Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Libro FM for the ARC/ALC.

I thought this was a decent thriller. I must say I was more interested in the beginning and middle of the story moreso than the end of the story, but that is just my personal opinion. I will also say that while I really like Gillian McAllister as an author, this book was just ok, and will probably not be a favorite of hers. With that being said, I did not dislike this book, it just personally wasn't my favorite book of Gillian McAllister's. I still think that if you are looking for a thriller to read, it still really is a good book, it just may not be my go-to book for Gillian McAllister. I thought the narrator of this book, Emilia Fox did a good job as well and had a very pleasant voice.

On her first day back from maternity leave, literary agent Cam is adjusting to work when the worst case scenario comes right to her office. Officers break the news that the hostage situation nearby involves her husband…..as the suspect and gunman. She racks her brain to figure out the impossible and how her beloved and mild husband Luke could’ve found himself in this situation. Seven years after he escapes, Cam is unable to move past that fateful day and the years since - is Luke alive, is he innocent, and who else is involved? She’s in more danger than she can imagine but winds up with an unlikely ally, the crisis negotiator who tried to get her husband to surrender.
While it had its slow moments, this ended up being a great thriller that I couldn’t stop reading, anxious to know the truth — and wow the ending did not disappoint!
Thank you to William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s the summer solstice, and it also happens to be Camilla’s Deschamps first day back at work after maternity leave, and also daughter Polly’s first day at nursery.
Camilla would have expected some help from her husband Luke, but she arrives downstairs to discover that he’s nowhere to be seen. What she does find is an unfinished note from Luke - “ It’s been lovely with you both “, really weird, what on earth does he mean? However, she has to put it to the back of her mind for now and fully concentrate on her job as a book editor.

Later that day there’s a breaking news story about a hostage situation in London, and Camilla is still worrying about Luke’s whereabouts seeing as he hasn’t answered any of her texts. She doesn’t have to wait long, as the police arrive to inform her that Luke is caught up in the siege, but he’s not a hostage - no, that doting father, excellent writer, the man with a sunny outlook on life is actually the gunman!

This is a great storyline as Camilla’s mundane life descends into a complete nightmare - with the accompanying tension, fear, twists and turns and the raw emotion that Ms McAllister always manages to elicit! Would definitely recommend.

*I was invited to read ‘Famous Last Words’ by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

This book is well written and I love the author but for some reason the story felt a little flat to me. I can’t even pinpoint why but I was struggling to get through it compared to the other ones I’ve read.

Whenever something bad happens, it is easy to sympathize with the victims but what about the families of the perpetrators? Such is Cam’s position when her husband takes and eventually kills two hostages. Is it wrong if she still loves him? She is an introvert and a bookworm, so it was super-easy to like her. Her fugitive husband, seen from her memories, seems like a very nice guy too, so I was truly rooting for them. I loved all the relationships and interactions in Cam’s life, from her sister to her new maybe-boyfriend. These seemed organic and fleshed out. The other main character is Niall, the hostage negotiator who is dumbfounded that he read the situation so wrong that it ended in disaster. He is the “cop who won’t let it go” so usual in this type of novels, but he is written so well that he seems more human than just a stereotype. The plot was maybe a little predictable for someone who reads a lot of mysteries, but it was still gripping enough that I had to know what was going to happen next. I also enjoyed the passages from the books Cam reads, since she’s a literary agent and has my dream job. It was going to be tough to follow up the excellent Wrong Place Wrong Time, but this is a worthy follow-up.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/William Morrow.

3.5 rounded up.

I really enjoyed this thriller! When it started I was completely drawn in and had no idea what was going on but in the best way! I did feel like the pacing got slower as it went on it I did still feel engaged and wanted to know what was going to happen.

I guessed a few things but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story as it unfolded. I did find a lot of it pretty outlandish but thrillers are like that sometimes and that aspect doesn’t really bother me.

Overall, I’d recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

An addicting twisty thriller that I struggled to put down! Loved this book!

A loving wife and mother is contacted by the police and told that her husband is involved in a hostage situation. Only he isn’t a hostage, he is the gunman……

This was my 3rd Gillian McAllister British thriller and I am absolutely HOOKED on her style of storytelling! Multi POV, full of twisty reveals that kept me on the edge of my seat, with themes of motherhood, marriage, and love!

4.5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to publisher William Morrow for an eARC via NetGalley!

I blew through this story! It is well told and full of suspenseful moments. Gillian McAllister is so good at making you think one way and surprising you with a completely different ending. This story, while suspenseful, is also intertwined with grief and love. I enjoyed the alternating POV between Cam and the detective Niall. Gillian quickly became an auto-read author for me!

