Famous Last Words
4.5 ⭐️

Gillian McAllister has to be one of my favorite thriller writers now. I’ve loved her last several books and this one was no different!

Cam is headed back to work from maternity leave when her husband disappears. She soon finds out from the police that he’s caught up in a hostage situation— but he is the one holding others hostage.

This book totally left me reeling on what would happen in my life if someone I knew did a 180 and did something totally out of character. I loved all the little twists and the short chapters had me flying through it!

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed McAllister's "Wrong Place Wrong Time. " It had an original premise and good plot twists that kept me guessing. I wasn't sure she could top that, but while "Famous Last Words" isn't anything like "Wrong Place Wrong Time," it is equally as entertaining.

Camilla returns to work after a lengthy maternity leave when breaking news of a hostage situation captures her attention. She is astonished to find that her husband, Luke, is involved--not as a hostage, but as a gunman. How could this be? The hostage negotiator, Niall, calls Cam to help diffuse the situation, but before she can get involved, the situation escalates, and Cam's life is forever changed. Cam's quest for answers takes her on a perilous journey where every decision she makes has unintended consequences.

This psychological thriller explores the moral dilemmas the characters face and tests the marriage bonds. Told mainly from Cam's and Niall's points of view, it is a situational study of marriage, love, and personal and professional relationships. It made me wonder what I would do in similar circumstances. It is a quick read with twists and "oh, wow!" moments that kept me turning pages. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is February 25, 2025.

I love this author but this one was just a tad too much of a slow burn mystery for me. I’d definitely go into blind that may help some. Thank you netgalley for an early release!

(4.5 stars)
In this tense thriller, Camilla is heading back to work from her maternity leave without a word from her husband. At first, she isn’t concerned, but after he continues to ignore her calls and her texts go undelivered, she realizes something might be wrong. When police show up to her office, she has a terrible feeling that they are there to deliver awful news to her- and she has no idea how right she is. She eventually finds out that her husband has done something terrible, but she can’t believe it’s true, even as she watches it unfold. Told in four parts, this story tells how Camilla puts herself together after her husband does the unthinkable.

I really enjoyed this book! This author writes in a really compelling way that makes the reader want to uncover the mystery and put pieces together. This story really focuses on the love between Camilla and Luke and why Luke might have committed the crimes he did. There is also a large focus on family building, IVF, and infertility- so please approach with caution if this topic is upsetting (however, topics are handled with care and not insensitively). There are several twists and turns along the way, along with time jumps, making this story an exciting and unexpected thriller.

Thank you to Gillian McAllister and William Morrow Publishing for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

Thank you to Gillian McAllister, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel, in exchange for my honest review, publishing February 25, 2025.

Camilla and Luke seem to have a typical married life. Camilla has been on maternity leave, since giving birth 9 months prior to a beautiful baby girl, and is ready to return to work. Her morning is uneventful, but she notices that Luke is not at home like he normally would be and he left behind a cryptic note. She thinks nothing of it, drops her daughter off at daycare, and heads into the office. Cam is met at her job by police who inform her that Luke, a supportive, mild-mannered husband and a good father, is involved in a live hostage situation. I know I would be terrified...but then we come to realize that Luke isn't a hostage, he is the GUNMAN and he's holding three hostages at gunpoint in a warehouse. Excuse me...WHAT?! Camilla's previously mundane life, turns into an immediate nightmare. How well do you really know someone?

The story is told through the perspective of Cam (the gunman's wife) and Niall (the hostage negotiator). We are taken down a journey of the past and present dynamics of Cam and Luke's relationship, as she tries to figure out Luke's motivation for this situation. The story is fueled with tension, twists, and turns that had me on the edge of my seat, completely hooked and trying to figure out what really happened on that day. I found it to be complex and thought-provoking even after I reached the satisfying conclusion.

