A multiple time jump, multiple POV mystery/thriller with many reveals, set in the publishing, ghost writer world.

Cam is a new mom, ready to return to work. Husband Luke is a ghost writer with an outside office. She gets a call to hear that her husband has taken hostages and is in hostage negotiations with Niall. This is a shock to her because he is a law abiding, good dad and doting husband. The hostage negotiations do not go well. Time jumps forward 7 years.

I found this to be a decent mystery with a fast pace. I like female POV and non police procedural stories. I found the ending to be ultimately unsatisfying, but the characterization was good. If you are a big Gillian McAllister fan, this is one to pick up, even though it may not be your favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. Book to be published February 25, 2025.

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Yes Gillian McAllister, yes!!! What a way to start my dive into 2025 releases. I was so excited to get approved for this early copy, having been a long time fan of this author and her amazing storylines. Famous Last Words absolutely blew me away… so freaking good!! It was incredibly addictive, fast paced and so very clever.

Camellia is dreading her day. It is her young daughters first day at daycare care and she is returning to work from maternity leave. And her husband Luke is nowhere to be seen. He is not answering his phone and she has to negotiate it all alone. She has a horrible feeling that something is wrong, and then the police come knocking.

This book is just so well done. Told in various timelines, we see what happens at the time, and then we jump ahead 7 years. How this day changes all of their lives and makes you think about how you would deal with what happens. How life can change in a split second, nothing is ever the same again.

Thank you so much William Morrow for my advanced copy of this amazing book. Published on February 25th, 2025.

I had a super hard time getting into this book. I love Gillian’s writing but I don’t know if I was in the wrong headspace or what. But I just couldn’t get myself connected to the story and I tried so hard.

Camilla and Luke are a happy, busy young family. Baby Polly is just 9 months old, Cam is heading back to work after maternity leave. On Cam’s first morning back, Luke isn’t there to help shoulder the stress of that dreaded first drop off at nursery. Fear starts to form, as all efforts at contacting Luke fail. This fear intensifies as breaking news of a siege starts to filter out.

As you would expect from the author, the characters are well developed, so real, they brought out so much empathy from me. I felt Cam’s loss of direction, her urgency and desperation for information, that would give her the answers she desperately needs; that may bring her closure.

Cam’s profession in the bookish world, allows us to read the submissions she receives. I can’t be the only reader to want to know what happens in debut author Jenny’s story, or what task the father had requested in Adam’s manuscript. I love to be hooked by the first paragraph.

I’m a very big fan of Gillian McAllister’s writing, so I was extremely eager to get between the covers of Famous Last Words. I’m so sad to say that I saw the twists coming, I really wanted to be proved wrong, but I wasn’t unfortunately. It gives me no pleasure saying this, it’s just 3.5 ⭐️ from me. Having said this, I am looking forward to reading to the author’s next book.

Another terrific book from Gillian McAllister! I’ve loved her other work and was delighted to receive an ARC of Famous Last Words. I was not let down! From the first capture I was captivated by the story. Very well written and truly left me guessing. Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow books!

🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Famous Last Words
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Gillian McAllister
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: February 25, 2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝:
⇥ I’ve never read a book about hostages—at least, none that I can recall—and this one was incredibly engaging and, dare I say, "fun." It felt like I was reading a movie script, which is a high compliment in my eyes.
⇥ Loved the multiple POVs from the the hostage negotiator, which added layers to the narrative. His subplot involving a side love story was honestly a great touch, too.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝:
⇥ There was definitely a few plot holes that I just couldn't get past. They seemed a bit too major to be dismissed how it was. He was "off grid" for that whole time? Never once was recognized by ANYONE? Ehhhh....
⇥ This isn't even a negative to the book, but the "cryptic note" as mentioned in the synopsis kind of plays zero significance to the plot, in my opinion, especially since that's what the book is titled. Unless I missed something...

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
★★★★.5 (rounded up)
What a fantastic read! This was my first book by Gillian McAllister, and I was so impressed that I immediately borrowed Wrong Place Wrong Time. She has a remarkable talent for crafting engaging stories filled with unexpected twists. Her ability to draw readers into unique and thrilling plots is truly shocking. How have I never read anything by her before? Definitely add this to your TBR and pick it up next year.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Famous last words by Gillian McCallister

Cam is a newly mother of one and has just received the most horrific phone call. After her husband had left for the morning without saying a word. She is now brought into questioning as her husband is said to be located in London in a hostage situation.

