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The Night We Lost Him
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2024)7 hours, 42 minutes
From the author of The Last Thing He Told Me—the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and the Goodreads 2021 Thriller & Mystery Winner—comes an epic love story wrapped in a riveting mystery.
When the patriarch of a famed hotel empire dies under suspicious circumstances, his daughter and her estranged brother join forces to find out what happened, unraveling a larger mystery about who their father really was.
Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar—notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.
The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora’s brother Sam has other ideas. Sam, who she barely knows. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and find an unexpected answer about their own future.
Doubling down on her trademark soulful suspense, The Night We Lost Him is an evocative and unforgettable page-turner about what it means to be the witness to someone’s life.
From the author of The Last Thing He Told Me—the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and the Goodreads 2021 Thriller & Mystery Winner—comes an epic love story wrapped in a riveting mystery.
When the patriarch of a famed hotel empire dies under suspicious circumstances, his daughter and her estranged brother join forces to find out what happened, unraveling a larger mystery about who their father really was.
Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar—notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.
The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora’s brother Sam has other ideas. Sam, who she barely knows. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and find an unexpected answer about their own future.
Doubling down on her trademark soulful suspense, The Night We Lost Him is an evocative and unforgettable page-turner about what it means to be the witness to someone’s life.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 9, 2024
5,245 people are currently reading
190k people want to read
About the author
Laura Dave
13 books10.6k followersLaura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and six of them, including The Night We Lost Them, have been optioned for film and television. She resides in Santa Monica, California.
Her new novel, The Night We Lost Him, will be released in September 2024
The sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me will be released in 2025
Website:www.lauradave.com
Instagram:www.instagram.com/lauradaveauthor
Her new novel, The Night We Lost Him, will be released in September 2024
The sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me will be released in 2025
Website:www.lauradave.com
Instagram:www.instagram.com/lauradaveauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,035 reviews
August 5, 2024
Meh
The Night We Lost Him is a mystery about two siblings investigating what happened to their father when he died unexpectedly.
Nora isn’t close with her stepbrother, Sam, so she is surprised when he shows up out of the blue with a request to travel to the site where their father, Liam, died. Their journey results in them exploring not only what happened to their father the night that he died but also causes them to dig into his past, unearthing a long-hidden secret.
The timeline alternates from the present to the past. Nora narrates the present, and the past is shared through her father, Liam’s, eyes. Nora, a quiet character, was relatable, and her grief in the end was palpable. Liam’s chapters focus on a romance that felt underdeveloped and unconvincing to me. Liam's chapters add a confusing dynamic to the narrative. I can't say much without giving away a spoiler, but many elements were unclear.
This is an extremely slow-paced novel--I had to force myself to keep picking it up. The plot is flat, and the characters are boring. However, there is a decent twist towards the end when Nora's journey comes full circle. Her character was the saving grace of this novel.
Overall, I didn't hate this one--I just didn't fully connect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon Element in exchange for an honest review.
The Night We Lost Him is a mystery about two siblings investigating what happened to their father when he died unexpectedly.
Nora isn’t close with her stepbrother, Sam, so she is surprised when he shows up out of the blue with a request to travel to the site where their father, Liam, died. Their journey results in them exploring not only what happened to their father the night that he died but also causes them to dig into his past, unearthing a long-hidden secret.
The timeline alternates from the present to the past. Nora narrates the present, and the past is shared through her father, Liam’s, eyes. Nora, a quiet character, was relatable, and her grief in the end was palpable. Liam’s chapters focus on a romance that felt underdeveloped and unconvincing to me. Liam's chapters add a confusing dynamic to the narrative. I can't say much without giving away a spoiler, but many elements were unclear.
This is an extremely slow-paced novel--I had to force myself to keep picking it up. The plot is flat, and the characters are boring. However, there is a decent twist towards the end when Nora's journey comes full circle. Her character was the saving grace of this novel.
Overall, I didn't hate this one--I just didn't fully connect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon Element in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2025
Laura Dave’s highly anticipated new mystery is more of a heart-wrenching family drama than a suspenseful thriller. It delves into a father’s secret life, which prevents him from building healthy relationships with his children, who are also lost in their lives after his sudden death, dealing with their grief in their own ways.
I found myself more intrigued by the identity of the mystery woman than the mystery surrounding the death of Liam Noone: was it an accident as the police officers ruled, or was someone there at the cliff to push him off?
The story revolves around Nora, the wealthy hotel mogul Liam Noone’s daughter from his first marriage. She is barely holding herself together emotionally after recently losing both her mother and her father to a sudden death. Nora reconnects with her ex while emotionally distancing herself from her fiancé, Jack, and burying herself in her development projects. Her stepbrother Sam appears with his fiancée, pretending to be customers to talk to Nora about an important matter: their father’s death may not have been accidental.
Nora gets drawn into the mystery of her father’s past as she finds out she has also inherited Windbreak House, his prideful resort property in California, where his father also fell down off the cliff under mysterious circumstances. Laura Dave takes us on a trip down memory lane of Liam as a high schooler, how he met his cousin Joe’s friend Cory, and their whirlwind relationship throughout 50 years. We witness Liam's three marriages, his three kids, and how he kept his personal life to himself, always chasing happiness with the only one he truly loved.
In the present, we witness heartbroken, grieving Nora and her estranged brother Sam’s investigation to gather the pieces of their father’s secret past. They reveal the truth that helps them question their own life choices and why they cannot build relationships with their loved ones, struggling like their father did for years, sacrificing lots for everyone’s well-being. Nora builds emotional barriers around her, while Sam finds himself in a love triangle that is doomed to break his heart. Could learning more about their past help them heal their wounds, and finding out what happened to their father may bring the closure they’re looking for?
Overall, this heart-wrenching romance and family drama blended with mystery is a book I devoured in one sitting. It’s easy to read and surely makes you cry. The conclusion of each storyline is satisfyingly wrapped up.
I absolutely recommend it to readers who are looking for a great historical fiction book, emblazoned with heartbreaking romance and mystery. Keep your napkins close because you’re gonna need them!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element/S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for sharing the digital reviewer copy of one of the most anticipated books of the year in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I found myself more intrigued by the identity of the mystery woman than the mystery surrounding the death of Liam Noone: was it an accident as the police officers ruled, or was someone there at the cliff to push him off?
