Laura Dave books in order begin with London Is the Best City in America, a relationship-focused contemporary novel published in 2006. Her later books add stronger mystery and suspense elements, especially The Last Thing He Told Me, but family, marriage, trust, and the secrets people keep remain central throughout her fiction.
Most of Dave’s novels are standalones, so you can choose one based on the premise or tone that interests you. The exception is the Hannah Hall series, which should be read in order. I’ve separated the series from the standalone novels below so it’s easy to find exactly what you need.
Jump to:
- Laura Dave Standalone Books
- Hannah Hall Series
- Laura Dave Anthology
- Laura Dave Adaptations
- About Laura Dave
Laura Dave Standalone Books
Laura Dave’s standalone novels share recurring interests in family, romantic relationships, identity, and the meaning of home, but they do not share characters or continuing storylines. You can read these books in any order.
- London Is the Best City in America (2006)
- The Divorce Party (2008)
- The First Husband (2011)
- Eight Hundred Grapes (2015)
- Hello, Sunshine (2017)
- The Night We Lost Him (2024)
If you prefer relationship and family drama, I’d start with Eight Hundred Grapes. If the mystery side of The Last Thing He Told Me is what brought you here, I think The Night We Lost Him is the closest standalone match. Reading the standalones by publication order is optional.
Hannah Hall Series
The Hannah Hall series follows Hannah and her stepdaughter, Bailey. I recommend reading these books in publication order because the second novel continues the same story and begins after the epilogue of the first.
- The Last Thing He Told Me (2021)
- The First Time I Saw Him (2026)
If you’ve finished The Last Thing He Told Me and want to know what to read next, the answer is The First Time I Saw Him. It is a direct sequel, not a companion novel or prequel.
The books use more than one timeline, but there isn’t a separate chronological order that improves the story. My advice is to read them exactly as listed.
Laura Dave Anthology
Laura Dave contributed an essay to Jenni Ferrari-Adler’s collection about cooking and dining alone. This is optional companion reading rather than part of Dave’s fiction bibliography.
- How to Cook in a New York Apartment (2007) (Essay) (found in Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant)
I’d add this to your reading list if you’re interested in Dave’s nonfiction voice or food writing, but it isn’t necessary for readers focused on her novels.
Laura Dave Adaptations
The Last Thing He Told Me TV Series
The Last Thing He Told Me was adapted as an Apple TV series co-created by Laura Dave and Josh Singer. Jennifer Garner stars as Hannah Hall, with Angourie Rice as Bailey.
- The Last Thing He Told Me Season 1 premiered in 2023 and adapts the first Hannah Hall novel.
- The Last Thing He Told Me Season 2 premiered in 2026 and is based on The First Time I Saw Him.
I recommend reading each book before its corresponding season if you want to encounter the mysteries on the page first. The show makes some changes, but the book order and television-season order line up.
The Night We Lost Him Movie
A feature-film adaptation of The Night We Lost Him is in development at Netflix, with Dave and Singer adapting the novel. The project does not have a confirmed release date.
About Laura Dave
Laura Dave is a New York Times bestselling novelist whose work blends relationship fiction, family drama, and suspense. She grew up in Scarsdale, New York, earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed an MFA in creative writing at the University of Virginia.
Dave’s early novels focus more heavily on marriage, family, home, and reinvention. With The Last Thing He Told Me and The Night We Lost Him, she brought mystery to the foreground without abandoning the emotional relationships at the center of her work. In my view, that connection is why readers who discover her through suspense can still find plenty to enjoy in her earlier books.
The Last Thing He Told Me won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery & Thriller in 2021 and became the Apple TV series that Dave co-created with her husband, screenwriter Josh Singer. She lives in the Los Angeles area with Singer and their son.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.