The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me
By: Laura Dave
[Winner for ‘Best Mystery/Thriller’ category of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards]
[Fulfilled ‘Book with “thing” in the title’ for Shelf Reflection’s 2023 Reading Challenge]
“It feels like a victory that we are moving closer to the truth. But when the truth is taking you somewhere you don’t want to go, you also aren’t sure if you want that win.”
I inadvertently read the winners for the mystery/thriller category of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2021 and 2022 (The Maid) back to back. The Maid didn’t seem above and beyond all other books, but I felt like The Last Thing He Told Me fit better as a winner.
It is more of a mystery than a thriller though if that matters to you.
It was a really engaging book that I read super fast. While I don’t think the characters had a lot of depth, the circumstances surrounding them made me more invested in their conflict and their relationships.
I am also unsure how I feel about the ending. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how it played out and deciding if it’s the best ending. In some ways I see the beauty of the decision, but in other ways (like as a parent or a daughter) it feels like an impossible result.
When I first finished the book, I felt like I really liked it! But after I started reading other people’s bad reviews it made me question my original feelings. I don’t like that. Reviews really can influence your opinion of a book. But if uninfluenced I like a book, I don’t think I should have to question if I ‘was wrong’ about an opinion.
So maybe don’t read reviews before or after you read the book. Which I realize is ironic to put in a review that I’m hoping people read haha. I’m just saying, if you like a mystery but others don’t— who cares?
All that to say: I would recommend this book!
The Premise
It begins with Hannah receiving a handwritten note delivered to her home by a student that says only two words: “Protect Her.”
The note is from her husband, Owen, who has now gone missing and not answering any calls. Shortly after, it is released that the software company he works for, The Shop, is under investigation for fraud. Owen’s boss is already in custody.
Then Bailey, Owen’s daughter (Hannah’s stepdaughter), comes home from school with a duffel bag with more than $600k inside left for her by her father.
Hannah and Bailey are dumbfounded. Where is Owen? Why did he leave? Why would he leave them, especially Bailey behind? Is he guilty? Is he in danger? Are they in danger?
Although Hannah and Bailey have a strained relationship, they’re forced to depend on each other and figure out what’s going on and what Owen wants them to do. Their shock only deepens as they realize Owen is not who he said he was.
Hannah doesn’t know who they can trust and has a lot bigger challenge to ‘protect her’ than she initially realized.
Comments
As mentioned, it is not a thriller. It is the story of a mysterious disappearance and the strained relationship of a trying stepmother (who I liked) and resistant teenaged stepdaughter (who I didn’t like that much) and how their relationship develops through a shared traumatic bond.
The format of the book was present day with a few flashbacks increasingly longer ago to give clues as to who Owen was and what happened in his past. These were very short chapters.
I think the circumstances of a family being separated is what caused me to be most invested in the story. But because the way Owen disappeared didn’t make sense with his character I was also curious to figure out why he left the way he did and what his plan was.
I was a little surprised by the lower rated reviews for this one. (Goodreads was a tough audience. Amazon has a better 5 star percentage) I didn’t really see anything wrong with the story that would garner that response. Obviously not everyone will like every book, but I guess I just didn’t see the reasons they had being significant.
Another surprise for me was that many people didn’t like the chapter titles. Which is weird because usually I don’t like them either! But for some reason, it didn’t bother me in this book. I wouldn’t say they added a whole lot but they also didn’t detract like chapter titles often do.
I do think there could have been more complexity with the fraud part of the story and Owen’s background, but that would have probably required a lot longer book.
I think it would have helped keep readers invested if we understood Owen and his relationship with Hannah more before he disappeared so that we cared more that they should be together. However, to start the book with the note is a more gripping beginning to get people interested. So I think they had to do it that way but it reminded me a little of Two Nights in Lisbon (which I don’t recommend) in that I didn’t care for the characters or their plight by the middle.
Overall, I’m okay with most of the choices the author made— except the way Hannah handled the cash…. and the ending.
Without giving too much away, I guess I just find it hard to believe they made the choice they made but I’ve never been in that position so maybe I would have too. There were only two options. The idealistic part of me wishes there was a third option. I prefer more complete and happy endings!
Book to Film Review
This is now a limited series on Apple TV which I plan to watch. Based on the trailer it looks like it follows the book closely, but I will update with my thoughts once I watch it. Jennifer Garner plays Hannah and I think that was a good casting choice.
UPDATE: I have now watched the series and here are my thoughts:
First of all, it did follow the book, in the majority of ways word-for-word which I did appreciate.
The two ways they diverged from the book in ways I felt were significant and negative were that they decided to add a whole bunch more f-words for some stupid reason. Also they changed the character Max to be a woman so that they could have an LGBTQ relationship in the series. This baffled me a little bit considering the book was JUST written. I’m not sure why they couldn’t leave it the way the author wrote it.
It added a few extra scenes that weren’t in the book but which I understood in terms of telling more of the story and engaging viewers. It also kept all of the characters more involved throughout which makes sense in a film series.
Instead of Bailey going to the university when her mom couldn’t find her she actually goes to her aunt’s house and has a conversation with her about her past and sees home videos of herself.
Also, there was a scene where we flash back to the past and Bailey’s dad is changing a tire with his future father-in-law. This is to help establish what their relationship was like before the big event went down.
Overall I think they did a good job of converting the book to film. My husband, who hadn’t read the book, thought it was mysterious and enjoyed watching. Since I already knew what was going on there wasn’t much tension or mystery for me.
I just really wish they hadn’t decided the world needed more swearing in it.
[Content Advisory: a few f- and s-words; no sexual content]
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