Pretty Little Wife

A Novel

By: Darby Kane

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: Shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?

Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems.

A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection, if there even is one. Little do they know they might be stumbling over only part of the truth.... With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife.

She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone.

©2021 Darby Kane (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

highly recommend worth every penny

loved this book twists and turns keeps you memerized
wish there were more like it
great narration

Excellent Thriller Debut

When I learned that my-law-school-friend-turned-romance-novelist branched out into the thriller genre I anxiously awaited the release of Pretty Little Wife. I confess I had not read her previous works. The wait was well rewarded. Pretty Little Wife has an expeditious pace without being frenetic. The occasional flashbacks bring a judicious mixture of backstory and intrigue without gratuitous red herrings. The suspense builds to a finale with a twist that I did not see coming. Lila is flawed but we gradually put together the pieces of the puzzle to gain context into her decisions. A story such as this risks falling into a trap of moral relativism, but, fortunately, we are asked to draw our own conclusions based on the actions of the characters rather than being spoonfed exposition about ephemeral political or social memes. This is a strong debut by someone who I always knew to have a way with words. As we all know, with an audiobook, the written word can be butchered by a poor narrator. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Xe Sands gives a strong performance for each of the characters. Her portrayal of Lila makes perfect sense as we learn more about the character. When a chapter ends, we decide to listen to just one more before hitting the pause button. That is the mark of a good book ... and audiobook.

Above the pack!

I listen to at least 15 books a month and I had gotten pretty bored with psychological thrillers but this one was really enjoyable. I won’t say I didn’t figure parts out early but definitely not all of it. Something has to be said for the narrator too! She was great! Really good at shifting through characters. Throughly enjoyed!

Held my attention

I enjoyed this book more than most and I’ve read a lot of this genre. I also love Sands’ narration - she has an inviting voice that draws you in. Solid recommend all around.

Love this reader.

This story didn’t start from the beginning, it gave you information as it went. It was very Entertaining, I enjoyed it very much. I love the narrator, I’ve heard her reading previous books, she’s one of my favorites.

Excellent Book!

I couldn’t stop listening! Xe Sands is my favorite narrator and she didn’t disappoint. I will be listening to more of Darby Kane’s books.

Listened in one day

This was a one day listen! Started in the morning and finished late at night.

It definitely kept my interest and kept me guessing just about up to the end! Some parts are easy to figure out but some parts keep you in suspense. Loved it.

One detail to many

The book was somewhat predictable, but it moved along nicely, until the end.

The monster at the end while unburdening themselves of their crimes became uncomfortably graphic.

Not a spoiler- just a detail I can’t shake-
wealthy people paying to hunt and kill women.

Eh

It was ok, but I sort of wish I had my credit back. Pretty boring and easy to figure out

excellent road trip listening

story has some interesting and engaging twists. kept me engaged on a 2 day road trip. in hind sight story takes a little imagination to be completely believable.