Thank you so much @williammorrowbooks for a gifted copy!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Famous Last Words
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Gillian McAllister
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: February 25, 2025
5⭐️

🖋️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🖋️
McAllister knows how to pull you into a unique story plot and keep you hanging on every word! This is my third book of hers, and I really enjoy her writing style. She writes her main characters in such a way, where you imagine yourself in their shoes and wonder how you would choose to act when presented with their situation.

The premise of the plot immediately stands out - Cam has a lovely family whose world is turned upside down when the police show up and tell her that her husband is holding three hostages by gunpoint in a warehouse. The good husband Luke, no inkling in Cam’s gut that he is a bad person that would do this. He left her a note that morning that was cryptic, and makes her head spin as she goes through this situation.

The plot of this story unfolds by jumping forward in time, where Cam is still wanting answers for what happened when her husband held the hostages. Another POV is from the hostage negotiator Niall, which I enjoyed seeing multiple sides of this story unfold. Niall and Cam mirrored each other in similar ways, that helped move the story forward.

I didn’t guess the ending of this one! I don’t think I have in a McAllister book, but I still get hooked to every word and page along the way! I definitely recommend picking this up in February! I can’t wait for McAllister’s next book!

📝 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🖋️ Psychological Thriller
🖋️ Missing Husband
🖋️ Wife Searching For Answers
🖋️ Unexpected Twists

This book was so good! The characters are well developed and the plot is intriguing and fast-paced. I was glued to the pages and read it in one sitting! There are tons of satisfying twists and turns. I also enjoyed the romance and love aspect between the characters. This makes you think about how well you really know someone and shows that love always prevails. This is a must read for any thriller fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gillian McAllister once again delivers a masterclass in suspense with her latest tour de force Famous Last Words. This gripping psychological thriller grabs you in the first few pages and doesn't let go. Camilla, a new mother back at work following maternity leave, has her world turned upside down when she discovers her seemingly ordinary husband Luke is involved in a terrifying hostage situation. As the events unfold, Camilla is forced to confront the dark secrets lurking just beneath the surface of her seemingly perfect life. You'll be on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A perfect 5 star read.

The plot of this book had me BEGGING to get pre-approved but man, I am disappointed! The first 1/3 of the story is really good but then it starts dragging in the middle. I found myself not caring at all about the negotiator's POV and I wish we could have focused more on Cam.

I have loved so many of this author’s previous books, but this one was not for me. It took until 87% to get any clues at all to what was going on; I enjoy little hints and twists along the way. It was hard to be patient. The last 10% was intriguing, though frankly, I found the entire premise rather implausible. The jump ahead eight years, expecting wife, detective and others to still be so invested just did not ring true for me. I am sure others will love this who may be a bit more patient than me.

If I could give on piece of advice to potential readers of Gillian McAllister's Famous Last Words, it would be this: clear your schedule because you won't be able to put this down until you've read the last page.

📚 Famous Last Words
✍ Gillian McAllister
📖 Mystery/Thriller
⭐4.5/5

🙏 Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of Famous Last Words. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: I found this book riveting. I thought the character development, the relationships, the take on hostage negotiation and the slow unraveling of clues were all written masterfully. I've read everything Gillian McAllister has published thus far and enjoyed all of her books but this felt fresh and different in a way I crave from authors whose work I go back to time and time again. I had some initial shock when I saw the titles of each section in the Table of Contents but everything came together in such an intriguing way. I haven't read many books that deal with sieges and highly recommend reading the first section of the book in real-time as it all takes place within a few hour span and it feels like you're reading it as it's happening which is a wild experience. This has swiftly taken the place of my favorite McAllister book and may actually get a reread so that I can go back through and clue hunt again!
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Read if you love:
*fast paced thrillers
*sieges and hostage negotiations as central topics
*complicated relationships woven into a thriller beautifully
*books with main characters that are writers, editors and publishing
◾
See also: If Something Happens to Me, None of This is True, She's Not Sorry

A classic Gillian McAllister thriller. On Cam’s first day back at work after her maternity leave, the police show up to tell her that her husband, Luke, is involved in a hostage situation. And he is the captor. So begins Cam’s yearslong hunt to figure out what possible motivation Luke could have had for this situation to unfold.

Famous Last Words is a split narrative between Cam and Niall, the hostage negotiator in Luke’s case. Each one, in their own way, is caught up on the situation long after it’s over. We got solid backstory on each narrator and I felt like I understood what motivated them and how the events fit into the rest of their lives.

McAllister is great at creating complex, unexpected twists that tie up her thrillers and this was no exception. There were many layers (maybeee one too many) that I never would have thought of, but did not seem unbelievable. I found myself rooting for Cam and Niall to uncover the truth and was on the edge of my toes watching them do so.

