Available Formats
Pretty Little Wife: A Novel
By (Author) Darby Kane
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
HarperCollins
1st January 2026
United States
General
Fiction
Psychological thriller
Crime and mystery fiction
Horror and supernatural fiction
Modern and contemporary fiction: general and literary
Contemporary lifestyle fiction
Modern and Contemporary romance
Paperback
416
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 isnt what she seems.
A student vanished months ago. Now, Lilas husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until its 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. Shes definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now its gone.
"I love it when I find a thriller so fun I can't put it down, like this one from Darby Kane." -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author
Pretty Little Wife is domestic suspense at its best, with a chilling premise that keeps you guessing to the last page. Add Darby Kane to your must-read list! -- New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Corsi Staub
"I devoured it in two days. This is the type of thriller I love the most: A taut domestic suspense with just a shade of police procedural woven in." -- Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author
"Debut mystery author Kane blends tense domestic suspense with procedural details and legal thriller-like verbal sparring. A page-turner built on skillfully layered plotting and an intriguing protagonist." -- Booklist (starred review)
"Intriguing...Kane is off to a promising start." -- Publishers Weekly
"This twisted thriller's got serious 'Gone Girl' vibes. As in, the main character is deeply flawed, you won't always know what's real, and you won't be able to put it down." -- The Skimm
"...in this stylish and provocative first novel by Darby Kane, set in Upper New York state the complications, adds in well-drawn new characters, and develops subtle twists that nudge the plot in unexpected directions, inviting both characters and readers to make adjustments in their suspicions about motives and intentions. Ambitious for a first novel, "Pretty Little Wife" delivers on its promise." -- Toronto Star
"This is a crazy ride of a book that will leave readers speechless as they wonder if Lila will get away with it and just where Aaron went. Bravo to Kane!" -- The Parkerburg News and Sentinel
"Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane delights in subverting the expectations of readers" -- Popsugar
"Good writing and a plot that drives the action and builds the suspense make Pretty Little Wife an excellent choice for fans of murder mysteries." -- Book Reporter
"Pretty Little Wife explores the consequences of unacknowledged trauma and dares to ask whether murder is ever justified. It's an exciting departure for HelenKay Dimon, the bestselling romance author for whom Darby Kane is a pseudonym. There's certainly no guarantee of a happily ever after, though there is hope for hard-won redemption." -- BookPage
"If you're looking for one of the best and tightly-plotted thrillers you'll read this year, let me introduce you to Pretty Little Wife." -- Mystery and Suspense Magazine
"Even after we've read the last page, Kane leaves us with some lingering questions about how much Lila knew and when she knew it. Good writing and a plot that drives the action and builds the suspense make Pretty Little Wife an excellent choice for fans of murder mysteries." -- Book Reporter
Darby Kane is the pseudonym for a former divorce lawyer and #1 international bestselling author of domestic suspense. Her books have been optioned for television and featured in numerous venues, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan.