Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister was not the mystery I was expecting! It's Camilla's first day back to work as a literary agent after maternity leave and it's her daughter Polly's first day of daycare. So, it seems particularly out of character for her husband Luke to not be there that morning to see them off.

In his place is a cryptic note. One side reads “If anything” but it’s been crossed out. The other side says “It’s been so lovely with you both."

While at work, Cam gets a call that her husband Luke is involved in a hostage situation, but he is not a hostage, he is the gunman.

This was a unique mystery and it was paced very well. I enjoyed it very much.

Famous Last Words follows Camilla on her first day back at work from maternity leave. Her day takes a turn when police arrive at her office to tell her that her husband has taken hostages. The story follows Cam as she tries to figure out what happened to the man she loved and the last words he left for her.

This book was so interesting to me because I was so torn on my review! 3.5 stars rounded up.

I loved the plot, I thought it was fun, spooky, all things good.. just a little slow? I knew immediately when she started reading Alex's book where that plot line would go and I was happy with it. Just thought there could have been more twists and turns at a quicker pace during the middle of the book. The ending was great and I'm SO glad we got the 7 years after perspective, that was phenomenal.

I liked all the characters and different POVs. I'm glad we didn't get Lukes, but thought Nial's was a great addition.
The narrator was AMAZING I loved listening to this as an audio book!

This was my first read by Gillian McAllister and I'd definitely read more by her! Thank you to Gillian, NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book. I'll definitely be recommending!

A woman fresh off a maternity leave is about to go back to work only to get shocked when she learns her husband has taken a group of people hostage. Fast forward seven years and her husband is still missing, Camilla is no closer to finding out the truth but things come to a crescendo when a mysterious manuscript shows up indicating that maybe her husband wasn't so guilty after all. This was good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Laura Dave. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Intricately plotted, propulsive read, with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing. For the most part it had a fast pace, with only a few slower parts here and there. My favorite part was the method the author chose to deliver the information Camilla needed to solve the mystery--masterfully done! I can't say too much about it without spoilers, so I'll just leave it at that. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The narrator of the audio version did an excellent job.

Basically a love story disguised as a thriller.

I should have read more of the reviews before leaping into this because I thought it was going to be more of a fast paced nail-biter instead of a slow burn domestic drama. Even though it started off with a literal bang, the hostage crisis, it quickly became something else when the focus shifted to Camilla dragging through the years because her husband disappeared. I found it repetitive and the whole scenario required a great deal of suspension of disbelief. The revelations about Luke and the very tedious investigation were not surprising twists.

The other issue was that I was not able to appreciate the characters nor really feel much for either Camilla nor Niall. I often actively disliked her with her brain on constant repeat and stuck in a state of suspended animation most of the time. Sure, I get it — she missed her husband. The expected truth comes out and everything ended just about exactly as I had anticipated. No surprises. The narrative was quite convoluted though the actual plot was very simple.

I listened to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator was OK but the production would have benefited from a larger cast, especially for the male voices. At times her pronunciation of certain words got on my nerves and I have found when that happens it takes away some of my enjoyment of the book.

Ultimately, this was an OK book.

I really like Gillian McAllister -- I thought this was quite clever and really well done.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Thank you @netgalley and @HarperAudio Adult. I was not prepared for the ending of this book. I really enjoyed Camilla strength, love and dedication to her family. The narrators of this audio were fantastic. They really made the book come alive and keep me drawn in with every turn of the book. This is a must listen if you like suspense and hostage negations. I will be reading more of Gillian McAllister books.

This was not my cup of tea. I think it was a little slow and the hostage taking premise would normally be more exciting, but since it is mostly from the perspective of people of the outside, it is less so. I think it was well written, but not for me

Dual POV, romance, mystery, murder? What's not to like? I really loved this book! Gillian McAllister doesn't disappoint. Highly recommend.

Gillian McAllister's "Famous Last Words" is a twisty, suspenseful thriller about a woman, Camilla, whose husband, Luke, takes hostages and then disappears. The story jumps between the present, right after the hostage situation, and seven years later, as Camilla tries to uncover the truth.

