A review of The Last Thing He Told Me

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a domestic mystery that takes a unique, fresh look at the values of family, loyalty, and trust. 

The novel follows Hannah Hall, a woman newly married to husband Owen Michaels. Owen mysteriously disappears, leaving only a note that reads “Protect her” behind. Hannah knows the note is in reference to Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter Bailey, who lost her mother at a young age and who hasn’t quite warmed up to Hannah yet. Hannah’s attempts to get in contact with Owen are fruitless and she begins to panic as the FBI arrest Owen’s boss and federal agents start dropping by her home unannounced. While experiencing the repercussions of her husband’s disappearance, Hannah is also concerned about her stepdaughter and what the next steps are for the two of them. She soon realizes that her husband has never been entirely forthcoming about his past and that she must work with Bailey to unravel the mystery of who he is and the real reason for his disappearance. As the not quite mother/daughter duo begin discovering the truth, they realize they might work better together than either of them could have ever expected. 

I enjoyed the flow of the story. As the mystery of Owen’s disappearance was unfolding during the present, the author also incorporated flashbacks from the day Hannah met Owen and memorable moments in their marriage up to the point of his disappearance. These flashbacks add to the suspense of the story and serve as clues to his case. Along the way, Hannah’s own history also begins to play a role in the story. She makes connections between the relationship she had growing up with her grandfather and the relationship she hopes to build with Bailey.

She grapples with her own abandonment issues that shape her present-day choices, as well as her only possible trustworthy resource in law enforcement, her ex-fiancé. While the mystery is the main focus of the story, it was also amazing to see the growing bond between Hannah and Bailey as they work together throughout the novel–it was one of the key elements of the story. 

In terms of characters, Hannah is a skilled craftswoman working with wood, and proves herself to be a resilient, kind, brave, smart, and a ferociously determined mother who forces herself to make hard decisions to keep her stepdaughter safe from harm. Everything Hannah does in the story is related to Bailey.  She doesn’t make a single decision without thinking of the possible consequences to Bailey’s life; it’s very apparent that Hannah has a lot of love for the young girl. As the story unfolds, Bailey comes to see that for herself and begins to rely and trust Hannah as a strong parental figure in her life. Bailey’s character development is also written beautifully, she starts the story as a hurt and spiteful teenager but transforms into a capable, admirable, young woman with a new outlook on her changed family. As the pair venture into their new lives as confused family members/detectives, their actions feel incredibly real, never unbelievable, the things they do are straightforward and likely what anyone else in their situation would do while not knowing who they can trust.  

This book was a wonderful read and the chapters were short and to the point, which made it an easy, devourable novel. Laura Dave did an amazing job of immersing the reader in the lives of the characters in an extremely raw manner over the span of such a short book. I was hooked right from the very beginning. The pacing is very well done, the characters are relatable, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I also really connected with the emotional aspect of this story, and how the main concern of the central adults in the story was Bailey’s happiness and safety. Owen’s love was sacrificial and heartbreaking. As a stepmother, Hannah’s love for Bailey could have been complicated, but she cared for her passionately and without expectations, terms, ifs, ands, or buts. She loved her more than she loved herself. This was one of my favorite things about this book, that it took the wicked stepmother cliché and went in a completely different direction. 

The characters in this book are flawed but they never fail to do their best to support one another during a difficult time. If you’re a person who appreciates a good mystery with notes of familial values and heartache, you’ll enjoy The Last Thing He Told Me.