Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 2/25

Thank you so much to Netgalley and William Morrow for my advanced copy!

Camilla, a literary agent on maternity leave, is preparing for her first day back at work when she wakes to find her husband, Luke, gone, leaving only a cryptic note behind. Soon after, she learns the unthinkable: Luke is at the center of a hostage situation in London. But he’s not a victim—he’s the gunman. As Cam wrestles with shock and betrayal, she is forced to confront how well she truly knew her husband and what led him to this moment.

I loved this one! It’s as much about unraveling a mystery as it is about love, trust, and deception. The pacing is fast, pulling me into Camilla’s frantic search for answers while keeping the tension high. McAllister crafts multifaceted, believable characters that make the stakes feel even higher.

Overall, if you love psychological thrillers with emotional depth, Famous Last Words is an absolute must-read. McAllister proves why she’s a master of the genre.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy.
This is my third book by the author and I am definitely a fan.
The premise is very unique and different in the genre, main character husband takes hostages and we don't know why and what happened. Author has a rare talent to not only write an amazing mystery, but make it deep and put human feelings on the page as well. I understood Camilla's pain and confusion and just felt for her the whole time.

The twist was so smart and didn't go direction I expected it too. It was a little messy, I almost wanted to slow down and add more pages to pace it out. Overall, this was a very smart mystery and I will highly recommend.

I always enjoy reading Gillian’s books. I like her clever premises and how I always think I have it figured out but her twists are good at surprising me.
I thought it was well paced and I liked the different POVs we got to see. It was a fun one to try and figure out as different secrets were unraveled.

Cam's day began on a stressful note. As a new mother returning to work after the birth of her daughter, she had hoped her husband, Luke, would kiss her goodbye and wish her well. But instead, he was nowhere to be found. She later discovered a note he had left, simply saying, "Thanks for everything." She assumed he had gone to his office, needing some space to focus on his manuscript.

On her first day back at work, Cam is stunned to hear on the news that a hostage situation is unfolding at the building where Luke works. But as the story unfolds, it’s revealed that Luke isn’t a hostage. He's the gunman. The day grows more tense as Cam is contacted by the police to assist Detective Niall, a hostage negotiator, in understanding Luke's mindset. Niall’s goal is to resolve the situation without any bloodshed. As he speaks with Luke, one hostage is released. But then, two gunshots are heard, and chaos erupts. Two people are dead, and Luke has disappeared.

Seven years later, Cam has moved on with her life. She’s ready to declare Luke dead so she can sell the house and start fresh with her daughter. But during a date with a potential new partner, Charlie, Cam receives a mysterious text with coordinates to meet someone. Deep down, she knows it’s Luke. Or is it?

This gripping thriller kept me on the edge of my seat! The suspense and twists had me hooked from the start, constantly questioning what I would do to protect those I love. A must-read for thriller lovers, it will leave you wondering who you can truly trust and whether your instincts can guide you, especially when love clouds your judgment.

This was SO good. I enjoyed the plot and it kept me wondering the entire time. The book started out not like I expected at all and I was immediately drawn in. This is one I would re-read again to try and catch more details.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

I couldn’t put this one down! Cam is going back to word after a 9 month maternity leave, and her husband is no where to be seen. Later that day, she sees a report about a hostage situation on the news. The prime suspect is her beloved husband. I became immersed in this fast-paced mystery. Did Cam know her husband like she thought she did? Did he actually do the crime?

📖/🎧 Read Type: ARC (thank you to @netgalley, Gillian McAllister, and William Morrow!)

June 21, 2017 is meant to be a big day for the Deschamps family. It is literary agent Camilla’s (Cam) first day back to work after maternity leave and her daughter Polly’s first day at a nursery. Those things seem to be going well until Cam sees her husband, Luke, on the news, identified as the gunman in a hostage situation. The story follows Cam's desperate search for answers seven years later, intertwining her perspective with that of Niall, a hostage negotiator haunted by his past misjudgment of that day.

