Another great read by Gillian McAllister. This story is told from the point of view of Cam, a new mom, and Niall, a hostage negotiator, over two different time periods. Cam is returning back to work from maternity leave, only her husband, Luke, isn't there to see her off to work. He's actually part of a siege, a hostage situation, and he's not the hostage, he's the instigator. Niall is the hostage negotiator trying to help resolve the situation. Once the standoff occurs, we learn more about Luke and how he was involved, and the ramifications of what occurs during the siege.

As the story continues, we see Cam navigate her new life with her daughter while still seeing her husband everywhere. She needs to know what happened to her husband as there are unresolved parts to her story that need to be addressed. Meanwhile Niall also is haunted by this case, and we learn he is still investigating the siege and following Cam.

I enjoyed the dual narration and timeline structure the author used to advance the story. There was just enough action to keep me turning the pages and the payoff made sense to the story. I will definitely read more from this author as she is quickly becoming a favorite thriller writer.

Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review.

I loved Gillian McAllister's book, Wrong Place Wrong Time and am thrilled to also give this book a 5 star rating. Gillian McAllister does an excellent job immersing the reader into the emotions of the characters.

Famous Last words is full of twists and turns. It takes off quickly and I was hooked from the first page. I liked that the book was divided into 3 acts. Overall this was a terrific suspenseful thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After Intermezzo, this one was such an easy read. I really didn't know where it was heading until the last bit, so I enjoyed all the twists. I wasn't expecting the 7 year time gap and then kept questioning who was going to be involved. I really liked all the characters and highly recommend. Recommend going into this one blind and being aware you'll likely want to read it all in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Review live now on GoodReads and StoryGraph.

Wow. I read this book in one day and could not put it down. Definitely captivating and an easy fast paced read.

It's impossible for me to write everything I want to write in this review without giving spoilers, so I'll just say this: If you have loved the last few Gillian McAllister books, it is likely that you will enjoy this one very much as well. This is one of those books that I stayed up way too late reading and read in every available pocket of my day because I needed to figure out what was happening and "who did it" (I'm using that phrase in a very general term). There's one element of the plot/mystery that I felt was much weaker- (and this sentence doesn't make any sense if you haven't read the book)- to me, it was just kind of a "wait, where did that come from?" moment, and it never really fully reconciled for me. Because of that, this one does not take the top spot as my favorite McAllister novel (that remains "Wrong Place Wrong Time," but this was solid, and I'll continue to (immediately) read everything she writes! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“If anything . . .
It’s been so lovely with you both. Lx”

Gillian McAllister is a phenomenal writer and I have really enjoyed several of her thrillers. Unfortunately, Famous Last Words was a bit of a let down for me.

New mother Camilla wakes up one day to find her husband Luke is missing. After locating a cryptic note he left her, she learns that he is has taken two hostages at gunpoint. Does Camilla really know her husband?

The book is separated into four sections. The first introduces the hostage situation, grabbed my interest immediately, and drew me into Camilla’s story. However, the middle really dragged and was such a slow burn that I really struggled through it. The third section picked up a bit, but I found the twist predictable and really had to suspend my belief.

This character driven novel successfully emotes palpable grief. The two love stories are the best parts of the plot, but that is where I got bored. I don’t really enjoy reading romance novels, and this book relied heavily on those storylines. I can understand why it might resonate with some readers, but coupled with the easily predictable twists, it quickly fizzled for me.

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Expected publication date: 2/25/25

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the ARC of Famous Last Words in exchange for an honest review.

5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book completely took me to another world to another persons life and it was heartbreaking, thrilling, overwhelming, thought provoking, joyous and all consuming.