The story revolves around Nora, the wealthy hotel mogul Liam Noone’s daughter from his first marriage. She is barely holding herself together emotionally after recently losing both her mother and her father to a sudden death. Nora reconnects with her ex while emotionally distancing herself from her fiancé, Jack, and burying herself in her development projects. Her stepbrother Sam appears with his fiancée, pretending to be customers to talk to Nora about an important matter: their father’s death may not have been accidental.
Nora gets drawn into the mystery of her father’s past as she finds out she has also inherited Windbreak House, his prideful resort property in California, where his father also fell down off the cliff under mysterious circumstances. Laura Dave takes us on a trip down memory lane of Liam as a high schooler, how he met his cousin Joe’s friend Cory, and their whirlwind relationship throughout 50 years. We witness Liam's three marriages, his three kids, and how he kept his personal life to himself, always chasing happiness with the only one he truly loved.
In the present, we witness heartbroken, grieving Nora and her estranged brother Sam’s investigation to gather the pieces of their father’s secret past. They reveal the truth that helps them question their own life choices and why they cannot build relationships with their loved ones, struggling like their father did for years, sacrificing lots for everyone’s well-being. Nora builds emotional barriers around her, while Sam finds himself in a love triangle that is doomed to break his heart. Could learning more about their past help them heal their wounds, and finding out what happened to their father may bring the closure they’re looking for?
Overall, this heart-wrenching romance and family drama blended with mystery is a book I devoured in one sitting. It’s easy to read and surely makes you cry. The conclusion of each storyline is satisfyingly wrapped up.
I absolutely recommend it to readers who are looking for a great historical fiction book, emblazoned with heartbreaking romance and mystery. Keep your napkins close because you’re gonna need them!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element/S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for sharing the digital reviewer copy of one of the most anticipated books of the year in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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February 3, 2025
i breezed right through this book. and thats because of a couple of things:
- the length is on the shorter side
- the writing is easily digestible
- the plot is pretty basic
while i would consider this a mystery (albeit along the lines of family secrets), i definitely would not consider this a thriller. there are no high stakes, nothing is on the verge of happening. its just two half-siblings trying to figure out what happened to their dad the night he died by uncovering his past relationships. its very relaxed with nothing to necessarily keep an eye on.
so while not the most engaging of stories, its easy to read and does provide some entertainment by way of family drama.
↠ 3 stars
- the length is on the shorter side
- the writing is easily digestible
- the plot is pretty basic
while i would consider this a mystery (albeit along the lines of family secrets), i definitely would not consider this a thriller. there are no high stakes, nothing is on the verge of happening. its just two half-siblings trying to figure out what happened to their dad the night he died by uncovering his past relationships. its very relaxed with nothing to necessarily keep an eye on.
so while not the most engaging of stories, its easy to read and does provide some entertainment by way of family drama.
↠ 3 stars
September 17, 2024
“The Night We Lost Him” has been described by the Publisher as a combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama. (True) It’s also labeled as a thriller-a riveting page turner-but that it is NOT. I expect a FAST pace when I see the word THRILLER, but the pace of this story is extremely SLOW.
It is also depicted as an EPIC love story. (Hmmm)
Hotel magnate Liam Noone was still friendly with his three ex-wives, and he was still an involved father with his three children-even though he kept his families carefully separated.
But he loves them all-the BEST that he is able to.
To his eldest child and only daughter, Nora, he was a father who loved her from afar – as he often spent his time at his cliffside cottage on the California coast-and she lived in Brooklyn with her mother.
“Windbreak” was the home where Liam would go to spend time alone, or with the mysterious HER.
It is also the place where he will end up falling to his death. The authorities rule the fall “accidental” but her half brother, Sam seems to believe otherwise.
And, we as readers know he is correct because the PUSH is revealed in the PROLOGUE-we just don’t know WHO pushed him.
Sam convinces Nora to fly to California with him in an attempt to learn the truth. When they finally find their first clue as to what may have REALLY happened the night they lost their father (not until the midway mark of the book!) they begin to uncover their father’s secret-which he had kept hidden for 51 years.
It involves a woman named Cory. (not a spoiler-their chapters from the PAST start early in the narrative)
I wish I could say that THEIR relationship made sense to me-but it did NOT.
I also did NOT find it to be an EPIC love story-it didn’t move me EMOTIONALLY at all.
I do enjoy Laura Dave’s character driven stories, and I will be watching for her next book. She writes complicated, broken people very, very well.
But, THIS time the story fell flat for me.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded down
AVAILABLE NOW
Thank You to S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts!
It is also depicted as an EPIC love story. (Hmmm)
Hotel magnate Liam Noone was still friendly with his three ex-wives, and he was still an involved father with his three children-even though he kept his families carefully separated.
But he loves them all-the BEST that he is able to.
To his eldest child and only daughter, Nora, he was a father who loved her from afar – as he often spent his time at his cliffside cottage on the California coast-and she lived in Brooklyn with her mother.
“Windbreak” was the home where Liam would go to spend time alone, or with the mysterious HER.
It is also the place where he will end up falling to his death. The authorities rule the fall “accidental” but her half brother, Sam seems to believe otherwise.
And, we as readers know he is correct because the PUSH is revealed in the PROLOGUE-we just don’t know WHO pushed him.
Sam convinces Nora to fly to California with him in an attempt to learn the truth. When they finally find their first clue as to what may have REALLY happened the night they lost their father (not until the midway mark of the book!) they begin to uncover their father’s secret-which he had kept hidden for 51 years.
It involves a woman named Cory. (not a spoiler-their chapters from the PAST start early in the narrative)
I wish I could say that THEIR relationship made sense to me-but it did NOT.
I also did NOT find it to be an EPIC love story-it didn’t move me EMOTIONALLY at all.
I do enjoy Laura Dave’s character driven stories, and I will be watching for her next book. She writes complicated, broken people very, very well.
But, THIS time the story fell flat for me.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded down
AVAILABLE NOW
Thank You to S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts!
