Wow, I loved this book. THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME is an unputdownable twisty suspense novel and family drama that hooked me right away.

Owen and Hannah have only been married a short time when he suddenly disappears. Owen’s last message to Hannah was a note saying, “Protect her,” and she immediately knows he’s referring to his 16-year old daughter, Bailey, whose own mother died when she was very young.

Hannah and her stepdaughter have a chilly relationship, with Bailey wanting nothing to do with her. However, their quest to figure out what happened to Owen and what he’s been hiding begins to change their dynamic.

This is one of the best domestic suspense novels I’ve read, with realistic characters and a believable story. I enjoyed the author’s wonderful, absorbing writing. The last line of the book got me choked up a bit. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Overall this book kept me interested. I liked the way some chapters kept going farther into the past and explaining the back story. It started to lose me about 3/4 of the way through though. I found the main characters actions started to get a bit unbelievable. I still wanted to see what happened though. But the ending left me really unsatisfied. I gave it a three because it held my interest but overall I would recommend people read it once but I wouldn't read it again.
There was some blasphemy and profanity. ( )

Yet another book that was popular that I thought would be overrated. It's not. I was immediately hooked and then pleasantly surprised when it wasn't this perfect wrapped up bundle at the end. It left me feeling sad but also happy (?) and then confused that both of those feelings are living in the same bubble.

I really enjoyed the style of writing - like storytelling but not so much background information that it became disjointed from the present moment. It was skillfully looped in and intriguing. There were obviously some things in here that were not believable or good, but for me personally, it didn't take away from the story. It gave me Jason Bourne vibes and I'm down for it.

I don't normally write down quotes from fiction books, but these stood out to me:

"This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn't with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it again. And you see it with a stark quality: This is what is required of you now, just to get along."

"In one way or another, this is the deal we all sign when we love someone. For better or worse. It's the deal we have to sign again and again to keep that love. We don't turn away from the parts of someone we don't want to see. However quickly or long it takes to see them. We accept them if we are strong enough. Or we accept them enough to not let the bad parts become the entire story" ( )

"This is the thing about good and evil. They aren't so far apart - and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different."

Heart-racing, hold your breath, unputdownable adventure of a story! I absolutely loved this one! This felt like an original mystery - one that I haven't stumbled on lately so it felt refreshing. A missing spouse, just up and gone, with an ominous note "protect her." Because he didn't just leave behind his wife, he also left behind his daughter. As each turn reveals the layered parts of the story, it was such a race to try to understand what was really going on. As memories surfaced, it was amazing to read as Bailey and Hannah tried to find a common ground to search for answers. This was so well done, I loved everything.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. ( )

The book drew me in, and I was curious the whole way through. I would say it was a mystery as opposed to a thriller. The best part about the book was the ending. I expected it to turn out differently and be just another love story. I was surprised and like the ending a lot. ( )

Wow, I actually caught myself holding my breath a couple of times! Sometimes in life, you have to make decisions that you'd rather not make alone. Those decisions can be hard, especially if it involves the future of your family!

I liked this a lot and I'm giving it a solid 4 stars! I am definitely willing to pick up another book by the author! I enjoyed her prose and the first-person narrative of this book!

The book is well-paced, and I think it does a good job of balancing suspenseful moments with emotional depth.

I like that while Owen is absent for most of the book, his presence looms large.

Very good! ( )

This one kept me guessing until the end, and I’m still not sure it’s the end I wanted. I’m second guessing Hannah’s choices but then I remember we never get to pick when our loved ones leave us. ( )

Antes de que Owen Michaels desapareciera, consiguió pasar a escondidas una nota a su nueva esposa, Hannah: «Protégela». Hannah sabe exactamente a quién se refiere la nota: Bailey, la hija adolescente de Owen, quien perdió trágicamente a su madre cuando era niña y que no quiere tener absolutamente nada que ver con su nueva madrastra.

Mientras las llamadas desesperadas de Hannah a su esposo quedan sin respuesta, el jefe de Owen es arrestado por fraude y la policía comienza a interrogarla; entonces se da cuenta de que su esposo no es quien decía ser y que Bailey podría tener la clave para descubrir la verdadera identidad de Owen y el porqué de su misteriosa desaparición. Juntas se han propuesto descubrir la verdad. Pero a medida que comienzan a reunir las piezas del pasado de Owen, enseguida se dan cuenta de que sus vidas nunca volverán a ser las mismas. ( )

Hannah met Owen 2 years prior to the story’s start, and they have been married a little over a year. She has moved to Sausalito and is still working on her relationship to her 16 year-old stepdaughter, Bailey. Then Owen’s company is raided, his boss arrested, and Owen disappears leaving Hannah a note saying, ‘Protect her.” The FBI and the U.S. Marshals come asking questions. Bailey and Hannah need to rely on each other to try to search for answers and Owen.

This was a good suspense thriller with a practical heroine in awful circumstances. I thought it was well done for the most part. Clues seemed logical although some things seemed to fall into place pretty easily. Particularly unbelievable was the detailed memory Bailey has of attending a wedding and her visit to Austin at 4 years of age. Huh! ( )

Hannah Hall’s husband, Owen, has disappeared. A girl delivers her a note from him that says, simply, “Protect her.” Hannah knows that he’s referring to his teenage daughter Bailey. But protect her from what? Why are U.S. Marshall’s and FBI agents looking for Owen? Hannah and Bailey decide to go on a mission to find out.

