Gillian McAllister has done it again! Famous Last Words is an edge of your seat story that comes with a twist that will change everything that you thought you knew. On the day that Camilla was to return to work after maternity leave, her husband Luke was gone when she woke, leaving behind a cryptic message. Before the day is over she is approached by the police, who let her know that Luke is holding hostages at a warehouse. This is the sweet gentle man who enjoys playing with Polly, their infant daughter. The hostage situation ends with the release of a woman hostage, the death of two men and the disappearance of Luke. Seven years later Cam has not given up hope of finding her husband. Her sister has encouraged her to move on and sell her home. She has been enjoying the company of Charlie, who she met at work, when she gets a message with coordinates from Luke. She is still being watched by police, but their case is winding down with no activity for years. Detective Niall, who had been the hostage negotiator at the warehouse, is still investigating. Newly discovered evidence shows another interpretation of events during the siege. If he is right, Cam is in danger and time is running out for Luke.

McAllister’s story is told through dual POVs. Cam is a devoted mother with a supportive sister. You witness her anguish at losing Luke, her determination and her strength as she deals with events. This is also Niall’s story. Demoted after his failed negotiation, his devotion to his job also destroyed his marriage. He feels sympathy for Cam and will not give up on the case, often working it on his own time. These are well developed characters with a story that will not let go until the last page. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for providing this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gillian McAllister for this ARC!

Let me just say that Gillian will forever be an instant buy and read for me after reading her first Wrong Place Wrong Time! Her writing is so well done and keeps you on your toes the ENTIRE story!

And this one is exactly the same! I did not expect the ending and I didn’t expect the twists and turns! And I did love that this one was a quicker read! Why only 4 stars? It did take me a second to get into but once I did, I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you again for the ARC!

I was super excited to get an early copy of this one!
However it did fall a little flat for me. There were parts that were good, and then it would get boring. I also felt like the storyline as a whole was predictable and already written. It wasn't a terrible read, just not the best and did not keep me on my toes guessing as I would have liked to happen.

This book gave me everything that I love about her books. It was tense, frustrating in a good way, and in the end hopeful.

Probably closer to a 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up for the twists and turns in the story. I really enjoyed Camilla's character. She could have been portrayed in a variety of extreme ways, but instead she was down to earth, real and relatable. Faced with an incredibly difficult situation, she simply moved on and did what she had to do to survive and raise her daughter in the most unassuming and normal way possible. You don't really get an opportunity to "know" Luke, but character-wise, he seems like a decent guy, and deep down, you know almost from the beginning that things weren’t as they seemed. I've always enjoyed a mystery novel that I can't actually figure the plot out mid-way through the book. I had several theories for this one that ended being totally false. So part of the attraction for me with this book was that I had to keep reading it just to figure out what was going on.

On the down side, much of the plot was pretty implausible and hokey. And I really didn't get into the storyline for the third character, hostage negotiator Niall. Giving his character a large chunk of real estate in this book muddied things for me, and took away from what I was really curious about – Cam and Luke.

As someone who doesn't often read mystery/thriller books, I very much enjoyed this one. I will say that I did figure some things out relatively quickly, but there were other twists and turns that came as a shock to me. I think my favorite chapters were those from Niall's perspective as he worked to unravel the how and why of Luke's involvement in "The Siege" as it is referred to in the book. In reflecting after reading, I appreciate the small clues that the author left about who all was involved. Overall, highly recommend for current lovers of this genre, or those who are just looking for a page-turning read!

I was excited to read Famous Last Words because the premise sounded so good. A loving, caring husband and father, Luke, leaves the house super early one morning and ends up taking 3 hostages at gunpoint in an abandoned warehouse. What is going on??? His wife, Cam, is incredulous and in shock. Although it took a bit for me to completely get into the story, once I was about a third in, I could not put it down. Who is the real Luke and why would he do this? The community has condemned Luke, and yet this societal perception is at odds with the man that Cam knows and loves. This book demonstrates the strength of people to keep living and move on when faced with very difficult situations. There are many pieces to figure out, and McAllister does a great job of bringing them all together. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC.

I can’t get enough book by Gillian McAllister. The pacing and story were great. The characters were great. There are some authors that I could read anything they wrote and that is especially true for Gillian McAllister.

I literally could not have guessed what was going to happen in this book. I thought the hostage thing was going to be the whole book. But I am really glad that it wasn't because it was so much more interesting. There was so much betrayal and secrets, and I did not expect the ending (well, maybe a bit of it but I'd like to think that it's because I'm smart and observant and not because of luck).

Tons of twists and turns to keep you up all night reading! I am definitely buying more by this author.

Gillian knocked it out of the park with this book! A new mom going back to work since having the baby. Getting a called that your husband is involved in a hostage situation but not as a victim but the gunman. Camilla will do anything to find the truth. This was not only a story of a crime, but of secrets in a marriage. Prepare to be take on a ride....