The very thought of your husband (the father of your child) just mysteriously going awol & then you see him on the news in a hostage situation is quite jarring. It urged me to thoroughly put myself in our narrators shoes and how heartbreaking and overwhelming this situation would have been for her. Then to be escorted from your job to the hostage location to talk to your husband and hearing gunshots. Can we even imagine?! And then two men are dead and everyone thinks your husband is the aggressor, but you know him to be the most kind and caring man. How do you come to terms with this complete polar opposite view of a human you love. Thennn he’s gone for 7 years and you are trying to get raise the daughter you share together and explaining to her in very soft terms why her dad can’t be present like all the other dads. Heartbreaking.

I won’t ruin the ending for you, but just know it had me on my toes throughout the entire book.

I LOVED the ending! It was my favorite part.

I also thoroughly loved the duel viewpoint from the hostage negotiator. Learning about the difficulties of that job and all that entails as well as how what he was trying to solve for our narrator was exactly what he was needing to heal for himself.

Loved this read! Highly recommend!

Why haven't I read more of Gillian McAllister 's books? This is a twisty thriller that takes you on a wild ride right from the beginning.

Camilla is a new mom, who is about to leave her baby daughter for her first day of daycare. That morning she's confused to find her husband Luke already gone for the day. But he does leave an odd note which reads "It's been lovely with you both" and several subsequent texts to Luke go unanswered. Everything Camilla thinks she knows to be true about her husband and her marriage changes that morning. The police arrive at her door to inform her that Luke is involved in a hostage situation, not as a hostage, but as the gunman.

Wow, perfect for adrenaline junkies! Gillian will now be a must read author for me.

Another excellent book by Gillian McAllister! Unlike her last two books, which took me a little while to get into, this book grabbed me right away! Part one was the siege, and it was so incredibly good. It was tense and suspenseful and almost impossible to put down. Parts two and three take place seven years later and deal with the fallout of the events in part one. There are two POVs, Cam and Niall the hostage negotiator, and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. As a book loving introvert, I found Cam to be very relatable and I liked reading about how much she loved books. I also liked the love story at the heart of the plot. Luke seemed like such a sweet husband before he mysteriously became a gunman. I didn't figure out what was going on until shortly before the reveal and there was one twist I didn't see coming at all! Famous Last Words is an excellent thriller, and I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

Good popcorn thriller to shut your brain off for a bit and enjoy the ride. Didn't feel terribly connected to the characters and found the pacing to slow down here and there, but overall would recommend for the twists and turns it takes.

I liked this, but I liked her previous works better. This was a good popcorn thriller but its not something that will stick with me. I would recommend picking up as a palate cleanser or quick read between series or other heavier books.

In Gillian McAllister’s newest thriller, Famous Last Words, Camilla wakes the morning she is to return to her book agent job after maternity leave to a cryptic note from her husband. Then news breaks the three hostages are being held in an old warehouse with shared workspace. Camilla is stunned when she learns her go with the flow, coffee loving calm husband with no criminal history is the man with the gun holding them there. What has caused him to make such a dramatic shift in who he was that he was willing to commit murder? Trying to help her understand it hostage negotiator, Niall, whose hesitation has a disastrous result that has dire consequences for him, as well as Camilla.

Seven years later, Camilla is still trying to understand what happened that day. Then a mysterious package containing a book shows up at her house that is dark and more twisted than other books she has read. What does it mean? And why does she feel like she is being watched? The tangled web that was woven that fateful day are trapping Camilla and she has to do everything to stay alive, but she can’t trust the police to help her.

Thankfully, Camilla is not one of those female characters that will have you wanting to shake her for stupid moves or thoughts. She is careful and analytical of clues she finds out about the hostage situation and the things she learns after the fact. Niall is a flawed detective who is trying to better himself after what happened that day, not only professionally but personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on February 25, 2025. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #FamousLastWords #WilliamMorrowBooks #GillianMcAllister

very thrilling! did not see the plot twist coming at all. the book kept my attention all throughout. the plot was very interesting and the characters were likeable. no complaints! will read more from this author

I don’t know what Gillian McAllister put in this book, but it was utterly addictive. I loved her previous books, but this one is my new favorite. The story started with a bang, and I was completely hooked from the first chapter. Every spare second I had was spent reading this book, because I just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. McAllister is a master at creating complex, layered thrillers with twists you’ll never see coming. This page-turner will certainly keep you up late into the night.

