The Last Thing He Told Me
A Novel
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4.0 • 507 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BLOCKBUSTER * REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK * SOON TO BE AN APPLE TV+ LIMITED SERIES STARRING JENNIFER GARNER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD
The “page-turning, exhilarating” (PopSugar) and “heartfelt thriller” (Real Simple) about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life—until he disappears.
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 “page-turning, exhilarating, and unforgettable” (PopSugar) suspense novel.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Laura Dave’s excellent thriller unfolds like a suburban nightmare, putting a woman’s commitment to her new family to an unimaginable test. A year into her marriage to Owen, Hannah’s biggest concern is being a civil stepmom to her husband’s sullen teenager, Bailey. But then Owen disappears, leaving behind a note reading “Protect her.” This turbocharged setup launches us into a pulse-pounding story, as Hannah gets thrown for one loop after another—all while trying to uncover her husband’s secrets even as the FBI and U.S. Marshals are banging on her door. Dave does a great job with the gripping twists, but we also love how real she makes the fraught relationship between Hannah and Bailey feel. We couldn’t put The Last Thing He Told Me down.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Dave's suspenseful latest (after Hello Sunshine), a Bay Area woman copes with her husband's sudden disappearance. Owen Michaels, a coder for a prominent tech company, vanishes just before his boss is arrested for corruption, leaving his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey, over half a million dollars in cash. Bailey and her stepmother, Hannah Hall, aren't close, but they work together to uncover what made Owen flee, convinced he is innocent. Still, Hannah remains uncertain, and after she remembers how a man claimed to have recognized Owen from high school in Austin, Tex., despite Owen having said he's from the East Coast, Hannah and Bailey travel there in hopes of triggering Bailey's early childhood memories. Bailey does remember Texas, though her memories don't track with what Owen had told both of them. Meanwhile, a U.S. Marshal who's familiar with Owen's past encourages Hannah to cooperate as Hannah and Bailey find themselves in danger. The first two-thirds are riveting, with mysteries unspooled at a steady pace and believable stepfamily angst, but unfortunately the final act slips into some loopy turns. The author's fans, though, won't have a hard time forgiving the flaws.
Customer Reviews
Ending…
I needed more at the end, was very disappointed with how it ended. I would still recommend as it’s an easy fast read
Eh…
Pretty dry, very slow. Felt like a lot of ‘hanging in there’ while I waited for something exciting to happen. This is the first time I’ve read this author and it will probably be the last. Her writing style of 99% internal dialogue is tiresome. Live and learn 🤷🏻♀️
Pretty OK
The book was a page turner but about 2/3 in, it felt like the author just wanted to finish it and get it out the door. Worth reading but it could have been better with a few more edits and a bit more time.