thank you William Morrow, I loved this suspense read and remain a fan of Gillian McAllister's stylish, engaging, and propulsive plots. McAllister has a knack for making me sit and think about what would I really do if I found myself challenged in truly unexpected and intense ways... would I believe that my husband didn't do the things he is accused of, would I go to great lengths to protect someone I love... what would I do and what wouldn't I do in the situations her main characters are often in. Mc Allister here offers a truly captivating plot, a husband who might have taken people hostage for no clear reason, and invites us to explore this experience through the eyes of her main character, Cam, and related secondary characters, including the hostage negotiator (who I love, please bring me more Niall and his self growth and his storyline); the premise alone hooked me but it was how the story unfolded (no spoilers here) that had me staying up to want to see where the story went, to dive into the well placed reveals, and to go on an unexpectedly romantic, to me, story about Cam and Luke. I really valued the depth given to each character, even the secondary characters, and how the plot was more than just figuring out the reason for Luke's behavior but also about how the hostage storyline impacted a range of other characters.

I also want to say that McAllister brought in secondary themes about relationships and marriage in a range of ways, I really loved how she gave Niall as a hostage negotiator a strong exploration of marriage and how themes on love and marriage and parenthood were woven in so many ways, through Cam, through her sister, through driving factors that revealed themselves as the plot progressed, and these themes make this book truly discussion worthy. I applaud McAllister as well for Cam's sister Libby and how she wrote about Libby's experiences and feelings with infertility, it was nice to see how Libby was not a criminal or bad person, not contemplating or implicated in crimes simply for struggling with infertility (looking at the whole domestic thriller genre there and pointing fingers...).

Cam is headed back to work after her maternity leave, unaware that her life is about to change forever. Her husband is missing, and all he left was a strange note. Police rush her office in search of her, letting her know that her husband, Luke, has taken two hostages. Cam can not wrap her head around the fact that her loving husband would ever do something like this.

Thoughts 💭
I love that this plays on deep and often unacknowledged fears of not really knowing someone you're close to. Cam has to come to terms with the fact that she never really knew her husband at all and is now raising their daughter alone. There is so much uncertainty. Is Luke alive? What would make him do something like this? As we investigate more into the days before the event, pieces of the big picture finally start coming together. This was such a creative story told with jumps through time. I could not wait to find out what happened and what would drive a seemingly happy person with a wonderful life to do something like this. It was a wild, thrilling ride that really made you think about things. This one is worth checking out!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a clever and twisty book! At first I had no clue where this was going, but wow…the action and secrets that are revealed just keep coming! This will be a favorite of fans of psychological thrillers. Cam is such a strong and faithful woman. The author does a fabulous job gradually developing the characters. The ending was perfection!

This book begs the question: what would you do if you found out that your husband was holding 3 people hostage at gunpoint?? New mother Camilla sees her husband on the news and simply cannot believe it. Her husband doesn't even own a gun! What follows is a twisty and thrilling book that I could not put down!

My only reasons for giving this book 4 stars are: I guessed one of the main twists and the middle of the book dragged for me a bit. However, the rest of the book was great, and I enjoyed it very much! Lots of turns and surprises throughout.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy of this book!

After a nine month long maternity leave for her daughter Polly, Cam is returning to her job as a literary agent. When she gets up, her husband, Luke isn't there and has left her a bit of a cryptic note. She doesn't think a whole lot about it, she's stressed about dropping Polly at daycare and getting back into the swing of her job. Once she gets there, she sees breaking news. There is a hostage situation unfolding and she learns that her husband is involved. But not as a hostage, he's the gunman. She is in total shock and just can't believe that her husband would do something like this. The police call in hostage negotiator, Niall to try to diffuse the situation. Things don't go as planned leaving Cam devastated and Niall wrecked with guilt. We then flash to seven years later and pick up both threads. The first section was super fast paced and had me on edge. Once we move forward, the story really changed pacing and slowed down. We learn more about Cam and how she has tried to move on. We also get to know her sister much better, who is really struggling with fertility. The sisters each try to be there for each other, while each dealing with their own problems. Niall not only has professional issues, but personal ones too, as his wife left him the day of the siege. This really cements the two issues in his mind. I loved watching them both try to get to the truth behind what really happened that day. Overall, a really good thriller with quite a few twists. The pacing was off a bit in the middle, but I was pulled back in for the ending. I really enjoy this author's writing and will definitely keep reading whatever she writes.

