Monday, April 26, 2021

Book Review - The Last Thing He Told Me; Laura Dave

 


TITLE/AUTHOR The Last Thing He Told Me; Laura Dave

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021

GENRE: Fiction / Domestic Suspense

FORMAT:  eGalley / LENGTH: 320 pp

SOURCE:  Edelweiss

SETTING(s):  CA and TX


ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A suspenseful family drama that kept me quickly turning the pages.

BRIEF REVIEW:   Hannah Hall has been married to Owen Michaels for one year. She loves her husband and is trying to be the best possible step-mom to his sixteen year old daughter Bailey, whose mother has died.  Hannah knows the pain of growing up without a mother - hers didn't die but,  she wasn't interested in mothering.  Fortunately, Hannah had an amazing grandfather who showed her plenty of love. He also taught her the fine art of woodturning, which results in unique pieces of very expensive furniture that she now creates and sells to wealthy clientele.  The couple along with Bailey live on a lovely houseboat in Sausalito, CA.

One day Hannah is given a note which says: "protect her."  Little does she realize it just might be the last communication from Owen.  The same day Bailey comes home from school with a duffle bag and $600,000 cash that she claims she found in her locker.  Calls to Owen's cellphone go unanswered and the FBI has arrested the head of the big software start up company where Owen worked as a coder.  Where is Owen and why has he seemed to disappear off the face of the earth?

As Hannah tries to "protect" Bailey she also determined not to sit and just wait for Owen to surface. She needs answers and soon begins to get some tips which lead her to believe Owen has not been completely honest with her and that she and Bailey may be in danger.

The story is told from the POV of Hannah past and present. I loved her character and the way tried to gain Bailey's trust. She stepped up to the plate and did everything to protect her even though Bailey proved challenging at times.  I also liked that even though Owen disappears from the story early on, you really felt like you knew him and what his past was all about.  A tender, suspenseful character driven novel with some tense moments. I found the ending satisfying even though I was hoping for a bit more.  I love the way Laura Dave writes and I've enjoyed several of her earlier books as well.  BTW - I read Julia Roberts will be starring and producing a limited series by the same title for Apple TV. 


RATING:  4/5 stars

19 comments:

  1. I wondered about this one but had too many review books to download. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I l.iked it a lot Mary as it kept me wondering and I liked seeing Hannah's relationship with her teen step-daughter evolve through their crisis

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  3. That sounds really good with good characters!

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    1. Yes, I liked the way the story progressed and the main character as well.

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  4. I just read another review that highly recommended this book. Must be a good one! :D

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  5. I kept meaning to read Eight Hundred Grapes, and never did! This sounds good, too!

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    1. I liked Eight Hundred Grapes but still have 2 others of hers to catch up on.

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  6. This sounds really good with multiple layers to it.

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    1. Yes and the protagonist was great and I loved seeing her relationship develop with her step-daughter.

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  7. This sounds very good. Even the houseboat sounds good. LOL.

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    1. A really good story that made me keep turning the questions. I think the protagonist Hannah and step daughter Bailey was a well-written plot.

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  8. I've not heard of this author, but the book sounds intriguing and might be good on audio. I'll have to try a sample to see. Thanks, Diane!

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  9. This one really hadn't grabbed me on its own but this I'm beginning to think I need to pick this one up! It sounds like a great read!

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  10. Interesting to know they will do a TV series based on this novel. It seems pretty suspenseful from the plot you describe.

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  11. Loved this one! I'll definitely keep an eye out for the Julia Roberts series.

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