Gillian McAllister has, unsurprisingly, written another exceptionally solid thriller.

Famous Last Words follows Cam, a new mother, in the aftermath of a family tragedy: her gentle, doting husband, Luke, has seemingly taken three people hostage, ultimately murdering two before going on the run. The story switches between Cam's POV and that of Niall, the hostage negotiator who believes he failed by allowing two hostages to be killed in the infamous Bermondsey siege. I really enjoyed both POVs and being able to unravel various pieces simultaneously through both characters.

Truth be told, I called all three of what I would consider the major twists pretty early on. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed figuring out the why of it all. And while I'll admit that the why wasn't particularly mind-blowing, it was more realistic and believable than what's put forth in so many other thrillers. I appreciated that it made Cam and Luke's situation feel a bit more grounded and plausible, comparatively speaking.

In addition to being a thriller, this book also focused heavily on Cam and Luke's relationship. What do you do when everything you think you know about the person you love most comes crashing down around you? How do you balance your love for and devotion to your spouse with the resentment you feel for what they've done? At what point do you accept that it's time to move on? I can't say much else about this aspect of the story without spoiling something, but suffice it to say that, like Cam, I was rooting for Luke's redemption.

Overall, I thought this was a really fun, engaging read. If you've read and liked Gillian McAllister's thrillers in the past, it's a safe bet that you'll have a good time with this one, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to @williammorrow for the physical ARC and eARC! Gillian McCallister’s previous two thrillers: Wrong Place, Wrong Time and Just Another Missing Person were both so unique yet had that signature McCallister touch of characters you can’t help but become invested in and a mystery that’s equally as captivating that will keep you guessing until the end.

Famous Last Words is no different. This time a love story is more central to the story and it makes this so gripping. The three parts of the novel are divided so well: the intrigue and action of part I is intense and devastating. Parts II and III divide the story nicely and keep the reader engaged. Gillian McCallister has cemented herself as one of my favorite thriller authors and is an auto-read author for me. This book was outstanding and highly recommend it to any thriller lovers!

This book starts off very quickly, and sucked me right in. It reminded me of another book The last thing he told me, so if you liked that book you will like this one. Only two POVS which I really like as there are not a lot of characters to keep track of. My one complaint is that it did lose steam about 2/3 of the way through and did drag a little. However, it did pick back up and had a great ending. Overall, I really enjoyed Famous Last Words and would recommend it to readers.

Gillian McAllister's Famous Last Words is a gripping psychological thriller that expertly weaves suspense, mystery, and emotion. The story revolves around a woman who uncovers shocking truths about her husbands past after his sudden disappearance. McAllister's talent for building tension and crafting complex characters keeps you hooked from the start, as secrets slowly unravel with every twist.

However, while the plot is compelling, the pacing can feel a bit drawn out at times, with some sections dragging before key revelations are made. . This novel reminds me of The Last Thing He Said to Me by Laura Dave, where the intense emotional core and unexpected turns are similar, but Famous Last Words could have been more concise in its execution.

Overall, if you're a fan of psychological thrillers with emotional depth, Famous Last Words is a solid read. Just be prepared for a slow burn.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister fell a bit flat for me. The premise of the story was intriguing and hooked me, but once I started reading, the story morphed into more inner monologue from Camilla and got really slow and tedious after the first 1/3 of the book.

The story didn't feel quite like a traditional thriller. I found myself skimming some of Camilla's parts and her reflecting on her love and marriage to Luke.

Overall, Famous Last Words was just an okay read for me.

#FamousLastWords #NetGalley @WmMorrowBooks

This was a great British thriller. I didn't see some of the bigger twists coming, and I loved the character development of Camilla and Niall. Camilla and Luke are your average new parents, except one day everything changes. I don't want to give away too much, beacuse I loved going into this blind--but it is safe to say there are twists and turns and no gore or deeply disturbing topics (which I appreciate). I would have preferred to have a bit more depth into Camilla's life in the 7 year gap, but the story progressed well. I don't always love thrillers, but I found this one engaging and stayed up way too late reading it! Thanks much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

I found “Famous Last Words” to be engaging from start to finish. Having a degree in Forensic Psychology, I appreciate that the twists were predictable. There is nothing I dislike more than when the big twist is how the sister’s husband’s brother’s uncle,twice removed, who was mentioned three times committed the crime. In “Famous Last Words,” the characters personality traits and their actions matched perfectly and the story was well written. I would recommend this book to people who are fans of Lucinda Berry.