This story ate and had me hooked from the first chapter. The premise alone of an ostensibly laid back, Enneagram 7 wife guy suddenly taking hostages was chilling. (I also love a 7 so I was INVESTED.) Cam's journey to uncover the truth about Luke and his secrets was seriously compelling and I loved how their story slowly unravels. What really elevated this book for me was Niall’s parallel storyline. His personal tragedy of his wife leaving him the same day as the siege added depth to his character. His POV wasn't just about the case; it was about his grief for his own relationship and how it impacted his decisions. There were many points I found Niall's story to be just as captivating as Cam's. The mystery itself was well-paced, with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. The ending felt somewhat rushed, but I suspect that was intentional. It leaves you with a lot to think about. Definitely recommend for anyone who loves a good suspense novel with a bit of heart!

#famouslastwords #gillianmcallister #arc #netgalley

This was RIVETING.  The story starts off at full speed, and it does NOT let up,  not at all, not until the end.  The first night, when I finally had to stop reading, I felt like I had been submerged and I was coming back up into reality, and it was disorienting.  I had to keep reminding myself that I'm okay, I'm not going through that, I'm okay.  The second night, it just got creepier and tenser, I started to worry about who might be watching me through my windows, is the killer inside the house, that sort of thing.

I LOVED how the plot revealed itself.  I had no idea about any of it, each reveal was a delight.

It's so rare to find a book that immediately sucks me right in and keeps me sucked in throughout, that gets me to stay up far too late just so I can find out what happens next.  I've never read anything by McAllister before, but I'll be remedying that now, for sure, happily digging into her backlist.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this free advanced copy.



<b>words I looked up:</b>
apricate - to bask in the sun - I did not expect to be learning new vocabulary words while reading a fun thriller, but here we are!   The rest of the terms I looked up are Britishisms ...
mange-tout - snap peas or snow peas
five-a-side - a sort of "mini" soccer game, or indoor soccer
sleeping policeman - speed bumps (in a story involving police surveillance, this one startled me at first, but immediately became clear from context)

Thank you William Morrow for my copy of FAMOUS LAST WORDS. This one publishes Feb 25.

I devoured this book and cemented McAllister on my auto read list. Chapters separated by characters really highlighted Niall and Cam for me and made me fall in love with both of them! I highly recommend this twisty, heart breaking and unpredictable thriller! Go snag yourself a preorder and place your library holds now!

What a solid follow-up from Gillian McAllister! This one is more straightforward vs speculatively playing with time like Wrong Place Wrong Time: new mother Cam returns to work and on her first day, finds a strange note from her husband and then can’t get ahold of him. What begins as an incredibly gripping hostage situation then evolves into a character-driven story around grappling with how well you can ever know those you love; being a mother in a complex situation; and never giving up on finding out the truth. We have alternating POVs between Cam and the hostage negotiator Niall from the scene at the start of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even if it slowed a bit in the middle and if I was expecting a more climactic ending than it ended up being. Excellent on audio, one of those books where I kept doing things to keep listening. Highly recommend! (I also think the title and cover could have been more compelling for what it’s worth)

June 21 is the longest day of the year. After months of maternity leave, new mother Camilla will drop off her babygirl at daycare for the first time and return to work as a literary agent. But when she wakes, her husband Luke is not around. In his place is a cryptic note. According to the news, there is a hostage situation with her husband as the gunman. It doesn't make sense. He is a doting father, eternal optimist and loving husband. There must be a misunderstanding, right?

Famous Last Words started off real rocky. It is written like a script, not a fictional novel with directives like, "Stage left." and "She touches the note, just once, sends a text, then leaves." Um, okay. It was very jarring and made it difficult to read. It was not until 100 pages in that I could push past the writing style. From there, it was on! Holy crappers twist, fast paced action and a storyline that was inverted so masterfully.

I recommend Famous Last Words to bookhearts that enjoy thrillers that read like a movie. Just when you think you know, McAllister throws a curve ball you don't see coming. A lot happens in this mystery thriller love story.

Happy Early Pub Day, Gillian McAllister! Famous Last Words will be available Tuesday, February 25.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

This was not the book for me. I had to force myself to finish this so I could review it. The entire book was so slow for me. I did not think it was a thriller at all. It was very predictable. I just felt like it was rushed & a little messy to be honest. For that reasoning-I will not be posting my review on my Instagram account. I don’t post negative reviews on my bookstagram page because I think it’s disrespectful to the author. I did post my review on goodreads & was as nice as I could be about the book. This was my first book by this author. I do believe I have another one of their books in my TBR pile. I will still try to read that one. Maybe this one was just not a match for me.

