The beginning is packed, and then the story slows down. I did guess most of the twists, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. This is my favorite of McAllister's books!

If I had rated this book after the first few chapters, it would have surely been five stars! It starts with a bang and was absolutely gripping! Camilla wakes one morning to find her husband Luke gone, a one line note left for her, only to find out later that morning that he’s involved in an unfolding hostage situation—as the gunman! The seige, the confusion, the police drama, the hostage negotiations, the “what in the world is happening” of it all had me fully invested and sure I was in for a treat!
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Unfortunately, after we made the seven year jump, things began to drag. The action was nonexistent and we were just stuck in Camilla and (the failed hostage negotiator) Niall’s heads as they grappled with what went wrong seven years ago. The book lost all its urgency, its compelling-ness (made up a word there I think 😆), its drama. I found Niall to be unlikable and thought his side drama with his wife was unnecessary. The twists weren’t very surprising and the whole thing just fell flat.
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While this one wasn’t for me, I do think it will find its audience! Give it a try! Thanks so much to William Morrow and NetGalley for the arc; I never take the opportunity to read and review early for granted. ♥️

Famous Last Words hooked me from the start with a crazy hostage negotiation. It was so much more than a thriller. The layers of detail, mystery and crime made it very hard to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for a honest review.

What would you do if your sqeer living husband ine day he'd up a group of hosages? How wiymd uou navigate this new normal? A twisty well plotted and paced novel from a masterful storyteller. NOT to be missed.

New mom Camilla is returning to work after being off for maternity leave. Her first morning back goes according to plan, other than a strange note left by her husband before he left for work. Then her day suddenly goes wrong after the police show up and inform her that her husband is involved in a hostage situation... and he's not the one being held by the gunman...
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Even though this book wasn't terribly fast-paced, it kept me engaged and I was excited each time I picked it up. The story is told via dual perspective of wife Cam and hostage negotiator Niall. I enjoyed how the mystery played out this way, without a perspective of the perpetrator/husband. While I thought some twists were predictable, overall I enjoyed it and thought the mystery was solid.
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📖 I thought this one had strong 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙈𝙚 vibes, with a wife trying to uncover things about her husband's past - so definitely add this one to your TBR if you loved that book!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts ✨

This book was phenomenal! The twists and the way it was written! Gillian McAllister has hit her stride. I have read a couple of other books from her and while they were good, this was on another level. Cam and her husband, Luke, seem to have the perfect life. Good jobs, strong marriage and a new baby. Other than the lack of sleep, they are getting along pretty well until the day Cam goes back to work from maternity leave. She’s upset to leave Polly at daycare but what’s more upsetting is finding out her husband is holding 3 people hostage at gunpoint and she has no idea why.

I love Gillian McAllister's novels and this one did not disappoint. I always have to make sure I have time to read before I start one of her novels becuause they are addicting! I really enjoyed the mystery and intrigue around this story plot. Another great read!

I loved the start of this book. It sucks you in right away. On Cam's first day back to work after maternity leave, she is informed that her husband is holding people hostage. How did she not know things were going on with her husband that put him in this situation? He's a ghostwriter, he's not violent. They have a 9-month-old baby daughter, Polly. Why would Luke do this?

The story is told from the POV's of Cam, the hostage negotiator Niall, as well as someone "watching" Cam. There are so many unexpected twists to this story. It keeps you guessing (in a good way) and is hard to put down. It's one of those books that pulls you in and keep you thinking about it long after you've finished it. A clever, suspenseful, twisty read!

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a masterclass in storytelling that hooked me from the very first page—the beginning was an absolute bang! The plot was unlike anything I’ve read before, with twists and turns that kept me glued to the story until the very end.

What truly sets this book apart is its dual POV narrative, alternating between the female main character (FMC) and the detective investigating the case. This structure provides a brilliantly unique perspective, allowing readers to experience the unfolding mystery from both sides—full of raw emotion, moral dilemmas, and shocking revelations.

McAllister’s writing is gripping, her characters are richly layered, and the story dives deep into both the personal and professional stakes of the characters. The dual POV adds depth and complexity, making the tension almost unbearable at times.

If you’re looking for a fresh, unforgettable thriller that will keep you guessing and tugging at your heartstrings, Famous Last Words is an absolute must-read! Highly recommend! A huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book!
#FamousLastWords #NetGalley

This was a fun thriller! The action started off right away. I was hooked from the very beginning on what caused the hostage situation. This book was full of tons of twists that leave you guessing on what will happen next. The connection at the end left me completely shocked.

My first 5 star read of 2025! I flew through this amazing thriller (and love story) that begins with the most unusual hostage situation. The day that Cam is set to return to work after her maternity leave she can’t seem to figure out where her husband is. She drops her baby off at daycare and goes to work, attempting to go about her day… when she is contacted by the police who tell her that her husband is holding three people hostage at gunpoint! It’s all just so insanely good that I couldn’t put it down. I also loved that Cam loves her career as a literary agent and there’s tons of talk about books.

I enjoyed Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister so I was happy to receive this ARC!

I love a thriller where, from the first page, it grips me and I don't want to put it down. A book where I start reading at 7pm and suddenly it's 2am and I still want to continue!

Famous Last Words is fast paced, page turning, and sucks you in from the very first chapter. Usually with multiple POVs the plot can sometimes get lost however it works incredibly well here and I wasn't confused or lost at all.

