It’s summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Camilla’s maternity leave is over, and she’s headed to drop off her daughter Polly at her first day of daycare before she goes to work. Her husband has already left, leaving behind a strange a cryptic note. She soon realizes she isn’t able to reach him.. then she sees breaking news regarding a hostage situation. She begins to worry. Could he be one of the hostages? Until she’s informed, he’s not one of the hostages, he’s the gunman behind it. The book follows Camilla as she navigates her feelings and tries to make sense of the events happening around her.

This book was a slow burn. I liked the idea of the storyline. The hostage situation and main premise of the book is very unique. I thought the elements of the manuscript added to the story as well. I enjoyed Camilla’s perspective and the perspective of Niall, the hostage negotiator. There wasn’t a lot keeping me engaged the first 2/3 of the book, a very slow burn. However, the last 1/3 really picked up, and I enjoyed it! While I didn’t love it, I will continue to read Gillian McAllister, as I loved Wrong Place Wrong Time!

Read if you enjoy:
👮🏼‍♂️ hostage situation
🤫 secret/double life
⏱️ alternating timelines
🔁 multiple POVs

I read this book via Kindle format, courtesy of @NetGalley!

Famous Last Words is a gripping read that kept me hooked from the very first page. The story weaves mystery and suspense beautifully, creating a story that lingers in your mind long after it's over. The characters are well-developed and easy to root for, making their journey all the more compelling. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the whys and hows of the mystery caught me off guard. While the pacing was a little slow in places, the depth of the story and strong character development made it a truly worthwhile read. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

First thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Camilla is taking her daughter to daycare for the first time so is already nervous when she doesn’t know where her husband is. She ends up going to work and finding out her husband is involved in a hostage situation. However he is the one that took the people hostage.

What I liked: this book has the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter and several twists that I really liked and found interesting. However it is definitely a slow burn and the middle dragged a bit. Camilla and Luke working in publishing made it more interesting to me. I like the puzzles that had to be worked out in this thriller.
This was the first book I read by this author but have more on my tbr.

I loved this book. It had me sucked in from the very beginning. I loved getting right into the plot of the story right away. I could not imagine being at work and seeing the cops coming in and them telling you that your husband is involved in a hostage situation and he is the one with the gun!

This books takes you a wonderful journey full of twists and turns...some that you may guess and others leave you scratching your head. Great book!

This starts off with a huge band and then spirals out from there. It was so good I didn’t want to put it down. The story and especially the ending were so good and trust me, you’ll want to know what happened.

I've enjoyed previous novels by Gillian McAllister and her ability to craft thrilling novels with smart twists and well-written characters. This book met those expectations and kept me guessing throughout! A crime occurs within the first few chapters, and makes the reader consider how well we know our partners. Then, everything I believed was quickly challenged, and a whole new narrative emerges. I enjoyed the twists and turns, and though I guessed a few, others were quite surprising. Another delicious read by Gillian McAllister!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book publishes on February 25, 2025.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: February 25, 2025

This was a true page turner that hooked me early on. While I found some of the mystery reveals a bit predictable, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment and the short chapters had me saying “just one more” over and over. Will be a great vacation read for a lot of people!

Cam wakes up on the morning she’s to return to work from maternity leave. Instead of their usual morning routine, she finds her husband is gone and only a cryptic note from him is left behind. Hours later she’s notified by the police that her sweet husband is now holding hostages nearby. Um, what? The story unfolds via the wife and the hostage negotiator. They provide such interesting perspectives.

The twists are twisting in this one. I binged it in a day.

Book Review: Famous Last Words
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)

Famous Last Words is a thrilling ride that kept me guessing until the end. I’ll admit, I didn’t quite see the puzzle pieces coming together the way they did, and that twist was brilliantly executed. The author masterfully weaves a fast-paced narrative that keeps you on your toes, making it hard to put down.

