The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave – Audio
Book Blurb:
The Last Thing He Told me by Laura Dave creates Hannah Hall, who knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owenβs sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother. As Hannahβs increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owenβs boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isnβt who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owenβs true identityβand why he really disappeared. Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owenβs past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.
My Review: 4 stars
The Last Thing He Told Me is a powerful read where nothing is what it seems and Hannahβs life is disrupted in unimaginable ways. This book is getting very mixed reviews and Iβm not sure why. The characters, once you decide who to trust were relatable and multi-faceted.Β
The mystery in the book is an unusual one and I very much enjoyed the search, the dedication and the conviction Hannah portrays in finding Owen, her husband. For much of the book, I waffled on whether to trust Owen, the detective, or even Hannah for that matter. The audio narrator did a great job at bringing the characters to life.Β
I found Hannahβs job as a woodturner to be an interesting choice and I learned a lot about that trade. Her simple life took on new meaning after she met Owen. I was a bit surprised that Bailey, Hannahβs sixteen-year-old daughter, could conjure up such lucid details from her time as a toddler.Β
I think the author found her stride in this one. It was aΒ perfect combo of drama,Β mystery andΒ a strong focus on relationshipsΒ The sense of family was powerfully felt through the pages. Great job!
Quotes I liked:
This is the thing about good and evil. They arenβt so far apartβand they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different.β
βHe never understood that I wasnβt scared of someone leaving me, I was scared that the wrong person would stay.β
βHow do you explain it when you find in someone what youβve been waiting for your whole life? Do you call it fate? It feels lazy to call it fate. Itβs more like finding your way homeβwhere home is a place you secretly hoped for, a place you imagined, but where youβd never before been. Home. When you werenβt sure youβd ever get to have one.β