I don’t usually pick up mystery books. It isn’t my usual genre, and I tend not to enjoy them as much as I would like. But when I was recommended The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, I decided to give it a chance. Not because of the cover, which is rather boring, or the summary on Goodreads, which is even more boring. But simply because the audiobook was available from my local library. What can I say, I’m easy to please.
I went into this book having little experience with the mystery genre. I have a lot of friends and family members who love it, and I was always excited by the idea. Crime thriller movies and TV shows are exciting and dramatic, and I love watching them. But something always held me back when it comes to books. However, recently I started branching out my reading, and I added a few mysteries to my list. The results? Mixed. I have read really good mysteries, and I have also read really boring mysteries.
So, when I started reading The Last Thing He Told Me, I didn’t have very high hopes. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome! So, let’s get into the book review.
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Basis Information
Title: The Last thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Publisher: Simon & Sschuster
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Review
Rating: 4/5 Stars
When Hannah wakes up one day, her husband, Owen, has disappeared, and he left behind all of his possessions and his daughter, Bailey. Bailey wants nothing to do with Hannah, her stepmom, but Hannah must do everything in her power to protect Bailey. When the police start poking around and asking questions about the company Owen works for, Hannah starts thinking there might be more to the story than what her husband has told her.
This was a well-written domestic crime drama. Nothing more and nothing less. You get a family who is a little messed up but still loves each other, secrets coming out of every corner, and people you aren’t sure if you can trust or not. Laura Dave kept me interested until the very last page with this story.
I really enjoyed the characters of Hannah and Bailey, who were the stars of this book. I loved how the author wrote their relationship, and how it shifted and grew throughout the novel. Although I have never had a step-parent, I can’t imagine how difficult it is to adjust to something like that. I know I would have acted a lot worse than Bailey did in this book if I were in the same position as a teenager. I appreciated how the author didn’t brush this aside but made it the main part of the progression of the story.
This story took a lot of twists and turns, and I loved reading it. Yes, this book was predictable in nature. When you read a mystery like this, you can’t expect too much deviation from the regular tropes. But I still enjoyed how Dave wrote these tropes into the story. Each reveal of a new secret lead to more questions and more secrets, it was fun to read.
Overall, this was an entertaining read. I didn’t give it five stars because I would love more characterization and development in the setting, but other than that it was a good book. It made me a little less afraid to pick up a crime mystery book in the future.
I used to never think of mysteries when I was creating my October TBR, but I think I will have to add a few for the next couple of months. There is something so cozy about sitting down and losing yourself in someone else’s drama.
Let me know in the comments below any mystery or crime novel recommendations you might have! I would love to add more to my list.
Thanks for reading!
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