Title:

The Last Thing He Told Me

Author:

Laura Dave

Release Date:

May 4, 2021

Format:

Audiobook

Genre:

Mystery

Sub-Genre:

Contemporary

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Read-A-Likes:

What I Liked: This was a book that left me guessing what was going to happen until the very end. I liked that Dave decided to make Owen and Hannah a newlywed, older 30’s couple instead of a couple that had known each other for years. I think that added an element to the mystery of who/where is Owen, when the person that should know him the best hasn’t even known him that long. Adding to the drama, the strained relationship between Hannah and Bailey worked well in making Hannah more relatable to the reader.

What I Didn’t Like: I know I’m in the majority here and maybe this book was just overhyped by the time I read it, but I found the mystery to be underwhelming.  About halfway through, I lost interest in finding out what happened to Owen and was more interested in the relationship between Hannah and Bailey. In the end, this felt more women’s fiction to me than mystery and had that been what I was expecting, I may have liked it more. With most mysteries, a certain suspension of belief is to be expected, especially if normal people are the protagonists but I found myself having a hard time believing how calm and levelheaded Hannah seemed to be throughout the book and I disagreed with every decision she made.  There were just too many moments that either worked out perfectly for her or that would never happen in real life that took me out of the story.

Who Should Read It: I think if you know going in that this isn’t going to be the thriller that it’s marketed as, a fan of domestic mysteries will enjoy this book.

Review Wrap Up: While I didn’t love this book, I wouldn’t say to not read it. It’s quick enough that you won’t feel like you wasted any time, and the writing is decent. There was enough of a mystery to make me want to keep reading and the emotional payoff at the end was surprising. While I don’t understand the hype this book received, I’m still glad I read it.

“This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn’t with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it again. And you see it with a stark quality: This is what is required of you now, just to get along.”