If I could give on piece of advice to potential readers of Gillian McAllister's Famous Last Words, it would be this: clear your schedule because you won't be able to put this down until you've read the last page.

📚 Famous Last Words
✍ Gillian McAllister
📖 Mystery/Thriller
⭐4.5/5

🙏 Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of Famous Last Words. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: I found this book riveting. I thought the character development, the relationships, the take on hostage negotiation and the slow unraveling of clues were all written masterfully. I've read everything Gillian McAllister has published thus far and enjoyed all of her books but this felt fresh and different in a way I crave from authors whose work I go back to time and time again. I had some initial shock when I saw the titles of each section in the Table of Contents but everything came together in such an intriguing way. I haven't read many books that deal with sieges and highly recommend reading the first section of the book in real-time as it all takes place within a few hour span and it feels like you're reading it as it's happening which is a wild experience. This has swiftly taken the place of my favorite McAllister book and may actually get a reread so that I can go back through and clue hunt again!
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Read if you love:
*fast paced thrillers
*sieges and hostage negotiations as central topics
*complicated relationships woven into a thriller beautifully
*books with main characters that are writers, editors and publishing
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See also: If Something Happens to Me, None of This is True, She's Not Sorry

A classic Gillian McAllister thriller. On Cam’s first day back at work after her maternity leave, the police show up to tell her that her husband, Luke, is involved in a hostage situation. And he is the captor. So begins Cam’s yearslong hunt to figure out what possible motivation Luke could have had for this situation to unfold.

Famous Last Words is a split narrative between Cam and Niall, the hostage negotiator in Luke’s case. Each one, in their own way, is caught up on the situation long after it’s over. We got solid backstory on each narrator and I felt like I understood what motivated them and how the events fit into the rest of their lives.

McAllister is great at creating complex, unexpected twists that tie up her thrillers and this was no exception. There were many layers (maybeee one too many) that I never would have thought of, but did not seem unbelievable. I found myself rooting for Cam and Niall to uncover the truth and was on the edge of my toes watching them do so.

This gripping thriller plunges readers into the unthinkable from the very first page. On the morning new mom Camilla returns to work, her husband, Luke, vanishes, leaving behind a cryptic note. When news breaks of a hostage situation in London, Camilla learns Luke isn’t a victim—he’s the gunman. I couldn’t imagine being in Camilla’s position, and the emotional weight of her choices resonated deeply. The "twist" felt believable and enhanced the story's realism. This book left me reflecting on the importance of communication and making time for those we hold dear. With its fast-paced beginning and poignant themes, it’s a compelling and unforgettable read.

Spellbinding, compelling, and a must read! A happily married new mom wakes up to a cryptic note from her husband. Next she finds out her husband has taken others hostage. Filled with twists, turns and surprises, this book kept my attention to the very end. I am now exploring McAllister's backlist

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and the author.

This is going to be so popular! This was a fantastic book - probably the best I have read by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I really liked this book. I often thought about the characters when not reading (which wasn't often because I read as frequently as I could!)

Thank you @williammorrowbooks @netgalley #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!

I. Love. Gillian. McAllister. Books.

Her writing to me always feels like a masterpiece. Kind of like the most perfect tiny clues that are plopped into the pages and then come together in the most profound way! I love love love love her writing style. Her books always feel like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and I’m here for it! I legitimately felt the stress of this hostage situation and the heartbreak that Camilla felt over her hubs that disappeared into thin air. This story was stressful, fast paced, heart-pounding, addictive and completely bingeable. This book made me really ponder how in the blink of an eye your life can be changed forever. Eek! For any thriller lovers out there, this book is not to be missed!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS by Gillian McAllister

New mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.
Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband - doting father, eternal optimist - is the gunman.

Camilla is a very relatable character. Spot on for feelings of motherhood, sisterhood, and a wife left betrayed. Plus, anyone that can use the Schadenfreude in a sentence, scores points with me. Author has a keen sense of humor which comes through Camilla.

I felt the character of Charlie was very two dimensional. He was dropped in and he finally became “real” when he is in the scene with the book and Camilla and the truth is discovered.

Niall, the hostage negotiator/officer is a strong character in his weaknesses. But in the end, he keeps going, fighting for the truth when no one else seems to care. We need more Niall's in the world.

I personally felt the ending was rushed. The first ¾ of the book build, and build, such a captivating and original story, then the ending was hurried up and tacked on. I would still 100% recommend this book!!

Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, this is just my humble opinion.

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted digital ARC!

This was somehow my first book by Gillian McAllister and now I need to read her entire backlist immediately. The way she crafts a story is so impressive. I was completely immersed from page one, and even when I thought I had everything figured out I was wrong.

I found the female main character so easy to root for and the pain and heartache she felt really jumped off the page. I was also satisfied with the way everything wrapped up in the end.

Famous Last Words pub date is February 25, 2025.

Famous Last Words was a quick read that kept me guessing the whole time. I thought I had it figured out, but there were definitely some twists I didn't see coming. As I was reading there were parts that seemed confusing, but it all came together at the end. I will definitely recommend this fast paced thriller to other readers. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Could not out this book down. Read it so fast. Loved all the twists and turns throughout the book. Did not predict the ending

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. For me the first quarter of this book was a bit disjointed; the transition from one scene to the next didn't flow. BUT, as I kept going it got better and better. I really enjoyed the rest of this book and would definitely recommend reading it!

I was so excited to pick this one up after loving Gillian's last book. This book kept me turning the pages, I was so curious as to what was happening with the husband. It started to feel like it was taking too long and I was getting no where close to answers as the reader but once it picked up and things started coming to light I was shocked. I thought the execution was great and the twists were well done. It was cool to look back and see details that came together, A great family drama/mystery

The premise of a happily married man and father of a newborn suddenly holding up two hostages was very compelling to me. I was immediately drawn to this because all want to believe we know our spouses, we know who they are, and we know their secrets. Gillian McCallister brought to the forefront the what-if? What if your husband did this? What would you do?

We watch Camilla wrestle with self-doubt. How could she not have known something was wrong with her husband? WHAT was wrong with her husband? What did he no tell her? There were so many questions that this story had to answer and I truly enjoyed unraveling the mystery.

I sympathized with Camilla. She knew she should give up on Luke, but she struggling with reconciling the man who had committed this horrible act with the man that she knew.

I really can’t say much more without giving something away but just know this was two thumbs up 👍🏾👍🏾, and all the stars!

On her first day back to work after maternity leave, Cam gets a visit from police who inform her that her husband Luke has taken three people hostage. She believes in her heart that he is good and kind, but the events of that day force her to reconsider what she thought she knew about him.

This was a very well told story. The breadcrumbs were laid out just the way the author wanted. There was one plot twist (not a super twisty twist though) that I saw coming but the rest of it was a great ride. 4.5 ⭐️

This was a classic Gillian McAllister thriller, complete with plenty of twists and multiple timelines and viewpoints. The night before she is set to return from maternity leave, Camilla's husband is a gunman in a hostage situation, and disappears before the police can apprehend him. Although it was long-winded at times and could have used some additional tightening up of dialogue, overall it was a really unique thriller with a twist I didn't see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Camellia is going back to work after being on maternity leave, after dropping her daughter at daycare she arrives at her office. Soon afterwards to her surprise the police are there wanting to talk to her. At first when they tell her there is a hostage situation , she assumes her husband is being held hostage, but no they tell he is the one holding others hostage. This was a fast paced thriller and very well written, withs lots of twists. Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

2.75 rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book.

Unfortunately, this is my first book of Gillian McAlister's, and it was not a big hit for me, even though the premise of the book sounded great. The book starts out pretty interesting when it comes to finding out about the main character's husband and during the hostage situation, but for the majority of the rest of the book it is very slow and focused on the different characters instead of completely advancing the plot throwing in extraneous information just as filler.

I found my mind wandering while reading it, especially during the negotiator's narration, as it was very drawn out, and I couldn't stand the character. The story also seems to focus on Cam and her love for her husband throughout the majority of the middle of the book taking you away from the thrilling elements of the book and making it seem more like a forlorn romance.

By the time I got to the ending, I was just ready to find out what was going on and be done with it. I did not guess the ending, so that was at least a plus so I could be somewhat surprised, though I can see how it may be predictable to some. This will not deter me from reading the author's other work, and if you are a fan, still read it as you may like it, but it could have been better.

It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband - doting father, eternal optimist - is the gunman. What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says..

This was so good! The beginning starts out with a bang. While there's a slowdown in the middle, it all gets pulled together in a brilliant way at the end as the mystery builds. The twists and turns I didn't see coming were phenomenal. I loved every bit of this book! 4.5⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

What if. What we do if a loved one was in a horrible tragedy? What if that person was guilty? Questions…no answers…this talented author has written a suspenseful novel that is a page turner. A new mother…secrets…red herrings…a father…a baby…recipe for this book that is difficult to put down. Thanks Netgalley.