4.5 Stars! This book hooked me immediately! I loved how the descriptions of the hostage situation unfolded from the wife's view point and the negotiators! I really felt for her and wanted to keep reading to see how it played out! I have loved this author before with her book Wrong Place Wrong Time and this one is so good too!

There were times when I loved this book and then times when I really just started to zone out because it was just bland. The times I enjoyed, were when Cam was first finding out what was happening with the hostage situation, the big resolution of that situation, and then Niall, the hostage negotiator doing his best to get everyone out of the situation alive, and then getting involved in the case again years later. The thing that I did not enjoy, was just Cam and her personality and how one-dimensional she was, while also being repetitive in her "my husband did it, but didn't actually do it even though he was visible doing it on camera and then disappeared for years" mindset.

The first half of the book was way more interesting than the second half as well. During the hostage situation, I was constantly on edge, even though I was annoyed with Cam, I wanted to keep paying attention during this part of the book. However, in the second half of the book, we just end up jumping forward in time, a few years, while also skipping over a lot of the immediate fall-out and consequences of what happened. I just feel like that part could have been delved into a bit more, and shortening the last part of the book. It just fell flat after the hostage situation and I was disappointed in that.

Thank you to Gillian McAllister, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed Famous Last Words! I am a big fan of Gillian McAllister - I enjoy her writing style. There are twists, and every time I thought I had the mystery solved I was wrong.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you love:

✨shocking twists
✨multiple pov’s
✨complex timelines
✨hostage situations
✨layered storytelling

I was hooked from the very beginning.. the middle is a little slow but halfway through this book had me in a choke hold.. and each piece of evidence piling on made me thirsty for more!

When husband and new dad Luke does the unthinkable, his wife Cam and the hostage negotiator Niall are left to pick up the pieces. The story alternates between their POV and over 3 parts, spanning multiple years.

The main characters are just so real and believable. From Cam’s grief about missing Luke tied into the disbelief that he could’ve done what it looks like he did; to Niall, who feels like he messed everything up with both his job and his marriage on the same day, I felt deeply for both of them. Cam’s relationships with her husband as well as her daughter and sister gave me a deep understanding of her character without drawing away from the overarching story. The mystery was sound, with plenty of twists and turns that, while often surprising me, made complete sense when explained. I loved that the book spanned a period of time and we could see how the characters developed over the passage of time. I thought the end of the book was great; it managed to be both poignant and hopeful at the same time.

Overall, I loved this story and will miss these characters as I move on to the next book. Would recommend for those who like domestic suspense as well as mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author for the arc to read in exchange for my honest review!

#bookreview #bookstagram #newreleases #thrillerbooks

In Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister readers start out thinking one thing happened, then think it's something different, and finally the real story becomes apparent. This is not a simple mystery, there are many unexpected twists and turns.

Gillian McAllister has quickly become a favorite new author of mine. Her books always give me some new and different storyline idea that is hard to put down. Like this one. Cam and Luke are happily married. Cam is returning to work after her maternity leave, catches the news, learns of a hostage situation nearby and lo and behold, Luke is the suspect. How did this funny, loving husband/father get to this point? Great twists and turns and characterization. You really feel for both Luke and Cam. This is not my usual type of story, and I am so happy that this author gets me outside of my reading box!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Gillian McAlister and William Morrow for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of February 25, 2025.

The beginning half was super good and had me fully focused! The last half I did drift off a couple times but overall I enjoyed it! The audiobook was a good choice in my opinion!

I really enjoyed this twisty book.
Told in dual perspectives it was entertaining and had me turning the pages. I also liked Wrong Place Wrong Time. Thank you NetGalley for this review copy.

The first half of this book is gripping with a storyline leaving you guessing as to where it will go. Unfortunately the suspense doesn’t last and the story is lost some what as in my view we get a far to detailed description of Cam’s relationship with her sister which is completely irrelevant. The story line soon becomes predictable. It is an enjoyable read but nothing thrilling or suspenseful

Gillian Mcallister is one of our new queens of mystery and I'm here for it. She has weaved another tale of mystery and suspense that will leave readers on the edge of their seat.

4.5 rounding up!
The hostage situation kept me on the edge of my seat! Then the rest of it, although slower, kept me guessing until the end. I will definitely be reading more from Gillian McAllister.

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted copy.

I love a thriller where something happens at the beginning and you legit have NO idea how it's all going to play out and all you can do is keep reading. That's how Famous Last Words was for me. At the beginning, Camilla is on her way to drop her baby off at daycare for the first time, when she finds out that her husband, who she thought was totally normal and innocent, has taken 3 people hostage. Although, she hasn't been about to get hold of him all morning, and he left her a weird note...Excuse me, what??

Seven years later, Camilla is trying to live her life without Luke, but also without any closure. Nobody knows where Luke went after the hostage situation, or where he's been hiding the last seven years. Camilla can't help but still wonder if he's innocent and it was all a big mix up.

The hostage negotiator, Niall, is also still wondering how he read the whole thing wrong and is still haunted by the events of that day. He's pretty sure he missed something, and is determined to figure out what exactly led Luke to do this and find out where he is now.