This gripping thriller plunges readers into the unthinkable from the very first page. On the morning new mom Camilla returns to work, her husband, Luke, vanishes, leaving behind a cryptic note. When news breaks of a hostage situation in London, Camilla learns Luke isn’t a victim—he’s the gunman. I couldn’t imagine being in Camilla’s position, and the emotional weight of her choices resonated deeply. The "twist" felt believable and enhanced the story's realism. This book left me reflecting on the importance of communication and making time for those we hold dear. With its fast-paced beginning and poignant themes, it’s a compelling and unforgettable read.

Spellbinding, compelling, and a must read! A happily married new mom wakes up to a cryptic note from her husband. Next she finds out her husband has taken others hostage. Filled with twists, turns and surprises, this book kept my attention to the very end. I am now exploring McAllister's backlist

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and the author.

This is going to be so popular! This was a fantastic book - probably the best I have read by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I really liked this book. I often thought about the characters when not reading (which wasn't often because I read as frequently as I could!)

Thank you @williammorrowbooks @netgalley #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!

I. Love. Gillian. McAllister. Books.

Her writing to me always feels like a masterpiece. Kind of like the most perfect tiny clues that are plopped into the pages and then come together in the most profound way! I love love love love her writing style. Her books always feel like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and I’m here for it! I legitimately felt the stress of this hostage situation and the heartbreak that Camilla felt over her hubs that disappeared into thin air. This story was stressful, fast paced, heart-pounding, addictive and completely bingeable. This book made me really ponder how in the blink of an eye your life can be changed forever. Eek! For any thriller lovers out there, this book is not to be missed!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS by Gillian McAllister

New mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.
Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband - doting father, eternal optimist - is the gunman.

Camilla is a very relatable character. Spot on for feelings of motherhood, sisterhood, and a wife left betrayed. Plus, anyone that can use the Schadenfreude in a sentence, scores points with me. Author has a keen sense of humor which comes through Camilla.

I felt the character of Charlie was very two dimensional. He was dropped in and he finally became “real” when he is in the scene with the book and Camilla and the truth is discovered.

Niall, the hostage negotiator/officer is a strong character in his weaknesses. But in the end, he keeps going, fighting for the truth when no one else seems to care. We need more Niall's in the world.

I personally felt the ending was rushed. The first ¾ of the book build, and build, such a captivating and original story, then the ending was hurried up and tacked on. I would still 100% recommend this book!!

Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, this is just my humble opinion.

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted digital ARC!

This was somehow my first book by Gillian McAllister and now I need to read her entire backlist immediately. The way she crafts a story is so impressive. I was completely immersed from page one, and even when I thought I had everything figured out I was wrong.

I found the female main character so easy to root for and the pain and heartache she felt really jumped off the page. I was also satisfied with the way everything wrapped up in the end.

Famous Last Words pub date is February 25, 2025.

Famous Last Words was a quick read that kept me guessing the whole time. I thought I had it figured out, but there were definitely some twists I didn't see coming. As I was reading there were parts that seemed confusing, but it all came together at the end. I will definitely recommend this fast paced thriller to other readers. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Could not out this book down. Read it so fast. Loved all the twists and turns throughout the book. Did not predict the ending

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. For me the first quarter of this book was a bit disjointed; the transition from one scene to the next didn't flow. BUT, as I kept going it got better and better. I really enjoyed the rest of this book and would definitely recommend reading it!

I was so excited to pick this one up after loving Gillian's last book. This book kept me turning the pages, I was so curious as to what was happening with the husband. It started to feel like it was taking too long and I was getting no where close to answers as the reader but once it picked up and things started coming to light I was shocked. I thought the execution was great and the twists were well done. It was cool to look back and see details that came together, A great family drama/mystery

The premise of a happily married man and father of a newborn suddenly holding up two hostages was very compelling to me. I was immediately drawn to this because all want to believe we know our spouses, we know who they are, and we know their secrets. Gillian McCallister brought to the forefront the what-if? What if your husband did this? What would you do?

We watch Camilla wrestle with self-doubt. How could she not have known something was wrong with her husband? WHAT was wrong with her husband? What did he no tell her? There were so many questions that this story had to answer and I truly enjoyed unraveling the mystery.

I sympathized with Camilla. She knew she should give up on Luke, but she struggling with reconciling the man who had committed this horrible act with the man that she knew.

I really can’t say much more without giving something away but just know this was two thumbs up 👍🏾👍🏾, and all the stars!

On her first day back to work after maternity leave, Cam gets a visit from police who inform her that her husband Luke has taken three people hostage. She believes in her heart that he is good and kind, but the events of that day force her to reconsider what she thought she knew about him.

This was a very well told story. The breadcrumbs were laid out just the way the author wanted. There was one plot twist (not a super twisty twist though) that I saw coming but the rest of it was a great ride. 4.5 ⭐️