Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 416 pages
Published: December 2020

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane (who also writes romance as HelenKay Dimon) was a fast-paced mystery thriller about a young wife who plans the perfect murder of her morally-questionable husband only to find that his supposedly-dead body has gone missing and thrown her plans into complete disarray. 

The story centers around Lila and her husband, Aaron. He commits some pretty horrible acts that triggers his pretty little wife's past and causes her to take dire actions in an attempt to stop him. The only problem is the set-up for her husband's death does not go as planned, and she, of course, becomes the prime suspect target in the lead detective's (Ginny's) eyes. 

I enjoyed the book. It had all the elements of a suspenseful plot. The chapters were really short, some only a page or two long, which for some reason gives books a faster-tone for me. I have noticed this a lot with mystery novels. I think it's intentional to create tension as you turn (or click in ebooks) the pages faster. There was definitely some red herrings in the novel to throw the reader off, but I found it to be somewhat predictable about two-thirds of the way in. The ending introduced at least one character quite randomly, and I'm not sure if that was added after the original manuscript was written. I don't know. It just didn't seem fully thought out to me. Additionally, the ending was wrapped up nicely and quickly, which I found to be a bit of a flaw in such a complex plot. 

Truly, the best parts of the book are when we, as the readers, learn about Lila's backstory as well as the backstory of some of the secondary characters. It gave them depth and made the story more compelling. I do have to say, the strong character of Ginny resonated with me most. This is another excellent selection from Book of the Month, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to have read it upon its release. 

Recommendation: A fun, fast-paced mystery thriller for adult readers, I give this one four stars and offer it as recommended reading for you or your book club discussion. Trigger warnings: violence, sexual abuse

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.