Laura Dave

It’s no surprise that Laura Dave has found success as a writer across all platforms. Her experience writing for the big and small screens shines in this novel. Eight Hundred Grapes is the perfect marriage between the written word and moving pictures: It’s got likeable characters that are both flawed and believable, a gripping central conflict that many people will both understand and not be enviable of, and bite-sized scenes that are perfect for keeping the pace moving.

In Eight Hundred show more Grapes, Georgia is all set to marry Ben, a truly lovely bloke in all the ways that matter … except for the one mistake he made – he kept something from Georgia. Or, rather, he kept someone a secret. Hooked? Yeah, it didn’t take me very long at all to read Dave’s story. Her characters are totally engaging – all with their own set of delicious problems, all putting on brave faces even (and in some cases especially) when in front of family, all silently burning in torment.

I love, love, love awkward moments (in literature, in case the universe gets any big ideas), and there’s no shortage of grapes to make a bottle of fine awkward wine in this novel. There is no right or wrong when it comes to what Georgia should do, and what drives this novel is the choice she has to make. White? Red? Maybe a Zinfandel will do. All equally appealing, but she needs to decide which one is better for her. I’m glad Dave allows her protagonist the opportunity to waffle between her choices because life is like that: It’s rarely neat and never easy. I really enjoyed the mess that Georgia has to find her way out of. I also enjoyed the storyline between Georgia’s parents. As children, we forget sometimes that our parents had a love story before we ever came along, so it was exciting to read Dave’s exploration of love in a marriage many decades in the making.

And if that’s not enough conflict for you, revel in the mixing vat that is Georgia’s brothers’ conundrum. You’ll need a glass of wine to help the medicine go down. Laura Dave very kindly gave me a copy of her suggested wine pairings for this delectable book. If/when you get your hands on Eight Hundred Grapes, she suggests having by your side a glass of La Marca Prosecco (for the first part), Lynmar Chardonnay (for the second and third), and Ridge Zinfandel (for the fourth and fifth).

Okay, a last word from me: DON’T read this book if you’ve only got a few minutes here and there. That may be enough to read a chapter or two, but you’ll definitely want to carve out an afternoon for this one. And that afternoon will lead into a book-club meeting or a girls’ night in of discussion. Also, DON’T read this story if you’re not into witty one-liners or charming characters. Lastly, DON’T read this book if you like things orderly and resolved. If you can’t stand bittersweet awkward encounters, mosey on along. show less

Marketed as a thriller, Laura Dave's THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM is more of a quiet mystery and study in family secrets. The slow pacing and even slower reveal of those family secrets might be a turnoff for readers looking for something a little more suspenseful. However, those who stick around will discover a beautiful story of love and loss, sacrifice, betrayal, and the complications that arise from misunderstandings and secrets. Through their joint investigation, Sam and Nora have the show more opportunity not only to rediscover their father in all his messy glory but also to become closer as siblings, allowing them to put to rest any lingering resentment about the individual upbringings they experienced. The only hiccup I had with the entire novel is the topic of infidelity, something I personally abhor and tend to avoid in novels. Thankfully, Ms. Dave is cautious in how she addresses that particular issue, and you can almost agree that it is a case of star-crossed lovers instead of two people too selfish to marry each other. Anyway, that's one of my personal hangups. I was still able to enjoy THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM despite that and found it a tragic and yet comforting story of frayed family ties healing through loss and grief. Ms. Dave continues to impress me with her stories and how well she weaves tension and emotion together into a complex story that mirrors the messiness of real life. show less

I read this book in one day and I chose it because of the wonderful reviews it received and the fact that it was voted GR best choice mystery & suspense winner of 2021 (do you feel a but coming?). The book was a gripper, for sure, or I would not have dropped everything for 24 hours to finish, especially considering my serious lack of free time these days. (here it comes) But when I sat down to review, I drew a complete blank. I mean, for a few minutes I could not even remember the plot. Now show more this could be because of my advancing years OR it could be that the book just wasn’t as great for me as I thought it was while I was racing furiously to the finish line.

The story is well crafted, but the bottom line is I found it far-fetched. At this point I have to defer to a quote from the e.e. cummings poem chosen by the author as an epigraph to her novel:

let’s go said he
not too far said she
what’s too far said he
where you are said she

I always have reservations when I read a book where the heroine (or hero) is better equipped to follow up leads than the detectives – or in this case, the FBI or a U.S. Marshal.

Hannah is a woodturner. For those of you, like me, who do not know what that is exactly, or who assume it to be a wood carver or whittler, woodturning is a wood craft which employs a spinning lathe and carving tools (thank you Google). Hannah is not merely a woodturner, but rather a maestro in her field, her clients numbering among the rich and famous. Her works feature on the covers of the most popular trade magazines in her field. She is married to Owen who is also a genius in his field (mathematician/CTO?). BTW, this plot would have worked just as well if both Hannah and Owen were average middle-class Joes. For me, the glitz detracts and makes the story less believable.

The plot: rich and famous High-Tech magnate, Avett Thompson, owner of The Shop, his latest Start-Up, is about to make a killing with his newest app. He shows up at Hannah’s workshop to have a look at the latest piece of furniture his wife has ordered for their home. His wonderboy employee, Owen, is tagging along. Owen chats up Hannah and before you know it, they are happily married and living on a houseboat in Sausalito with his sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Saint Hannah shows remarkable restraint and love (worthy of several eyerolls) for this difficult teen who basically wants no part of her. Several pages later, Owen is gone! He appears to have flown the coop leaving Hannah with only the cryptic message, “protect her”, and Bailey with $650,000 in cash, stuffed into a black duffle bag. Once she learns that Avett and his company are under SEC investigation for defrauding his shareholders to the tune of several billion dollars, Hannah is even more worried when a U.S. Marshal shows up on her porch and later the FBI, each seemingly with a different agenda. Who can she trust? Trust no one, the Marshal warns her, and thus begins her journey into wide blue yonder – a trip that brings Hannah and Bailey closer as they search for the missing Owen. As the two attempt to unravel the mystery of Owen, they work together as a team and learn to trust each other (does this sound like I’m reviewing a Nicholas Oldland picture book for kids?).

There are lots of surprises, including the ending. My eyes did roll a few times during Hannah’s meeting with a family patriarch, legal counsel for “the Mob”. But altogether this was a fun, page-flipping read. After glancing at the thrillers I read that were published last year, I would have to agree that this was one of the better ones.

I both listened to the audio and read the ebook - depending on what I was doing while reading/listening. If you plan to listen I suggest speeding up to 1.2. Slower than that was plodding. show less

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is an outstanding missing person story that has an ending I did not expect but which I love. Because the suspense element is not enough, it is a bittersweet story about family, love, and sacrifice. Hannah’s attempts to befriend Bailey are perfect, as are Bailey’s snubs. Ms. Dave must have a sixteen-year-old at home because I found Bailey way too similar to my own daughter at times. Their tentative bond is poignant, as is Hannah’s protection of show more Bailey at all costs. I was already a huge fan of Ms. Dave, but The Last Thing He Told Me convinced me I need to go back and read everything of hers I missed. show less