Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

45 reviews

yoursam's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

3.0

a good read, the does what it says on the tin kind.

i like it when a book doesn't waste time to get to the plot. i know a nice, slow start has its time and place but for stories like this one the hit the ground running approach fits so much better.

there's a bit of a quirk to dave's writing that sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't. a sort of repetition that i don't mind overall but that seems slightly overused in this particular book, it didn't take away my enjoyment but it does get old in some spots, i won't lie. that being said, in general i did like her writing style! i think it lends itself well to the story she has chosen to tell here

i do think maybe there could have been a couple less scenes of hannah getting a lightbulb moment all on her own, where you're sort of left being dragged along by her because she's got something or someone figured out and you don't seem to have all the elements she does to make the connection with her BUT honestly everything flows well enough in terms of plot points and i would consider this almost nitpicky, i'm only including it because it's my review and i do what i want.

as a last thought: wouldn't have minded more bailey!

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jessthemess8112's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a fun weekend read. The pivots and twists were unexpected and fun to read. I found the ending to have a high self importance of self for the main character that wasn’t justified by the characters past.

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leenzreadz's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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paige_reads89's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was super engaging and fast-paced until the last quarter or so, as the big plot twist was… cheesy? Yes, unexpected, but in a way that turned you off the adrenaline of the story?? It felt like I missed something, like it was a red herring for the “real” twist, but that “real” twist never came. So I was just disappointed really in the resolution. The ending became rather flat to me. 

In general, none of the characters have much personality. Which isn’t uncommon for a mystery novel, but made the plot a little stale. It’s hard to believe a character doing unthinkable things for another character when neither are fleshed out so much to show true reasoning behind their actions. Although this is a story about protecting those you love, I found little detailed emotion in the pages aside from literally stating said emotions. 

And what modern 16-year-old girl calls their dad by “father”?? I found Bailey’s use of it so off-putting. Her dialogue didn’t give off the teenager voice to me. 

Also, chapters do not need to have titles unless it’s intended for someone under the age of 11. End of.

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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Such an intense book. From page one, you hit the ground running with the characters, not knowing what’s happening but so intrigued that you’re compelled to help them figure it out. This book is mysterious, thrilling, and full of love. I really enjoyed the plot arc and the characters are loveable even in the face of difficult decisions. 

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aly97's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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krows_ink's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Overall I enjoyed this book and I absolutely consumed it. I read it in about three sittings, one of those where I read 200 pages. So, if anything, this book is a fast, enjoyable and consumable read.

This book — at its core — is about how far we’ll go for family. What we’ll do and where we the draw the line. The relationship between Hannah and Bailey was the strongest thing (in my opinion) about this book. It kept me engaged, turning the page, and asking “what can possibly happen from here?”.

There are a few things that took me out of the book such as
the german protection chocolate labs. Like are you serious right now? I couldn't help but feel like laughing. Not to mention that whole scene of the estate just threw me out of it momentarily. It didn’t feel real. But maybe that was the author’s intention?
But otherwise I don’t have much to complain about besides the extremely redundant use of “said”. I’m sorry but it’s a pet peeve. Like she could have written “asked”, “questioned”, “murmured”, “grumbled”, anything else at least once.

But despite those things I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for an easy read to cleanse your pallet. If you like Gilmore Girls I think you might like this book. It’s not really cozy, and I’d call it more of a mystery than a thriller, but the themes line up with Gilmore Girls and the characters made me miss fall and Stars Hallow.

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livvmarks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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avocados_from_mexico's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME - where do i begin?

holy crap this was a wild ride!

read this at the insistence of my mother who was a huge fan of this book and read it over the span of one day.

it's a lot to digest for sure. a bit complicated at times, and a bit fast paced for my taste. i felt like everything was being hurled at me all at once. i felt as if i didn't spend as much time with the characters as was necessary, especially grady.

i thought it was very heartwarming at the end
when bailey finally calls hannah "mom"?? my heart melted aaa
but a bit fast paced. overall a good, fast read for those interested in a mysterious yet heartwarming book about the bonds we make, the bonds we break, and the secrets we keep, even from those we love.

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