Omg! If I didn’t have kids and obligations and all that jazz- I would have finished this in one sitting. It just oozed with suspenseful goodness. Multiple twists I didn’t see coming. I want to go back and reread knowing what I know. I definitely will be purchasing a hard copy of this when it comes out next month! Thanks netgalley.

It’s Camilla’s first day back at work after 9 months of maternity leave. Little does she know it will also be her first day as a single mom. Why? Oh because the police come to her office to inform her there’s a hostage situation in London, and her husband is the gunman!

I really have enjoyed other books by this author and this one was the same! Was definitely a hard to put down type of book! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in return for my honest review.

This is not my first book by her and wont be my last. I enjoyed the book it was a little slow to start but still kept me wanting to read to find out what happened. The story flowed nicely and the plot kept me interested. I wish there was a little more about some of the characters backgrounds. Overall I enjoyed my reading experience with this one- gave it 4 stars and will read her next book.

An addictive thriller about a new mother's world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime.

Cams life turns upside down on her first day back to work, and her daughter’s first day at daycare, when her husband takes three people hostage at a warehouse across town, then disappears.
Seven years later, she can’t give up believing that he is good, and still alive…

The author is an auto-buy for me and I have complete faith that I'll love anything she writes.

The short chapters keep the flow of the book at a good pace. The plot is interesting but honestly did not keep me guessing towards the end. I read alot and alot of the same genre of books so it could just be me but I saw whatever came a mile away. Still I overall enjoyed the story and love Gillian and her novels!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC to enjoy. This debuts 2/25

Famous Last Words - Gillian McAllister

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“But actually, may I remind you that most everyone feels utterly fucked up by life.”

Cam is shocked when she discovers her husband, Luke, is holding three people hostage on her first day back to work after maternity leave. Niall, the hostage negotiator, works with her to try to uncover why Luke is doing this and the darker details behind it.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow. I was immediately drawn to the concept of being the person connect to their hostage holder vs. the hostages as many books have already done. I do wish the story spent more time on the actual day of the hostage and dragged out those events longer, which is more what I expected to happen. While I could see some of the twists coming from the beginning, especially with the mystery manuscript Cam was reading, I was pleasantly surprised with how everything shook out at the end. Overall, a great and twisty read!

This book was suspenseful and fast paced. When I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about the book. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the opportunity tot read this arc.

I love Gillian McAllister. I would read her grocery list. She is an auto-buy author for me and I have complete faith that I'll love anything she writes.

And she has proven me correct once again. WOW this was amazing. When I thought X outcome was inevitable, she pulled Y out of it and made it work SEAMLESSLY. Twists I didn't see coming. Characters with such depth and emotion. This book feels like a big change up from her usual books and I'm HERE for it. This was incredible. Pick this one up, you won't regret it.

I really enjoyed this one. I think Gillian McAllister has such a unique way of writing. This book *sounds* just like Wrong Place, Wrong Time (in my head at least). I think the pacing of this one is faster than Wrong Place, Wrong Time. There was an actual mystery in this one and some great twists. Highly recommended!

Camilla’s life turns upside down on her first day back to work, and her daughter’s first day at daycare, when her husband takes three people hostage at a warehouse across town, then disappears. Seven years later, she can’t give up believing that he is good, and still alive…

This was such a rollercoaster and kept me engaged all day - I couldn’t put it down. I picked up on a lot of the clues and guessed most of the twists, but there were so many pieces to the puzzle that it was easy to stay interested, trying to figure out how it all fit together.

Camilla felt so relatable to me, especially how she would rather be home reading a book than out at a party. I love how Camilla escapes into fiction, and I wish I could read the full version of the compelling manuscript she keeps rushing home to read!

One day, Camilla's husband Luke does the unthinkable. Now, seven years later, she's still not over his betrayal and disappearance.

This was a good thriller! I really liked Camilla. She was a strong character that still has a lot of insecurities. She goes through so much and is still a great mother. The concept of this one was really cool. I liked how it played out and I did find myself really invested in the story. I'm happy that the time jump was in the story. Those kinds of things really get me into the story more. I want to know what happened and how the characters are dealing with everything. The writing itself was really well done as well. There were times that this did move a little too slow for me and focused on characters that I really didn't find that interesting. But, it still a really great story.

All in all, this was a solid thriller!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I am finding that I have very complicated feelings about the books coming out in 2025. I am really enjoying them and I am having conflicted feelings. For Famous Last Words, I loved this book all the way through until about 85 percent. I did not enjoy the resolution to the "mystery," but I wouldn't even really call it that. This story is more of a character study of what happens after the events in the synopsis, which I LOVED. I really enjoyed following our main character and learning more about how these events have impacted her and her daughter. I don't want to say anymore about that to avoid spoilers.

