One day, a man called Owen Michaels disappears. Before he disappears, however, he manages to sneak his wife a note that reads "protect her." While she is perplexed, Owen's wife becomes clear that Owen's note refers to his daughter, Bailey. The trouble is: Bailey wants nothing to do with her stepmother. As time progresses and the FBI and US Marshals become involved in Owen's case, Hannah (Owen's wife) discovers that her husband is not the man she thought he was. Eventually, Hannah and Bailey grow closer so that they can work together and find the truth about Owen.
After its release on May 4, 2021, The Last Thing He Told Me became a fast success and quickly became a #1 New York Times bestseller. The novel also spent 48 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. For example, in its review for the novel, Kirkus Reviews wrote that the novel is "Light on suspense but still a solid page-turner."
The novel is also being adapted into a miniseries for the streaming service Apple TV+. Though the production is set to star Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon, a release date for the miniseries has not yet been announced.