3.5 stars rounded up! This was a good classic mystery novel. This was not a super suspenseful thriller, keep you on the edge of your seat book. The storyline unfolds more slowly taking some time to get to the plot. It has a lot of family drama added in. I enjoyed it with the exception of a couple parts that were too slow for me. The ending was very bittersweet and I found myself wishing for a different ending. It was an anti-climatic ending and I guess I was just hoping for a bit better of an ending. Overall, a good read and I would recommend.

The Last Thing He Told Me is an unputdownable, twisty domestic drama with a bit of suspense thrown in. The story follows Hannah who receives a note from her husband Owen saying “protect her” before disappearing. The note refers to his sixteen year old daughter who wants nothing to do with her stepmother. Come to find out, Owen isn’t who Hannah thought he was. Hannah and her stepdaughter set out to find the truth. The novel is completely unpredictable and engaging. The characters feel real and are fully developed. Dave really did a great job at bringing them to life. If you’re looking for a twisty domestic drama with strong characters, The Last Thing He Told Me is the one to check out!

Know I'm in the minority with my opinion for this book, but this one just didn't do it for me. While it started off strong, I couldn't stand the main character and the plot seemed to be a bit too far-fetched.

This was a really good thriller! Heard about it through Book of the Month and then Reese's Book Club and decided to read it. A page turner.

This was definitely one of those books that I could not put down. After I read this through a NetGalley ARC, I saw that it was a Book of the Month Club pick, and I felt thankful to have already received this ARC ahead of the Book of the Month Club readers, and I recommended it to everyone who enjoys a good mystery and thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This was more of a suspense novel than a thriller but I still enjoyed it. It kept me reading and wanting to know what would happen next and I finished it in record time. The only thing I found slightly annoying was the chapter titles. I am not sure how to feel about the ending, at first I did not like where it was going but I think that it may actually be a good ending. Still debating. (Hard to describe without spoilers.) I could definitely relate to the stepmom/stepdaughter situation with Hannah and Bailey!

I was a huge fan of Laura Dave’s book Eight Hundred Grapes, so I was excited to read her latest, The Last Thing He Told Me. What an addictive story it was! Every chapter left me wanting to read more. The mystery was intriguing without being psychologically terrifying. I enjoyed the family drama, and the characters were so well developed. The ending, although satisfying, could definitely lend itself to a sequel, which I’m hoping for! I simply loved this book and highly recommend it! Thank you for NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this one. While a little late to the party, this was a gripping story. I loved how the story unfolded and characters evolved as they dealt with a world without Owen and the mystery behind those last words.

Title: The Last Thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

We all have stories we never tell.
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle 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 FBI 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, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.

This was an interesting read. Hannah’s job as a woodturner was quirky and one I’d never read about, so I was fascinated by that part of it. I had no opinion through most of the book on if Owen were guilty or not, but the reason he ran wasn’t what I expected at all. I enjoyed the not-knowing and was invested in the characters and what was happening, so this was a solid, engrossing read.

Laura Dave is a bestselling author. The Last Thing He Told Me is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 5/25.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book.

As soon as I read what this book was about, I've wanted to read it. Finally I did. And I'm so happy I did.
Hannah married Owen and by way of Owen has a stepdaughter, Bailey, who hates her. Hannah tries but Bailey is not receptive and mean. But after just barely a year, her husband gets a note to Hannah saying "Protect her". And disappears. Instantly, she understands he means Bailey. It's a hard road, but the 2 girls come together to piece together what happened to dad and husband, Owen.

As they find a way together, they come to terms, sort of. Of course, each one wants Owen back. As they find out his boss was arrested by the FBI and the piece together clues, it seems both did not know much about Owen life. And finally, a shocking relevation leads to a startling conclusion!

5 stats!

PROTECT HER. Those are the last words written by her husband. The her is his so. Bailey. But how abs what does she need protection from? When questions arise about her husband and his involvement with a Ponzi scheme hannah starts to question just who Owen is. Very similar to one of my favorite thrillers the marriage lie.

Wow! I did not see how this book was going to end. In some ways it frustrated me but the ending made sense. This book was easy to read and the characters are well developed. Very different story line then other books I've read. The plot keeps you involved and has some twists and turns. Great book!

Owen Michael’s disappears the day the feds raid the high tech company he works for. Before disappearing he has a young child give a note to his wife, Hannah,asking her to protect his daughter, Bailey. Thus begins the suspenseful tale of Hannah setting out to find out the truth about her husband and his life before she married him. Full of family drama and twisting plots, this books will keep you turning the pages faster then imaginable. You can read this in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I was immediately intrigued by this book because it was a Reese book pick! Was thrilled to get approved. I have to admit that the first half of the book I semi-enjoyed, but it started to drag so much that I immediately started becoming irritated by the story and just didn’t care about the outcome anymore. Hannah, the main character, annoyed me. I did like Bailey, however. This just did not feel like a thriller whatsoever to me and I just didn’t enjoy it. I don’t quite understand the hype.

OMG SO GOOD. I initially went into this book thinking it would be just another good thriller. It was so much more. A story of the relationships we have with one another, what we withhold to protect those we love the most, and the lengths one is willing to go to protect their family. Plus is was a mystery that had me turning the pages to find out what was going on and how the pieces fit together.

The Last Thing He Told Me is a good mystery with a plot twist, but once the twist was revealed, the plot became a bit sluggish. It was good enough, though, that I wanted to see it through.

A newly announced Reese Book Club pick and optioned for an Apple TV series, this book tells the story of Hannah, who along with her stepdaughter, Bailey, try to solve the mystery of their husband/father's disappearance. Fast-paced and addicting, this is a good summer read.

Wow!!

This book grabbed my attention immediately. The mystery, the twists, the ending. Everything about this book kept me on my toes. I especially love how the relationship between Bailey and Hannah evolved and how it grew. Such a gripping story!

I’m so thankful for the advance copy and so happy that I read this book!

Laura Dave writes in an easy, breezy style I find so enjoyable to read.

The Last Thing He Told Me follows Hannah, whose husband doesn't come home from work one day, but instead sends a note that says, "Protect her." Next thing Hannah knows, a U.S. Marshal shows up their house with questions.

This was a fun ride, unraveling more and more about Owen's past. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I often felt one step ahead of Hannah. In general, I found the book well-paced, though perhaps slightly quicker may have been better.

I think I'd have liked more of a handle on Owen prior to his disappearance. What was he really like? All the reader has to go on are Hannah and his kid's feelings toward him (though, of course, that's also what Hannah goes off herself!).

Overall, an enjoyable read that I'd recommend to fans of Liane Moriarty or domestic suspense in general.

I really liked this and was swept up in the story from the beginning. There are a lot of twists and enough federal letter organizations to keep you wondering who to believe. It was tough to stop reading--the chapters and revelations kept coming at such a good clip, as Hannah and her step daughter Bailey head to Austin from Sausalito to try to figure out what Owen's cryptic message means.