It has been a while since I posted a book review! I haven’t had much time to read in the last few months, but I did pick up The Last Thing He Told Me on Audible and I’ve been slowly working through it. I finally finished it, making this novel the first of 2023!
I hope you all have had a lovely start to the new year. Even though it’s somewhat of an arbitrary “fresh start” I still love the feeling. This year, I’m working on making healthier choices, writing more, and cutting out things that don’t serve me. I recently went through my entire closet and got rid of multiple bags of clothes and I’ve been slowly going through my house the same way. I haven’t gone full-on Kon Mari with it, but I’m getting there!
Here is some basic info about the book!
Title: The Last Thing He Told Me
Author: Laura Dave
Narrator: Rebecca Lowman
Description (From Amazon):
“The instant #1 New York Times bestselling mystery and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick that’s captivated more than two 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.”
My Thoughts on this Novel
So, I grabbed this novel on Audible. It was 8 hours and 49 minutes long. While the description says it has a “breakneck pace,” I didn’t find that to be accurate. This book is breathtakingly slow. The descriptions of minor details, flashbacks to their life before everything fell apart, and long introspective narration made this book feel like it took about 48 hours. Maybe I just don’t have the patience that I used to, but I really felt like this book was a slow-paced read.
That said, this is not a bad book. It wasn’t a thriller (and I’m not sure why they describe it that way – the main character never seems to be in real danger) by any means but it was interesting. The description does get it right that the ending is a massive twist and one that I definitely did not expect. The narrator also does a fantastic job as well, even if her voice for Owen felt a little off in the tone.
I did not have any idea how this novel would turn out. I had not read any spoilers for it (or even heard any of my book-ish friends talking about it) so I just leaped in and took a chance. I chose this book in part because of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club recommendation and overall I wasn’t disappointed in it. This might be a book better experienced by actually reading it because the long descriptions probably would not have bothered me so much. When listening to an audiobook, I prefer fast-paced storylines that hold my attention but if there is too much description I can find my mind wandering. I don’t love getting through a chapter and then realizing I hadn’t absorbed any of the information. I had to back up quite a few times with this particular story.
The story was interesting enough that I would be willing to pick up another book by Laura Dave in the future, though I would probably try reading the paperback next time.
I’m proud of you for even sticking with the audio! I can rarely get through an audio book, because of the many times I have to back up when I get lost. Unlike you, though, I prefer the longer descriptions of things to be through audio, because it feels more like I’m listening to a movie, if that makes sense. Big long scenes of description (like in A Discovery of Witches) just don’t work for me in written form.
All that said, this does sound like a good book for me, and maybe when I get through my ever-expanding TBR, I’ll have time to check it out.