resulted in a slow, long read. I would still recommend to fans of this author and the thriller genre. It's possible my issues were just a "me" thing and others may love it.

Thank you to William Morrow for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

A fast read, well plotted and paced. I think this would especially appeal to fans of Pretty Little Liars and books of that genre, where sociopathic and/or scheming young women do a huge amount of damage with smiles on their faces for pleasure or vengeance or personal gain. If you find that a delicious premise, this book is definitely for you. Giving it a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4, even though it’s not my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for lending me an ARC of this book.

2.5 The Tanner Family mysteriously disappears 15 years ago. When the patriarch of the family passes away, he invites several people to the reading of the will, all of whom were connected to the family’s disappearance years ago. While there, one of the missing family members suddenly returns, shocking everyone- especially those who knew what actually took place that day.

The book bounces between 4 points of view. It’s a lot of people, situations, and perspectives to remember. I had a difficult time keeping the storylines straight and anytime I started become invested, the chapter would end and a new POV would take over. The author gives little snippets of the events of the disappearance throughout the book, but the final reveal is underwhelming and comes way too late. I had a hard time getting through this one!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My thoughts//
I’m a big fan of her books & this one did not disappoint!! This was told in multiple POV with short chapters - lot of which ended on a cliff hanger and I loved that. The mystery was THERE and I was turning pages and guessing the whole time.
Yet another completely bingeable thriller written by an auto-buy author 🙌🏻

Multiple points of view, dead bodies, missing people, and secrets galore. This was a fun read- Darby Kane always delivers.

A dark and twisty thriller, I really enjoy suspense novels with a psychological twist and this one doesn’t disappoint. A small hometown full of secrets and lies, you will be hooked from the first few pages!

ok darby kane’s books recently have been absolutely FIRE! and this one is no exception!! there’s something about a domestic cold case thriller that gets me so invested 🙂‍↕️ I love the chase y’all

following a set of women fifteen years after the disappearance of a prominent family in the community, the plot surrounds secrets, lies, and what happens when power-hungry people get the chance to have it all 😅 spoiler: it’s never good

the multi-POV set up was brilliant in that the reader was able to deduct the motives behind each of the women before the rest of the characters did, which added to my desire to figure it all out 🫡 and of course, while I did guess the biggest plot twist, there were plenty of jaw-dropping moments throughout!

domestic and neighborhood thrillers really tend to be my favorites due to the fact that no one can be trusted, not even the narrators. and I love being gaslit (in stories only of course 😅)

a huge thank you to william morrow for the gifted advanced copy!!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay

What a great read! I have to admit that Darby Kane is one of my auto buy authors so I was thrilled to get this book. She did not disappoint!! Great writing and the characters were on point.

This book was such a great thriller! It was psychological atmospheric and it kept me on my toes the whole time. I love Darby Kane and will pick up any book they write. They make the characters so relatable yet so unreliable. I never know what’s coming page after page. What a great read!

3.75/5 stars

Darby Kane’s Such a Clever Girl sets up an irresistible mystery: a whole family vanishes one night under terrifyingly strange circumstances, and fifteen years later, the lone survivor returns to the scene. That setup alone is enough to hook any fan of small-town secrets and long-buried truths. And for much of the novel, Kane delivers.

The atmosphere is haunting, the town’s paranoia and curiosity palpable. Aubrey Tanner, now thirty and seemingly hardened by what she’s survived—or hidden—is a compelling if somewhat elusive lead. Her reappearance stirs a pot that’s been simmering for over a decade, and the tension between her and the trio of women who seem to know more than they’re saying keeps the plot moving forward.

That said, Such a Clever Girl isn’t without its pacing issues. There were stretches of the book that felt slow, even bogged down. The momentum often sputtered just as things seemed ready to explode.

Despite this, Kane’s strength lies in weaving complicated relationships and layered secrets. The intertwining perspectives of the teacher, café owner, and psychologist—each with their own history and guilt—add a psychological depth that elevates the story beyond a standard thriller. The addition of a new disappearance and a spiraling case of blackmail injects a much-needed shot of adrenaline in the second half.