October 15, 2024
mystery, thriller, family drama… who cares what you call it, i just love this author’s writing
October 11, 2024
4.0 stars— ‘The Night We Lost Him’ is the second book by Laura Dave that I have read. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as her previous book because of the slow pace of the book. However, I love how realistic and well-written her characters are, and the quality of writing is almost enough to propel this book into must read territory. The book is told primarily from the perspective of Nora, who is dragged into helping solve the mystery of her father, Liam’s death by her estranged younger brother, Sam. The book also interjects in the story scenes from the 50 year relationship Liam shared with the love of his life, Cory. Soon the two stories intersect to bring a surprise resolution to the story. The dialogue between the characters was masterfully written as well as their thoughts and actions. The author may have caught me in a reflective mood, but the book read so honestly in both the conflicted emotions and feelings the characters had towards each other and their deceased father, I felt myself really interested in how the characters handled these challenges. There are so few writers that have Dave’s abilities as a writer, this book is worth reading for her detailed narratives alone. Now if she can just learn to insert a few more twists and turns into her suspenseful books, I would consider her to be one of the top 5 authors in this genre.
November 11, 2024
4.5 Stars
This is my second Laura Dave book and I just love the way she writes. Her prose, her pacing, and the painfully bittersweet tone of the two books I've read by her so far...chef's kiss.
I read this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down. And not because it was fast-paced or fraught with activity...quite the opposite. It was very slow moving. In fact, I figured out the most of the hidden secrets before the end, but I didn't even care. Dave's writing just lands for me. The way her characters experience and come to grips with relationships, grief, and the human condition in general.
This is my second Laura Dave book and I just love the way she writes. Her prose, her pacing, and the painfully bittersweet tone of the two books I've read by her so far...chef's kiss.
I read this in one sitting as I couldn't put it down. And not because it was fast-paced or fraught with activity...quite the opposite. It was very slow moving. In fact, I figured out the most of the hidden secrets before the end, but I didn't even care. Dave's writing just lands for me. The way her characters experience and come to grips with relationships, grief, and the human condition in general.
"'Will my being gone knock it out of him?' She shrugs. 'The parts I don't recognize.'
I nod. That's what we are often fighting against, isn't it? The parts in someone we don't recognize. The parts we are trying to reconcile."
May 6, 2024
3.5 rounded up
When Liam Noone, owner of the Noone Property Empire, dies in circumstances that might be suspicious, his children, estranged half siblings Sam and Nora join forces to try to seek out the truth. They fly from New York to California as he dies at a property he owns there and their discussions with Detective O’Brien raises more questions than answers. What has Liam been up to? Did it cost him his life? Nora tried to figure out The Night We Lost Him.
First of all, this isn’t a classic mystery thriller novel although there are plenty of perplexing questions about Liam’s death and trying to figure out his end moves, it’s much more about complicated and complex family dynamics. You definitely feel Liam’s presence in the present day and learn his backstory via flashbacks and he’s certainly interesting as are his relationships. I like the sparks that fly between Nora and Sam, there’s no love lost principally because they don’t really know each other but I like how that changes. Sam has a very abrasive personality at the start but he grows on me, as does Nora who is likeable. Their relationship does feel authentic and there’s good dialogue between them.
Parts of the storytelling are powerful and it’s undoubtedly well written. There are some suspenseful moments and tension especially between characters. It becomes clear that secrets are being harboured and trying to work out what game is afoot is entertaining. Is there someone manipulating situations? Is there betrayal? Is there someone to blame and accept responsibility? The mist begins to lift and things start to interconnect as the truth becomes apparent and that is a surprise.
Overall though, this is much more about heartache and heartbreak, loss and grief than a thriller. The pace rises and falls and although I do enjoy the novel it doesn’t grant me in the blame way as The Last Thing He Told Me does. It’s a quick read and the writing does flow well.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Publishes U.K. Jan 2025!
When Liam Noone, owner of the Noone Property Empire, dies in circumstances that might be suspicious, his children, estranged half siblings Sam and Nora join forces to try to seek out the truth. They fly from New York to California as he dies at a property he owns there and their discussions with Detective O’Brien raises more questions than answers. What has Liam been up to? Did it cost him his life? Nora tried to figure out The Night We Lost Him.
First of all, this isn’t a classic mystery thriller novel although there are plenty of perplexing questions about Liam’s death and trying to figure out his end moves, it’s much more about complicated and complex family dynamics. You definitely feel Liam’s presence in the present day and learn his backstory via flashbacks and he’s certainly interesting as are his relationships. I like the sparks that fly between Nora and Sam, there’s no love lost principally because they don’t really know each other but I like how that changes. Sam has a very abrasive personality at the start but he grows on me, as does Nora who is likeable. Their relationship does feel authentic and there’s good dialogue between them.
Parts of the storytelling are powerful and it’s undoubtedly well written. There are some suspenseful moments and tension especially between characters. It becomes clear that secrets are being harboured and trying to work out what game is afoot is entertaining. Is there someone manipulating situations? Is there betrayal? Is there someone to blame and accept responsibility? The mist begins to lift and things start to interconnect as the truth becomes apparent and that is a surprise.
Overall though, this is much more about heartache and heartbreak, loss and grief than a thriller. The pace rises and falls and although I do enjoy the novel it doesn’t grant me in the blame way as The Last Thing He Told Me does. It’s a quick read and the writing does flow well.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Publishes U.K. Jan 2025!
September 15, 2024
Here’s the lowdown: This is one of those books that you’ll either really vibe with or wonder why you picked it up in the first place. For me, it landed somewhere in the middle—not bad, but not exactly a page-turner either.
The story starts off slower than a snail in a race, and I’ll admit, there were moments I wanted to hit pause and walk away. Nora, the main character, didn't really click for me, which was a bummer since she’s the one who cracked her father’s murder case! I even skipped a few pages midway through, and honestly? Didn’t feel like I missed much.
Now, don’t get me wrong—this isn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t as thrilling as I expected. It’s more like a family drama with a dash of mystery. I can totally see why some readers might love it, especially with such a popular author behind it, but for me, this was just a "meh" read.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for letting me check out this ARC!
The story starts off slower than a snail in a race, and I’ll admit, there were moments I wanted to hit pause and walk away. Nora, the main character, didn't really click for me, which was a bummer since she’s the one who cracked her father’s murder case! I even skipped a few pages midway through, and honestly? Didn’t feel like I missed much.
