Paromjit's Reviews > The Last Thing He Told Me

Laura Dave writes a terrifically impressive and moreish suspense novel that shines in its depiction of a moving and growing relationship between Hannah and her 16 year old stepdaughter, Bailey, that develops from a problematic one to a more profound and trusting one. Its evolution begins with the disappearance of Owen Michaels, a man Hannah had been married to for just longer than a year, only for him to suddenly disappear, leaving behind a strange note saying 'protect her' with reference to Bailey. What could have happened to make Owen leave behind his daughter? Bailey, who had lost her mother in an accident when she was a young child, is left a mass of confusion and pain, feelings Hannah can understand and relate to. Matters become darker when the boss of the tech software company Owen worked for is arrested by the FBI for fraud, with the FBI and a US Air Marshall wanting to know more about Owen.

Hannah, a skilled craftswoman working in wood, proves to be a resilient, compassionate, courageous, smart, and ferociously determined mother who makes the decision to look into the man she had married as she joins forces with a Bailey that comes to rely on her and begins to trust her. It does not take long before it starts to become apparent that Owen is far from what he appeared to be in this tense narrative that goes back and forth in time, with a focus on Hannah's marriage. There are numerous twists and turns, that involve going from Sausalito, their Californian home, to Austin, Texas, with the truth coming as a shockingly unexpected surprise.

This is a riveting, thoughtful, engaging and entertaining read, succinct with short chapters, well plotted and with complex and realistic characters that feel all too authentic. It touches on the nature of family, secrets, deception, danger, and the ties that bind. I understand this is going to be turned into a TV series featuring Julia Roberts! Highly recommended. Many thanks to Serpent's Tail/Profile Books for an ARC.