The Last Thing He Told Me

Hannah Hill, a 40-year-old woodturner who crafts furniture for high-end clients, narrates this novel. The story unfolds over four days in two primary locations—Sausalito, California, and Austin, Texas—interwoven with flashbacks that illuminate Hannah’s relationship with her husband, Owen.

In the present-day narrative, Sausalito is a quiet waterfront town where everyone knows each other. Hannah, Owen, and Owen’s 16-year-old daughter, Bailey, live on a houseboat in the San Francisco Bay. Hannah and Owen have been married just over a year when Hannah receives a mysterious note, delivered by a 12-year-old girl, that simply says: “Protect her.”

Initially assuming Owen is playing a prank, Hannah tries to contact him, but he is unreachable. Later, while picking up Bailey, she hears on the car radio that the high-tech company where Owen is chief coder has been raided by federal authorities. When Bailey places a duffle bag filled with cash and a note from Owen in Hannah’s lap, the reality sets in: Owen is gone.

Hannah’s best friend, Jules, reveals that the FBI had tipped Owen off to the raid two hours beforehand. The next morning, U.S. Marshal Grady Bradford visits Hannah, offering help but warning her that Owen is not who she thinks he is. Hannah begins investigating Owen’s life and discovers an updated will on his laptop.

Two FBI agents later question Hannah, surprised when she mentions Bradford’s visit. She then contacts her former fiancé, Jake Anderson, a New York lawyer, to investigate Owen’s past. Recalling that Owen had reacted strangely whenever Austin, Texas, was mentioned, Hannah asks Bailey about the city. Bailey vaguely remembers being there for a wedding as a child.

Hannah and Bailey travel to Austin and locate the church they believe hosted the wedding, only to learn it was closed for renovations in 2008—the only year that aligns with Bailey’s memory. They follow another lead to a college professor, who confirms Owen attended under a different name and recalls him failing a midterm because he was in love with a classmate.

The parish administrator later confirms a 2008 wedding, and Hannah realizes the bride, Kate Smith, strongly resembles Bailey. Kate’s brother, Charlie, still runs the family bar, The Never Dry. When Bailey walks in, Charlie calls her “Kristin,” prompting Hannah and Bailey to flee.

Hannah uncovers Owen’s true identity: Ethan Young, formerly married to Kate Smith. Bailey—whose real name is Kristin—is their daughter. Kate’s father, Nicholas Bell, a longtime defense attorney known as The Good Lawyer, had defended members of a crime syndicate. After losing a major case, Kate was killed in a hit-and-run, and Ethan, holding insider information, turned state’s witness against the syndicate, placing both himself and his daughter in danger.

Believing Owen would never leave voluntarily, Hannah confronts Bell and learns that both he and the syndicate still seek vengeance. Bradford reveals that Owen and Bailey were meant to enter witness protection, but their identities had been compromised, so Owen took them into hiding under new identities.

Determined to protect Bailey’s current life, Hannah investigates a clue related to Bailey’s piggy bank. Jules discovers a copy of Owen’s will, naming Hannah as Bailey’s guardian. After meeting Bell and realizing the danger Owen still faces, Hannah makes the painful decision to forgo witness protection and return to Sausalito with Bailey, knowing it means Owen cannot be part of their lives.

Years later, Hannah attends a design showcase for her furniture when she is visited by a mysterious man wearing the wedding ring she made him: Owen. As he departs, Bailey arrives for dinner, calling Hannah “Mom.”