Now, don’t get me wrong—this isn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t as thrilling as I expected. It’s more like a family drama with a dash of mystery. I can totally see why some readers might love it, especially with such a popular author behind it, but for me, this was just a "meh" read.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for letting me check out this ARC!
August 28, 2024
2.5⭐️ Not for me
I loved The Last Thing He Told Me by this author but unfortunately The Night We Lost Him was a miss for me. The back of the book says this is an epic love story and riveting mystery and I didn’t feel like either applied. It’s hard for me to comment much about why it didn’t work without getting into spoiler territory, so keep scrolling to read more with all the spoilers.
⚠️SPOILERS BELOW⚠️
Stop scrolling if you haven’t read it or don’t want to know what happens.
❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌
So I can’t say that when I think of an epic love story I would ever think it’s a man and a woman who married other people but cheat on them with each other for their entire lives. I also didn’t at all understand why she wouldn’t just marry him - she turned him down over and over making cryptic remarks like go fix the right things. 🙄 either be together or don’t but this was overly complicated and nonsensical, not to mention how it treated their respective spouses. Romanticizing an affair that never really needed to be an affair just isn’t an epic love story to me.
Moving on! Our MC has a wonderful fiancé who she absolutely is sure she loves, but she’s treating him horribly and distancing herself from him bc *checks notes* her parents died and apparently she didn’t realize people you love could die and leave you so therefore she now must be afraid of commitment. Right. Honestly Jack deserved better than her and I really wanted him to just move on and find someone else.
There is SO MUCH internal thought, which isn’t my fav, but also it was repetitive internal thought which I really do not like. I should call my fiancé but won’t. I shouldn’t talk to this guy but will. My brother is a jerk, or maybe he isn’t, or maybe he is but isn’t always. I miss my dad. I miss my mom. I have abandonment issues. I was frustrated with how many times a simple action would be psychoanalyzed and applying it to life in her internal thoughts, it became tiring after the first few instances. There also were romance side plots which felt unnecessary.
There were some very convenient things that happen to move the plot along. The twists were fairly predictable and the mystery was such a meh resolution. Like really, it wasn’t even a murder it was an oops accident by a small side character? 🫠
Overall I was bored by the mystery, annoyed with all the characters, frustrated by the ridiculous plot and was happy to be done with it. The narration by Julia Whelan on the audiobook was the best thing about this one, and even she couldn’t save this for me.
I loved The Last Thing He Told Me by this author but unfortunately The Night We Lost Him was a miss for me. The back of the book says this is an epic love story and riveting mystery and I didn’t feel like either applied. It’s hard for me to comment much about why it didn’t work without getting into spoiler territory, so keep scrolling to read more with all the spoilers.
⚠️SPOILERS BELOW⚠️
Stop scrolling if you haven’t read it or don’t want to know what happens.
❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌⚫️❌
So I can’t say that when I think of an epic love story I would ever think it’s a man and a woman who married other people but cheat on them with each other for their entire lives. I also didn’t at all understand why she wouldn’t just marry him - she turned him down over and over making cryptic remarks like go fix the right things. 🙄 either be together or don’t but this was overly complicated and nonsensical, not to mention how it treated their respective spouses. Romanticizing an affair that never really needed to be an affair just isn’t an epic love story to me.
Moving on! Our MC has a wonderful fiancé who she absolutely is sure she loves, but she’s treating him horribly and distancing herself from him bc *checks notes* her parents died and apparently she didn’t realize people you love could die and leave you so therefore she now must be afraid of commitment. Right. Honestly Jack deserved better than her and I really wanted him to just move on and find someone else.
There is SO MUCH internal thought, which isn’t my fav, but also it was repetitive internal thought which I really do not like. I should call my fiancé but won’t. I shouldn’t talk to this guy but will. My brother is a jerk, or maybe he isn’t, or maybe he is but isn’t always. I miss my dad. I miss my mom. I have abandonment issues. I was frustrated with how many times a simple action would be psychoanalyzed and applying it to life in her internal thoughts, it became tiring after the first few instances. There also were romance side plots which felt unnecessary.
There were some very convenient things that happen to move the plot along. The twists were fairly predictable and the mystery was such a meh resolution. Like really, it wasn’t even a murder it was an oops accident by a small side character? 🫠
Overall I was bored by the mystery, annoyed with all the characters, frustrated by the ridiculous plot and was happy to be done with it. The narration by Julia Whelan on the audiobook was the best thing about this one, and even she couldn’t save this for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2024
If you’ve ever been in love…lost a parent…or just feared losing one…The Night We Lost Him will hit you hard. More poignant family drama with a mystery edge than thriller, it was both deeply thought-provoking with a side of super slow burn suspense. Much of this was down to the two deftly interwoven timelines that took me across fifty years and two touching love stories that had this non-romance reader utterly flying through the pages. Together they told the tale of siblings reconciling the life their father once led through his long-buried secrets and deftly obscured lies.
The epitome of a character-driven novel, I was quickly swept up by all those involved. After all, I could feel the deep-seated pain that both siblings struggled with alongside their inherent dysfunctional family dynamic. The most striking piece of all, though, was Nora’s impressive character arc. It was as though I followed along on her trek through her grief until what can only be described as a soul-satisfying conclusion—both for her and for me.
I mustn’t forget the immersive mystery riding shotgun, however. With two first-class twists—neither of which I guessed—I was kept off balance while I also reveled in the slowly unwinding tale. Less of a whodunnit than I was expecting, it nevertheless created a driving desire to learn the whos, the whats, and the whys. And, boy, was I stunned when they were each finally revealed. The mystery, though, definitely took a backseat to the family drama and romance. Despite that, however, it was still an utter home run.
With Gilmore Girls-esque dialogue flow, and picture perfect settings, this nuanced tale came alive on the page. And while the suspense level was noticeably lower than in The Last Thing He Told Me, it still managed to keep me equally spellbound. After all, at just under 300 pages, I inhaled it in just a single sitting. Be prepared, though, to need a box of tissues nearby. Both soul-stirring and powerful, it was a leveler for sure. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar - notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.
