Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Book and the author for the gifted e-book.

I was expecting a thriller and turned out this was a heartbreaking family drama.

When their father falls to his death from the cliff at his home, Nora and her estranged brother Sam investigate Liam’s suspicious death. Secrets held by close family and friends fuel their search for answers, which also leads them to examine their own lives. The dual timeline revealing Liam's history, along with Nora's investigation, provides an intriguing narrative.

I was captivated by the mystery of Liam's death and its impact on the family. Nora and Sam’s evolving relationship added depth to the story. Although it is more centered on heartache and grief than being a typical thriller, the fluctuating pacing and smooth writing make it a compelling and brisk read.

If you enjoy mysteries with depth, I highly recommend this book, which is set to be released on September 17th.

3.5 stars rounded up

Like The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave's new novel starts with a bang, and follows up with the investigation into what really happened. In The Night We Lost Him, Liam Noone begins the novel by going over the edge of the cliff outside his beloved cottage. The police think it was accidental, and when two of his children question whether the authorities did an adequate job investigating it falls to them to figure out what secrets their father was hiding.

I enjoyed the dual timelines in the story, with Liam's life unfolding in snippets of time spent with Cory, his high school sweetheart and the love of his life. I am not sure I ever understood what kept them apart, as both loved each other deeply even as they met and married others. I don't think this relationship came as a surprise to either Sam or Nora; since their father had married three times an 'other woman' would not have been shocking even as they were unaware of her existence. I struggled to empathize with either Liam or Cory, as the infidelity to their spouses bothered me.

Sam and Nora's investigation during the present time was interesting, even as it dragged a bit, and the multiple characters and locations became a bit confusing at times. Nora's personal relationship with her fiance was troubled, mostly because of her lack of communication with Jack, which I found very frustrating--just talk to the man, for goodness sake!

The conclusion was a redeeming aspect of the mystery, in my opinion, though many may not like the author's way of presenting it (it happens off page). I thought it was perfect, and was an appropriate ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Element for the digital ARC of The Night We Lost him by Laura Dave. The opinions in this review are my own.

After the death of their father, a man who was still very much a mystery to his children, two estranged siblings begin to wonder if his death wasn't quite so accidental. Nora and Sam have never been close, their father like to keep his families separate, but they form a tenuous alliance to discover the family secret that no one wants to tell them. Along the way they begin to wonder, if they are doomed to repeat their father's mistakes, or if they find their way back to the lives they were meant to lead.

The story moves back and forth between the past and present, weaving together a tale that will keep you guessing right up the final page.

Unfortunately this one did not do it for me. Really slow and took me forever to get through. The backstory was boring and the characters were not super developed or likeable.

I absolutely love Laura as an author and screen writer! I can’t wait to read the follow up to the last thing he told me. I absolutely loved this book! It will keep you on ur toes!

The Night We Lost Him is a novel about love and hope and mysteries to be solved. This is also a novel that reminds us we might not actually know everything about love that we think we know. Laura Dave has not created a thriller. Instead this is a mystery that slowly unpacks a plot far different from what readers might expect. What does it mean to live with grief? How do we live with love? How do we live with love when the object of love can never be truly ours? The Night We Lost Him is filled with questions. It is a love story that explores the pain of the past and how difficult it can be to live with grief and loss.

I did enjoy The Night We Lost Him. The mystery is well done and the time it takes to unwind the mystery is welcome. Dave has created a very romantic novel about love, even though readers might not anticipate this plot movement until the end of the novel, when readers learn than no matter how difficult, at the end of the day it is better to be with someone we love than to be alone. Thank you to publisher MarySue Rucci Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I do recommend The Night We Lost Him.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster/Simon Element/Marysue Rucci Books for gifting me both a physical and audio ARC of the new book by a favorite, Laura Dave. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Liam Noone was a complicated man, especially when it came to relationships. He had 3 ex-wives and 3 children. While he did his best to be there for his kids, he kept his various families separate, so that Nora really didn't know her younger twin brothers who worked with their dad as a hotel magnate. His life ended with a fall to his death from his beloved cliffside cottage. It is ruled accidental, but Nora and her brother, Sam, think otherwise. They begin to investigate.

Don't go into this thinking it's a thriller like Dave's last book, The Last Thing He Told Me, made into a gripping TV series. This one is a strong character-driven family novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Told in alternating timelines between present and Liam's past, it's suspenseful but mostly a family and personal drama. You could feel the longing for relationships that weren't fulfilled, the grief that runs through the whole book, and the fear of giving ourselves completely to another. This book reminded me of her previous book, Eight Hundred Grapes, in all the best ways - an exploration of family and relationships.

This book was a decent read, but honestly kind of slow paced and the ending did not do it for me. I didn’t love the past story or feel connected with it.

The Night We Lost Him is a blend of mystery and family drama that explores how well we truly know the people we love and the secrets they keep.

Estranged siblings Nora and Sam are brought together by the mysterious death of their father, Liam Noone. Liam's fall from a cliff on his beloved property sets off the sibling's slow-burning investigation.

I enjoyed the dual timelines - one following Nora and Sam as they investigate their father's death, and the other delving into Liam's past.

Fans of The Last Thing He Told Me and mysteries filled with domestic drama will enjoy this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the advanced copy!

Such an easy and quick mystery. The chapters were so short it made it so easy to keep reading. It kept me guessing the whole time and I was shocked by the end. Really loved it and hope this becomes a tv series!

