The Last Thing He Told Me Review

Photo Courtesy of Simon and Schuster Canada

Content warning: abandonment, death of a parent

Laura Dave’s latest novel The Last Thing He Told Me is a unique suspense story that is bound to be refreshing for readers. Hannah’s husband Owen leaves her and his sixteen-year-old daughter Bailey with nothing but a duffle bag of money and two cryptic notes. It’s then up to Hannah to protect Bailey and discover the mystery surrounding her husband and his entire life, and at the same time forge a bond with Bailey that will last a lifetime.

Dave has developed interesting characters and both Hannah and Bailey are likely to steal the reader’s heart by the end. Hannah is Bailey’s stepmom and while there is tension between them, they make a great team that compliments each other well. The stepmom/stepdaughter dynamic is one I haven’t seen in many books lately, so it was really nice to see this relationship unfold, even if it did feel a little stereotypical at times.

Overall, The Last Thing He Told Me was a fun, fast-paced read filled with action and twists. Is it a completely believable story? Maybe not, but the plot is different from a lot of suspense novels out there right now that readers are going to forgive that and appreciate the novel. Dave is a fantastic author, and she knows how to weave a story together. This is my first novel of hers, but I know that it won’t be my last, I’ll be checking out her other work!

Thank you, Simon and Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Last Thing He Told Me Summary

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.

Summary from Simon and Schuster Canada