Scan barcode
A review by what_heather_loves
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I don't know if Owen is guilty. And I'm furious he left me to deal with this alone. But I know he cares. I know her lives me. And, more than that, I know heoves Bailey. He would only leave for her it has to be that he left the way he did to try and save her. From someone or something. It all comes to Bailey. The rest is a story."
Woodturner Hannah and coder Owen are blissfully in love and have been married a year, living near San Francisco with Owen's beloved 16 year old daughter, Bailey. Bailey's mother died when she was young and she is reluctant to accept Hannah as her stepmother. When the company Owen works for hits the news for fraud, and Hannah receives a cryptic note from Owen saying 'Protect her', it becomes clear Owen has disappeared. Is he involved in the fraud or are there other reasons he needs to be gone? Hannah and Bailey ignore police advice and investigate to find out who Owen was before and what this means for them now. They want answers, will they find them, do they want to?
Central to this tale of love, loss and intrigue is family, particularly the father and daughter relationship between Owen and Bailey, which Hannah comes to realise is everything. It explains why Owen has done what he has done and why Hannah needs to do what she and Bailey decide to do. Told from Hannah's present day perspective, interspersed with chapters from her and Owen's past, setting the scene, Hannah is a real and likeable character. I wanted so much for it all work out, for Hannah and for Bailey. Pacy and involving with the main characters we'll-developer, I really enjoyed this. It's perfect for fans of family dramas, domestic thrillers and and mysteries, readers of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty, will love this.
Woodturner Hannah and coder Owen are blissfully in love and have been married a year, living near San Francisco with Owen's beloved 16 year old daughter, Bailey. Bailey's mother died when she was young and she is reluctant to accept Hannah as her stepmother. When the company Owen works for hits the news for fraud, and Hannah receives a cryptic note from Owen saying 'Protect her', it becomes clear Owen has disappeared. Is he involved in the fraud or are there other reasons he needs to be gone? Hannah and Bailey ignore police advice and investigate to find out who Owen was before and what this means for them now. They want answers, will they find them, do they want to?
Central to this tale of love, loss and intrigue is family, particularly the father and daughter relationship between Owen and Bailey, which Hannah comes to realise is everything. It explains why Owen has done what he has done and why Hannah needs to do what she and Bailey decide to do. Told from Hannah's present day perspective, interspersed with chapters from her and Owen's past, setting the scene, Hannah is a real and likeable character. I wanted so much for it all work out, for Hannah and for Bailey. Pacy and involving with the main characters we'll-developer, I really enjoyed this. It's perfect for fans of family dramas, domestic thrillers and and mysteries, readers of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty, will love this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
Minor: Car accident