This book is part domestic suspense, crime thriller, and romance. This was my first time reading a book from this author! I’ve heard lots of great things about her writing style, so I was excited to pick this one up. The story starts out strong with a hostage situation and a husband that disappears without a trace, but hits a bit of a lull in the middle third. The story is complex with lots of layers, but it takes a while for everything to start making sense. I don’t want to say to much about the plot as it would be to easy to spoil something. Definitely a book where the lees you know going in, the better.

The story is told from the POV of Camilla, the hostage taker’s wife and Niall, the hostage negotiator. I found the dual POV interesting, but I’m not sure Niall’s POV is necessary. Especially when it comes to his romantic relationship. I’m not sure that really added anything to the book. I did think the exploration of Camilla and her love for her husband was a nice inclusion in the book. I feel like crime thrillers don’t typically explore love and family the way this one did.

Overall, a fun and engaging thriller! Just know the middle third hits a lull, but picks up if you stick with the book!

Wasn't for me. Started out great with a thrilling hostage situation and then not much happened until the final pages. I wasn't into any of the characters and they weren't fleahed out well. I actually stopped reading half way and came back a week or so later to finish. Thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unexpected, gripping, suspenseful. This book had it all. What do you do when you think you know everything about someone you love only to have to question how well do you really know this person whom you've woken up to everyday and had a child with? After reading a cryptic note, surprises abound when Camilla's husband Luke is involved in an unthinkable situation and all hell breaks loose. What exactly did it mean and could it be a clue in his disappearance? There are secrets that Camilla wants to protect, but mostly she wants to protect her daughter and her heart. So many twists and turns, this book was a page-turner. Great character development and back-stories. I enjoyed this tremendously. Many thanks to #netgalley #famouslastwords #gillianmcallister #williammorrow for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is my third book by Gillian McAllister and unfortunately, this one was just okay for me.

It started off pretty strong with a hostage situation, but then it just sort of fell off for me. It was a slower pace than I was expecting given the start and there were so many missing pieces and connections that it just didn’t logically make sense for me as a reader until it was all revealed in the last 1/4 of the book. Even then, it just seemed to jump out of nowhere to make it all connect so the book could be finished.

Wow! I was at the edge of my seat the entire time I was sucked into this thrill a second read. I loved the concept, the twists I did not see coming, and so much more I want to talk about but I will not ruin this book for you. I did figure out who was behind, that did not matter to me. I needed to know what happened to this family, to these characters, how this particular moment in time affected everyone. Told from two points of view and seven years apart. This book made me stay up way too late and get up way too early to finish.

June 21st is not just the longest day of the year. It is also Camilla's first day back to work since having her baby Polly. Cam is already on edge, mom guilt inching into her brain, overwhelmed with having to be separated from Polly. She is also a bit excited to be back at her job as a literary agent. She cannot wait to dig into some new manuscripts. The only thing missing from their morning is her husband. Where is Luke? Why is he not here to wish them well and good luck? This thought settles into the back of Cam's brain as she strides into work. Her entire world is about to come crashing down on itself. Her husband is in a standoff, he has kidnapped three people. Who is this man, this is not her husband! Niall is the hostage negotiator on site that day. He does not feel like Luke will shoot the three captives. What is actually going on inside the warehouse?

I am just going to give you a tease because you need to go in without any background. Just know it is fantastic, heart pounding, emotional, and it will lead you down so many paths. Thank you to Gillian McAllister and William Morrow for this phenomenal read.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins, and to NetGallery for sending me an advance copy to read.

I usually read at night to help clear my mind and go to sleep. You can't do that with this book! I wanted to stay up and keep reading it, and when I put it down, I still thought about it. It was very well written and keeps you wondering about the truth.

Some take aways:
. Maybe fiction is one of life's great comforts; we use fiction to drown out the real world.
. Funny how things look different depending on what you know to be true.
. Sometimes people do bad things for good reasons.

DNF at 50%.
I have read two of this author's books; LOVED Wrong Place Wrong Time, and did not care for The Last Missing Person. I still wanted to give this one a shot; however, about 50% in, I was still as bored as I was at the beginning and felt NO suspense at all. I also just was not interested in the plot/felt like nothing was happening. Just wasn't for me.

If you're looking to put a thriller on your TBR list, definitely grab this one when it drops Feb. 25th.

Wow, this book offers so much! We are presented with a hostage situation right off the bat; one character is a ghostwriter; one works as a literary agent; we have drug dealing families at odds with each other; we have some corrupt police; and to top it all off, we have London as our setting.