This had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was fast, mysterious and suspenseful. I loved that there was no inkling of what was coming next.

Told from the points of view of the two main characters, we are thrust into the topsy turvy world of an unsuspecting wife.

Filled with secrets and some twists you will not see coming, I recommend this to thriller lovers.

4.25 stars
This story starts out casually with an average couple adjusting to life with a baby, but then a shocking event changes their lives forever. The book is told from new mom, Camilla's point-of-view, as well as that of DCI Niall Thompson, a hostage negotiator. Cam is a literary agent and her husband is a ghostwriter for famous politicians and celebrities.

The book is suspenseful and held my interest from the beginning to end. I think it's better not to know too much about the plot, so I'm not going to give any details. There are several twists and turns in the story. From the clues given, I was able to predict a few of them, but there were definitely some surprises. I liked Cam's character, but really liked Niall. He isn't perfect, but is determined to learn from his mistakes and make things right in his personal and professional life. It was also interesting to see part of the story told from the point-of-view of a hostage negotiator. I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller and loved the satisfying ending.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review consideration from NetGalley and William Morrow Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you, Netgalley, Gillian McAllister, and William Morrow for the ebook. Wow! An amazing psychological thriller that will have you turning pages late into the night! This will take you on a wild ride. I honestly felt so sad and defeated throughout and then so much hope and anxiety until the very end!

This story had me hooked. The story is about Cam, a new mother, and what happens one day when she wakes up and her husband isn’t home or answering his phone. That same day, he commits a heinous crime and shoots two people point blank. Cam’s life with her infant is turned completely upside down.

I loved this book! I enjoyed the characters. I loved guessing as we went along what may have happened. It was a fun read, quick, and it kept me wanting more. Highly recommend!

McAllister delivers an emotionally taut, multi-perspective domestic thriller that is nothing short of addictive with FAMOUS LAST WORDS. The carefully crafted tale of a woman blindsided by her husband’s actions one morning takes both her and the reader down a twisted road with secrets, lies, and duplicitous behavior.

This is now the third book by the author that I have read, and they keep getting better. Though the opening few pages didn’t grab me, by the end of the second chapter, I was hooked. Feverously flipping, my mind was in overdrive trying to figure out the truth of what happened on the day which changed everything for Cam and her family. What struck me as so expertly written was the emotional ups and downs of Cam. There is an honesty in this character that grounds the craziness she has been thrust into.

With just the right placement for the big reveals, the author weaves a suspenseful thriller that progressively builds to a perfect ending to the arc of this story. McAllister is quickly becoming a go-to author for me.

Audiobook Note: Having spent a little time listening to this book, I can say it does the narrative justice. Although, with Emilia Fox as the narrator, I can’t truly be too surprised. Personally, I have enjoyed many of her audiobooks over the years, and this one is no different. The pacing was exactly what you would want from a book like FAMOUS LAST WORDS.

Given the book blurb, I went into Famous Last Words expecting a tense, fast-paced thriller—after all, a hostage situation and a missing husband should make for a compelling read. Instead, I found the pacing surprisingly sluggish, making it harder to get through than I anticipated.

The biggest twist left me feeling conflicted. It was both predictable and, at the same time, hard to believe, especially in terms of how the characters reacted. While I enjoyed Wrong Place Wrong Time from Gillian McAllister, this one felt quite different. I wasn’t expecting such a heavy emphasis on the romantic storylines, and unfortunately, I didn’t really find them all the compelling. I can see how this aspect might resonate with some readers, but for me, it took away from the tension that I was hoping for.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a heart-pounding thriller that'll grab you from page one.
The story is engaging and packed with twists while remaining logical.
The characters were very well developed and real. I could understand their motivations and felt like I was in their minds.
Her books are always eagerly anticipated and never is there a letdown.
She hooks you right from the first page and does not loose your attention at all through the book. I couldn’t put it down.

This was one of my most anticipated books for 2025! This was a fun and suspenseful read that I couldn’t put down. It is Camilla’s first day back at work after maternity leave and she finds out her husband, Luke is the gunman in a hostage situation. Her whole world is turned upside down. In the second half of the book, the timeline jumps 7 years in the future. I love that Niall, the hostage negotiator, is questioning things in this timeline. The characters were wonderful, the plot moved along nicely, and I enjoyed reading this. I did guess some of the twists towards the end, but some did catch me off guard. Another great McAllister read!

I was intrigued by the premise of the hostage situation (siege) and enjoyed the first part of the book that detailed that action. However, after that the book was a bit of a slow burn for character development. There was too much discussion about her relationship with her sister and her struggle to move on with her life which dragged for me overall. About page 300 it picked up again to wrap it all up in a decent (though a bit quick and high-level) way, but I think the middle of the book was lacking momentum to keep me intrigued.