A definite must read if you enjoy domestic thrillers that keep you wanting more! Gillian doesn't disappoint with the twists and turns!

This mystery/thriller is a fairly standard example of the genre. It has an interesting hook (a woman discovers her husband is holding three people hostage), an intriguing mystery (the husband disappears for seven years), and a twist toward the end. For me, it is just average.

I like some aspects of the story, particularly the opening section that focuses on the hostage situation. Unfortunately, this section ends much too quickly. I like the two main characters, Camilla (the wife of the hostage taker) and Niall (the hostage negotiator). Camilla is an introvert who likes to escape into books, to which I can relate. Niall is dedicated to his work and follows leads even when it could jeopardize his job. He genuinely cares about helping people.

Unfortunately, the book started to lose my interest in the middle. The pacing becomes quite slow, and I found myself just not wanting to read it. It does pick in the third and fourth sections, but by then I had lost my enthusiasm for the story. I also predicted the twist, so that was disappointing. I don't like to see it coming.

Overall, I would say this is on okay mystery/thriller. I do not regret reading it, but I am not likely to recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gillian McAllister and William Morrow for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! I used a Sunday to sit and just read more than half of this in one sitting! It’s so addicting and fast paced that I did not want to put it down. The story just feels like it’s moving too fast to leave it alone. I really enjoyed. One of my favourite novels by this author!

In my past experiences with Gillian McAllister books, she ALWAYS has a way of putting her protagonist into impossibly high stakes/stressful situation while keeping the plotline plausible. In each book, the reader *feels* what the protagonist is feeling, which is what makes her books so addicting -- the reader needs to figure out how it ends! And I'm pleased to report that Famous Last Words is no different. I was gripped by Camilla's ever-changing feelings throughout the book, from disbelief to despair to grief to hope to acceptance -- McAllister beautifully captured every emotion. I flew through the book so quickly that I was sad when it came to the end. Famous Last Words is a definite must-read for domestic thriller fans!

This author expertly weaves together suspense and intrigue from start to finish. The characters are well-developed, each with their own secrets that keep the reader guessing. The plot is full of unexpected twists that keep you engage. A thoroughly engaging and satisfying read for fans of the genre. If you enjoyed Wrong Place Wrong Time you will like this book.

It is so lovely to be surprised by a book- in a good way. This book kept me on my toes and I loved it.

First part of the book I knew the “who” and the “what” and thought the story would be the “why.” Then bam… it changes to add the how and the what if.

Cam, the main character, had the rug pulled out of her life and her coping with that added the emotion of the book. She was easy to root for.

Though I enjoyed Niall’s perspective, I felt his was the weaker storyline. I wasn’t as invested in his motivations and his relationship with his wife left me shrugging a bit.

All in all this was a thoroughly satisfying read and I can’t wait to read more by Gillian McAllister.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Famous Last Words.

I have a complicated relationship with this author, I enjoy her premises but the execution leaves something to be desired.

The same with Famous Last Words; great potential and interesting narrative.

Camila's happy life and marriage is shattered when her even-tempered husband Luke is caught in a standoff with police during a hostage stand-off.

It ends badly and years later Camila is still trying to piece her life back together again.

But the story doesn't end there, and what happens next depends on how well Cam knows Luke.

The first half of the narrative was engaging, suspenseful and held my interest.

The typical tropes were there; a police force committed to believing Luke is the bad guy; one cop who is suspicious and rebels against authority to continue investigating the case on his free time, and discovering a conspiracy.

I guessed the twists easily since I read these types of genres 99% of the time and yes it takes a bit of disbelief suspension.

For example, why did it take the cop seven years to realize the database was tampered with? I figured it out right from the start.

The writing was fine and the dual POVs worked in tandem with each other, though I wasn't a fan of the shrink sessions with the cop but I understood it was to help him work out the case. He didn't have anyone else to talk to.

I did like Luke was a decent guy; most times the men in these narratives are scumbags so that was a nice change.

What I didn't like; the mafia/crime family theme which felt random and out of nowhere.

This wasn't bad but it does take a bit of disbelief suspension as most of these books tend to do.

Famous Last Words begins with Cam's husband, Luke, unable to be reached by phone. We quickly find out that a hostage siege is occurring, and it appears that Luke is the hostage taker. What follows is an unputdownable thrill ride to reach the conclusion. It was a really great suspense novel with the unusual plot point of a hostage siege. The author did a great job with character development along with pacing. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC.

I was very excited to read this book as I loved this author’s last novel.

I generally liked this one and thought the first part of it with the hostage situation was well done and pulled me quickly into the story. I liked that Camilla, the main character, was a book editor and loved how the author captured, in such a relatable way, the love of words and books as a means of escape. The writing flowed well and was easy to read.

The telling of the story from two POVs - Camilla’s and Niall, the hostage negotiator, was well-done and I liked how love and family were woven as themes throughout the book. The use of three timelines in the book - divided into 3 sections - present, seven years later, and then another seven years later - was generally effective.

However, I found the middle part of the book to be slow, with a lot of focus on the ups and downs of the characters’ lives. Themes of infertility, work-life balance, and trauma were interesting but took up too much space in the book. The thriller part of the plot only really came back around the last 20% of the book.

There were some good twists and reveals, leading to, for me, a good but a bit of an understated ending. As an avid thriller reader, I have come to expect really twisty endings and I think my expectations were very high.

Overall, quite a good read that is definitely worth your while.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.