Liam Noone was incredibly successful in his professional life but from the outset would seem unsuccessful in love. Three failed marriages with children from two, he managed his love and family life like one would schedule meetings. Or did he?

Nora and Sam have formed an unlikely alliance to investigate seemingly suspicious circumstances surrounding their father, Liam’s, death. Both have their own reasons for doing so. Along the way they discover their father didn’t compartmentalize his personal life the way they thought. Liam had a secret love affair that spanned decades. Was he killed because of this or because of a lucrative business dealing?

The ending was a surprise, I’ll have to admit. There were parts that dragged a bit with Nora and Adam’s personal lives, but overall it was a good light thriller.

Just as with The Last Thing He told Me, this was a slow burn mystery. It’s a slower paced novel about two siblings investigating what happened to their father when he passed unexpectedly. I enjoyed this book because it truly kept me guessing until the very end. Each character was layered and complicated in their own way. It’s told through alternating timelines and POVs and by the end each storyline wraps up satisfyingly. Definitely recommend giving this one a read!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and The Simon Element & Marysue Rucci Books for the arc!

Although I gave this book a 4 star review, I’m going to round down and call it a 3.5. An entertaining read, but I found it more of a fictional novel than a mystery because there really wasn’t a resolution at the end of the book.

The beginning of the story opens with Nora’s father’s recent death, which is deemed to be accidental or suicide by authorities. Knowing her successful businessman father, Nora isn’t satisfied with this explanation and begins her own quest for answers. How did her father fall to his death from that steep cliff on the property he was so familiar, or was he pushed?

Nora pairs up with her mostly estranged half brother Sam, as they question family and close business associates about their father’s private life and his mysterious death. They inquire about some important personal family secrets and mysteries surrounding their father’s life and uncover the truth of what really happened that night.

Firstly for me, the mystery was not how Liam died, but why their father remained in love with the same woman for over fifty years and never completely consummated that relationship. We really never learn why Grace didn’t want to marry Liam. She chose to be intimate with him over a life time (even though she married someone else) through Liam’s multiple marriages and divorces, and she chose to be business partners embroiled in some of his most important life decisions, but she would never honor their love enough to call him husband! Why? In all intents and purposes the book portrays them as soul mates, but we never learn why Grace always said “no” to his proposals. I really needed this answered!

Secondly, why would children of a murdered man let the murderer confess to them and then not go to the authorities? I just don’t believe children of a slain man could be that accepting of a murderer’s confession, or be that empathetic to a murderer’s plight.

Although I had some serious issues with the storyline, it was an entertaining book and I look forward to what Laura Dave writes next!

This was my first book of Laura Dave's and I have to say...I LOVED IT!!!! I would say it wasn't a typical "thriller" book, but still kept me guessing until the very end! I will definitely encourage my friends to check this book out! I can't wait to read another book of Laura Dave's.

Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an early copy.
A complicated family with a plot that becomes a mystery when the patriarch dies..
Was it truly an accident or had his past caught up with him?

Many thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

This was a solid thriller that I enjoyed. I did like her first novel a little better, but I still recommend this one also.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. I liked how I never knew where this story was going! I swear I suspected everyone at different points in time but when all was revealed, it definitely made the most sense. The characters and scenes are well formed and thought out, leaving just the right amount to the imagination. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys family fiction and mysteries!

This was a breezy, engaging read. I found the characters of Nora and Sam to be really compelling—especially in how searching for what really happened to their dad they're able to see the clarity as to why they were never really able to bond growing up. I really enjoy Laura Dave's writing style and while I think this could have gone a more juicy thriller route I think the novel was best served with a more delicate, thoughtful conclusion,

Slow burn
Family drama
Could see as a tv show/movie
Mystery
Suspense

While I love a slow burn this one seemed a little too slow for me. 3.5 stars

Nora doesn't really have a good relationship with her father and half-brothers, but when Sam (one of the half-brothers) comes to her with suspicions about their father's death, she ends up looking more deeply into his life and death.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I enjoyed the growing relationship between Nora and Sam and the sibling dynamic there. But I don't understand why Cory and Liam couldn't just be together. It seemed like they married other people just for the drama and then it made everyone else miserable.

In this complex family drama, two adult step-siblings join forces to figure out if their father’s death was suspicious. Family drama, secrets, a bit of mystery.

“If you are looking for answers you can’t find, you need to change the question.”

This was a highly anticipated book for me and it didn’t disappoint!! Absolutely loved how Laura Dave managed to blend mystery and family dynamics together - resulting in a book I couldn’t put down without knowing the “who” and wanting this family to be a little less broken.

This isn’t just a mystery and I think that’s what I really liked about this book. I did want to find out who’s responsible of course, but I found myself more invested in Nora and Sam’s relationship. I also loved the flashbacks - seeing young Liam really made the book and it was central to understanding who he was. This book also had a very touching insight into grief. As someone who has lost family members, the descriptions of grief throughout the book felt very true.

Can’t wait for what Laura Dave writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review.

Laura Dave does it again! Another epic read. I loved the build of this story. I felt a connection to each of the characters – past and present. Laura Dave weaves a rich tapestry with The Night We Lost Him. The crisp writing made for an effortless read. I devoured this in one sitting. I highly recommend this beautifully written story of love, loss, family, and relationships.

The Night We Lost Him delves into the mystery surrounding a man’s untimely death, setting his children on a quest to unravel the secrets he left behind. As they piece together clues from his past, they uncover not just the hidden aspects of his life but also the intricate web of relationships that defined him. The novel masterfully weaves together the themes of love and loss creating a tale of interconnected stories where each character's journey brings new revelations. With well-developed connections and compelling emotional depth, I was instantly drawn into this tale of discovery and healing.

Liam Noone was a self-made hotel magnate, one that’s kept a secret for over fifty years. When he falls to his death at his California cliff side cottage, it’s quickly ruled an accident…but was it? Estranged half siblings, Nora and Sam aren’t so sure and reluctantly join forces to investigate. The more they delve in, the more questions they have. Who exactly was their father and was the secret he kept enough to get himself killed? Told in past and present, this book was painstakingly slow and the “big” secret was nothing to write home about. This book was just a meh for me. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of the book.

This was an easy read, but unfortunately was easy to set down and walk away from as well. I didn't connect as well to the characters as I did in her previous stories and felt a little blah about this book overall. It was written well, but when compared to her other books, it feels incomplete. The story wrapped up just fine, but it is as if she didn't go back in and add those details that are necessary to really draw the reader in.

3.5 - The Night We Lost Him was part dysfunctional family drama and part mystery. While I found this book entertaining enough, I would be willing to bet that the author wrote this trying to make it enticing to become another screenplay for a series. I would prefer a book be written to be a book and let the screen magic happen after that. I also think the absence of much story line of one of the family members leaves room for a sequel/season 2 on the screen. Fairly entertaining but that's about it.

It was a pleasure to receive this book as an advanced reader copy through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the characters, premise, and scenery of this book! I think I even enjoyed more than her previous book. Definitely a fun, intriguing read.

I was so excited to see another Laura Dave book and I was not disappointed. Cannot wait for another of hers! Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher.

When Liam Noone dies unexpectedly, his son and daughter begin to think there's been foul play. In trying to unravel the events leading up to his deal, they also unravel things about his life that they never knew. It's a love that spans a lifetime and also development of a new relationship for the siblings.