The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Laura Dave has written a fantastically stunning and delectable suspense story about a married couple's existence and the blossoming relationship between Hannah and her 16-year-old stepdaughter.

The author clearly has a talent for developing and fleshing out her characters. Hannah is a wife who adores her husband and is heartbroken that he has abandoned them. Bailey is 16, and she is at a stage in her life where she is questioning everything except one thing: her father loves her!!

Hannah has been married to Owen for just over a year. Hannah is a skilled artisan who works with wood to create tables and other items. Owen, as far as she knew, was employed at a software development firm. They reside on a houseboat in Sausalito, a relatively tranquil beach town. Owen and Bailey had lived in this house for over a decade.

Owen vanishes one morning, and Hannah doesn't have time to understand what's going on before the TV news informs her that "The Shop," Owen's employer, is being investigated for fraud, among other things. Avett, the company's founder, has already been detained and faces charges. Basically, the corporation has been selling shares in a company that is developing a software product that isn't even finished.

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

Hannah is having trouble determining what to do because everything is moving so quickly. Bailey, Owen's daughter, is only now beginning to accept Hannah as her stepmother. She lost her mother when she was quite little and has no recollection of her. Hannah is drawn to her because she, too, has experienced the loss of a mother and understands the anguish and bewilderment.

Hannah is having trouble determining what to do because everything is moving so quickly. Bailey, Owen's daughter, is only now beginning to accept Hannah as her stepmother. She lost her mother when she was quite little and has no recollection of her. Hannah is drawn to her because she, too, has experienced the loss of a mother and understands the anguish and bewilderment.

Grady, a US Marshall from Texas, arrives at her home soon after, offering to find a method to safeguard Hannah and Bailey by placing them in the Witness Protection Program. Hannah does not believe this is what she or Bailey desire. They'd have to drastically alter their lifestyles, their passions, and the individuals they let into their lives. Hannah does not want this for Bailey, and she believes she can find an other way for them to live together.

Hannah is diligent, and her buddy Jules assists her in delving into Owen's secret. They learn about his background and what occurred when his first wife passed away. Owen has kept a lot of information from Hannah.

We follow Hanna and her semi-hostile stepdaughter over the following 300 pages as they work together to obtain answers and make a pact that will influence the rest of her life.

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.

This novel is well-written, with fascinating and well-described characters. As Hannah pulls together the few bits of info she has, there are some really interesting and entertaining twists and turns in the well-paced story. Hannah's cleverness in piecing together the anger, bewilderment, and doubt about what to think about Owen comes across nicely. Hannah is a brilliant, resourceful, independent thinker, and fearless heroine who is willing to go to any length to achieve her goals.