This book kept me reading and wondering until the end. The twists at the end were great, and although I had ideas/guesses about the whats and whys, I wasn't spot on with any of it. This book was exactly the thriller I needed!

I don't even know where to begin with this book. Once again, Gillian McAllister has outdone herself. I sat in stunned silence, thinking about the elaborate theme of this book. I know from reading all her books how good they are but this one blindsided me. There were so many layers to the story to unwrap and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The story is told by two viewpoints.

Cam, a literary agent, is returning to work after her maternity leave. Her husband Luke was supposed to help her get out the door on that first day, but he is nowhere to be found. Thinking something came up at his work, Cam moves on with her day. But all her texts and calls go unanswered. This is so out of character for Luke and is starting to rattle her a bit. Then she sees on the news there's a hostage situation near Luke's workplace. Suddenly police are in her office and tell her Luke is not a hostage but is the hostage taker.

The second POV is Niall the hostage negotiator. Niall makes some decisions that day that will haunt him for the rest of his life. His actions cost him everything he holds dear and he has to learn how to live with that.

After the siege, Cam and Niall both try to move on. It takes time but we eventually learn what lead up to the events of that infamous day and what caused the funny, kind, extroverted Luke to snap.

This book is very fast paced and mind blowing. It definitely puts the thrill in thriller. I also love that Gillian was so descriptive about how Cam felt being among new books. It is so relatable. This is a must read for all thrill lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy

3.50 stars

The book started out really fast paced with lots of action but the middle part seemed to have dragged on. This book had a decent twist. What was missing for me was cliff hangers, twist after twist throughout the book to keep my attention.

This was fabulous. I love any story with a writer involved and the ghost writer aspect of this story was excellent for many reasons. GM books always make me feel so anxious for all the characters involved, but in a good day. The way that won't let you put the book down way.

New mother Camilla's life changes in the worst of ways when a hostage situation involving her husband, Luke, erupts on her first day back to work. Not only is Luke involved, which would be awful enough, but, it appears, that her mild-mannered, laid-back spouse is the aggressor. When Luke then shoots the hostages and disappears, Camilla is left with conflicting memories, a newborn, and doubts about her own ability to read those closest to her.

Fast forward seven years, and Camilla, though actively mothering and handling the day-to-day, is still in a bit of a downward spiral. She believes that her husband is alive, though she hasn't--contrary to what the police want to think--heard from him. She still believes in his overall goodness. But she cannot move on, and knows that she must, if only for the sake of her daughter.

Then comes the text. A set of coordinates. Ignoring her promises to herself and her sister to quit going down the rabbit hole of Luke's disappearance, Cam goes. No one is there.

Or is that true? It's not, as it turns out. Because the hostage negotiator from seven years before is nearly as vested in this case--the one that went so completely wrong. He has still been tracking Cam's phone and receives the text before she does. He goes as well, only he finds nothing, either..

Is Luke reaching out? Or have Cam and Niall, the negotiator, just clung to this hope for seven long years while living in a stasis generated by that morning?

Primarily told from Camilla's heartbreaking POV, Niall the negotiator also gets a good chunk of chapters himself. The writing is solid, and the characters are wholly, breathtakingly human. The plot drags a bit, however, while the reader waits for someone to make a move or finally move *on*. The story and the mindsets are particularly dark in this one, so I certainly won't categorize it as a summer thriller; but it is well worth putting on the to-read list when you're wanting something moody.

I really enjoyed Gillian McAllister's latest thriller. The story line was intriguing and the twists kept me hooked though the entire book.

In Famous Last Words, Cam's world is turned upside down. Her husband Luke was holding 2 men by gunpoint in a warehouse and she has no idea why. After failed attempts to talk him down he kills the 2 hostages then escapes. Luke disappeared and had not been seen for 7 years. Cam had no idea where he went and had no contact with him.
It's an interesting plot, but the book didn't hold my attention (which appears I am definitely in the minority!).
I appreciate the ARC and will be purchasing this book for our library when released

I was very excited to get an ARC of this book, but found while reading Famous Last Words that I had a difficult time keeping my attention on it. This book's plot gives similar vibes to The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, but unlike that book I had to work hard to stay invested in this one.

Famous Last Words is told through multiple POV's including the two main characters Cam and Niall. Cam is the wife of Luke, who seems to take multiple hostages out of nowhere on her first day back to work from her maternity leave and Niall is the hostage negotiator called to the scene. This story had two timelines: one during the siege 7 years ago and 1 set in present day. The book felt very slow moving at times and had way too many unnecessary details. It was hard to figure out where the story was going and none of the real action happened until the last 15% of the book.

Overall, the book was well written but didn't hold my attention well at time because of its slow pace, but I was invested enough to want to know how it ended and I will say I was shocked by the twist at the end. I didn't see it coming at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing to the end. This is my first Gilliam McAllister book, but will not be my last. I loved the way Gillian wrote the POV narration with the twists and turns making you wonder if everything is exactly what it seems. I was unable to put this books down as I wanted to know what happen next. Even 200 plus pages in I was still guessing, which is rare in books today. Gillian McAllister did a great job on this book and I would highly recommend adding this to your goodread TBR list and/or making this a bookclub read.