I have always been a fan of Gillian McAllister’s work, but this one is my new favorite! After dropping her daughter off at daycare for the first time, Cam heads to work. Her husband left a cryptic note for her this morning, but she doesn’t quite connect the dots until the news starts showing a developing story. There is a hostage situation and the police tell Cam that her husband is involved. Cam’s world comes to a complete stop when she realizes her outgoing, kind, and loving husband is not a hostage… he is actually the man holding the gun! From here we go to her life seven years later.

Cam is such a wonderful main character, with complete and unwavering love for her husband! I was hooked from the first chapter, this book was everything that I needed! The plot twists were amazing, a few of them I didn’t see coming! Totally recommend this one for any of my fellow thriller lovers. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

Gillian McAllister has once again delivered a novel that’s as emotionally sharp as it is gripping. The story is less about the crime itself and more about the emotional fallout, making it impossible to put down. Camilla’s journey is raw, full of impossible choices that feel both shocking and heartbreakingly human. The twists are masterfully executed, but it’s the moments of quiet devastation and love that linger long after the final page. McAllister proves why she’s one of the most compelling voices in contemporary thrillers.

A gripping thriller mystery about a wife's determination to uncover the truth about her husband's disappearance. Told from multiple POV this novel starts off extremely quick and tense with a hostage situation. I found myself unable to put the novel down. The main character (Cam) is relatable and acted in realistic ways, which as a skeptical reader of mysteries solved by normal people I appreciated that the main character was so well developed and realistic. If you enjoyed "The Last Thing He Told Me" then you will love this novel 🕵️‍♀️

I did find the novel to lag a bit in the center of the book, but don't give up because the ending drew me back in and it was a wild reveal! I did not see the ending coming and I was extremely impressed with how Gillian McAllister created such a twisted and captivating novel with a unique ending.

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted copy.

⭐️: 3.5/5

After reading this book, Wrong Place Wrong Time, and Just Another Missing Person, I think I may have to accept that while I love thriller and mystery books, and I really like McAllister’s writing style, her books just aren’t for me. I gave her the benefit of the doubt with Wrong Place Wrong Time, because time-repetition books aren’t my jam, and Just Another Missing Person had a better plot that I was interested in, but still had some of the same underlying pitfalls as Wrong Place Wrong Time for me. This one, once again, had the same ~things~ that I didn’t like about it. Those things primarily being that the ~magic~ of motherhood is always a main theme, in a way that feels really preachy and holier-than-thou. In this case, there was absolutely no need for the main character’s sister’s infertility to be as big of a plot point as it was, and I just found it to be an overall boring and gratuitous storyline. You know how sometimes when you talk to parents, they speak in such a way that they can’t imagine that some people truly may not want to be parents, ad it comes off a little insulting? Well that’s how I felt throughout this entire book.

I liked the storyline, and it was fun trying to figure out all the connections before the book revealed them outright. The time jump of seven years, then another seven years had me questioning some of the technologies present in the beginning of the book, but that’s neither here nor there, since no actual years were mentioned. The ending was wrapped up and gave closure on all of the loose threads, but in a way that kind of felt too neat. All of McAllister’s thrillers I’ve read have just been…mushy, like, emotionally, at the end, and that’s not the type of thrillers I like to read. Anyway, if you like softer thrillers, this may be for you!

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this eARC for my honest review!!

This was a twisty thriller that was mainly told from Camilla and Niall’s POV. I liked the way the story unfolded slowly and it felt organic how the pieces began coming together. The chapters would sometimes end on a cliffhanger making this a page-turner! It started off pacing well but the middle was a bit slow for me. However, the pace picked up again in the end. I’m a fan of this author so I’d recommend it. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read and offer an honest opinion!

I loved Wrong Place Wrong Time but I felt like this one fell flat for me. I wasn't great but it wasn't bad. Just ok. I liked parts of it a lot but felt that the pace set early on couldn't be maintained and it felt more like an action/adventure commercial thriller than suspense/thrillers that I expect from McAllister.

I really enjoyed this!

Plot summary: Cam wakes up one regular morning to discover that her husband, Luke, is involved in a hostage taking, and then he vanishes. Seven years later, she still hasn't moved on, and a cryptic text message leads her to believe he might still be alive.

The story is told from the point of view of Cam as well as Niall, the hostage negotiator who also still hasn't moved on. I don't want to give away too much about the story because you're best off knowing as little as possible.

This was a real page turner from the first with lots of unexpected twists. Each time I thought some part didn't make sense and was sloppy, the author proved me wrong by addressing it later in the book. All loose ends were tied up in a satisfying resolution.

There was a point about 2/3 through when it dragged a bit, and the mystery was slightly unrealistic in a typical thriller fashion, but it was suspenseful and action-packed and kept me engaged. Plus, it was also full of heart.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Gillian McAllister for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a clever and engaging suspense/thriller.

Camillas' first day back to work as a literary agent following her maternity leave turns out to be the worst of her life; her husband Luke commits an unthinkable crime, and she is left to deal with the fall out.

A novel full of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. A must-read for your TBR thriller list.

A captivating and fast paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Cam lives through something completely unthinkable and while trying it out her life back together she constantly finds herself needing answers about her husband and what really happened that day in June.

What a great book! The pace was great, It grabbed me from the beginning and it kept me intrigued the entire time. I kept wondering how would the siege and the reasoning behind it would all make sense, and it was all explained and wrapped up in such a great way! I really enjoyed the fact that there was a love story mixed in with the suspense.

This is my second book by Gillian McAllister, (Wrong Place Wrong Time was the first one and I loved it), and it will certainly won’t be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this arc.

