Review: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Title: The Last Thing He Told Me

Author: Laura Dave

Year Published: 2021

Category: Adult fiction (thriller)

Pages: 320

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Location (my 2021 Google Reading map): USA (CA, TX)

Summary (from Amazon): Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

Review:  I had heard good things about this thriller on the blogosphere and was not disappointed! There was a perfect level of intrigue, clues, and believable action.

Hannah is a character with whom I could immediately relate, not because she and I have similar lives, but because she is believable and "normal." She has a job she loves, is adjusting to a new-ish family situation, and is working hard to be a good stepmom. She has no idea how crazy her life is going to get. I liked the growth of her relationship with her step daughter and how Hannah was tough, smart, and competent.

The mystery/thriller aspect of this book was also well done. The clues and investigation followed a logical sequence and I never thought "oh, that's ridiculous!" which I sometimes do in thrillers. I also liked that this novel wasn't violent and gory; it was more drama than horror.

If you enjoy thrillers, I recommend this one. It's a quick read and very satisfying.

Challenges for which this counts: 

• Cloak and Dagger