“Famous last words” is Gillian McAllister’s newest psychological thriller. It is dually narrated by Cam (the wife of a man who takes three people hostage) and Niall, the hostage negotiator. It’s best to go into this book blind, there are many twists and turns and it’s a very fast read. I enjoyed the story, but felt like all of the twists came in the last 10% of the book and it was a bit uneven.

Such a great, engrossing thriller. I (unfortunately) read it in one sitting...and was up until 4am doing so. The set-up was just so fascinating, and the execution didn't disappoint. Also, police surveillance is scary, and probably wasn't terribly exaggerated in this book.

A good fast-paced thriller about a young mother who is asked by the police to come talk to her husband who seems to have taken people hostage in a warehouse in London. She can't imagine her kind loving husband being involved in a hostage sistuation, even less so as the hostage taker. Niall, the hostage negotiator, is also confused when his instincts fail him in this case. But all is not how it seems and as the story unfolds with many twists, both of them realise that they need to trust their instincts. An enjoyable read.

Amazing read! Gillian McAllister never disappoints, and this book is no exception. The storyline was refreshingly unique, keeping me hooked from start to finish. A perfect blend of fun and suspense that made it impossible to put down!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
What a book! How well do you. Know your husband?
Cam drops her daughter off at daycare not realizing how her day will tumble. The police tell her there was a hostage situation and Luke, her husband was the gunman. This is unbelievable- totally not the man she knows or is married to. What could have happened? A life of secrets culminates into a desperate situation. Can she find the answers?

I carried this book around the house (and out of the house) with me because I had to read more every chance I got. Multiple times I turned the page and had a WHAT reaction - not just with plot points, but how the story is told.

I was invested in Camilla and Niall and had to know what would happen to them. Camilla's husband, Luke, is essentially a MacGuffin, so I was wasn't rooting for any particular reveal. I just wanted answers!

Such a great book! There were sooooo many different twists and turns and I was genuinely surprised by this one! I love how it makes you keep wondering what is happening and kept me guessing. Loved it

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Gillian McAllister is one of the titans of the mystery/thriller genre, and Famous Last Words did not disappoint!

Cam's world is upended when her extroverted, fun-loving, silly husband suddenly goes viral for committing a significant crime before disappearing...Cam can't believe that her Luke could've ever committed such acts, but there's no disputing that he's disappeared and left her to raise baby Polly alone. Will she ever find out who her husband really was? Was she really that clueless about who she married? And how was hostage negotiator Niall so impossibly wrong when he read the scene?

This expansive, emotional read takes place mostly over 7 years and will leave you breathless before leaving you totally satisfied. I really felt the pain and confusion in Cam; her struggle caught between two lives; a before and an after; a with and a without. I so desperately wanted her to find answers, worried about her safety, and cheered her on in trying to find happiness in big and small ways. You'll be on the edge of your seat trying to puzzle together how it all fits together until the last 5% of the book - where so much falls into place in ways you definitely won't see coming.

An easy 4.5 star read for me, rounded up to a 5! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC - all thoughts and opinions are my own!

When Camilla is told her husband has taken 3 people hostage, she is in complete shock and disbelief. This isn't her Luke, and she knows he would never put her or their 9 month old in this predicament. Years after the hostage case, and Camilla is still deeply in love with her husband. All she can do is pray he comes back to her one day.

Gillian McAllister is an automatic author I purchase - but this was not my favorite of the books. I did not feel clear on who the enemies are, since they were mentioned towards the beginning of the book, then not again until the last 1/8th. Although a fast read, I do think there could have been more suspense.

This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t read it fast enough! The plot had me anticipating what was coming next. I really enjoyed receiving and being able to review this ARC. The story bounced between Cam (whose husband is accused of a serious crime) to Niall, the hostage negotiator of said crime. Both with varying views, still trying to understand how their worlds fell apart, and how to keep loving even when it has.

Cam has the perfect life. She has a great job, an attentive husband, and a beautiful baby girl. Everything is perfect…until it’s not.

Cam is ready to go back to work after finishing maternity leave. She gets up and is ready to start the day, but Luke her husband isn’t there. On her way out the door she sees a note he has left, saying, “It’s been so lovely with you both” . Cam drops off their daughter at daycare and goes to work. Not long after arriving the police come and ask to speak with her. They tell her Luke is involved in a hostage situation and he is the gunman. Cam doesn’t believe her husband is capable of what the police are accusing him of.
The story is broken up into multiple parts starting on the day of the Siege with each part progressing by seven years as Cam searches for answers.

This book immediately grabbed my attention with its unique story line. It was exciting, fast paced, and unpredictable.

Thank you William Morrow, Netgalley, and Gillian McAllister for an advance reading copy of this book.

Camilla is a young mom heading back to work, taking her daughter to daycare, but where is her husband Luke? He left a note that makes no sense to her. Something is wrong.

When she gets to work, she hears the breaking news about a hostage situation and then the police show up wanting to talk to her. She learns Luke is a part of it and he is not the hostage! Not her Luke, her sweet husband and a devoted father. How can this be? She is overwhelmed trying to understand what the police are telling her and what she knows of Luke.

The story is told from the POV of Camilla who is determined to find Luke before the police; and the POV of the hostage negotiator who is also determined to find Luke before something bad happens.

This book started strong for me, with a bit of lull in the middle and picked up quickly at the end, as the reader, along with Camilla and the Hostage Negotiator and are all desperate to find out what is really going on.

My thanks to Net Galley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this e-book.

