This is the third book I’ve read by Gillian and I have loved every single one. She writes cliffhangers that leave you on the edge of your seat at the end of chapters. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC!!

This might be my favorite read of this author’s. More fast paced for sure! I loved the two main POVs for the novel. The third minor POV was so vague that it was a funny mystery.

4/5 stars for me!

I wanted to read this because I loved Wrong Place, Wrong Time, and this totally lived up to expectations. The premise is an interesting set up, and it just got better from there! Gillian McAllister does an excellent job of leading you down the trail of clues to figure out what's happening and it's a satisfying trip. I tried to put myself in Camilla's shoes. How would I react if my husband were the hostage taker? The feeling of betrayal and feeling like the one who should have seen something coming and didn't. I can't imagine. It just got better as it went. If you like a whodunit mystery with all the emotion and intellect, read it.

I went into this book expecting a solid thriller, maybe something typical but still satisfying. But what I got was something so much deeper. Yes, it kicks off with that fast-paced thriller vibe—Camilla finds her husband, Luke, missing, and there's this intense hostage situation in London. But then it starts weaving together two storylines: one about Camilla and Luke, and one about the hostage negotiator working behind the scenes. And at the heart of both stories? It’s really about what it means to love someone and put their well-being above your own.

This book took me on such a surprising emotional journey that, by the end, I was crying in -- something I've never done with a thriller before. It felt like a mix of suspense and a raw, honest look at love and selflessness. If you’re ready for a thriller that’ll leave you thinking long after the last page, Famous Last Words is one I can’t recommend enough.

Rating 4.5, rounding up to 5.

I like to believe many different things in the course of a book for the simple fact that it makes the book hard to put down, and that happened here. I stayed up late on a school night to finish it all in a day. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Two bodies still unidentified seven years after the crime, their hostage taker still in the wind: thus begins Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister due out February 25. Camilla Deschamps has become a single mother of a 9-month-old child with her husband Luke, likely now a murderer and nowhere to be found.

After seven years and no word from Luke—is he dead or alive?—Camilla seeks to have him declared dead so that she and little Polly can leave their house and start life anew in a different place. She has gone back to using her maiden name in her job as a literary agent. Yet, she has not forgotten the love she shared with Luke, keeping his cell phone in service so she can call and hear his voice.

One day she gets a cryptic message with coordinates and a time that takes her to a street in Central London. However, the police, who have been monitoring Cam’s life all this time, have intercepted and altered the message, making her an hour late to the street, while a detective has already been there, evidently scaring away whoever sent the text to Cam.

Cam’s sister Libby has been pushing Cam to move on so she is dating a colleague from work but is he who he says he is? Who is the dark figure caught by her motion detector in the back yard? What is the possibility that it was Luke who sent the coordinates, and he is alive? Why can’t Cam give up on Luke since it seems he became a criminal?

British-born Gillian McAllister has had her seven novels translated into 40 languages with several optioned for television and film. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast. She lives in Birmingham, England.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting November 1, 2023.

I would like to thank William Morrow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

WOW WOW WOW! This thriller was AMAZING. I am such a fan of police procedural novels and a hostage situation adds so much suspense to the story. I was left constantly guessing this entire novel and was captivated by the story, I could not put this book down! The twists were great and I definitely would recommend this book to thriller fans. One of my top reads of the year.

NetGalley ARC (2025 Release)
The story begins with a young family…loving husband, new mom and their 9 month old baby…and it’s mom’s first day back to work. A crazy anxious morning trying to get everyone ready and out the door…but they do it! Little did they know that just a few hours later a hostage situation changes everything! This is a well written thriller that takes you through multiple story lines…current day and seven years later. You’ll follow the family, the hostages, the police, the criminal, the hostage negotiator…and the impact this action has on everyone involved….but you never lose focus on the main activity. You’ll follow along as the mystery unfolds and discover all the tangled tales of the characters…and how their relationships change over time. It will pull you in and you will not put down as the pages turn themselves….each chapter revealing another ‘WHAT??!!’ moment! An excellent, well-scripted story of love in the midst of chaos. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🤗. Thank you NetGalley and Gillian McAllister!!

A mystery-thriller with time jumps that will constantly keep you guessing!! Be pulled through, desperate to know what will happen next in the next mystery from Gillian McAllister

“Famous Last Words,” has a very interesting premise.

I can’t say this is my favorite by Gillian McAllister, but it was a solid and twisty read. The topic of Hostage Negotiations was handled well in this novel. In addition, the novel poses the question, how well do you really know someone?

McAllister, again drives the story with a well executed plot, and great character development. The twists are done sparingly, but with impact.

If you like thrillers, domestic suspense, and good writing, pick up a copy.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

“Motherhood, for introverts, is a special kind of difficult, the usual escape routes not available, a thought Cam regularly feels guilty about, but is nevertheless true.”

Gillian McAllister is back with an edge of your seat thriller. The way she can draw such deep characters is truly remarkable, especially in a thriller which are much more plot driven than character driven.