The story opens with Camilla's husband, Luke, missing on the day that Cam returns to her job from her maternity leave. News comes on that there is a hostage situation. The police come for Cam and deliver the most unbelievable, disturbing news - her husband is involved. He, however, is not being held hostage, he is the hostage taker.

One hostage is released - Isabella, the wife of a cop, and two others are shot. Luke escapes through a secret entrance of the warehouse and is on the lam for seven years.

As the story resumes seven years later, Cam is getting ready to legally declare Luke dead so she can sell the house and move on with her life. She has never quite come to terms with the fact that he is indeed dead though; neither has Niall, the hostage negotiator who was on the scene seven years ago. New information is introduced, and Niall refuses to give up on the case.

Famous Last Words is not only a thriller and story of crime, it is a story of the examination of marriage and the power of love and trust. Reading it is like look through a kaleidoscope with its ever changing plot twists.

If you are a fan of crime novels filled with suspense, I definitely recommend this new one by Gillian McAllister. Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for this intoxicating thriller. It's 4.5 stars for me.

Camilla knows that June 21st will mark the start of a new chapter in her life. After nine months home with her newborn Polly, Camilla will be back to work today and dropping Polly off at daycare for the first time. Oddly, her husband Luke isn't at home to wish them off and has only left the briefest of goodbye notes for them.

As Cam gets settled back into her London literary agency office, news breaks that a gunman is holding three hostages in a city warehouse. Dread descends over Cam before the police even arrive to question her. Luke is part of the siege. And for some unimaginable reason, her funny, devoted husband is the man holding the gun.

Famous Last Words alternates between Camilla and hostage negotiator Niall Thompson, unfolding both the day of the siege and its aftermath seven years later. McAllister excels at immersing the reader in Camilla’s turmoil as she grapples with the truth about her husband and what his actions mean for everything she thought she knew. (Niall also has a subplot about his marriage, but I found his wife’s stance frustratingly unreasonable, so I wasn’t as invested.)

While the novel starts strong, I found the mystery’s resolution disappointing. A glaringly obvious clue is ignored for far too long, making the latter half of the book feel less like a sharp psychological thriller and more like a frustrating oversight. The earlier sections, rich with emotional depth, gave way to a plot-driven unraveling that didn’t quite land for me.

That said, Famous Last Words is a gripping, suspenseful look at how one moment can shatter a life built on trust. Camilla’s devastation is palpable, and McAllister has a true gift for crafting emotional stakes. While this particular mystery didn’t fully satisfy me, I’m eager to read more from her.

This was a fast-paced thrill ride that started off as a nail biter and evolved into a more slowly meandering mystery. I appreciated the varied pacing throughout the book that created a unique flow. It's always refreshing to experience a story told slightly differently than the rest.

The story is about Cam, who wakes up for work one morning to find an ominous note and no signs of her husband. The story quickly turns into a tense hostage situation that leaves Cam reeling and her life upended. Fast forward seven years, and the conflict is still unresolved. Part thriller, part mystery, part love story - Famous Last Words did not disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Gillian McAllister for an advanced copy of the ebook!

Did I read a different book than everyone else?

I do not get the hype for this one at all. This was a cool concept that was so poorly executed. First off, there is a literal hostage situation, but I felt no urgency whatsoever. The story read slooooow. And, when things do start getting revealed, the plot is extremely vague. There are no details or explanations that back up anything that happens. If anything that happened had actually been explored, sure it would have been an interesting ending. But nothing is. And the few things that are delved into a bit are superfluous to the actual story arc (like - VAGUE SPOILER ALERT: the negotiator’s love story? Why is that a highlight??)

The only real positive is that I genuinely enjoy McAllister’s writing style, so it kept me engaged at least. I just thought the plot was lacking.

Anyway, overall, I really did not like this and I’m so confused why everyone does. Am I missing something??

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Famous Last Words is out 2/25

This was another excellent, layered, twisty mystery from McAllister! I was hooked from the first chapter and really enjoyed the fast pace. Things slowed down a bit in the middle section, but I didn't mind too much. The slower pace left more space for our two main characters, Cam and Niall, to really sit with what happened and examine the influence it's had on their lives. I thought this section was interesting and compelling, but I also found myself itching to return to the mystery and figure out what exactly happened. One thing I always love about McAllister's books is how she can flip a situation on its head and make you see things from a new perspective - and this was no exception! I found this one to be slightly more predictable than a few of her previous works, but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable.

Overall this is a clever and twisty rollercoaster ride of a book! I recommend this to any mystery, thriller, or suspense lovers out there… just make sure you clear your calendar before you start reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!