Review of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave

This was a totally engrossing domestic suspense story of a stepmother named Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey. Hannah has married Owen Michaels, Bailey’s father, and is seemingly living an idyllic life on a boat docked in Sausalito when one day Owen disappears. Like, poof! Owen’s boss at his tech company is arrested and Hannah is totally perplexed when her numerous calls to Owen’s phone go unanswered. She and Bailey set out to discover what happened to Owen and in their trip down the rabbit hole of secrets and lies, they slowly discover a relationship with each other. With lots of twists and turns, this was a book that was hard to put down and completely absorbing. The characters are well-developed and realistic, with Bailey’s character being one of a spoiled “daddy’s girl” who has to wake up to a new reality. Hannah is inventive in her quest to find out what happened to Owen and why he would leave his beloved daughter behind. Bailey seems to hold a lot of secrets that she doesn’t know she holds and it is up to Hannah to tease them out. This entire book was like being drawn further and further into a spider’s web and not knowing where I would end up. The plot was intricately and delicately woven around the non-relationship between Hannah and Bailey and the lies that Owen told each of them. I really enjoyed how the author depicted the growing dependency and relationship between the two and how Bailey’s view of her stepmother increasingly became one of trust instead of total resentment. The characters made this story, and the plot wasn’t far behind. Loved it! Fans of domestic suspense will not want to miss this one that will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next secret to be revealed.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”