The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father's past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.
Thank you to Laura Dave and Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: September 17, 2024
Trigger warning: death of a parent
The epitome of a character-driven novel, I was quickly swept up by all those involved. After all, I could feel the deep-seated pain that both siblings struggled with alongside their inherent dysfunctional family dynamic. The most striking piece of all, though, was Nora’s impressive character arc. It was as though I followed along on her trek through her grief until what can only be described as a soul-satisfying conclusion—both for her and for me.
I mustn’t forget the immersive mystery riding shotgun, however. With two first-class twists—neither of which I guessed—I was kept off balance while I also reveled in the slowly unwinding tale. Less of a whodunnit than I was expecting, it nevertheless created a driving desire to learn the whos, the whats, and the whys. And, boy, was I stunned when they were each finally revealed. The mystery, though, definitely took a backseat to the family drama and romance. Despite that, however, it was still an utter home run.
With Gilmore Girls-esque dialogue flow, and picture perfect settings, this nuanced tale came alive on the page. And while the suspense level was noticeably lower than in The Last Thing He Told Me, it still managed to keep me equally spellbound. After all, at just under 300 pages, I inhaled it in just a single sitting. Be prepared, though, to need a box of tissues nearby. Both soul-stirring and powerful, it was a leveler for sure. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar - notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.
The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father's past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.
Thank you to Laura Dave and Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: September 17, 2024
Trigger warning: death of a parent
September 27, 2024
Zzzzzzzzzzz……This was painfully boring, which is really sad cause I remember really liking “The last thing he told me”. This literally put me to sleep multiple times. I was sooooo bored with the whole thing, sleep was the better option.
The whole thing was awful and made me rethink my life choices, and whether or not I know how to even pick a good book anymore. This was such a short read and took me an entire week to finish. I just didn’t want to read it every time I picked it up.
Overall dreadful. If you need a good nights sleep, pick this up you’ll be dead to the world in no time. 2 stars.
The whole thing was awful and made me rethink my life choices, and whether or not I know how to even pick a good book anymore. This was such a short read and took me an entire week to finish. I just didn’t want to read it every time I picked it up.
Overall dreadful. If you need a good nights sleep, pick this up you’ll be dead to the world in no time. 2 stars.
October 13, 2024
**Many thanks to @marysueruccibooks and @lauradaveauthor for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**
Did you ever collect box tops as a kid to send away for an 'incredible' prize from that you just HAD to have?
It took weeks (and let's face it, MONTHS) to meet the threshold required for many of these prizes...and an almost insufferable amount of said cereal along the way. And when you finally had enough, you packed them up, shipped them off...and then had to wait AGAIN for your prize to finally land in the mailbox. But when at last it finally did, you found yourself left with a sort of halfhearted relief...and also a sinking sense of disappointment?
THAT is the exact feeling I had after reading Laura Dave's latest...and for all the anticipation promised by the enticing premise and interesting setup, I was met with all of the same nonchalance and an overwhelming feeling of disappointment by the time the 'prize' arrived.
The setup is so simple, it can nearly be described in one sentence: Liam Noone, hotel magnate, has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff, mere feet away from his stunning property, Windbreak...and nobody knows if he fell...or was PUSHED. It's up to Liam's daughter, Nora, and her estranged brother Sam to put aside their family differences, come together, and solve the mystery. Nora has plenty of mixed feelings after being brushed aside emotionally by dad for so many years, but being in the middle of her own relationship strife, she's eager for the distraction and prepared to keep digging until she gets to the truth.
But when Sam and Nora discover that this multilayered situation encompasses not only family drama and strife, but has ties to Liam's business itself...AND a secret love affair...they begin to realize that they might be in too deep. Will they find the right person from their father's past who knows more than they might be saying? Could their father's brother, Uncle Tom, have something to do with his sudden and tragic demise? Or was Liam carrying the sort of burdens that were simply too great to bear...and did he make the choice to control his own destiny AND end his own life, all in one fell swoop?
Laura Dave is one of those authors who started in a very specific sort of genre...and has been slightly re-marketed to fit another; the strange thing about this, though, is that her writing hasn't changed too much. My first exposure to her was in the lane of contemporary family drama with a tinge of romance (Eight Hundred Grapes) and with this book, oddly, it's a bit more of the same. At its core, this is TRULY a love story wrapped in a family drama...with a splash of mystery thrown in. I still haven't had the opportunity to read her most successful, breakout hit The Last Thing He Told Me as of yet, but as so many other authors have discovered...toss in a missing person or a murder element, and all of a sudden you are tapping an ENTIRELY new audience.
This isn't necessarily a BAD thing...but when a book is presented as more of a page-turning mystery/thriller rather than a slow-burn family drama with only the mildest bit of suspense, disconnect naturally follows. When I said the premise was simple, I meant it: despite bopping back and forth between 'Then" and "Now" timelines, this book is definitely on the easy reading side of the street for the most part. Short chapters and not a ton of fluff (this one comes in at a brisk 298 pages!) had a lot to do with it, and I found myself able to jump back in after putting this down for a week without any rereading or 'catching up' mentally, and that was a huge plus.
But at the same time...I wasn't ever exactly chomping at the bit TO pick this one up in the first place.
The mystery itself just felt lackluster, and frankly like a side note compared to the multiple love stories that are the beating heart of this book. Although there technically is 'plot' going on all of the time, I honestly think this book would have more intriguing as a longer and more in depth character study, with a literary fiction sort of feel, rather than HAVING to keep some focus on the detective work going at all times. When you find out what happened, you'll see what I mean: NONE of these characters truly get their due. And the funny thing is, as short as this book is, in some ways as a reader I was hoping for that sort of emotional growth and closure MORE than I wanted to know about the ins and outs of Liam's demise. I'm normally begging authors to tap their editors on the shoulder a bit to trim down the page count, but in this case...knowing less left me WANTING more.
And while I applaud Dave's attempt to branch out into a more specific sub genre (suspenseful romantic family drama) she is determined to make her own, I think she could take some advice from Plato: "Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any."
4 stars, rounded up from 3.5 for solid writing
Did you ever collect box tops as a kid to send away for an 'incredible' prize from that you just HAD to have?