To her shock her husband is not one of the hostages but he is the gunman.

The his story takes an unexpected turn and shocks you all the way through. I enjoyed the pace of the book as the author took us through the characters mind and motivation for the truth.

What a great book! Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow books!

Well this was certainly a snooze fest. I was bored to tears and I’m so sad about it. I loved her debut book so I was excited to read this one as I didn’t love her second book, but I was bored from the beginning. DNF around 49% mark

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC of this book! I absolutely love Gillian McAlliter and felt like an early Christmas present getting to read this extra early and skip the wait. I finished it in two days and wished I could finish it in one!

As part of the deal, I agree to give an HONEST review and I have serious angst about this. Because similarly to another reviewer, I immediately want to give 5 stars to anything Gillian writes based on the previous books of hers I have read which are: Wrong Place, Wrong Time; Just Another Missing Person; The Choice. I absolutely devoured all of these and loved every second, every page, every word. (I purchased all of her books after this, since only the listed ones are available in the US. I haven’t made it through any of those yet though.)

So IF this were the first book of hers I had ever read, this would no question be a 5 star with unexpected twists and turns. And there were still some and I enjoyed the read. But unfortunately, I can’t see it through that lens because I have read the others, and at each point I felt surprised for an instant by the twist but then immediately drawing the same or very similar connection to Just Another Missing Person plot . By the end my overall suspicion was confirmed. I feel like there was a main idea bubble graph and the overall plot was very similar and new characters were plugged in and the narrative around it changed to fit the change in the storyline . Again, as an overall story it was great but I couldn’t NOT see the similarities and that felt disappointing and made it overall less of a shocking jaw-dropper as the others. So If have read JAMP the review thus far might already be a bit of a vague spoiler if you go into it with this awareness. But to illustrate my point I am explicitly spelling it out below so don’t read any further if you don’t want spoilers!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


COMPARISON OF PLOT THEMES FOR Just Another Missing Person AND Famous Last Words

MISSING THROUGHOUT THE MAIN BULK OF THE NOVEL IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY, UNCERTAIN IF DEAD OR ALIVE.
LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SO THE EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED COPPER CONTINUES DIGGING TO FIND THE TRUTH INDEPENDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT’S AWARENESS OR APPROVAL AND USING INSIDE CONNECTIONS TO GET ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
INSIDE INVOLVEMENT FROM CORRUPT COPPER IN THE DEPARTMENT
WORKOHOLIC POLICE OFFICER, SPOUSE MARITAL STRAIN
FAMILIAL LOVE, HOPE, BELIEF IN THE BEST SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON THAT JUST COMPLETELY DOESN’T LINE UP WITH WHAT THEY KNOW TO BE TRUE ABOUT THE PERSON THAT THEY KEEP FIGHTING TO GET THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR FAMILY MEMBER.

There are further connections but you’ll be able to see those on your own. These similar themes were just repetitive enough that I can’t rate it more than 3 stars

Gillian McAllister delivers a master class in storytelling in this deftly paced thriller. My mantra throughout was, “just one more chapter….just one more chapter”, I just could not put it down.

On Cam’s first day back to work from her maternity leave, her husband, Luke, wasn’t there to wish her a good day. All he did was leave behind a cryptic note. After dropping off her daughter at daycare and then greeting her coworkers, there’s a ruckus in the office and she notices on the tv that there’s a hostage situation near where her husband works. Within minutes, the cops are in her office and need a word with her. Is Luke a hostage? Oh no, it’s much worse than that.

This book is suspenseful to the end and I really enjoyed the characters, including the hostage negotiator, Niall. I found the writing phenomenal and was glued to this book until the very last page. This easily rates 5 stars and I’ll be recommending it to everyone I know.

This is an author who is gifted in mystery/thrillers. This moved at a great pace and had a good storyline. I T had great twists and turns.