Camilla refuses to believe Luke is a monster, and the book explores themes of truth, love, and how well we really know the people closest to us. Early reviews praise the book's clever plot, interesting characters, and surprising secrets. The middle felt a bit slow, but the ending is a satisfying payoff. Overall, "Famous Last Words" is a gripping read for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns.

It has been a little bit since I’ve found a book that is so riveting, I cannot put it down. I had to work and sleep, otherwise this would have been read in a day.

New mother Camilla is enjoying life with her baby girl and her beloved husband. That all ends quickly when she finds out her husband has taken 3 hostages in a warehouse. She is shocked, worried, sickened, confused. Did she ever really know him?

I was not expecting most of the twists and turns of this book, keeping me on edge and flipping pages. I found myself wondering how I would handle this situation.

I highly recommend this one and am eager to read more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advanced copy.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a gripping psychological thriller that expertly blends suspense with emotional depth. The pacing is sharp, and the twists are both clever and surprising. I enjoyed it more than Wrong Place, Wrong Time, as it kept me on the edge of my seat with its intricate storytelling and relatable characters. Highly recommend for thriller lovers!

3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed McAllister’s previous novel Wrong Place Wrong Time, so I was really looking forward to this one.

Cam is a literary agent when one day, her life changes. She gets a call saying her husband is holding people hostage at a warehouse. Cam is confused, this isn’t like Luke. One hostage is able to leave, but then they hear gunshots. Luke is no where to be found.

7 years later, Luke still hasn’t been found, or heard from, until Cam gets a text one day. She has a feeling Luke is still out there.

McAllister leads us through twists and turns in trying to figure out what happened to Luke and if he still is alive.

There was a lot to this book, some parts were more dragged out than others, but it was interesting how it came to be.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This was another great story by McAllister! She is so good at weaving a story together and keeping you guessing. The audio was great and I will continue to always get her books right away!

Famous Last Words is my second read by Gillian McAllister. My first read was Wrong Place Wrong Time and I wasn't crazy about that one. Going into Famous Last Words, I tried to keep an open mind and not let previous work cloud my experience. I really enjoyed this one. Being an introvert, I was able to sympathize with the main character, Cam. She starts to question everything leading up to the hostage situation. I really did not see many of the twists in this book as well. Overall, an enjoyable read. Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Audio for the advanced copy.

A fun, unexpected, have to finish it in one day type of thriller! Famous Last Words is a rollercoaster of a ride in the best kind of way. It didn’t immediately grip me (it took a few chapters), but once I got into it, I was hooked. I loved the short chapters, multiple narrators, and layered story approach. Fans of investigative books and shows will love this one; you feel like you are a member of the police right in the thick of things throughout many of the scenes.

For Camilla, a seemingly normal day becomes the worst one imaginable when police show up at her work and inform her that her gentle, loving, never-committed-a-crime-a-day-in-his-life husband is suspected of holding several people hostage at gunpoint in a downtown warehouse. Before she knows it, her life turns upside down and she’s left with far more questions than answers, but is determined to stand by her husband and uncover the larger story.

Thank you to Gillian McAllister, William Morrow, HarperAudio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

This was my first novel by Gillian McAllister, and I thought it was a good read. I enjoyed the double perspectives from the main character and the detective, which helped flush out the story and make you feel like you were reaching a conclusion from both ends.

While I did find the story to be somewhat predictable, I was still engaged and wanted to know the "whys" to the ending, and that kept me involved until the very end. It was an emotional journey with the female main character that I think readers looking for a women's fiction-type mystery thriller will enjoy this. You think you know your life partner...but do you really?

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook of this title!

This wasn’t my favorite title by this author, but I did thoroughly enjoy the mystery and the lead up to the twists and ending. The narrator was fantastic and made the slower parts enjoyable.

I thought this was a fun mystery, although it was a little bit predictable and I was sort of waiting to be a bit more surprised as the plot wrapped up.