It took weeks (and let's face it, MONTHS) to meet the threshold required for many of these prizes...and an almost insufferable amount of said cereal along the way. And when you finally had enough, you packed them up, shipped them off...and then had to wait AGAIN for your prize to finally land in the mailbox. But when at last it finally did, you found yourself left with a sort of halfhearted relief...and also a sinking sense of disappointment?
THAT is the exact feeling I had after reading Laura Dave's latest...and for all the anticipation promised by the enticing premise and interesting setup, I was met with all of the same nonchalance and an overwhelming feeling of disappointment by the time the 'prize' arrived.
The setup is so simple, it can nearly be described in one sentence: Liam Noone, hotel magnate, has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff, mere feet away from his stunning property, Windbreak...and nobody knows if he fell...or was PUSHED. It's up to Liam's daughter, Nora, and her estranged brother Sam to put aside their family differences, come together, and solve the mystery. Nora has plenty of mixed feelings after being brushed aside emotionally by dad for so many years, but being in the middle of her own relationship strife, she's eager for the distraction and prepared to keep digging until she gets to the truth.
But when Sam and Nora discover that this multilayered situation encompasses not only family drama and strife, but has ties to Liam's business itself...AND a secret love affair...they begin to realize that they might be in too deep. Will they find the right person from their father's past who knows more than they might be saying? Could their father's brother, Uncle Tom, have something to do with his sudden and tragic demise? Or was Liam carrying the sort of burdens that were simply too great to bear...and did he make the choice to control his own destiny AND end his own life, all in one fell swoop?
Laura Dave is one of those authors who started in a very specific sort of genre...and has been slightly re-marketed to fit another; the strange thing about this, though, is that her writing hasn't changed too much. My first exposure to her was in the lane of contemporary family drama with a tinge of romance (Eight Hundred Grapes) and with this book, oddly, it's a bit more of the same. At its core, this is TRULY a love story wrapped in a family drama...with a splash of mystery thrown in. I still haven't had the opportunity to read her most successful, breakout hit The Last Thing He Told Me as of yet, but as so many other authors have discovered...toss in a missing person or a murder element, and all of a sudden you are tapping an ENTIRELY new audience.
This isn't necessarily a BAD thing...but when a book is presented as more of a page-turning mystery/thriller rather than a slow-burn family drama with only the mildest bit of suspense, disconnect naturally follows. When I said the premise was simple, I meant it: despite bopping back and forth between 'Then" and "Now" timelines, this book is definitely on the easy reading side of the street for the most part. Short chapters and not a ton of fluff (this one comes in at a brisk 298 pages!) had a lot to do with it, and I found myself able to jump back in after putting this down for a week without any rereading or 'catching up' mentally, and that was a huge plus.
But at the same time...I wasn't ever exactly chomping at the bit TO pick this one up in the first place.
The mystery itself just felt lackluster, and frankly like a side note compared to the multiple love stories that are the beating heart of this book. Although there technically is 'plot' going on all of the time, I honestly think this book would have more intriguing as a longer and more in depth character study, with a literary fiction sort of feel, rather than HAVING to keep some focus on the detective work going at all times. When you find out what happened, you'll see what I mean: NONE of these characters truly get their due. And the funny thing is, as short as this book is, in some ways as a reader I was hoping for that sort of emotional growth and closure MORE than I wanted to know about the ins and outs of Liam's demise. I'm normally begging authors to tap their editors on the shoulder a bit to trim down the page count, but in this case...knowing less left me WANTING more.
And while I applaud Dave's attempt to branch out into a more specific sub genre (suspenseful romantic family drama) she is determined to make her own, I think she could take some advice from Plato: "Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any."
4 stars, rounded up from 3.5 for solid writing
August 19, 2024
i really liked this one. fans of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME
will also enjoy it—IF you go in with the right expectations (why are her books repeatedly marketed as thrillers?!?! they are slow burn mysteries + family drama!!!!)
i really liked her breakout novel (and the tv adaptation!) and this felt very similar. we have a suspicious death (instead of a disappearance) and lots of family drama. two siblings are convinced their dad’s death was not an accident/suicide and investigate the truth behind their father’s life (and hotel empire) and come to find lots of secrets and shocking truths.
it grabbed me right away, but it is definitely a slower burn. but at sub 300-pages, it’s an easy binge (i finished in two sittings). i LOVE her writing and she’ll always be an auto buy author for me! the way she can create a slow burn mystery with family drama that doesn’t make me want to roll my eyes is chef’s kiss.
i was definitely more invested in the mystery romance/identity of the love interest more so than the truth behind Liam’s death. and i will say i was SHOCKED when the first twist was revealed (my mouth actually dropped). however the second twist was not as big of a surprise for me (esp after the first). that’s all i’m saying!!🤐🤐🤐
read if you like:
- slow burn mysteries
- family + sibling drama
- heart wrenching romance
- mysterious death / investigation
- good settings… i want to live at Windbreak!!!
thanks to Laura Dave herself for the gifted early copy!! this goodie hits shelves in September and is worth the pre order + read! 💙
will also enjoy it—IF you go in with the right expectations (why are her books repeatedly marketed as thrillers?!?! they are slow burn mysteries + family drama!!!!)
i really liked her breakout novel (and the tv adaptation!) and this felt very similar. we have a suspicious death (instead of a disappearance) and lots of family drama. two siblings are convinced their dad’s death was not an accident/suicide and investigate the truth behind their father’s life (and hotel empire) and come to find lots of secrets and shocking truths.
it grabbed me right away, but it is definitely a slower burn. but at sub 300-pages, it’s an easy binge (i finished in two sittings). i LOVE her writing and she’ll always be an auto buy author for me! the way she can create a slow burn mystery with family drama that doesn’t make me want to roll my eyes is chef’s kiss.
i was definitely more invested in the mystery romance/identity of the love interest more so than the truth behind Liam’s death. and i will say i was SHOCKED when the first twist was revealed (my mouth actually dropped). however the second twist was not as big of a surprise for me (esp after the first). that’s all i’m saying!!🤐🤐🤐
read if you like:
- slow burn mysteries
- family + sibling drama
- heart wrenching romance
- mysterious death / investigation
- good settings… i want to live at Windbreak!!!
thanks to Laura Dave herself for the gifted early copy!! this goodie hits shelves in September and is worth the pre order + read! 💙
September 20, 2024
3.5⭐
More family drama than a gripping page turner. Well-written, emotional read but not quite what I was expecting.