I was pleased with myself for being able to guess one of the twists, but there were plenty others I didn’t see coming. My only criticism were the amount of F-bombs dropped. Had it not been for those, it would have been a five star read for me. For those who aren’t bothered by language, this will be a very fun reading experience.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
Character-rich thrillers
The Last Thing He Told Me
Getting in the mind of a hostage negotiator

Gilliam McAllister is back with another heart-pounding mystery spanning years that fans of her previous work will enjoy.

Camilla wakes up one morning to find out her husband Luke is the main suspect in an ongoing hostage situation: he is holding up three victims with a gun in a warehouse. He escapes, and his whereabouts become unknown. Camilla attempts to move on with her life, but is haunted by her husband's crimes and the possibility he may still be at large. Seven years after the events, the lead hostage negotiator Niall is still turning over stones to resolve the case. He crosses paths with Camilla and together they begin to piece together clues. With new information in hand, they realize they were completely wrong about what happened on that fateful day and that someone in their orbit may have instigated Luke's actions.

I really enjoyed the structure of this book: it is told in 4 acts, each separated by 2 to 7 years. Niall's investigative efforts bring in a bit of police procedural work, and Camilla's inner torment over her husband's actions are worthy of the best kind of family drama novel. The plot moves fast, and the big reveal at the end did its job: it caught me by surprise and I was bummed out I didn't think of it myself. There are a few details that didn't quite check out or make sense to me (the ending was tied up maybe a bit too neatly) but these are the kinds of things a reader must accept when reading popular fiction. It succeeds perfectly well in being an entertaining thriller with a clever bent.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this e-ARC! Gillian McAllister is a great thriller writer, and I was excited to read this. This book revolves around a hostage situation that will affect those involved for years to come. Camilla, fresh off maternity leave, drops her child off and is heading to her job. Not long after, police go to her work to inform her of a hostage situation taking place in London...and her husband is involved. To her shock, her husband is the "bad guy" in this situation, and she may be the only one who knows why. The story takes place in the current, future, and then 7 years after. Telling the hostage negotiators' side of the day and how Camilla is dealing with the fallout of that day. This book felt fast-paced and kept you guessing.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

When Camilla had to drop her child off at daycare for the first time after her maternity leave, she was so anxious! Little did she know that that would be the least of her worries on that day. While at her first day back at work, police enter her building and she had a gut feeling it was for her. A hostage situation, unable to get in contact with her husband, who would pick up her daughter? So many questions spinned around her mind! We follow the siege then 7 years later and how Camilla still focuses on that day and where her husband is. Some great twists along the way!

Loved it! This book was a fun read with a lot of suspense and purposefully misdirection! I don't want to give any spoilers but there was one major twist I saw coming but another I did not.

Famous Last Words has a very interesting premise about a hostage negotiation situation gone wrong and the fallout afterwards. The first part of this book flew by for me; however, the pace slows way down during the second part. I found that certain parts of Cam’s story felt superfluous, but I loved Niall’s POV and wished more chapters were written from his perspective. I had a few guesses for what the twist was going to be and I found myself pleased when the twist was revealed. The writing is strong and the pacing picks back up in the third and fourth parts. I thought the exploration of the different types of grief and how the characters handle it was interesting and felt realistic. I’d recommend this book for fans of thrillers and mysteries that don’t mind things getting a little emotional. (4/5)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

On June 21st, the longest day of the year, Camilla's life is about to change. After spending months on maternity leave, she is ready to return to her job as a literary agent. Today, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time.

However, when Camilla wakes up, she finds that her husband, Luke, is not home. Instead, she finds a strange note that worries her. Before she can think about what the note means, she hears urgent news: there is a hostage situation in London. The police come to her house and tell her that Luke is involved. Shockingly, he is not a hostage; her husband, who is a loving father and always optimistic, is the gunman.

Camilla realizes that what she does next is very important. She is the only one who knows what the note says and could help in understanding why Luke acted this way.

This book follows Camilla’s struggle to understand the events of June 21st. It also includes the story of the hostage negotiator and how the day affects his life. With many twists and turns, it explores love and the bonds of family. From the first line, this book captured my attention. Gillian has proven herself to be a fantastic mystery writer, and I enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this advance reader copy (ARC).

I am so in outlier islands, but I just couldn’t get it. It took me a long time to get familiar with her writing style and then it was kind of too late for me. So I called it quits after the halfway mark, which is disappointing. Still, I think this book will have its niche and be really popular.

I loved the premise of this story from the very beginning. Camila looks to have everything, a new baby, a caring husband and a great job but one fateful day her whole life is upended. A hostage in taking place and as her and her coworkers watch with a curiosity that soon turns to horror when Camila learns her husband is a part of the hostage siege. As events unfold we learn her is not the hostage but the hostage taker and the perspective changes from Camila to Nial the hostage negotiator who has his own demons. The book is in a 3 sections of now, 7 years later and a wrap up 7 years after that and this interesting time shift keeps the book fast paced and exciting. Is Luke the criminal or the victim and how well do we really know anyone else??

Another fantastic thriller by Gillian McAllister!! I was so hooked throughout this entire book! I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives and how the story follows characters across time. There were so many shocking twists that made me audibly gasp!!