In the end, Such a Clever Girl is a dark, twisty novel with strong character work and a compelling mystery, though the pacing occasionally undercuts its suspense. If you're patient with slower sections and appreciate psychological nuance, it's well worth the read. Just don’t expect a breakneck thriller from start to finish.

Verdict: A chilling, character-driven mystery that stumbles slightly in pacing but ultimately lands its punches.

This domestic thriller tells the story of the disappearance of the Tanner family and the chain of events set in motion when one of the family, believed to be dead, suddenly reappears. It is definitely a show-burn novel which focuses on the dynamics between the characters rather than on sudden twists or reveals. There are 74 short chapters which alternate between multiple POV. The list of main and supporting characters is long, and it was a challenge to keep them straight. A cast of characters at the beginning would have been immensely helpful.

The novel is set in Sleepy Hollow, but the location is not key to the plot. Since the focus is on character interactions and dialogue, the setting does not play a significant role. A considerable portion of that dialogue is dedicated to characters attempting to deceive, argue or gaslight each other. As other reviewers have noted, this becomes somewhat repetitive and the pace drags a little. The questions are resolved by the conclusion, but this one missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of Such a Clever Girl.

After several different tries I unfortunately had to DNF. The introduction of the plot and the many different characters was so abrupt and the writing in general felt very jerky. I've read several Darby Kane books before this one so this was very surprising. I will give this author another try in the future but this was a big miss for me.

Darby Kane has done it again and this is one of the best mystery/thrillers I've ever read. The pacing was excellent and I was turning pages into the night wondering what was going to happen next. I absolutely recommend this book and any other works by this author! It would make a great book club pick!

This book didn’t quite land with me. It seemed very long and I didn’t enjoy any of the characters. Usually I enjoy this author, this one just wasn’t it for me

Told from 4 POVs , this was a fast paced, enjoyable story with a lot of twists - although I did guess the main two early on , I still had my doubts at some points and had a hard time putting this one down! I was surprised when I looked it how up that this is over 400 pages ; it definitely didn’t feel that long!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s very reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars as far as having a strong female character you’re unsure is either the villain or the victim. If you liked the Pretty Little Liars books or television show I think you’ll really enjoy this book.

Set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, New York, you know right away you’re probably in for chills and thrills. This book follows the sordid past of, the Tanners, a prominent family within the town. The lone surviving family patriarch, Xavier, passes away and it renews interest and speculation of the case of his disappearing family from decades previously. Xavier’s son, daughter in law, and their two children all disappeared in one day and no one has even been able to solve the mystery of where they went.

A small group of seemingly random people from the town are invited to the will reading which ultimately leads to an unveiling of several dark secrets and a shocking revealing of what truly happened that fateful day so many years ago.

ARC Review | Such A Clever Girl by Darby Kane

This book gripped me from the first page and held me hostage in the best way. Darby Kane displayed a talent for creating tangled webs of lies and secrets, as this book delivered an array twists. What made this thriller especially clever was the use of multiple POVs, it gave me a front row seat to everyone’s secrets, suspicions, and unraveling lies. I was hooked watching it all collide family secrets dated over a decade resurface, but how and what are the consequences,…is the real intrigue!! Which was my favorite aspect. I was able to kind of predict one outcome but there was so much I didn’t predict.

I recommend this book and I’ll definitely be checking out her other books.

📕 Release Date: 01/20/2026

I just finished reading this novel. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I begun reading it. It was definitely a, whodunit! I cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It sadly did not end up being my cup of tea. I felt that the story dragged and that the final twist wasn’t really earned. There was also a LOT of manipulation by a deceased character that just felt too ludicrous to reasonably believe. I did, however, enjoy the backdrop of sleepy hallow for the story and will continue to read Darby Kane’s books in the future.