Thanks so much to William Morrow and NetGalley and for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely could not put this down once I started it. I knew to expect a novel that would keep me guessing, but I think this is my favorite McAllister yet! I really enjoyed how insular it is - the world was just the right size. The clues scattered throughout were well-placed and not at all too close to one another that you’d miss them. I give this one a solid 4.5/5. I also really appreciated the “7 Years After the Second Shooting” section not rushing into them being a happy family all at once.

Picture this: you are happily married with a sweet baby girl and wake up to find a cryptic note from your husband. To your complete horror, you learn that he is involved in a hostage situation, but not as a victim. Your husband—the father of your child, the man you planned to grow old with–is the perpetrator.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS probes how well we really know the ones we love most. Told from the POV of the hostage negotiator and the wife of the perpetrator this layered story unfolds in a riveting fashion. I especially appreciated the nuanced portrayal of moving forward in life amidst profound uncertainty.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-love a gripping start and an ending that delivers
-appreciate thrillers with an emotional bent
-can’t fathom your partner committing a crime

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: February 25, 2025

You’ll find FAMOUS LAST WORDS in the Literary Lookbook I recently released with Cindy (available via link in IG bio) and will be featured in my winter reading guide coming in January.

Many thanks to Wiliam Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cam has the job of her dreams, a new baby, and a wonderful husband. Until one day the police are telling her that her husband is caught up in a hostage situation. She is terrified he’s one of the hostages and the police tell her she has it wrong. He is the perpetrator holding the hostages at gunpoint.

This book was fantastic! It was a page turner and the end of every chapter left you wanting more. The author said it is a love story set in a hostage situation, but it is so much more. It’s complex and the way the story is revealed is flawless.

I really enjoyed all the POVs, but Cam was my fav. I really felt for her and the situation she was in. Thinking I would do the same things for my husband. I really enjoyed the small snippets of a book within a book element. This book had me not knowing any of the twists (except one) until the end. I really like McAllister’s writing style! This is her 3rd book I’ve read and my fav so far. I definitely want to go and read more of her backlist.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy of this book!

Hands down one of the best books I have read this year! This was the first book I have read by Gillian McAllister and it won’t be the last. The storyline had so many twists, just when I thought I had it figured out, I found out I was wrong! A plot of love, loss, heartache, and a love of books that brings the story together at the end. Once you start reading this one you won’t be able to stop!

#FamousLastWords #NetGalley

I love love love McAllister’s writing. She knows how to set up a thriller right and she never disappoints on the ending.
What would you do if your husband left the house without your knowledge? When you discovered where he was, it was because his face was on the news…because he was holding 3 people hostage in a warehouse. This is where Camilla is found at the beginning of this book.
You guys. This story is a story in a story. It’s so twisty and layered and beautifully done. I am incredibly impressed.
Read it. So dang good.
Thank you sooooo much netgalley for the ARC!

This was a phenomenal book!
It kept my attention with the mystery surrounding the siege. At times it felt slow paced but I still zipped through this book. The author does a great job of keeping you invested while feeding you little bits of information and answers along the way.
It was the perfect amount of questions asked and answers given which many mystery/thrillers don’t have. She balances it out so well that you’re rewards with each tidbit you get while still keeping you guessing.
There were a couple things that I guessed but it was nevertheless enjoyable.
She does such an amazing job leaving us breadcrumbs throughout the story so when the twists do hit it doesn’t feel like it came out of left field but is also surprising enough that you get that immaculate jaw dropping feeling when a great twist hits.
The prose easily settles you into this world and I enjoyed the dual POV. This is told in third person though which I, personally, don’t enjoy as much as first.
Overall, this was a great mystery that keeps you guessing and reading late into the night.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review