While this didn't have the punch I usually love from a thriller/mystery, it DID have a "wow, I didn't expect THAT" moment. I thought I had the who done it and the who is that character all sown up, but I was wrong on both counts. The ending let me down a little bit. I guess I expected a third act "WOW" but it was just meh... just done. All in all, a great book about loyalty, family, and being the person you want to be

Amazing book full of suspense! I loved the characters and it was definitely a page. I loved the family dynamics and how it added to this story and how you slowly seen how it was changing their lives. Greatly written and addicting!!

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 prologue introduces us to Liam Samuel Noone at his dream house, a cottage near Santa Barbara. We learn how he acquired said dream house and how he began his career in those first few pages, before he tumbles down the cliff. And dies. It's ruled an accident.

Enter Nora and Sam, half-siblings. Liam was their father and they decide to head out to the California coast and figure out what really happened. Sprinkled in between the current day chapters is the story of Liam growing up, going to school, forging his career, marrying his wives. The siblings get closer and closer to the truth as the reader gets Liam's narrative.

This is a page turning mystery, one that had me guessing (wrongly) and that had me going back to reread parts. The clues were all there. Disguised. The siblings learn a lot about their father, and about themselves, in their journey.

Extra points to Laura Dave for describing the coast area perfectly. From the highways to the vineyards to the restaurants. And also for getting the food right (Nora's boyfriend is a chef, and I want to eat that specialty pizza. Now).

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up. I would definitely classify this one heavier on the mystery side than calling it a thriller. It was a family mystery being uncovered by siblings in the present and revealed in pieces by their late father with moments from his past.

The way the story was laid out kept me intrigued with trying to figure out where the ties were, if things were going to unravel further, or if they were going to weave into something that I should have seen coming. I did not, in fact, have any of it figured out, but it made sense when the moment of truth arrived. The build up throughout was done in a unique way, and looking back at everything and viewing all sides with hindsight led to a very thought-provoking process for me try to understand where all parties were coming from and how I felt about it.

I do feel as though some of the family and relationship ties felt underdeveloped, but that may have been intentional and/or a product of the story that was being told. We don’t get to know and understand everything because none of these characters knew or understood everything even as they were living it. Again, thought-provoking.

I can’t say I felt like I was on the edge of my seat desperate to keep turning the pages at any point while reading, but I was compelled to continue the search for answers and never bored as it moved forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Marysue Rucci Books for the eARC and Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books for the print ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can appreciate this book, but I sadly didn't really enjoy reading it. I think because I went in expecting a thriller like The Last Thing He Told Me. This had an element of mystery to it, but even that wasn't particularly compelling, it was more sad than anything else. I also didn't quite understand some of the family dynamics -- the "showing" and "telling" of the various relationships didn't quite match up. 
*
This talks a lot about loss, mourning, and grief. So I think it can be very powerful if you go in with the right expectations.

THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM kept me guessing until the very end! Laura Dave’s newest book comes out this Tuesday 9/17 and mystery lovers won’t want to miss this one.

This isn’t a thriller but leans more towards family drama with a mystery woven in. I raced through it because, to be honest, I love a good family drama! The narrative unfolds in a dual timeline: present-day, where Nora and her half brother Sam investigate their father’s death, and a historical perspective that spans 50 years of their father’s life and romantic entanglements. Both timelines are equally engaging.

I found the characters to be incredibly compelling. I was invested in their journeys across both timelines. While it's a slow burn, there are some fantastic twists at the end that will catch you off guard.

I experienced the story through the audiobook while reading my Kindle version, and Julia Whelan’s narration was outstanding. This was a wonderful family drama/mystery that kept me guessing up until the very end.

A big thank you to Simon Element, libro.fm, and Simon & Schuster Audio for the audiobook listening copy and ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed The Night We Lost Him a great deal. This story of a brother and sister trying to understand the sudden death of their father hit notes of mystery and suspense, but the emphasis was on relationships and how unraveling family history could bring insight into what happened. The writing is strong and the dual timeline structure was well-done and not confusing. I was quickly drawn into the narrative and the storytelling was propulsive enough to keep me turning the pages. This definitely is NOT a classic thriller, but it's a good read as long as expectations are set correctly for what kind of book you're getting into.

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, but I didn't realize that some descriptions were calling it a thriller. I would NOT call it a thriller, but it's an engaging family drama that includes a mystery. When their father, a successful hotel entrepreneur Liam Noone passes away, his son Sam can't accept the ruling that it was an accident. He contacts his estranged sister, Nora, and pleads with her to help him look into their father's death. They begin looking into their father's life to find answers and find things out about him, and themselves, that they never knew.

There was enough mystery in this book that kept my interest as the story slowly unfolded. I don’t understand or agree with all of the decisions the main characters make. However, I enjoyed getting to know Nora and her brother Sam through Nora's point-of-view in the present and their father Liam through flashbacks. I liked watching Nora and Sam building their relationship and I was hopeful they were both being honest with each other. The character of Cory was someone I really couldn't figure out even when the book ended, but I liked the way everything else wrapped up at the end after an unexpected twist.

The subject of grief that comes up a lot in the story (Nora is grieving both her mother and her father's death) was understandably sad, but the theme of being true to yourself and following your dreams adds a hopeful element to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Marysue Ricci Book for the advance copy of this ebook. I received the ebook at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Another great book from Laura Dave. As half siblings, Nora and Sam haven't been close, but Sam has suspicions about the circumstances surrounding their father's death, and he persuades Nora to help him figure it out. They end up going back and forth between California and New York, talking to business associates and family/friends, trying to piece together Liam's last day. No one seems willing to reveal much, but they drop enough hints/bits of info for the siblings to keep digging.
Interspersed are chapters from years before, with their father and the love of his life.
It all comes together at the end, in a satisfying reveal/conclusion. This was a page turner that grabbed and held my interest.