Gillian McAllister just knows how to write a solid, satisfying mystery. Complex enough to be interesting, but simple enough to feel familiar and comforting. I really enjoyed reading the hostage scenario in this one (especially after reading the nonfiction book Never Split the Difference, all about how to use hostage negotiation tactics in real life) and was fully satisfied by how it all came together in the end. The vibes reminded me a lot of Wrong Place Wrong Time, just without the gimmicky backwards-time element. If you enjoyed the long span of time that book covered and the puzzle-piece-iness of how the layers of that mystery came unfolded, then I think you’ll enjoy this one too. Highly recommend to mystery lovers!

I absolutely loved Famous Last Words, and McAllister has become an auto-read for me as a thriller author. The story is intense and does not slow down until the last page - she does a great job keeping you guessing until the very end!

Cam wakes up one morning in June to find her husband Luke is not in bed beside her and has only left behind a cryptic note. She brings their infant daughter Polly to daycare as this is Cam's first day back to work after maternity leave. Suddenly, she hears of a siege with 3 hostages taking place no far away and the captor is none other than her own sweet and kind husband Luke....

This is my third novel by Gillian McAllister and unfortunately probably my least favorite of the three. I wanted to like this so much more than I did but it really never grabbed be. The plot was pretty solid and the author is truly excellent at her craft, something just didn't click with me as a reader. I definitely figured out one of the major twists pretty early on, but that didn't spoil anything for me. I don't know if I just read this at the wrong time but it was just okay for me. It's told through the POV of Cam and also of Naill, the hostage negotiator from the siege. There were a lot of characters and sometimes I wasn't sure who they were referring to and maybe that was part of it. I gave it 3.75 stars rounded to 4 because I didn't hate it but unfortunately also didn't love it I still 100% will read every book she writes, this one just missed the mark for me.

I think readers who enjoy her previous work will definitely also enjoy this and should give it a chance. I'd also recommend for readers who enjoy cat and mouse type stories with subtle love stories woven in.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid 4 stars for me. I liked the mystery of the siege, but guessed one of the big twists. I'd expected a bit more seige and a bit less rogue policing, though. The pacing of the second half was also just a bit off. Overall though, a decent story told well.

While the beginning of this book was so fast paced and fun and I loved how she tied together some pieces in the last chapter, the middle and climax of this book ultimately fell flat for me. Some of the reasons feel clear, like the fact that the character overthinks far too much and it slows down the plot of the book. But some of the other reasons are harder to name.

I was not surprised by any of the twists either. But based on other reviews, I may be in the minority, and I could see why others would love this book (and maybe even the audiobook being better).


Regardless, thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this arc!

This is my second book by Gillian McAllister; the first one I read was Wrong Place, Wrong Time. They are very different but I liked them both. I really enjoy McAllister’s writing style. The prose is vivid and sharp, the imagery evocative of mood, and the main protagonist is well developed.

There were twists, as every good thriller has, and a fair amount of tension. However, I didn’t get that uncomfortable skin-crawling feeling that some books in the thriller genre give me. I found the story compelling, twisty, but ultimately satisfying.

I would recommend this title to thriller fans for sure, but also to folks simply looking for a fresh, fun read.

aThe morning Camilla is finishing up her maternity leave and
returning to work as a literary agent, her husband is inexplicably
missing. He's eft behind a cryptic note that makes even less
sense when she's informed he is part of an evolving hostage
situation. As Cam attempts to understand the events, things
become even more confusing, but she never stops believing in
his innocence. This book explores the intimacies of marriage,
love, parenting, sibling relationships, infertility, and the power of
secrets.


I've been in such a thriller slump lately, and 1 am so excited that
McAllisters newest novel finally broke me out of it. I'm realizing
that I need a little extra in my thrillers...some extra depth, some
extra themes, some extra relationships, some extra sub-plots,
and this one gave me that little extra I was looking for.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is such a fun, twisty read. From the opening lines to the last, it was an enjoyable experience. I saw some of the plot twist coming— others, I didn’t see coming at all, but it all came together in the end in a manner that was super satisfying.

Cam is 9 months postpartum and excited to be returning from maternity to a job she loves. Her husband Luke seems to be the picture perfect husband, but on the day she returns to work, she discovers that her husband is in the middle of a hostage standoff and her beautiful world collapses into single parenthood and infamy. But Cam knows her husband, could he be the kind of person to shoot two men in cold blood? Could she be so naive not to notice signs of duplicity?

This story is told in 2-3 different perspectives and the mystery unfolds over a period of seven years. I really enjoyed this book, and it was fascinating to read about a literary agent and a writer as the main characters.

I would like to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this advanced reader copy of Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister. I was so excited to snag a copy of this book as I absolutely loved the author’s book Wrong Place Wrong Time a few years ago.

Cam is a new mom and anxious about her first day back to work. Unfortunately, her day really goes off the rails when she learns that her husband is involved with a hostage situation across town, and it appears he is the gunman.

I’ve enjoyed McAllister’s novels because I’ve been able to identify and empathize with her characters in addition to enjoying a riveting plot. Unfortunately, this novel was painfully slow, with anticlimactic reveals and flat characters. It’s difficult to empathize or care about a character that you never spend any time with as the reader.

This is my second book by Gillian McAllister and it was another fast paced addicting thriller. The book starts off with Camilla's husband, Luke, taking hostages into a warehouse, 2 shots are fired and Luke is nowhere to be found. He is on the run for seven years accused of killing the hostages. The book takes many twists and turns, some I guessed along the way, I said out loud “I knew it!” (I love when that happens). I had a hard time putting this book down. After each chapter you had to keep reading to see what would happen next.

This book comes out on February 25, 2025 and I would recommend you pick it up!

Thank you William Morrow for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.