The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave (Eight Hundred Grapes) is a great summer read.  It combines a suspenseful mystery with the exploration of step family angst. Hannah Hall and Owen Michaels have been married about a year when he disappears, leaving behind a note which simply says “protect her.” Hannah assumes that refers to Bailey, Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter and the step child who has not yet built a comfortable relationship with Hannah. Unnerved by visits from law enforcement, the two women leave the San Francisco area and a beloved houseboat behind to set off for Austin, trying to piece together clues from Bailey’s childhood memories. Numerous flashbacks, some coincidences and multiple connections later, they discover that Owen may have had another identity and that there is grave danger for all involved.  Along the way, Hannah and Bailey’s relationship matures as they learn to rely on and to trust each other, fueled in part by the tension and edginess of their search.