Fan of “The First Time I Saw Him”? Keep the suspense going with these thrilling read-alikes.
Nearly five years after we first met Hannah Hall in Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me, she’s back—along with all the thrilling ingredients that made the original such a hit. Even if you only caught the series on AppleTV+ starring Jennifer Garner, you’ll want to hear what the author’s up to next. Dave’s newest installment in the series, The First Time I Saw Him, arrived on Jan. 6 and it’s shaping up to be one of January’s most popular releases.
The sequel picks up five years after Hannah’s husband, Owen, disappeared. She and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California, putting the past behind them. But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again. Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. Hannah finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance. This is a great choice for book clubs—start with Book 1 (also a Reese’s Book Club pick!) before you dive into the latest.
This essential sequel ties up loose ends and takes readers on another thrilling ride with the characters we loved from the first book. If you’re waiting to get your hands on a copy or already raced through it, here are more recommendations on the Libby app for fast-paced thriller and suspense novels to keep the momentum going.
“The First Time I Saw Him” read‑alikes
The Wife Between Us
by Greer Hendricks
Twisted and deliciously chilling, this smart thriller exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
Everything I Never Told You
by Celeste Ng
A gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
Then She Was Gone
by Lisa Jewell
A decade after her teenage daughter vanished without a trace, a grieving mother’s fragile new beginning is shattered when a charming stranger’s young daughter rekindles haunting questions about what really happened.
Goodnight Beautiful
by Aimee Molloy
An irresistible psychological thriller featuring a newly married woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband goes missing. This was dubbed a “Most Anticipated Book” by Crime Reads, Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Bustle, and New York Post.
Luckiest Girl Alive
by Jessica Knoll
Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will thrill at this bestselling novel that follows an unforgettable young woman striving to create the perfect life—until a violent incident from her past threatens to unravel everything and expose her most shocking secret. It was also made into a Netflix film starring Mila Kunis.
The Woman in Cabin 10
by Ruth Ware
Reminiscent of a classic whodunit, this bestseller follows a journalist searching for a missing woman on a cruise ship—a woman that everyone else insists doesn't exist. This book was also made into a Netflix film starring Keira Knightley.
If you loved this one, check out The Woman in Suite 11, Ware’s latest in the Lo Blacklock series released in July 2025. This time, Lo returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.
*Title availability may vary.
Was “getting more sleep” on your list of New Year’s resolutions this year? Then these might not be the books for you. Fair warning: they’ll keep you turning pages late into the night! But isn’t it worth it? Borrow these on the Libby app from your digital library (luckily, open 24/7).
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Published Jan 07, 2026
Annie Suhy
Annie Suhy is the editor of Libby Life. When she’s not working, practicing yoga, or petting cats, she’s doing paint-by-numbers and buying more plants. An avid poetry fan, her favorite collection is The Splinter Factory by Jeffrey McDaniel. She is an Aries.