The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

The Night We Lost Him

Estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal…

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.

With Laura Dave’s trademark combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I remember seeing this on Bookreporter’s Speed Dating back over the summer and I saw this book and sent in a request. I was thrilled to get it!

So, first- this cover really sets your mind one way about this book. It screams thriller and if you are looking for a thriller, this book is not really for you.

It’s slow-burn. Mystery-ish. More of a deep study on the family this man has created with 3 different wives and flashbacks to how he became the man, the father he was. In fact, while I did receive a physical book, I actually switched to audio once I found out it was narrated by Julia Whelan.

What I liked:

I love the cover. It’s really eye-catching.

The dynamic between Sam and Nora. They are both dealing with emotional damage from their father dying, for having their worlds all shook up and both are dealing with it in different ways.

Julia Whelan as the narrator. She did an amazing job.

What I didn’t love:

Liam Noone was a selfish man. He loved his families, but he loved them with pieces of himself because of his past. The choices he made again and again confounded me and I must admit that I kinda wanted to push him off the cliff my own self.

Bottom line: This is not a thriller. It’s a mystery. It’s a family drama. It’s a character study on families. If you go into it with the right mindset, this book will probably make you happy. But it is not a thriller type book.

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*