Famous Last Words started out really strong, and I was immediately sucked into Camilla's panic and confusion over the burgeoning hostage situation involving her husband, Luke. However, the actual hostage situation only comprises a small percentage of the story, and most of it is told seven years afterward. Camilla's flashbacks and "I know my husband; he was a good person" memories soon become quite repetitive and didn't really do all that much to further the story, so the rest of the book fell a little flat for me.

Cam is quite the introvert, as we are told over and over again, so her circle of friends/family (and consequentially, our cast of characters) is rather limited, and the bulk of the story, aside from the whodunnit aspects, focuses on her relationships as well as the relationships of Niall, the hostage negotiator. I felt like we got a little TOO deep into some of these relationship aspects, and they felt a bit like filler information at times, especially that of her relationship with her sister, Libby.

There were a couple of twists that I thought were rather predictable - one was so obvious that even the least sluethy of readers will likely deduce the outcome from its onset, and one that I admit I didn't see coming, but in hindsight REALLY should have given the limited cast of characters.

In the end, this was neither a good nor a bad read for me. It did keep my attention, but as I said, the whole storyline just didn't capture me as much as I was hoping it would.

Camilla and Luke are living happily ever after with their new baby daughter.
Until they're not.
Luke leaves the house one day for work and ends up in a hostage taking situation with 3
others. And to Cam's shocking dismay, Luke is the hostage taker.
Two of the hostages are shot by Luke and he disappears and becomes a most wanted man.
The story is spine tingly good with great characters and terrific follow through between the then and present day, time lapse..

Thank you so so much NetGalley & William Morrow for giving me access to this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion!
Famous last Words will be released next year on Fe b 25 2025 and everyone should add it to their TBR!
Camilla, a new mother returning to work, wakes up to find her husband Luke missing and a cryptic note in his place. On the same morning, news breaks of a hostage situation in London, and the police inform her that Luke is the gunman, not a hostage. I won't say much because it's best to not know anything more than that! Don't even look at the titles of the chapters because it gives you clues!
I recommend this book to anyone who love a fast pace thriller and a good TV show episode, honestly it reads like a TV show, I had so much fun!

4.25 stars. Wow this book takes you for a ride right away. Cam is going back to work for the first time in 9 months after the birth of her daughter, Polly. Oddly her husband has already left the house really early and has left a cryptic note for her. Mid-morning a news brief shows a man who is holding three persons hostage at a warehouse. Cam cannot believe her eyes. It is her loving, calm husband, Luke, holding these people hostage with a gun. What? Why? And this all happens at the very beginning of the book. Whew. Luke escapes somehow. The rest of the story is Cam trying to figure out is he still alive? Why did he do this? What could have provoked him into doing this heinous act.

I thought this was an excellent thriller with an undying love story as well. It did get a bit redundant at times but I could easily overlook those boring spots as I raced to the satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gillian McAllister and William Morrow for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This was the first book I read from this author and I really enjoyed the twist and turns. I did find some parts drawn out and slow, but none the less it wrapped up beautifully and was a great read.

I really enjoyed Famous Last Words. The execution was perfection! I was riveted the whole time and racing to the end! If you like mystery/thrillers, this is a must read!

An ordinary man has a gun aimed at hostages in an old warehouse in London. He’s happily married with a baby girl, nothing about his life can explain why this is happening. Who are the hostages? Why is he threatening to kill them? His wife, Cam, a literary agent, has arrived at the staging area. The police have dispatched Niall, the hostage negotiator, to the scene. He has a background as a detective and trained for these types of scenarios. The drama plays out alternating between Cam and Niall over the next seven years of their lives. The aftermath of that one horrific day plays out for each of them differently. Cam has her sister encouraging her to move on with her life. Niall can’t move past his love for his X-wife. His obsession with his job cost him his marriage yet he still can’t stop secretly investigating the hostage case. Cam never wavers in her belief in her husband, his innocence and her love never wanes. There were times she got on my nerves and I wanted her to listen to her sister and accept how things are. I don’t believe I would’ve made the same decisions she did. I was totally invested in this plot. I really appreciated the viewpoints from the negotiator, I wanted to know everything about the process. While the plot is a tense and dripping with suspenseful situations, the story delves deeply into everlasting love, trust and devotion. I couldn’t wait to see how it ended but didn’t want it to end either. The plot was filled with results I didn’t expect and twists I never saw coming. Another fantastic read that I’m happy to recommend.
HarperCollins books (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “Famous Last Words” by Gilly McAllister, publication expected 02/25/2025. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

SYNOPSIS
- Camilla & Luke are new parents to their baby girl, Polly. It is Cam’s first day back at work after her maternity leave. At work, there’s breaking news of a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and inform Cam that Luke is the gunman. Niall is the hostage negotiator.
- Cam can’t believe it. Is there more to the story?

MY THOUGHTS
- This is the third book of McAllister’s that I’ve read. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
- Compelling, gripping, & impossible to put down.
- Masterful pacing, progression, & plotting. Exquisite execution.
- Loved the characters. They’re developed so well. Cam’s escapism into literature really resonated with me.
- I love how the book touched on our instincts & trusting our gut.
- Satisfying ending.
- The POVs shift between Cam & Niall. I enjoyed seeing how their lives were impacted, and I liked getting to know them both.
- Time jumps from the time of the hostage situation to times in the future.
- The book is a thriller/suspense, but also looks at relationships, family, and love.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ahh, the Queen has done it again. LOVED this one. Add to your TBR immediately.

Thanks to William Morrow & Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on February 24, 2025.