One thing I did appreciate is Gillian McAllister took time to develop side characters as well. We indirectly get to know the MC's sister and directly through an alternative POV, get to know the hostage negotiator. I found the POV of the hostage negotiator to be very interesting. We get to see him in therapy sessions and work through life events that have really taken a toll on his mental health. I really loved everything about this story.

Gillian McAllister does a unique job of being able to write a suspenseful character driven story, this is not suspenseful because of any sort of events (well mostly that's mostly true). The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star is the ending. Now, I have no idea how you end a book like this but I almost feel like it would have been better slightly, I mean slightly more open ended or up for interpretation.

This was a second chance author experience for me and it was a good one!! Can't wait for her next book.

It's an exciting day for Camilla, caring for her baby and getting ready to go back to her job after maternity leave. The only thing out of place is a vague note seemingly left behind by her husband Luke. And then she sees the news. A hostage situation is developing and Luke is involved. But he is not a hostage. He is the perpetrator.

Thank you Gillian McAllister and the William Morrow Team for giving me an eARC copy of this novel in return for an honest review. All thoughts here are mine and mine alone.

This book started out a bit slow for me, but once it got going, I was completely hooked. I absolutely loved the mystery and confusion woven throughout it. It was a very engaging read. The voicing behind each character was unique and made me relate to the characters and what they were going through.

I definitely recommend this book for those who love a good crime mystery/thriller. This is also a good book for someone wanting to dabble in thrillers as it was not creepy, but very engaging and well written.

Gripping, shocking, and hard to put down! Gillian McAllister delivered a gripping and brilliantly thought out storyline with Famous Last Words! I was instantly engrossed in the beginning of the book as Cam (Camilla) learns that her husband, Luke, is holding people hostage at gunpoint! She is utterly shocked as it is so out of character for him but then again him leaving in the morning without saying a word and only leaving a note behind, was out of character as well.

Holy Moly, this book took me on a wild ride as Niall, the hostage negotiator comes on the scene! I had no idea where this book was taking me and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out where this book was going, what was behind Luke's actions, and how things were going to wrap up! There were some jaw dropping moments, moments when I wanted to yell at the characters, and a moment when I wanted to slap my forehead when a reveal occurred that I felt that I should have seen it coming but didn't!

Clever, well thought out, thrilling, and hard to put down! I can't wait to read what Gillian McAllister writes next!

Thank you to HarpersCollins Publishers for the ARC of this book. I became a fan of Gillian McAllister when I read Wrong Place Wrong Time. I loved the timeline of this story and how within each part you got more answers. Not only were you trying to solve what happened with Luke, you got to experience his and Cam's love story along the way.

I think I will read anything that Gillian McAllister writes. While her newest book lacked the twists and turns of her previous story, Wrong Place Wrong time, I still enjoyed putting the puzzle pieces together in her newest thriller. Cam and Niall made excellent narrators in this mystery where nothing is quite what it seems. The novel' is well paced, with a gripping opening that maintains momentum throughout, building towards a satisfying and realistic conclusion. I particularly appreciated McAllister's focus on the complexities of relationships, especially within the context of motherhood. I'd highly recommend this to fans of contemporary British thrillers in search of an escape from their everyday lives.

This was an amazing WILD RIDE from start to finish!!

This story follows Camilla during the 7 years following an incident where her husband held three people hostage and then disappeared without a trace. Camilla struggles with the reality that her husband may not be the man she thought she married, despite knowing him differently. Camilla can’t give up hope that her husband may be out there and it may have all been a misunderstanding

This story is packed with shocking twists and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Seriously, @gillianmauthor does adrenaline boosting thrillers SO WELL!

3.5 🌟 I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to finish it! I liked Wrong Place Wrong Time too. I like the time jumps and the mystery. The book wasn't just about the main plots, but also people's faults, failures, and attempting to fix them.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

A 4/5 Thriller!

Gillian McAllister's books are always so well-paced and engaging. I went into this one pretty blind and was pleasantly surprised! Throughout I felt like it was twisty and engaging, and the last 100 pages or so everything picked up quickly and was wrapped up really well!

One thing I will also give her credit for is I felt a connection or interest in the majority of characters, something that sometimes can be hard in a thriller/mystery.

Many will enjoy this one for sure!

This story started out with suspense to pull me in but quickly fizzled out until about 80% in. On Cam’s first day back to work after her 9 month maternity leave the police show up and inform her that her husband’s involved in a hostage situation. The plot of this story is what interested me, however for a majority of it instead focused on Libby’s infertility and Naill’s heartbreaking divorce. I know that won’t matter to mystery lovers that I’m sure will enjoy the slower pace.

A delicious new novel from McAllister! A departure from her typical style, this was a twisty and emotionally plotted novel. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Cam and Noah's lives, and I enjoyed the challenge of piecing together the narrative puzzle. While I guessed some of the surprises, I was shocked by others. The book was well-paced and a perfect thriller to bring on vacation or to help break out of a reading slump!