The Last Thing He Told Me

A Novel

By: Laura Dave

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

The instant #1 New York Times bestselling mystery and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick that’s captivated more than a million readers about a woman searching for the truth about her husband’s disappearance…at any cost.

“A fast-moving, heartfelt thriller about the sacrifices we make for the people we love most.” —Real Simple

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

©2021 Laura Dave. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Rebecca Lowman's methodical performance will hook listeners until the very end of this contemporary mystery. Hannah wakes up one day to find her husband of one year, Owen, has vanished, leaving her a puzzling note: 'Protect her.' Hannah assumes that 'her' refers to Owen's teenage daughter, Bailey, who has despised Hannah from day one. While this is a typical story of two individuals who are at odds being forced to work together, Lowman's portrayals of the characters and the mystery surrounding Owen's secret life will intrigue listeners." (AudioFile Magazine)

A MUST READ

I just Couldn’t stop listening ~ it’s an amazing story ... I didn’t want it to end ~

Loved it!

A beautifully written novel that leads the listener down unexpected paths. A story of love ,and loss, and the choices that lead to both A joyful, heartbreaking tale.

Great Read!

I loved this story! it kept me guessing! couldn't stop listening. well written and read!

Great book with good plot twists

I was desperately trying to find a book that would interest me, and the description of this one seemed okay enough. As I began the book, it quickly has my attention, starting with simplicity to introduce the characters and moving smoothly into an ever-developing plot. This book was a great example of love and sacrifice. Definitely bitter sweet.

Fair Story; Well Read

Some of this was predictable but the incorporation of the 16 year old daughter made the story much more complex than it might have been. Worth listening to. Nothing earth-shaking. Very well read.

So much filler in this book

The first 3 hours were great! And then… it was all downhill from there. Everytime a character had a lead on where to go or who to talk to next, they would then debate with each should they go and check it out, or should they…. Not…. For a detective story, it’s ridiculous.

I didn’t have a problem with the narrator like some of the reviews. I thought she was a solid story teller. But I ended boosting the speed to 1.4 just to get through the non sense.

The ending wasn’t satisfying either. I felt like… What was the purpose of this story? The characters didn’t really have an arc. They didn’t grow. Something happened to them, they went on an adventure, then went back to their lives like nothing changed, even though everything should’ve changed. Weird.

I don’t recommend this one.

An act of true love

The story is a thoughtful tale of the length a parent and partner will go to protect the ones you love. The story starts with the disappearance of a successful IT executive. As the story unfolds we learn secrets of the characters past that impact the course of events during the story. Ultimately the character makes an extraordinary sacrifice to protect his daughter. The climax is atypical and thought provoking . The reader is excellent and the plot engaging.

It’s decent

There could’ve been a lot more interesting things that happened. I wish they would’ve went deeper into all of it really. Just about the time I was feeling drawn in the story would shift. I kept thinking, “Wait, are they going to go back to that at some point or was that all we get?”

Boring

I found this story somewhat bland and didn't like the daughter. She was a brat, even when things really hit the fan. The conclusion didn't feel like an ending as it wasn't fully explored. It's always a bad sign when I was more intrigued by the main characters profession and where she lived then the plot.

Good book

Didn’t love narrator and the ending wasn’t what I had hoped. But overall, worth the listen.