Famous Last Words is a whopper of a mystery. What do Luke’s last words scribbled on a scrap of paper mean? New mom Camilla knows something is wrong when her husband disappears, leaving only a cryptic note. She can’t let it go and tries, for years. to look for clues to the truth. Seven years later, little clues start appearing and before long, Camille and the people she knows are in danger! It is a LONG haul through the pages before any real information is revealed, so be prepared for a lot of waiting and suspense. In the end, it was a satisfying and entertaining. Thank you to William Morrow Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Camilla is about to return to work after long months taking care of her newborn, which left her in a state of torpor despite all the help from Luke, her loving husband. It's exactly that state that prevented her from noticing him leave that morning, from knowing what he was up to. That until the police find her at work and reveal Luke has possibly kidnapped three people and holds them at gunpoint.

This was a gripping read. The way the plot is presented to us makes it easy to understand Camilla, to feel that nightmare could as well be happening to us. It's suffocating and exciting.

My big problem with it are some obvious flaws. This wasn't the first book I've read by the author (though it's maybe the first I review, I think?), so I knew what to expect, that as we got to the climax and denouement, the book wouldn't be as amazing as the first half or more. I think it took more work to make sure the explanations worked, there were ways cover those small holes here and there, but knowing the author, it wasn't the perfect story I was expecting. This is more about the experience, the knot in your stomach that will give you Camilla's path to finding out what happened to Luke. As if it's you in her place. And that's where McAllister excels.

Great read to close my year, though it made me unable to do anything else but read and read and read.



Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Famous Last Words was an intense ride with two love stories woven into this edge of your seat, poignant thriller. I loved the character of Camilla and became invested in her story within the first sentence of the first chapter! Cam was such a relatable character with Gillian McAllister’s description of her preparing to return to work on her first day from maternity leave as well as the book introvert description! I am a book introvert and prefer getting lost in books much to my husband’s chagrin! I really enjoyed this one, especially the ending as it all came together. 5 stars for me! Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Publication Date: February 25, 2025

4.5⭐️ I loved it! This book really gripped me right from the start with the intensity. This is exactly what I like thrillers to feel like: mysterious page turners that go light on any disturbing details. I stayed up too late to read it and woke up early to finish! I’ll say there was about a third of the book in the middle that slightly lagged, and I did figure out one of the bad guys ahead of time, but overall still such a fun mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

WOW! This book has so many twists and turns and was so exciting I literally could not put this book down. It's hard to surprise me too because I read alot but this was a unique story line that I found refreshing and well surprising at every turn. Loved this book! Great characters and interesting plot. 5 stars!

Once again Gillian McAllister has written a great book. I started this and finished in 2 days. Could not put this down!!!

Very satisfying ending! Entertaining to try and guess the ending. I enjoyed the twist. The only downside of the entire novel was the character development. I didn’t really empathize with Camilla or care about any of the characters. There is one person for example, an IT specialist with the police, who is mentioned many times but has no back story. Read this one for the mystery, not the characters.

A new mom about to return to work wakes to find her husband not at home. Her day gets much worse when a police negotiator calls to tell her that her husband is holding hostages at gunpoint. Who is this man she thought she knew? Years pass and Cam and Niall the police negotiator can't give up the feeling that Luke was not the bad guy in the situation and continue to search. Loved the subtle clues, the deeper look at the hostage negotiator's emotional toll and the less than obvious twists in this thriller. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is an exciting thriller that hooked me from the very first page.

The story kicks off with a bang as Camilla, a new mother, wakes up on the day she's supposed to return to work to find her husband missing and a mysterious note in his place. When breaking news reveals that her husband, Luke, is the gunman in a London hostage situation, her world is turned upside down. The book unfolds in four acts spanning years with perspectives alternating between Camilla and Niall, the hostage negotiator.

I couldn’t put this book down and read it in a single day! It played out like an action movie in my head starting off with us readers right in the action. I thought this book was well written and starts off so strong. While the twists weren’t entirely unpredictable, there were still a couple of surprises and twists that caught me off guard! The pacing is relentless, and the tension doesn’t let up, making it impossible to stop reading. The characters and emotional stakes drew me in completely and didn’t let up until the end of this heartbreaking and thrilling love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review!