This is a surprisingly different book. It is the story of two different people, a wife in a loving marriage who discovers something terrible about her husband and the hostage negotiator whose life is changed when a hostage situation goes very wrong. It is a story of love and a story of being able to heal and to trust yourself. It is a story of what happens in the 14 years after and if the mystery will ever be solved. I guessed a couple of the twists but overall it was not predictable and I enjoyed it a lot. got involved right away 4.5

Famous Last Words started off so strong. I enjoyed the confusion surrounding the inciting event. I liked the multiple perspectives as well. After the first part, it sort of just turned into a standard mystery. I was still compelled to read wanting answers, but less so than the strong start. It was a perfectly good mystery with twists and reveals, but not one I think will stick with me. Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC through NetGallery.

A hostage situation. A warehouse. Police surrounding the warehouse trying to negotiate with the hostage taker. This sounds like a familiar plot from a tv show or movie. But in Gillian McAllister's hands this starting plot twists into a fantastic story with complex characters and a twist the reader won't see coming. Camilla Way's life is turned upside down when the police inform her that her husband has taken three people hostage in a London warehouse. Camilla swears there must be a mistake. But then two of the hostages are shot dead and her husband escapes she is devastated. Seven years pass by and Camilla has moved on with her life. But she can't help but wonder what happened with her husband that day. Neither can Niall, the hostage negotiator from seven years ago. Together they unravel a web of deceit and finally get to the truth about what happened. I loved how the story kept me guessing right until the end. I also enjoyed the fact that Camilla is a devoted fan of books, a relatable trait for sure. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Gillian does it AGAIN, folks. A gripping story with twists that you never see coming.

Camilla and Luke had it all. Great jobs in writing/publishing, a beautiful baby girl, a quirky home that they enjoyed, and of course, each other.
But when Luke starts acting off, Cam notices, but all hell breaks loose before she can get to the bottom of it.

Luke. Her Luke. Luke is involved in a hostage situation, but not as a hostage … as the hostage-taker. Cam’s world is turned upside down that day. Shots are fired, Luke is MIA, Cam is left to parent by herself. Nothing will ever be the same.

Though Cam can never get over what her husband did, she still misses him. And 7 years after the hostage situation, she receives clues leading her to believe that she may finally get some answers.

Between Cam, and Niall (the hostage negotiator from Luke’s case), they are absolutely determined to figure out what exact happened that night … and more importantly … why?!

This book was un-put-down-able, just like McAllister’s others. Once this book is released to the public, SPRINT to the closest bookstore and buy this bad boy. You won’t regret it.

DNF @ 30%. It had an interesting premise, but I just couldn't get into the story. I liked the perspective of the wife, but not so much the hostage negotiator. Other reviewers on Goodreads seemed to love it, so maybe it's just me?

The suspense started immediately and I loved it. The first part of the book had me on the edge of my seat. I loved Cam and the integration of books in the story. I also loved the twists and did not see them coming. This was a good thriller and love story!

This is my third Gillian McAllister and as always, I love her fast-paced writing! This one had some hits and unfortunately some misses overall.

What worked for me:
•As aforementioned, love this authors pacing and writing as a whole. Her stories do hook the reader in.
•I really had zero clue where this story was headed initially and couldn’t even theorize throughout part one!
•I thought the ending was solid.

What I didn’t love (and both of these are purely just personal preference):
•I figured out most of the twists (husband writing the book and George being the bad guy) which made the story feel too predictable by the time I got into part 2.
•I really don’t like mafia/crime family stories.

Overall I thought this premise was unique and is still absolutely a book I would recommend to others! 3.25 stars.

This book is going to be really popular. I think I’d really enjoy this as a movie to watch with my fiancé but as a solo read, it really wasn’t my cup of tea. I just don’t love organized crime and shady businesses dealings, so nothing against the book itself just a preference thing. I have loved all of the other books I’ve read by this author and will continue to read her books. This particular book’s plot just wasn’t my vibe.

This was a decent thriller that many people will enjoy. The hostage situation is compelling, and Camilla's role as a literary agent adds an interesting layer. A few plot twists I saw coming from a mile away, and one caught me completely off guard. McAllister’s writing keeps you engaged and turning pages.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.