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrow for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishes 02/25/2025.

Synopsis: When new mother Camilla gets a phone call that her husband is involved in a hostage situation, she is shocked to learn that he is not a hostage, but the gunman.

Thoughts: How well do we really know the people closest to us? Camilla has to grapple with this question as she faces her new reality of life as a single mother after her husband shoots two hostages and then disappears. Told through her perspective and that of the hostage negotiator who can’t let the case go, the story follows them seven years later, still trying to solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance. Camilla can’t believe he really did what he was accused of, and the hostage negotiator can’t shake the feeling that all wasn’t as it seemed. I love Gillian’s writing and smart storytelling. I was able to figure out most of the twists fairly easily, which is the only reason this is getting four rather than five stars.

Read this if you like:
🤳 hostage thrillers
🤳 dual pov
🤳 missing husband

As soon as I saw Gillian McAllister was releasing a new book I knew I had to read it. I read Wrong Place, Wrong Time in 2023 and really enjoyed it. Overall, I think this lived up to the previous book. The author has a way of building characters that makes you want to learn more about them. I loved the juxtaposition of a bookish introvert wife and a more outgoing extrovert husband. But also how the impact of the siege changed that. I love how the story was woven in such a way that each twist made things come together a little more. While some of the twists were a little predictable, I don't think it took away from the story. The ending did feel a little rushed and I don't feel like all of my questions are answered. That is what keeps it from being a 5 start read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

TLDR review - the author describes this as a love story set in a hostage situation and that’s spot on. Unfortunately I didn’t see that before I read it and I’m so not a love story kinda gal. So while it was good not great for me, I think others will love it!

Full thoughts -
I’ve loved several of McAllister’s other books and while this one was good and I really liked aspects of it, there were some pacing issues and I predicted several of the twists.

It’s very well written and an easy to read style with characters you can root for which I always love. There are two POVs which provide a different look at the events, but because both are searching for the same answers, you don’t get a lot of information until the later chapters.

While this is a domestic suspense, there are romance plot lines as well as a focus on motherhood, grief and infertility as well. The pacing dragged in the middle of the book with most of the action taking place in the first 20% and the last 20%. It’s more of a character driven introspective slow burn with a lot of internal thought which isn’t my fav style, but might just be what someone else loves about it!

I predicted several major aspects very early on, one seemed very obvious to me and felt like it should have been very obvious to the MC too. I did enjoy how everything wrapped up, though I was a bit confused on one major aspect.

While this wasn’t my favorite by the author, I am still looking forward to reading whatever she comes out with next! 3.5⭐️ rounded up

Thanks William Morrow Books and NetGalley for the DRC!

"Famous Last Words" by Gillian McAllister is my first book from this author but it will not be my last. I loved her writing style and how she captured my attention from the very first chapter. Camilla and Luke are a happily married couple with newborn daughter. They complement each other perfectly, She couldn't ask for a more devoted husband and father. However, on June 21st, everything is about to change as Camilla takes her daughter to daycare for the first time and returns to her job as a literary agent. The next day, she wakes up to find a cryptic note from Luke, and then everything is forever altered. Breaking news: a hostage situation is developing in London. When the police inform her that Luke is involved, her whole world collapses as she learns that Luke isn't a hostage but is, in fact, the gunman. This shocking suspense thriller had me on the edge my seat, and what I found most terrifying is how your life can be upended by the very person you trust the most. A must-read!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another great page turner! I loved the concept of this thriller, the switching POVs with a mystery 3rd POV, and all the twists that came to be. I found myself wanting to keep reaching chapter after chapter to solve the mystery, completely hooked. I also love a good “where are they now” epilogue!

I absolutely loved this book! I have read parts of Gillian McAllister’s other books but none of them totally stuck with me until this one. I read it feverishly in 24 hours. Didn’t see the twists coming and loved how everything was thoroughly explained because there were quite a few characters (and crimes!)

I think this may be my favorite book by this author! I loved it and wasn’t able to guess the ending!