"Famous Last Words" by Gillian McAllister is a gripping thriller that had me hooked from the start with its high-stakes premise. The story follows Camilla, a new mother whose life takes a dramatic turn when her husband, Luke, is revealed to be the gunman in a hostage situation in London. The tension and emotional turmoil are palpable as Camilla uncovers shocking secrets and races against time to decipher Luke's cryptic note.

While the book certainly delivers on suspense and emotional depth, there were moments where the plot felt somewhat predictable and the pacing uneven. Some of the twists, although intriguing, were foreseeable, and I found myself craving more unexpected turns.

Rating - 4.5 stars

A bookish thriller that will blow your mind!

Thanks William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

Synopsis -

Camilla is ready to return to her job as a literary agent on the longest day of summer and drop off her infant to the nursery. But her husband Luke is no where to be found and has only left a cryptic note. Meanwhile, there’s an ongoing siege with hostages in London and to Camilla’s horror, Luke might be somehow involved in it.

Review -

Wow talk about heights of misdirection in a thriller! McAllister is known for her ultimate gobsmacking twists and #FamousLastWords certainly delivers those, only when you least expect it!

I warmed up quickly to the protagonist Camilla, going through all the emotions of a new mother, left in the lurch - single parent all of a sudden, with a husband who might be a fugitive. So relatable and it felt so realistic, as this could happen to any of us.

McAllister has a developed a clever, cast-iron plot - playing with timelines, the classic book inside book trope harnessing the power of words, multiple POVs , leading us stray and sowing the seeds of doubt in our minds that is already bewildered with questions.

While the narrative is fast paced and keeps us turning the pages transfixed, the book is also high on emotional evocation. The author explores the love Camilla and Luke shared, capturing the poignancy, exposing their vulnerabilities and flaws. I could feel for the characters and really cared about them.

When it all clicks though, you realise just how wickedly brilliant and out of reach the whole puzzle was! Some might feel the police investigation side of it lacked depth and some the ending a bit far from real world scenario.

However, everything is masked by how much you are invested in these characters’ lives, how you are still rooting for this couple despite the circumstances while enjoying all the incredible reveals along the way.

Thriller lovers, run!

I really enjoyed McAllisters last book but I absolutely loved this one!

This mystery/thriller followed Camilla, a new mom who is about to return to her first day of work, can't find her husband. She expected to want to be there for Polly, her daughters, first daycare drop-off but he is completely unavailable and not answering phone calls or text messages. Finally, she finds a note. "Its been lovely with you both" is all she gets. As the day unfolds Camilla finds out that her husband is a part of a hostage situation.. and not as one of the victims.

I really enjoyed this book! It took me a very long time before I figured out what was happening and, while I did figure it out myself, it was only pages before the story was revealed on the page. I thought the book had excellent plot, pacing, and twists. Highly recommend!

The book is separated into 4 acts. Act one grabbed my attention from the start. Act two was very slow, making it hard to read. It started to pick back up during act 3 and 4. Overall, loved the idea but the book could have been shorter.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Famous Last Words.

I really was invested in this story at the beginning. It reminded me of a favorite show called Flashpoint but then the pacing slowed down and the ending dragged a little. I enjoyed an introverted MC and the thoughts concerning parenting and books as an escape but I didn't feel the characters were developed deeply enough for me to really care about them.
It was an interesting story and mystery that did keep me reading to see how it would conclude so if that is what you are looking for, I recommend. It has a medium amount of language but no spice
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was just ok for me. It started off great and I was intrigued, but then about halfway in or so it was pretty slow and just dragged a bit too much for me.

Thank you and NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. I really love this author, and her new book did not disappoint me at all. It was fast pay from beginning to the very end. I absolutely related to these characters and I was thoroughly invested in this story!! Amazing, psychological thriller, I would highly recommend it!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212421066-famous-last-words" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Famous Last Words" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1726491569l/212421066._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212421066-famous-last-words">Famous Last Words</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15967497.Gillian_McAllister">Gillian McAllister</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6882450989">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book sucked me in straight from the beginning. That being said, I did start figuring out some of the surprise elements before they happened. It’s a great story of essentially one person being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the series of events that explodes around them. The wife left behind with a million questions and a hostage negotiator who can’t figure out why things went bad so quickly. These two just can’t give up and move on but it makes the story go round! Definitely a mystery that I would recommend!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/77080137-jami-johnston">View all my reviews</a>