The story’s suspenseful atmosphere and clever plotting make it a standout in the thriller genre. If you’re looking for a captivating read with unexpected turns, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Gillian McAllister delivers another gripping thriller with Famous Last Words, a novel that is action-packed from start to finish. The story follows Camilla, a woman whose life is shattered when her husband unexpectedly becomes the perpetrator of a hostage situation. When he subsequently vanishes—leaving everyone uncertain whether he is dead or on the run—Camilla is left grappling with unanswered questions and the daunting task of piecing together the truth.

As she delves into the mystery, determined to uncover what really happened, Camilla finds herself ensnared in a web of secrets and deception. The tension is palpable, and McAllister expertly crafts a narrative that keeps readers on edge. With its fast-paced plot, intricate twists, and emotional depth, this novel is both highly addictive and cinematic in scope.

McAllister’s ability to blend psychological suspense with emotional complexity makes Famous Last Words a standout thriller. The well-developed characters, razor-sharp writing, and relentless sense of urgency ensure that readers will be hooked until the final revelation. This is a novel that would translate seamlessly to the screen, thanks to its compelling storytelling and high-stakes drama.

A must-read for fans of domestic thrillers, Famous Last Words is an unputdownable page-turner that will leave you breathless.

I’ve read Gillian’s last 2 books and was a big fan, so I was so excited to get this ARC!
It hurts me to say this was my least favorite, BUT the first half of the book was so strong and action-packed. The second half made it hard to want to pick back up. It really lost momentum and slow until about the last 15%.
I look forward to reading more of Gillian’s work!

This thriller was so gripping from the start! I found it to be perfectly paced, with that constant feeling of something being off that makes you want to turn each page faster. I really enjoyed it.

I absolutely loved Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister! The story was so suspenseful and captured my interest immediately. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and was surprised and shocked by some of the twists! Would highly recommend.

Holy smokes, I enjoyed this book so much! I binged this eARC in 24 hours…I stayed up way too late and then got up way too early so I could continue reading. I had the hardest time putting it down, I needed to know what happened next. So many tension building, heart pounding, heartbreaking moments. I loved the writing style and how it felt like I was part of the story the whole time…from the hostage situation, a negotiator, the entire investigation process, to a grieving wife trying to put all the pieces together to solve the mystery. My feelings were all over the place with this story.

I also loved how the main character is a literary agent who is a bookish introvert and reads fiction stories to escape the real world…I am sure many of us can relate!

Written in multiple POVs and multiple genres that blended perfectly together…police procedural, crime investigation, mystery, suspense, romance. The author crafted complex timelines using intricate details with multiple twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. This is the second book that I have read by this author and both have been 5 star reads…I highly suggest this book!

Thank you @williammorrowbooks, @gillianmauthor, and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gillian McAllister is quickly becoming an all-time favorite thriller author for me. I love the writing style and each chapter keeps you on your toes, wanting to know more. I like the short chapters, and the overarching feeling like you have to know what is going to happen. I like going into my thriller/mysteries with as little knowledge as possible, so that I can get the most enjoyment our of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early e-arc.

After a break - a new book from Gillian McAllister - Famous Last Words.

"Camilla is headed back to work after being on maternity leave. Oddly her husband, Luke, is not there to see her off, leaving behind an odd note. Everyone at work is glad to see her again. Then the news hits. A hostage situation is brewing nearby and her husband is involved...as the hostage taker."

Mcallister throws you right into the tension, never giving a hint about what's really going on. You feel for Cam and her daughter and the hostage negotiator, Niall, after the situation takes a violent turn. McAllister makes a couple of time jumps and the middle drags just a bit until she gives the first clue about what really happened. Not what I was expecting at all. More and more is revealed until the final explosive ending. There is a nice epilogue so you can see what happens to your favorite character.

This will surprise you. Good story from McAllister.

I read this gem of a book with my bookclub and really loved hearing everyone's perspectives on it - while some found this enthralling and quickly paced, others thought it bogged down at times and had excess POVs. Overall I enjoyed my time with this as much as I enjoyed her release Wrong Place, Wrong Time that I read a few years back. While I did find some of Niall's more police-procedural focused chapters to be a little slow, I think this is more a personal thing as I have burnt myself out on police stories in general. If you enjoyed this authors previous books I definitely recommend giving this one a try!

