Gillian McAllister outdid herself with her latest book "Famous Last Words". What would you do if suddely the husband that you know to be a good person suddenly does the unthinkable and takes people hostage and eventually kills two of these hostages? Would you be able to reconcile the happy life you led with a crazy new reality? This is the situation that Camilla finds herself in and somehow even seven years after the fact - she is having a difficult time moving on because the pieces never really fit. Likewise, Niall who was the hostage negotiator can't believe that he read the situation so wrong. This book takes you on Camilla and Niall's journey to find out what really happened all those years ago so that they can move on into the future. There are a lot of surprises and in the end it all makes a lot of sense! This was a very enjoyable read!

She pictured her morning going differently….

Cam successfully navigated her daughter’s inaugural daycare drop-off & is attempting to focus on all the work she has to do on her first day back after maternity leave, when the police arrive at her office saying her husband is currently involved in a standoff with the authorities & he’s NOT a hostage: he’s the gunman.

We meet Cam on the worst day of her life, & eventually fast forward to her new normal - seeing how she picked up the pieces & is starting to try & get on with her life while being plagued with questions about the circumstances that led to events that day. We also follow Niall the hostage negotiator as he searches for answers. I loved “Wrong Place Wrong Time” & I loved this book, too! I’d say it’s equally as twisty, which is an accomplishment. I could definitely relate to all the life changes involved in new motherhood, & it was really fun to read snippets of other books that Cam was looking at in her job.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked this book. It was fast paced and a great page-turner! The ending was fantastic! Gillian McAllister is brilliant as usual!

McAllister doesn't miss. This novel was a worthy binge read and I wasn't ready for it to end. The twists are unexpected yet believable and the plot is well-paced.

This book was one that took me a little bit to get into but was worth the effort - once it picked up, I couldn't put it down! There were so many twists with what was going on with Luke that took me for a tailspin every time I thought I had it figured out. Despite being such a thrilling storyline, I did feel like the book went on a little longer than it needed to - the big twist didn't have as big of a punch because at that point I was kind of ready for it to be done. Thanks for the ARC!

Famous Last Words 📝

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Pub Date: February 25, 2025

The day starts as any other day for new mother Camilla, who is going back to work for the first time after maternity leave. Her husband, Luke, isn’t home to say goodbye, which she finds odd. As she continues to not hear back from her husband, she starts to worry a bit. Then the police arrive to tell her that Luke is involved in a hostage situation. But he’s not a hostage.

The overall premise and plot for this book was great. I loved the idea and I enjoyed how the entire story played out. This was more of a character driven thriller, and I did really like Camilla, as well as her sister Libby.

While I’ve really enjoyed many of Gillian McAllisters novels, this one fell a little flat for me. The pacing was off. Even though the action starts straight away, it still felt like it moved too slowly. I had a hard time getting really invested until maybe halfway through the book. I was able to piece together some of the reveals, and I did enjoy how things came together. Some of ending was a little convoluted and took me a minute to sort everything out in my head.

This was a fun and little bit different of a thriller, and I think this will be a huge hit for many readers. For me, the pacing of the story was what I really struggled with. If you’re a fan of McAllisters previous works, I do think it’s worth picking up!

3.5⭐️

Cam has gone back to work after her maternity leave to discover that her husband is holding hostages in a siege situation.

We are told the story from Cam’s and the hostage negotiator Niall’s perspective. I found these perspectives fresh and interesting. It starts really strongly immediately drawing the reader into the situation. However after the initial grab I found the pace very slow,there wasn’t enough revealed throughout to keep me fully invested. It took me ages to finish the book despite liking the premise of the story.

Fast-paced, twisty, and fun, another triple for McAllister. A strong entry in the "do you really know who your husband is" genre. Not strictly domestic suspense as the reveal comes more from the crime/thriller world than at home.

Wow. What a ride! I’m still in awe of Gillian’s ability to create a thriller with so much depth of emotion.
There are twists upon twists. Some I connected before they were revealed and a few came as a total surprise. I really was fascinated at how a seemingly straightforward hostage situation was going to result in our “good guy” who looked like a “bad guy” was going to be redeemed. WTG! You will need to buckle up for this one!

