Member Reviews

Two siblings, Nora and Sam, go in search of answers regarding their father’s recent death, not believing that it was accidental. Along the way, there is self discovery as they dig through their father’s past and the people who were a part of it.

I felt like this was a slower novel than her previous one.
Thank you to Marysue Rocco Books and Simon & Schuster for a digital review copy of this book.

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Another fantastic thriller from Ms: Dave! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and loved the twists and turns of the plot.

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Good Ole' family drama and a mysterious death. That's all I need. Sign me up.. estranged siblings search for the truth about their dead father's past.

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This novel packs in a few too many characters for my liking and worse, the arcs for them are often lacking. In spite of this, I did enjoy unraveling the mystery behind the death of a father as his children (estranged through divorce(s)) poke blame at others and each other and try to find answers to their dad's sudden demise (considered an accident by police). The pacing of this story was a little slower than some of her other books, but it did hold my interest. I do love unraveling a mystery, even if at times it seems a little forced. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

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Laura Dave’s latest novel is a poignant family drama wrapped in mystery. After Liam Noone’s sudden death, his estranged children, Nora and Sam, grapple with their grief while uncovering secrets from their father’s mysterious past. Inherited property and old relationships resurface, entwining family history with a gripping investigation. As the siblings piece together Liam’s hidden life, they confront their own struggles with love and connection. Blending romance, history, and suspense, this emotionally charged story is unforgettable—prepare for tears

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Laura Dave is one of my favorite authors. I discovered her debut novel on the shelf of @albanynylibrary in the summer of 2008, when I was a baby book blogger. I wrote a short review and became a fan. But Laura Dave (somehow) found my review and emailed me. She's has an even more special place in my heart since then, and I've loved seeing her career and fame takeoff. The Night We Lost Him is a compelling mystery and family drama in one. When their father dies, it's ruled a suicide, but Nora and her estranged brother have their doubts, so they investigate his death (and in so doing, his life.) It's magic.

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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

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The Night We Lost Him is a suspenseful ,compulsively readable thriller, that was mysterious and gripping to the very end!

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Liam Noone, a hotel magnate, unexpectedly falls to his death at a cliffside cottage in California. While authorities rule it an accident, Nora and her estranged brother refuse to believe it. United by their desire to uncover the truth behind their father’s death, the siblings form an unlikely alliance. As they dig deeper, they also unravel the complexities of their separate relationships with their father.

Filled with suspense, this book offers an intriguing exploration of family dynamics and the secrets that bind them.

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Really enjoyed this one. A family drama and mystery in one. Multiple timelines. Laura Dave is an auto read for me now. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

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The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave is an intriguing but uneven family drama wrapped in a mystery. The story follows Nora Noone, whose father—a luxury hotel tycoon—dies under suspicious circumstances at his cliffside home. Though authorities rule out foul play, Nora and her estranged brother, Sam, suspect otherwise. As they team up to unravel the truth, they uncover hidden facets of their father’s life, leading to a family secret that changes everything.

Dave does an excellent job of setting the scene and creating an air of suspense, and the dynamic between Nora and Sam adds emotional weight. However, the pacing falters in places, and the resolution of the mystery feels a bit underwhelming. While the twists are intriguing, some lack the punch needed to truly elevate the story. Overall, this is a solid 3-star read that will appeal to fans of character-driven mysteries, but it might leave others wanting more depth and complexity. 3.5/5 stars for me.

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If you enjoyed “The Last Thing He Told Me” you will enjoy this book.

it’s a mystery book about two half-siblings, Nora and Sam, that are investigating the death of their father who died unexpectedly. They have been estranged and come together to try to piece together what happened.

One thing I really liked about this book is that the timeline alternates from past to present and the narrator changes with the timeline. Nora narrates the present, and Liam (their father, the deceased) narrates the past. I think it was a really unique way to have the deceased narrating part of the story!

I would consider this more of a family suspense as opposed to a thriller. But it was still very enjoyable.

Laura Dave is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Dave, and Simon Element for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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4.5 stars

"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." - from back of book.

There is just something about Laura Dave's writing that I really connect with. Last year I read and loved The Last Thing He Told Me so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Once again, I found myself swept away in her words and the story she was telling. This is a quieter novel, better described as suspense or mystery rather than thriller. But for me it was a moving novel, easy to get lost within. I understood and connected to the grief that these siblings were experiencing and their search for answers that maybe they would never get. I liked the way that this story was told with the reader being given glimpses of the past and their father's history. I felt like it helped me to understand him a bit more even if I don't feel like we were meant to understand him and his choices fully. This is a book that I dog eared, saving quotes that spoke to me as I was reading. For me, it was just a beautiful story that I lost myself in.

Readers who enjoy quieter mysteries and character driven books should give this book a try. If you enjoyed All That is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay you also might want to pick this one up. Both books focus on families and had similar enough vibes that if you enjoyed one then you might enjoy the other. 4.5 stars and rounding up.

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A mystery about two siblings investigating what happened to their father who died unexpectedly. I was expecting this to be a sort of thriller, but this was unfortunately very slow paced for me. Much more of a family drama.

Many elements were unclear and I don’t feel as though those were ever answered. The plot overall fell a little flat for me. I did however spend a lot of time thinking about who the mystery woman was or who she could be. I also really liked Nora’s character and how she comes full circle in the end.

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I am so grateful for this book but it was unfortunately not for me. I appreciate it and see it’s allure to others.

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Laura Dave has become an auto buy for me- gosh what a great book. Suspenseful and twisty while not being totally unrealistic.

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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.

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I love the way Dave writes and her books, "The Last Thing He Told Me" was one of my favorite reads of last year. "The Night We Lost Him" is another suspenseful read that I couldn't put down. We follow Nora as she unpacks the mystery of her father's life and death. Dave's writing is attention grabbing and I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

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First off, thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

We start with Nora Noone showing off a new property, when she discovers it's her brother, Sam, who comes to get her to talk to him over their father's suspicious death recently. As they haven't spoken in a while, he finally convinced her that something doesn't seem right.

Her and Sam then go through the clues and the more they talk to people the more things don't add up.

The book follows Nora mostly, but they do have flashbacks of her father and a mysterious woman, Cory.

Good twist towards the end. I thought I had it all figured out but that definitely switched my thinking.

Interesting story, I enjoyed it, but probably not as much as her previous work.

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This book follows the main character, Nora, as she navigates her wealthy father's recent death. In the midst of grieving, she reconnects with her estranged brother, Sam, who believes their father’s death wasn’t an accident.

I've enjoyed other books by Laura Dave, but this one was a struggle to finish. The plot felt painfully slow, and the ending left me completely unsatisfied. While I expected a suspenseful thriller, this turned out to be a slow-burn story centered on characters I couldn’t connect with—and my opinion of them didn’t improve as the book went on.

Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Dave, and Simon Element for an advanced eBook in exchange for an honest review.

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