Detailed review to follow.
More family drama than a gripping page turner. Well-written, emotional read but not quite what I was expecting.
Detailed review to follow.
November 13, 2024
You know…Just fine, I think 🤷🏻♀️
October 18, 2024
Just didn’t hit the mark for me.
I’ve wanted to read a book by Laura Dave for a while now. So when I saw the audio with Julia Whelan narrating, I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, the storyline itself just didn’t live up the expectations I envisioned.
Liam was discovered dead at the bottom of the cliff of his seaside home. The police quickly rule it an accident. His daughter Nora and son Sam believe there’s another reason behind his death. Now they are digging deep to reveal the truth of what happened to their father.
Presented in both present and past timelines, this was a true family drama that progressed at a slow pace. I hoped for more character development for the two siblings both as individuals and their new found connection. Nora’s relationship with her boyfriend felt more like a space-filler rather than an integral addition that moved the storyline forward. Another missed opportunity for this book.
🎧I listened to the audio and Julia Whelan was absolutely brilliant. She nailed every voice and nuance.
Will I try another book by this author? I’m on the fence right now.
Thank to libro.fm 🎧
I’ve wanted to read a book by Laura Dave for a while now. So when I saw the audio with Julia Whelan narrating, I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, the storyline itself just didn’t live up the expectations I envisioned.
Liam was discovered dead at the bottom of the cliff of his seaside home. The police quickly rule it an accident. His daughter Nora and son Sam believe there’s another reason behind his death. Now they are digging deep to reveal the truth of what happened to their father.
Presented in both present and past timelines, this was a true family drama that progressed at a slow pace. I hoped for more character development for the two siblings both as individuals and their new found connection. Nora’s relationship with her boyfriend felt more like a space-filler rather than an integral addition that moved the storyline forward. Another missed opportunity for this book.
🎧I listened to the audio and Julia Whelan was absolutely brilliant. She nailed every voice and nuance.
Will I try another book by this author? I’m on the fence right now.
Thank to libro.fm 🎧
November 5, 2024
The Night We Lost Him is about an adult daughter who was slightly estranged from her father at the time of his death. Not handling it well, her world is rocked when her younger half brother approaches her about their father's death not being an accident. The two decide to investigate, and uncover more about their father than they expected.
This one was... a tad bit disappointing. I gave this author's other book The Last Thing He Told Me a 5 star rating because it really packed an emotional punch for me along with a great mystery. This book lacked both of those things. Did I like it? Mostly yes. But I never felt attached to the characters or the story the way I should be and in a way I know this author is more than capable of writing.
This one was... a tad bit disappointing. I gave this author's other book The Last Thing He Told Me a 5 star rating because it really packed an emotional punch for me along with a great mystery. This book lacked both of those things. Did I like it? Mostly yes. But I never felt attached to the characters or the story the way I should be and in a way I know this author is more than capable of writing.
May 3, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for an ARC of The Night We Lost Him.
Oof, I hate leaving all bad reviews but I really did not enjoy this book in any way. My first issue was the incredibly slow pace of the story...I figured at some point the pace would pick up but it stayed slow even through the ending. My second issue was the main character's relationship was pretty much just a romanticism of his adultery throughout 3 marriages. It seemed like the author wanted me to be swept away by this unconventional love story but it just left me with an "ick" feeling.
1.5 stars, generously rounded up
Oof, I hate leaving all bad reviews but I really did not enjoy this book in any way. My first issue was the incredibly slow pace of the story...I figured at some point the pace would pick up but it stayed slow even through the ending. My second issue was the main character's relationship was pretty much just a romanticism of his adultery throughout 3 marriages. It seemed like the author wanted me to be swept away by this unconventional love story but it just left me with an "ick" feeling.
1.5 stars, generously rounded up
July 5, 2024
This is a drama, not a mystery, not a thriller. Just because someone dies does not make it interesting.
December 30, 2024
DNF’d @ 58%
Life is too short to push through and finish books you hate :/
This was so boring, I had to put it down for my mental health
Life is too short to push through and finish books you hate :/
This was so boring, I had to put it down for my mental health
May 31, 2024
Since this book seemed to have some mixed reviews, I went into it wondering if it would deliver. It did, dear reader. I liked it a lot. There’s a lot of unraveling family secrets and drama here. Some people may expect more thriller-esque action, and you won’t find that. Also, the mystery did get wrapped up a little too nicely, but I still enjoyed the ride. It’s okay, though! It’s still worth your time!
I will happily read Laura Dave’s next book. Look for this on September 17.
My thanks to NetGalley and S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
I will happily read Laura Dave’s next book. Look for this on September 17.
My thanks to NetGalley and S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
August 5, 2024
i couldn’t even get my self to finish the last ten pages, a really bad attempt at a literary mystery. It was so slow and nothing exciting happened the entire story that made me want to keep reading.
September 23, 2024
This is the second book that I’ve read by Laura Dave and I’ve really liked both of them and I will read more from her. I don’t read a lot of domestic dramas; I simply don’t like the genre that much. Reading stories about a bunch of screwed up families is not my idea of an enjoyable read. However, every now and then, I come across one where the premise and storyline seem interesting enough or maybe I’m a fan of the author’s other work. That was definitely the case here.
The book summary basically just introduces the two MC’s, Nora and Sam, half-siblings (same father) who suspect that their father’s fall off the deck of his cliffside home was not an accident. They have to deal with a lazy, local police detective, who did a lousy job investigating the case Nora and Sam blatantly point out to him. Nora is a self-made architect, who had no help at all from her renowned developer father, Liam Noone (pronounced noon not no one). Sam is a former promising baseball player who had a career ending injury early in his career and has been working for his father for years after he left his high school coaching job.
In looking into their father’s last days as well as his personal and professional documentation, they discovered that he seriously considered selling his vast holdings and company to an old friend, Cece. They also soon begin to suspect that their “Uncle Joe” (who was really Liam’s cousin but was considered a “brother” because they grew up together when a young Joe came to live with Liam’s family) seems to know more than he’s saying. Joe is definitely hiding something!
