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Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:A 2022 Audie Award Finalist The instant #1 New York Times bestselling mystery and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick that's captivated more than a million readers about a woman searching for the truth about her husband's disappearance...at any cost. "A fast-moving, heartfelt thriller about the sacrifices we make for the people we love most." �??Real Simple 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, heartbr… (more)
User reviews
A fast read but left me wondering what the rave reviews were all about.
"Meh"
Author: Laura Dave
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave
My Opinion:
How will this all turn out for Hannah after her husband's disappearance leaving a message with one instruction to 'Protect Her'
This is definitely one of those stories that you will have to pick up to see how this author will answer all the above questions to brings it all out to the reader with some likable and relatable characters.
Be ready for quite a story with many twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages to see what is coming next in this mystery thriller suspenseful story. In the end, one will find the novel 'The Last Thing He Told Me' was of 'love, forgiveness, and even found families.'
Original storyline. Great characters, and development. Realistic relationship between stepdaughter and stepmother. Fast paced read. Had no idea where the story was going at the beginning which really pulled me into the story. Ending was appropriate, satisfying but not. Read the book to find out!
Thanks to Ms. Dave, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
I was intrigued from the opening chapter - what - or who - does Hannah need to protect Bailey from?
Relationships play a big
The reader learns more about Hannah and Owen's relationship as she recalls the last two years, searching for clues to where he might be now. And Hannah and Bailey follow tenuous connections from Bailey's memories. I thought the clues and the chasing down of confirmation was well written, albeit a little hard to believe at times. I did question Hannah's skill set in approaching and reading certain people (sorry - deliberately obtuse) She is a wood turner by trade and it was a bit of a stretch for me to buy into her 'powers of persuasion'.
The why and the who are found, but it felt like I'd already read this story. Dave does put her own stamp on things, especially the ending, but at a certain point I pretty much knew how things were going to play out.
The Last Thing He Told Me is more light domestic suspense than a thriller. It was a good read, but I like my suspense a little grittier and a bit quicker paced. I found it more character driven than action driven. If you like Joy Fielding or Iris Johansen, you'll enjoy this one.
I love a good page-turner that has a little bit of substance too.
The Rest of It:
I’ve enjoyed many of Reese Witherspoon’s club picks during this pandemic and The Last Thing He Told Me was no exception.
"Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one
The story goes back and forth between the present and the past, leading up to Owen’s disappearance. The message Owen leaves for Hannah is just cryptic enough to really confuse her. Hannah is well aware of Owen’s love for his daughter Bailey but that is what makes it all the more confusing. Why would he ever want to leave her?
After a friend contacts Hannah about what’s going on at Owen’s office and how they are being investigated, Hannah begins to worry that Owen has gotten himself in over his head. Is he a criminal? Was he forced to participate in something illegal? Does she know him at all? Bailey is equally perplexed by it all. She knows her dad and he would not go missing unless he had a very good reason to do so.
When it comes to these hyped book club reads, all you want to know is if it lives up to the hype, right? Well, I believe it does. There isn’t a whole lot of action but I like the way the story unfolded and I liked the dynamic between Hannah and Bailey, given the difficult circumstances.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
Wow! This story was a ride. It had me anxious, full of suspense and heartbroken at times. When I first started it I never imagined the depths it would go and the ending had me wondering what I would do if in the same position as Hannah. An interesting plot with well developed characters. I know
I'm giving it 4* to reflect an excellent first half and then a disappointing second half, which felt like it belonged in a completely different book. In the first half Hannah's newish husband Owen disappears in the wake of a financial
Hannah begins to reflect on what she really knows about Owen and what clues to his and Bailey's past there might be. The ensuing investigation by Hannah and Bailey takes up a good chunk of the book and was excellent. There are chapters interspersed showing Hannah and Owen's past, which not only provide clues, but cause us to believe that Owen is a good man. However, the further back in time these went the less interesting and relevant they were.
Then suddenly there is an information dump about a family we have not previously heard of and the plot takes a huge shift to the side. It is difficult to discuss this without spoiling the plot, but Hannah makes some bold and (I thought) arrogant decisions which were not necessarily the ones I would have made, all the mystery was cleared up instantly, and I think we were supposed to believe she and Bailey lived happily ever after. (I do not believe this!)
I felt really let down - there were so many more interesting ways the plot could have gone.
How well do we
What secrets are acceptable between spouses?
Does experiencing a parent's abandonment predispose one to certain types of relationships?
What is typical behavior for a sixteen-year-old?
Can a stepmother truly express unconditional love for her husband’s child?
When should somebody break the rules, prescribed or unwritten?
How much should we trust government officials?
Do even hardened criminals have redeeming qualities?