Book Review: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

I wasn’t familiar with Laura Dave before this book. It’s a good thing, because most of what she has previously written wouldn’t be books I’d normally pick up (tending toward romance and what is often referred to as “chick lit” – which is a term I hate) and then I might have missed this one…

Picture it. Your spouse doesn’t come home. You have no idea what is going on. All you have is a note sent via an unknown messenger with two words: Protect Her. It is a wild premise and the unraveling of it all is even wilder than the premise suggests. But yet despite this, it felt believable and possible in a way that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

This was an excellent story about trust and what it means to know someone. It was full of twists and turns and more secrets, lies, and misdirection than any spy tale. The writing is excellent. The characters are fully relatable, even when they’re at their worst. The revelations felt natural and organic within the developing plot. Everything about it was spot-on.

I do hope she writes more in this vein – and may even give her lighter fare a look now, based on the strength of her writing and characterizations here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.