The first half of this book was such a page-turner! It was filled with so much tension and mystery! It slowed a bit in the middle, but then everything ramped back up again! I enjoyed all the twists and turns as I tried to figure out what really happened during the hostage situation. I felt so bad for Cam and all she went through. Niall was my favorite character because he was so sympathetic and wanted the best outcome he could get.

Thank you, @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks, for the #gifted e-arc!

Gillian McAllister’s Famous Last Words doesn’t start with a murder, a car chase, or an anonymous text—it starts with a husband who simply isn’t where he’s supposed to be. That’s all it takes for McAllister to unravel a marriage, a career, and a life in real time. This isn’t a thriller that relies on cheap tricks or high body counts to keep you hooked. Instead, it thrives on an insidious kind of tension—the kind that makes you second-guess everything, including your own instincts. At its core, it’s about trust, betrayal, and—somewhat surprisingly—love.

The novel opens with Camilla (Cam), a literary agent and new mother, returning to work after maternity leave. It should be an ordinary milestone, one her husband, Luke, should be there to support. Instead, she finds a note—just ambiguous enough to be troubling but not clear enough to explain anything. Minutes later, the police arrive. Luke isn’t missing. He’s the gunman in a hostage crisis unfolding across London. And just like that, Cam’s life detonates.

McAllister structures the novel in three acts, each with its own rhythm and weight. The first is pure adrenaline, a masterclass in controlled chaos. Cam’s world unravels at breakneck speed, and McAllister doesn’t give either her or the reader room to breathe. The unanswered texts, the eerie normalcy of her morning before the news broke, the creeping horror that she might not have truly known Luke at all—every moment pulses with dread.

Then comes the second act, where the novel shifts from external catastrophe to internal reckoning. The siege is over, but Cam is still trapped—this time, in the aftermath. She pieces together what happened alongside hostage negotiator Niall, a man undone by that same day. A single misstep cost him his career, his marriage, and any semblance of peace. McAllister lets ambiguity fester. Was Luke completely not who Cam thought he was? Is Niall the solution to Cam’s questions or is he something far darker? The reader doesn’t know—every action revealed could have any number of explanations.

The final act is where McAllister’s skill truly shines. Every breadcrumb laid in the early pages leads to a conclusion that is as shocking as it is inevitable. There’s no final-hour gimmick, no twist for the sake of a twist. It all makes sense—sometimes, painfully so.

The characters in Famous Last Words are riveting not because they’re likable, but because they're real. Cam isn’t a plucky heroine or a tragic victim—she’s messy, stubborn, and fully human. Her love of books—her tendency to escape into fiction as a way to process the world—will make readers of genre fiction happy. And yet, her desire to constantly escape into fun fiction makes her, at times, unable to do what the reader sees she needs to. It’s an astute character choice, making her both relatable and, at moments, frustrating in the best way.

McAllister writes with precision and care. Every moment in this novel matters, every choice is deliberate. And, wow, is it a page-turner. I clocked the central reveal about halfway through, but it didn’t dull the impact—instead, it deepened it. The novel’s emotional truth never wavers, even when some of its more dramatic turns stretch plausibility.

If you’re going to read it—and you absolutely should—clear your schedule. McAllister doesn’t just tell a story. She tightens the screws until there’s nowhere left to turn.

Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley. 3.5 rounded up.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. But the pace was a tad off. Cam's character and perspective was my favorite. I liked Niall, but felt his chapters could have been shorter. I am happy we did not get a fourth perspective. The third was needed-- nice and short, but I thought it was easy to figure out who it was. And I am happy we did not get a fourth as it would have not fit right.

The overall plot was solid, but felt the time jumps were a tad too long. I genuinely cannot say why without spoiling a major plot point.

I do recommend, but do not think this will be for everyone.