The Night We Lost Him is a mystery about two siblings investigating what happened to their father when he died unexpectedly.

Nora isn’t close with her stepbrother, Sam, so she is surprised when he shows up out of the blue with a request to travel to the site where their father, Liam, died. Their journey results in them exploring not only what happened to their father the night that he died but also causes them to dig into his past, unearthing a long-hidden secret.

The timeline alternates from the present to the past. Nora narrates the present, and the past is shared through her father, Liam’s, eyes. Nora, a quiet character, was relatable, and her grief in the end was palpable. Liam’s chapters focus on a romance that felt underdeveloped and unconvincing to me. Liam's chapters add a confusing dynamic to the narrative. I can't say much without giving away a spoiler, but many elements were unclear.

This is an extremely slow-paced novel--I had to force myself to keep picking it up. The plot is flat, and the characters are boring. However, there is a decent twist towards the end when Nora's journey comes full circle. Her character was the saving grace of this novel.

Overall, I didn't hate this one--I just didn't fully connect.

I love the way Dave writes and her books, "The Last Thing He Told Me" was one of my favorite reads of last year. "The Night We Lost Him" is another suspenseful read that I couldn't put down. We follow Nora as she unpacks the mystery of her father's life and death. Dave's writing is attention grabbing and I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

First off, thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

We start with Nora Noone showing off a new property, when she discovers it's her brother, Sam, who comes to get her to talk to him over their father's suspicious death recently. As they haven't spoken in a while, he finally convinced her that something doesn't seem right.

Her and Sam then go through the clues and the more they talk to people the more things don't add up.

The book follows Nora mostly, but they do have flashbacks of her father and a mysterious woman, Cory.

Good twist towards the end. I thought I had it all figured out but that definitely switched my thinking.

Interesting story, I enjoyed it, but probably not as much as her previous work.

This book follows the main character, Nora, as she navigates her wealthy father's recent death. In the midst of grieving, she reconnects with her estranged brother, Sam, who believes their father’s death wasn’t an accident.

I've enjoyed other books by Laura Dave, but this one was a struggle to finish. The plot felt painfully slow, and the ending left me completely unsatisfied. While I expected a suspenseful thriller, this turned out to be a slow-burn story centered on characters I couldn’t connect with—and my opinion of them didn’t improve as the book went on.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Dave, and Simon Element for an advanced eBook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed her last book and thought I would give this one a try. Overall, it was just kind of meh. Not sure I was very invested in the story. It wasn’t bad, just okay.

Fans of Laura Dave’s hit “The Last Thing He Told Me” will also enjoy “The Night We Lost Him.” Similarly, it’s a mystery that unfolds gently alternating between present day and past flashbacks. I would not characterize as suspenseful or a physiological thriller but the enigma of Nora Noone’s father, Liam, keeps the story driving forward. Nora and her half brother Sam team up to uncover if their father died in a tragic accident or if something more sinister occurred. As they dig deeper, they’ll discover their father.’s biggest secret - his one true love - despite three failed marriages.
Audiobook lovers will delight in another excellent narration by Julia Whalen. I want to listen to anything she’ll read to me.

3.5 ⭐️ *rounded up*

Laura Dave’s writing is always very detailed and this book was no different. This novel is very character driven and centers around two adult children. It was more heartache and family drama than it was thriller, but I still enjoyed it. It’s definitely a slow burn, but it’s one you get drawn into. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes family drama and mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A woman who is unsure of herself and her relationship risks it all to find out what happened to her father. Things aren’t as they seem as she works with her brother to see if her father was pushed or jumped to end his own life. This book will keep you guessing!

The Night We Lost Him is not a psychological thriller. I'd almost not classify it as even suspense. It does have intrigue as Nora & Sam try and figure out what happened to their dad when he died. It was a good story. One of a family learning to depend on each other but certainly not one that is creepy & suspenseful. I did like that it wrapped up at the end but I do wish it was a little more suspenseful

This felt like a rough draft rather than a finished novel, with too many inner monologues and irrelevant details for my taste. The mystery was not compelling, either; the book was a slog to finish.

Although her father’s death was determined to be accidental by the authorities, Nora and her estranged brother think otherwise. They are determined to figure out what actually happened and who is responsible.
This is a very slow-burn mystery with lots of secrets to unravel. Because of the slower pacing, it didn’t feel like a thriller to me, but more of a drama. I was expecting suspense and twists but it read much more mild than I anticipated. The characters were very unlikeable which worked well in some ways, but made it very hard to root for them. Laura Dave does a great job at writing complex characters and while this was not the thriller I was expecting, it was a well-written character-driven story that many people enjoy.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I enjoyed this page turner of Laura Dave! As other reviewers said, it was more of a family drama than a thriller but still I was anxiously waiting to see how it played out.

Laura Dave has become a go-to author for me and her latest did not disappoint! I love the way in which she ties together drama and mystery, keeping me engaged both with the development of her characters and whatever mystery they are trying to solve. I could hardly put this one down - alternated between physical and audio - and am excited to see what she comes up with next!

The Night We Lost Him is more family drama than a thriller but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I was engrossed in the story from start to finish and found the ending to be satisfying.

I could not get into this one. I got to 30% and couldn’t follow the characters or the switching from past to present timeline… I could not follow it and it was just boring. I needed a little bit more to continue the story. Overall I will leave my reviews off social media since I did not finish or at least get halfway through the story

This was a solid book. I don’t think I would really categorize it as a thriller or suspenseful. More family drama with a side of mystery. I wasn’t super enthralled with any of the characters. I enjoyed the flashback scenes. I found the ending satisfying. Overall an average, solid book.

An unexpected death, a family fortune, and three estranged siblings. Add in one father, three divorces, and four love stories. Yes, it gets complicated. As love does.

This is, at its heart, a love story. A man’s love for a woman, a father’s love for his children, a child’s love for their parents. It’s a slow burn mystery that is much more about the “why” than the “what” or “how.” Laura Dave walks us through many complex emotions as she slowly unravels the mystery of this dual timeline story, weaving a deeper narrative of love, acceptance, purpose, and what it means to love and be loved simply for who we are.

I enjoyed this book very much, even though I struggled with one big “Why?” that I can’t spoil for you here. 😉 If you appreciated Laura Dave’s previous novel The Last Thing He Told Me and other domestic “thrillers” that are more about the family story than the mystery, this one may be right up your alley!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and author #LauraDave for the complimentary copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

Synopsis:
Nora Noone is the eldest child of resort titan Liam Noone, but she’s never been interested in the family business – or its financial benefits. Though she loves her father, she doesn’t understand him, and has gone to great lengths to keep him at arms length since the death of her mother. After his sudden death, Nora and her estranged half-brother Sam suspect it wasn’t just an accident, and struggle to find out what really happened the night their father fell from his beloved cliff-top coastal home.

This is a romance that pulls on your heartstrings it has elements of a family drama as well. This book pulls you in and is easy to read In one sitting.
This is a slower thriller so if you are looking for something fast paced and exciting this is not the book for you. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a family drama.

So let me start off by saying-this is NOT a thriller. It’s a family drama with a dash of mystery and a love story. I think knowing that will help lots of people review this better. It’s a slow burn and very character driven.

The Night We Lost Him is an excellent follow up to Dave’s first novel, The Last Thing He Told Me. This one is more of a family drama/romance instead of a mystery but still a page turner. I enjoyed the dual timeline and how the relationship between Nora and her brother Sam’s relationship evolved as they tried to figure out what really happened to their father. The little twist at the end was perfect and made me want to reread the whole book. I’m looking forward to reading whatever Laura Dave comes up with next!