I actually read this book twice. The first time was about a year ago. At the time, I didn’t think it lived up to the hype. I read it again recently because there is a limited TV series starring Jennifer Garner streaming on Apple TV+ based on the book and I wanted to refresh my memory before I watched the show. I liked it even less the second time!

I had a really tough time with the premise. A man goes into hiding and leaves his wife a cryptic note when he easily could have a written a full note explaining to her why he had to go?

I’m not sure this actually is a thriller – maybe thriller light? The twist was little and not exactly jaw dropping. I had a hard time feeling invested in the story and what was going on with Owen because the suspense felt manufactured.

Even though I thought the book was meh, I’m still going to watch at least the first episode of the TV series because I’m curious to see how they’ve adapted the book. ( )

I grew weary of reading the book 1/2 of the way through. I hung in there, but admit that I was longing to read other books brought home from the library.

The plot was too unbelievable and convoluted.

Two Stars

Love love love! Read the book before watching the show,both are fantastic, but the book will give extra context that make the show even better ( )

If you go into this expecting a twisty thriller or a very intricate mystery with lots of reveals, you’ll be disappointed. This isn’t that. It’s somewhat suspenseful, but very touching. ( )

Holy dialogue tags Batman. Distracting. But then it’s distracting you from looking at the characters too closely which helps? Since the characters aren’t too believable. ( )

Not a bad book, but I think some parts are too dramatic. There’s nothing impressive about the plot, and it could be much shorter. It’s not even a thriller or mystery. ( )

This book was ordered because I Love Eight Hundred Grapes.

While not expecting the same delivery of wit and wisdom,
this one does not match up.

It opens with tiresome ongoing tension as Hannah continues to say and do the wrong things
with her new stepdaughter. It then moves into truly boring back story about Stocks, etc.

Finally, the plot picks up with Officer Grady - still an ending mystery why she did accept his protection
rather than that of a lying criminal. ( )

Overall this book kept me interested. I liked the way some chapters kept going farther into the past and explaining the back story. It started to lose me about 3/4 of the way through though. I found the main characters actions started to get a bit unbelievable. I still wanted to see what happened though. But the ending left me really unsatisfied. I gave it a three because it held my interest but overall I would recommend people read it once but I wouldn't read it again.
There was some blasphemy and profanity. ( )

Hannah's husband Owen disappears, leaving her, with step-daughter Bailey, to try and figure out where he is and why he left. Hannah turns detective, but what she uncovers brings danger into their lives. How this is all resolved is something that I didn't expect, and I liked the ending quite a bit. I would recommend this book. ( )

This was a very enjoyable book. It was a mystery because the whole premise of the book is that Owen Michaels disappears. This leaves Hannah to try to find out why and to decipher his parting message- the "last thing" he told her. More importantly, she has to determine "what defines her", and what defines a family. Can she be for Bailey what her grandfather was for her- the stand-in for a family but exactly what she needed?
I really liked the main character, Hannah. She was strong and understanding, and she paid attention!
Bailey starts off immature and self-centered but matures by the end. Very satisfying ending. (I admit I teared up a little at the last page.)
5 stars!
( )

rabck from dabercro; Very fast paced and hooked from the start. Owen, single father of 16 yo Bailey, married Hannah a year ago...and now she gets a note saying "protect her". And Bailey gets a duffle bag of cash and a short note too. The company Owen worked for is being raided by the SCC. Hannah decides to see if she can find Owen, but with the US Marshal and Agents reaching out to her, who can she trust. She remembers Owen mentioning Austin, Texas and she hopes that Austin, which has some vague memories for Bailey, will open a clue. And you're not sure how you want the story to end. ( )

I listened to this book on Audible and it was just thing for a recent road trip. Suspenseful, held my attention, likeable characters and a few surprise twists and turns. It wasn’t high on my “to read” list, but I’m glad I did. ( )

Thought this was well written, but that the plot was so impossible to believe that it held it back. Focusing on the step-parent/ stepchild relationship was interesting ( )

Hannah is at home waiting to go pick up her step-daughter at school when the doorbell rings. A young girl is at her door with a note from Hannah's husband, Owen. Hannah is confused as to how this young girl got a note from her husband but when she reads it, those thoughts disappear. The note simply says "Protect her." That's the last thing he told her. As she drives to school to pick up Bailey, Owen's daughter, she hears on the NPR about raids taking place at The Shop, which is where Owen works. When Bailey gets in the car, she has a strange duffel bag she received from her dad. It's filled with cash. Lots of cash.

As Hannah and Bailey try to figure what is going on and how involved Owen is, they are visited by someone from the US Marshall's office as well as the FBI. Both saying not to trust the other. Hannah doesn't know what to do but she knows one thing for sure: Owen wasn't involved. ( )

This is a beautiful book. I was annoyed at how the flashbacks kept going farther back in time, but it all makes sense for the mystery. Also, even if the ending wasn't what I hope for, I love it to bits. 'Hearing' a character said 'mom' had never been more satisfying.

( )