The story flips back and forth between the present, Nora and Sam looking into Liam’s death and the days leading up to it, and the past, Liam’s and Joe’s teen years with a childhood friend, Cordelia, aka Cory. The past chapters start back 51yrs and conclude at one year ago. Somewhere around year 48, I began to suspect Cory’s role in Liam’s life and this story. I ended up being sort of right.
The character development of Nora and Sam was very well done, as well as Liam and Cory’s relationship, which is why the revelation at the end was kind of a shocker. Wow! Did I ever miss the mark on that one. The pacing was really slow at times, but not enough to lose interest in the storyline. The storyline was intriguing enough, which says a lot coming from me, who doesn’t typically enjoy domestic dramas, which is what this is as well as a murder mystery, at least for Nora and Sam. The reader knows from the get-go that Liam was pushed/murdered. It was the writing though that was a big part of what kept me interested too. Too many domestic dramas about messed up families are just plain annoying as crap. This one was a little intriguing because I really wanted to know how Liam and Cory’s relationship played into the story. Even though the kids are grown in this story, I still felt sorry for them for having kind of crappy parents, which is kind of a cheap shot coming from someone who has never been a parent. You don’t need to be a parent to know that parenting is REALLY hard. Having spent a lifetime watching friends and relatives raise kids, I see how hard it is.
Anyway, I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley, Simon Element sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #SimonElement #TheNightWeLostHim
The book summary basically just introduces the two MC’s, Nora and Sam, half-siblings (same father) who suspect that their father’s fall off the deck of his cliffside home was not an accident. They have to deal with a lazy, local police detective, who did a lousy job investigating the case Nora and Sam blatantly point out to him. Nora is a self-made architect, who had no help at all from her renowned developer father, Liam Noone (pronounced noon not no one). Sam is a former promising baseball player who had a career ending injury early in his career and has been working for his father for years after he left his high school coaching job.
In looking into their father’s last days as well as his personal and professional documentation, they discovered that he seriously considered selling his vast holdings and company to an old friend, Cece. They also soon begin to suspect that their “Uncle Joe” (who was really Liam’s cousin but was considered a “brother” because they grew up together when a young Joe came to live with Liam’s family) seems to know more than he’s saying. Joe is definitely hiding something!
The story flips back and forth between the present, Nora and Sam looking into Liam’s death and the days leading up to it, and the past, Liam’s and Joe’s teen years with a childhood friend, Cordelia, aka Cory. The past chapters start back 51yrs and conclude at one year ago. Somewhere around year 48, I began to suspect Cory’s role in Liam’s life and this story. I ended up being sort of right.
The character development of Nora and Sam was very well done, as well as Liam and Cory’s relationship, which is why the revelation at the end was kind of a shocker. Wow! Did I ever miss the mark on that one. The pacing was really slow at times, but not enough to lose interest in the storyline. The storyline was intriguing enough, which says a lot coming from me, who doesn’t typically enjoy domestic dramas, which is what this is as well as a murder mystery, at least for Nora and Sam. The reader knows from the get-go that Liam was pushed/murdered. It was the writing though that was a big part of what kept me interested too. Too many domestic dramas about messed up families are just plain annoying as crap. This one was a little intriguing because I really wanted to know how Liam and Cory’s relationship played into the story. Even though the kids are grown in this story, I still felt sorry for them for having kind of crappy parents, which is kind of a cheap shot coming from someone who has never been a parent. You don’t need to be a parent to know that parenting is REALLY hard. Having spent a lifetime watching friends and relatives raise kids, I see how hard it is.
Anyway, I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley, Simon Element sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #SimonElement #TheNightWeLostHim
December 17, 2024
Loved the book before this one! This one im not a fan. First of all Laura Dave is a story teller, she knows how to tell a story. The subject matter on the other hand; yikes!!
A love for the ages, {side eye} leaving behind broken hearts in its wake with eventually an accidental death. Yes yes okay we know its not accidental, which is where our story begins!
Solid 3 stars!!!
A love for the ages, {side eye} leaving behind broken hearts in its wake with eventually an accidental death. Yes yes okay we know its not accidental, which is where our story begins!
Solid 3 stars!!!
September 30, 2024
3.5
Audiobook: Julia Whelan
If the author put 100 more pages to the development of the characters and story, this could have been 5 stars. It’s a slower burn mystery, but the bones were there for an outstanding book. I really did enjoy the audiobook, but again I had it cranked up to 2.0 to have the book move faster.
Audiobook: Julia Whelan
If the author put 100 more pages to the development of the characters and story, this could have been 5 stars. It’s a slower burn mystery, but the bones were there for an outstanding book. I really did enjoy the audiobook, but again I had it cranked up to 2.0 to have the book move faster.
September 10, 2024
Who knows what rating I would have awarded this book if I would’ve read it in print. Maybe a solid 3 1/2 stars? But due to the incomparable audio narration of my favorite person, Julia Whelan, this was a stunning, stellar four and half stars.
September 25, 2024
3.75
This is the first book I have read by Laura Dave and I can see what all the praise was about. Her writing is wonderful and moving and even though I managed to figure out the answers to all the questions, I still enjoyed getting to the reveal. I defiantly plan on reading more of this author.
This is the first book I have read by Laura Dave and I can see what all the praise was about. Her writing is wonderful and moving and even though I managed to figure out the answers to all the questions, I still enjoyed getting to the reveal. I defiantly plan on reading more of this author.
January 15, 2025
I liked Eight Hundred Grapes, and I really liked The Last Thing He Told Me. So I was surprised that I found this one to be mediocre. I just couldn't find it in me to care enough about any of the characters. Also, I still have no idea why Sam and Tommy were unhappy with each other. And the reveal was anticlimactic and felt unsatisfactory. Also, Nora's relationship conflicts seemed unnecessary and bored me. I would've found it more interesting to see her explore her relationships with her brothers and Uncle Joe.
Rounding up to 3.
Rounding up to 3.
January 6, 2025
Story 3.75 stars**
Audio 4.25 stars**
Narrator Julia Whelan
Audio 4.25 stars**
Narrator Julia Whelan
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