The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave - review

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Title: The Last Thing He Told Me

Author: Laura Dave

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Pages: 320

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

Other notable works by author: The First Husband; Eight Hundred Grapes

Winner of the Mystery & Thriller category for Goodreads Choice Awards 2021.

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Unfortunately, this was a two-star for me. Honestly, this didn't feel very thrilleresque, more mystery, but a mediocre one at that. I read it in one sitting in the space of a few hours. While that might seem like a good thing, in this case, it's actually negative. Usually, when I devour a book like that, it means I’m intrigued I just can't put it down. In this case, I just wanted to get it over with, and it was quite a simple read.

Hannah’s husband of one year, Owen, disappears, leaving behind a cryptic note: Protect her. The note is referring to Bailey, Owen’s 16-year-old daughter, who has a resentful attitude towards her new stepmother. The two set out to discover the truth and soon realise that Owen may not be who he says he is, but they are not the only ones eager to find out the truth…

The premise is enthralling, I love a good thriller-mystery, especially ones involving identity. However, the story soon fell flat. Hannah, despite having an interesting background and profession, soon falls flat as a character. She is just a little bit too devoted to her new husband, and a little bit too eager to win over Bailey’s affection, making her seem a little desperate and submissive. Bailey plays the typical moody teenager, but we don’t see much below the surface, and we never really get an accurate glimpse of Owen, which I guess is kind of the point. Most of the secondary characters are just very…secondary, they appear like cardboard cut-outs placed into a scene.

As for the story, the mystery, up to a certain point, was quite predictable, and there were no (at least for me) shocking twists or turns. Hannah pretty much acts like an idiot throughout the novel, making bizarre and unexplainable decisions based on her ‘feelings’ of what Owen would have wanted, and trying to be a good stepmom. There were many plot holes, especially ones concerning the police and U.S. Marshals just kind of allowing her to do what she wanted.

The ending was a bit too sappy and unrealistic. Worst of all, the novel left me feeling unsatisfied. I’ve read worse thrillers, but they at least attempted to live up to their genre. This novel was more snoozer than thriller.