The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel

A Goodreads Top 60 Book of the Last 5 Years
Don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that’s sold 3 million copies strong—now an Apple TV+ limited series starring Jennifer Garner!

The “page-turning, exhilarating” (PopSugar) and “heartfelt thriller” (Real Simple) about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life—until he disappears.

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 “page-turning, exhilarating, and unforgettable” (PopSugar) suspense novel.

BUY THE BOOK

Published May 4, 2021

320 pages

Average rating: 7.09

3,823 RATINGS

|

These clubs recently read this book...

Community Reviews

CurvyAndNerdy
Jul 20, 2025
8/10 stars
The plot had me hooked from the start. I had some many questions and as Hannah discovered what was really going on, I saw more and more why Owen chose her to leave the note to. Hannah had to make some hard choices and they reflected her character and strength. Even though we didn’t get to know Owen as well as we did her, his actions and Hannah’s memories/flashbacks did a good job of fleshing out his personality and motivations. The ending was bitter sweet. While it stayed true to who the characters were, a certain part of me was hoping for a different outcome.
kylie_fitz
Jul 14, 2025
6/10 stars
3.5 ⭐️
kylie_fitz
May 26, 2025
6/10 stars
3.5 ⭐️
K Olson
Jan 14, 2025
8/10 stars
Wow- reviews of this book are all over the place! I really enjoyed this mystery. I thought the characters were well done, especially Bailey the angsty teenager. It would make a great beach read as it was a page turner. Definitely more of a mystery than a thriller.
frannie-puckett
Mar 17, 2024
6/10 stars
A fast read.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.