Cam believes she has the perfect life with her husband Luke and their new baby Polly, that is until the day she returns to work from maternity leave. When she wakes, her Luke isn’t there, and in his place she finds a very short and disturbing note. She tries to call him but no answer. Confused she heads to drop Polly off at daycare and then her job as a literary agent. Once at work, shes still not able to reach Luke, Cam catches a glimpse of a T.V. in the background and it’s covering a hostage situation. Suddenly the police are asking to see her and they show her a CTV video and its husband holding three people hostage. Soon two wind up dead and the Luke disappears before the police are able to capture him. Cam cannot understand what would cause her husband to do this!
Fast forward and it’s seven years later, Cam is trying to raise Polly alone and still confused by Lukes actions that day. She is about to sell their home now that she can have Luke confirmed dead, but she still hold out hope she still plays for his phone and sends texts to his phone saying “I miss you”. When new evidence resurfaces Cam finds herself being watched we soon uncover secret after secret, cryptic notes and the dark web uncover some darker evidence. Can soon finds her own life and the life of her daughter in danger can she uncover what led up to what happened seven years ago before it’s to late?

Couldn't get into this one even though I really liked the premise and it had so much going for it! Took too long to figure out the whole twist, and there was so much fluff along the way I didn't care about. Especially her sister's whole storyline. I was just bored honestly. Bummer!

Camilla is anxiously preparing to return to work after maternity leave. Her life has been blissful, with the perfect husband and now a new baby. But lately her husband has been acting strange. Then, one day, he leaves their house in London and becomes the center of a hostage situation. The book follows Camilla and the hostage negotiator's POVs in the aftermath, as they both try to solve the mystery of that day.
This book was gripping, and I hated to put it down. Camilla is a book agent and I loved the publishing aspect of this book, as well. I loved this and highly recommend!
Check it out when it comes out in February!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Cam's husband is holding three hostages and she is in shock. By the end of the day, two unknown people are shot, one is released, and her husband has disappeared. This part of the book was intense in all the right ways and I felt engaged entirely. Then we fast forward seven years and we are in Cam's new life without her husband and seeing how she's putting her life back together. Niall, the negotiator and police officer is nothing short of obsessed with this case and still wants to keep police eyes on Cam. He eventually uncovers the truth behind the siege at the same time Cam does. Luke, her husband is back...

Thoughts:
The first part of the book was super interesting and I was happily engaged and didn't want to put it down.
When I reached part two I was pretty bored. Most of part two was dragging and unnecessary details, I felt this could have been easily 50 pages less and still contain all the detail needed. At the end of part 2 I was back into the story and enjoying it again. Part 3 was when things got crazy and all was revealed. Finally part four was the happy ending stuff. It was predictable, I knew it was the new BF the entire time keeping tabs on her and I was pissed that I was right. It felt really frustrating like are police really that bad at their jobs?

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! Oh my goodness I couldn't get enough of it. This was a plot that kept me on edge the entire time. I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed the dual POVs and the mystery behind it all. There were a lot of twists and turns and boy! My jaw DROPPED when one was revealed. Thanks so much for the book, NetGalley and William Morrow!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this copy of "Famous Last Words."

I was hoping this would be another thrilling "not everything is as it first appears" books and it definitely was! Author McAllister is one of my favorite authors for this kind of "dig deeper to find out what really happened" suspense.

Camilla is a literary agent and she's returning to work after maternity leave when police show up to ask her about an ongoing hostage situation. She's destroyed to find that her husband Luke may be the gunman.

Hostage negotiator Niall isn't successful in saving two of the hostages and Luke disappears.

Will they ever find out the truth of what happened in the locked room?

I've read a number of books by Gillian McAllister and this was not one of my favorites. The setup was interesting but the story was too long and drawn out and stretched credulity. I'm hopeful for further titles from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up.
From the beginning, this book has you hooked. I immediately knew this was going to be a hard one to put down.
Camilla returns to her first day of work when she finds out her husband is involved in a hostage situation. What happens next has her questioning her husband and their whole lives together.
I truly enjoyed this book so much, Gillian McAllister just does such a great job with her suspenseful thrillers. I think this could get you out of a reading slump.
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book hits the shelves on February 25, 2025.

Famous Last Words is a thrilling, high stakes mystery centering around Camilla, whose husband is absent one morning (her first day back from maternity leave, so not the day to disappear!). She later gets word that he is involved in a hostage situation. Assuming he is a hostage, imagine the shock when she finds out he is the one taking hostages. Nothing is as it seems. I really enjoyed this story. We get dual perspectives of Cam and Niall, the hostage negotiator. I didn’t see the ending coming. Highly recommend.