This is my second book by the author. After reading the riveting Wrong Place and Wrong Time this year, I was intrigued by what the author offers in this latest work.

The premise of Famous Last Words is genuinely intriguing, particularly with the unique angle of having literary agents and authors as protagonists. I appreciated this creative choice and felt there was potential for deeper exploration of the theme of "communicating through the book." Expanding this aspect could have added an enriching layer to the narrative.

The story begins with Camilla, known as Cam, returning to work after maternity leave. Her husband, Luke, is suspiciously unreachable, and as the morning unfolds, it becomes evident that he is the one behind a hostage situation. This dramatic setup sets the stage for dual perspectives from Cam and Niall, a hostage negotiator. The book is divided into four acts. The first act is engaging and well-paced, drawing the reader in immediately.

However, the second act, which spans a significant portion of the book, could have benefitted from a tighter narrative. It takes place seven years after the siege and introduces Cam and her now seven-year-old daughter, Polly. It beautifully illustrates Cam’s inability to move on as she still feels the shadow of her missing husband lurking around her, making the pacing extremely slow. Any substantial development took a long time to emerge. Sometimes, we read vivid, atmospheric descriptions of London and other places frequented by our characters, which do not lend anything to the narrative but disrupt the reading flow.

There are times when Cam comes across crumbs of information but halts as the horrors of what Luke did on the day of the siege haunt her. Her arc of moving forward, albeit gradually, effectively portrays her emotional depth. Still, again, this does not do much to carry the narrative of a book marketed as a thriller forward.

While portrayed as a supportive figure, her sister Libby sometimes seems ambiguous in her role, which could benefit from more straightforward characterization. I applaud the author's choice about the struggles of infertility; however, attributing her jealousy to hormonal imbalance felt simplistic.

By far, my favorite character and character portrayal is that of Niall. His persistent pursuit of justice for Luke adds a layer of intrigue. His chapters are exceptionally well-crafted and engaging, and his counseling sessions offer valuable insights and make up for the laggard pacing in the previous chapters.

The narrative picks up significantly in the last eighty pages, showcasing a stronger connection between earlier hints of resolution and the concluding scenes. However, frequent introspections about the environment and internal struggles during pivotal moments sometimes disrupt the story's tension. I was not a big fan of it.

Famous Last Words presents a captivating premise with room for character growth and narrative depth.

Thank you, #Netgalley, for this opportunity.

Rating 3.75

I am such a huge fan of Gillian McCallister. I read her previous book "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" and I rated that book very highly as well. She creates really interesting stories that hook the reader and keep them engaged. Her books move at a very quick pace and cause the reader to question everything. This is exactly where we find the main character Camilla, questioning everything. She sees her husband on the news in a hostage situation, except he is the gunman! Not to mention, the cryptic message she finds that morning. She also tells the story of private investigator Niall, and she weaves both stories together really seamlessly. The book has a very satisfying and complete ending as well. Honestly, whatever Gillian writes, you will see me first in line to get a copy. Bravo!

I really enjoyed this one! This is my third by the author and I enjoyed them all but this may be my favorite. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day! I great thriller with some twists that were logical but I mostly didn't figure out and it had a satisfying resolution. Recommend!

This novel kept me engaged and wanting more for most of the book. However, I feel like the writing style changed for the last 3rd or 4th of it. I had to re read, or go back a chapter to have some of it make sense. No big twist, as it was all neatly wrapped up in the end.

Thank you netgalley for the prerelease ebook.

This was really strong. I totally did not see the plot twists coming.

This is my second book by this author and I liked this one a lot more than I liked her first.

It kept me engaged even as I read other books at the same time, which is really hard to do. I was able to stay focused enough to keep up with the characters and follow the twists.

I’m somewhat new to thriller/mystery books and this one had me floored the entire time. Every guess I had was wrong but that’s completely fine and I expected that 😂