Having read this previous author's works I settled myself in for a wild ride. But I just had a really hard time connecting to anything in this story. I am not sure what exactly was off, But it did not do it for me.

Great read

Cam works for a publishing company and just returned to work after the birth of her daughter. She is understandably shocked when she is told her kind, loving husband was holding three people hostage at a warehouse. Even more so when he appears to have killed two of them and disappeared. After seven years of wondering what happened and if Luke was still alive, Cam files the paperwork to have him declared dead so she can move on, possibly with her new co-worker..

The story also follows the life of Niall, the hostage negotiator who made the call to not have Luke shot, but then had to love with the decision that may have cost the life of two people. Two people who were never identified.

Niall never gets over this case. When events unfold after Cam files for the death certificate, he is even more energized to find out what really happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. (!!!!!!!!!) THIS BOOK! (!!!!!!!!!)

Camilla is going back to work after maternity leave. Her daughter Polly is attending her first day at nursery and her husband Luke…well he’s no where to be found. That is…until he’s found to be the gunman in a hostage situation. But don’t worry! Everything is totally fine because he’s an all around great guy and this is so out of character for him. He would never actually kill someone…right? RIGHT?!

So listen, this book is a wild ride. Like please hold on tight because the twists, turns and emotions from these characters will have you grasping at your emotional support water bottle and flying through the pages to find out more until that very last page is read. And WHOA. That’s all I have to say about that. Just…whoa.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a snow day read for me and I plowed through it all in a day.

Gillian won me over with her Wrong Place Wrong Time book and this one is no different. She has quickly become an instant read for me and I’m already on the edge of my seat for whatever else she creates!

Famous Last Words hits shelves February 25th and I urge you all to run, don’t walk to grab a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

What an entertaining mystery with numerous to reads and characters. Well developed story line, complex structure and well drawn characters. Definitely a binge read. More of a 3.5 to a 4 but I’ll give it a 4.

Thank you for the ARC of Famous Last Words! This book was a page turner! The first part kept me on my toes with the hostage situation. I enjoyed the love story between Luke and Cam but didn’t really care for the negotiator’s love life or how it really added to the story. The middle of the book seemed a little slow, but I appreciated the short chapters. The ending was twisty but needed to suspend belief a bit. Overall, it was a good book that many people will enjoy! Thanks again for the ARC of Famous Last Words!

What a thrill ride of a mystery. I could not figure out where Gillian was going but I was so happy to be along for the ride. New mom Cam finds out her husband has taken hostages in a nearby warehouse and is holding them at gunpoint. Cam is in shock! Her kind, gentle husband and father to tiny Polly could not be doing this... The hostage negotiator, Niall works to find out what is making him tick but before too long it's over. People are dead or missing. Seven years go by and Cam is still reeling. She knows she needs to move on but how can she when she still loves her husband. Twists and turns will keep you page turning until way past your bedtime. Bravo Gillian!

Immediately 5 stars! Intriguing story, so suspenseful, unexpected twists and an ending that I hoped for. This was like no other book I’ve read so far and I just can’t stop thinking about it! Absolutely recommend this one!

Yikes, this book grabs you from the jump and keeps you flipping those pages til the very end.

The mystery of Luke was a good one and even though I kind of knew the general gist of what might happen, the twists and turns it took to get there were worth the ride.

Would it have taken that much more suspension of disbelief to give Libby a different future? Come on!

Recommend to those who love a page turning, suspenseful thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an immersive read from a great author! No matter the plot, you know with this author, it’s going to be twisty and turny. This is no exception!

Gillian McAllister never lets me down! This was my first read of 2025 and kicked off the year so strong. I was at the edge of my seat, truly feeling the emotions right alongside Camilla. What would YOU do if your sweet, fun, loving husband was suddenly responsible for the cities most infamous hostage situation with no explanation? The not-knowing would positively destroy me.

This was a very great look at how crime doesn't affect just 1 person or 1 family. The characters grow so much much in this novel and were truely believable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.