You’ve probably seen the cover of The Last Thing He Told Me everywhere—the bright, minimalist blue and yellow artwork that became a permanent fixture on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year. Maybe you even watched Jennifer Garner play Hannah Hall on Apple TV+ and wondered if the rest of Laura Dave books were just more of the same. Honestly? They aren't.
There is this weird misconception that she’s "just" a thriller writer or "just" a beach read author. It’s a bit more complicated than that.
The Pivot Most Readers Missed
If you go back to 2006, Laura Dave wasn't writing about missing husbands or FBI investigations. Her debut, London Is the Best City in America, was a punchy, observational novel about a woman named Emmy who gets cold feet before her brother's wedding. It was sharp. It was light. It felt very much of its era.
Then came The Divorce Party (2008) and The First Husband (2011). These were books about the "quarter-life crisis" and the messy, non-linear way we try to build a life. People loved them because they felt like a conversation with a friend who has slightly better taste in wine than you do.
But then something shifted.
By the time Eight Hundred Grapes hit shelves in 2015, the "Laura Dave vibe" had evolved. It was still about a woman at a crossroads—Georgia Ford, who flees her life in LA for her family’s vineyard in Sonoma—but the stakes felt heavier. The secrets were deeper. It wasn't just about who she was going to marry; it was about the fundamental lies we tell the people we love to keep a family together.
Why the Thriller Label is Sorta Wrong
When The Last Thing He Told Me exploded in 2021, everyone started calling her a "suspense novelist."
Technically, sure. There’s a mystery. There’s a guy who disappears. There’s a US Marshal at the door. But if you're looking for a "Gillian Flynn-style" dark-and-gritty thriller, you're going to be surprised. Dave calls her own work "suspense rooted in hope."
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It’s a specific niche.
In her world, the mystery is usually a vehicle to explore how two people (often a stepmother and stepdaughter, or estranged siblings) learn to trust each other. The "whodunnit" matters, but the "how-do-we-survive-this-together" matters more.
The Massive 2024-2026 Rollout
If you haven't been keeping up, the last couple of years have been a whirlwind for the author.
In September 2024, she released The Night We Lost Him. This one feels different from the Hannah Hall saga. It’s more of a moody, atmospheric family mystery set along the California coast. It follows Nora and her estranged brother Sam as they investigate their father’s "accidental" fall from a cliff.
It’s already being adapted by Netflix, with Dave and her husband, Oscar-winning screenwriter Josh Singer (Spotlight), handling the script.
The Big News: The First Time I Saw Him
January 2026 is officially the month of Laura Dave.
The sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me, titled The First Time I Saw Him, just hit bookstores on January 6, 2026. For a long time, it didn't seem like a sequel was ever going to happen. The first book ended on such a specific, bittersweet note. But apparently, the fan questions became so loud—"What happens to Owen?" "Does Bailey ever see him again?"—that she decided to go back.
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Here is the gist of where we are now:
- The Timeline: It’s been five years since Owen Michaels disappeared.
- The Plot: Hannah and Bailey have a new life in Southern California. They’re safe. Or they think they are. Then Owen shows up at one of Hannah’s art exhibitions.
- The Stakes: They have to run again. This time, the trail leads them all the way to Paris.
It’s a high-octane move for a writer who started out writing about wedding jitters in London.
The "Laura Dave Formula" (That Isn't a Formula)
When you read through the entire catalog of Laura Dave books, you start to notice these little "Easter eggs" or recurring obsessions.
She loves architecture. She loves wine. She loves characters with "fantasy jobs" like travel journalists or artisan cheesemakers. But more than that, she’s obsessed with the idea of showing up.
Whether it's a father who kept three different families in separate "orbits" (like in The Night We Lost Him) or a husband who sacrifices his entire identity to save his daughter, the central question is always: How far do you go for the people you claim to love?
The "Deep Dive" vs. The "Beach Read"
There’s a tension in her writing.
On one hand, the prose is incredibly accessible. You can finish one of her books in a single afternoon at the pool. On the other hand, she’s citing quotes about architecture to structure her chapters and exploring the "topography of grief."
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It’s why her books work for both Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club and for people who usually only read "serious" literary fiction. She sits right in that middle ground.
What You Should Read First
If you're new to her work, don't just grab the most recent one.
- Start with The Last Thing He Told Me. You kind of have to. It’s the cultural touchstone.
- Go back to Eight Hundred Grapes. If you like the family drama but want less "FBI chase" and more "Sonoma vineyard," this is her best work.
- Read The Night We Lost Him. This is for when you want something a bit more introspective and moody.
- Finish with The First Time I Saw Him. Don't read this until you've finished the first one, or the emotional payoff of Owen's return won't hit.
The TV side of things is also heating up. Season 2 of The Last Thing He Told Me is set to premiere on Apple TV+ on February 20, 2026. It’s going to cover the events of the new book, so you’ve got about a month to finish the novel before the spoilers hit social media.
Honestly, the best thing about Dave's trajectory is that she’s stayed true to a very specific, hopeful voice even as the plots have gotten bigger. She doesn't write "unreliable narrators" who turn out to be serial killers. She writes about good people who find themselves in impossible situations.
And in 2026, that feels like exactly what we need.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check your local library or Kindle for The First Time I Saw Him today, then set a calendar reminder for the Apple TV+ Season 2 premiere on February 20 to see how the adaptation handles the Paris chapters.