This was a bit of a slow burn yet gripping mystery thriller. I didn't care for some of the ridiculously long sentences and the middle of the book did drag a bit. The storyline was spot on though, and it definitely makes you think about what would you do if your spouse was the hostage taker.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

McAllister is back with her third book. In a wild twist from your stereotypical hostage situation novel, Camilla's picture-perfect life dissolves into shambles when a globally-reported hostage situation turns out to have her husband as the assailant. This twisty story takes you through a wild unraveling of multiple characters and their lives, and the ultimate test of trust and strength between a husband and wife.

I enjoyed this overall. I don't find McAllister's writing to be all that strong per se, but her characters are fun and I found this to be a reasonably adventurous departure from her last two novels. It felt very London Has Fallen at points and I actually really enjoyed that. Four stars here!

A gripping, slow burn mystery that grabbed hold of me from page one! The mystery was slow to unfold, as McAllister's books usually are, but the story was extremely fast paced. I finished in less than a day. I just couldn't tear myself away from this shocker of a tale. Told in alternating POVs of Camilla and Niall, the hostage negotiator, the author established well developed characters while adding more clues bit by bit along the way. I couldn't even fathom where this story was headed or why. I loved the not knowing. My only critique and the reason why I subtracted a star from my rating is due to some of the writing. There were many sentences that were like a paragraph long, separated by several commas, which made it hard to interpret their meaning. I had to read them a few times to fully understand. This is standard in all of the author's books and definitely a distraction for me; however, it will not deter me from reading them. I love her books and look forward to more to come. I highly recommend if you're a fan of this author!

Thank you to William Morrow for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I DNF'd this book due to the over use of acronyms. I have just learned that I have a new book thing I can't do.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and it had a great mystery I did not see coming. This may be one of my favorite Gillian McAllister books. I would definitely recommend others to read this.

I've come to relays that reading 3 of her books that Gillian McAllister is not for me. Famous Last Words starts out strong in the begining but mid through it starts to lose me. The characters were good and the story had me on the edge of my seat but overall it ran flat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for a honest review.

Every. Single. Gillian. McAllister. Book. I’ve. Read. I’ve. Given. Five. Stars. And. Im. Not. Stopping. Now.

Literary agent Camilla is confused when she finds a strange note from her husband Luke who shows up later on television as a kidnapper who has killed two hostages in a warehouse and then disappeared. Cam tells herself and everyone else that Luke is a good man, in spite of what he seems to have done.

I expected twists in the plot but was surprised at what they turned out to be. The story keeps the reader going, as we learn whether or not Luke is a "good man."

An enjoyable plot with interesting characters and plotting.

Camilla Dechamps and her husband Luke seem to live a normal life with their new baby Polly.
Then one day Camilla wakes up to find Luke gone, his phone off and nothing but a note by the door saying it’s been lovely.
Shortly after, when Camilla is as work, her worst fear hits her when the police show up asking for her. She knows it’s about Luke, only what they have to tell her leaves her feeling like she’s stepped into an alternate universe.
They explain that Luke is at a warehouse and has taken on hostages. This is not like the Luke she knows, he would never do this. And before she knows it, two hostages have been shot and her husband is on the run.
Seven years later, Camilla is trying to still put her life back together when suddenly a text message with coordinates is sent to her phone. And just like that, Camilla back in it all over again on a hunt to find her husband and the truth of what happened that day.
This very jaw dropping thriller keeps you in your toes, but still with a lot of heart to it. Gillian McAllister has a wonderful knack for story telling and readers will surely not be disappointed.

This was a decent suspense story, but I don’t know that I’d consider it a thriller. I liked watching the story unravel and events come to light, but for the most part there was nothing that was in the moment suspenseful and where there could have been the situations resolved quickly. I feel like it dragged in the middle and then went very quickly and almost too easily for the story line at the end. The book did keep me guessing and was an interesting read so I still gave it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I squealed in public when I got the ARC for this new one by Gillian. One of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint with, Famous Last Words. What would you do if your spouse was in a hostage situation, and he was the hostage taker? I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and could not put it down until I unraveled the mystery. Very thought provoking as well! 5/5 stars. Thank you Gillian McAllister, netgalley, and William Morrow for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, Penguin, & Gillian McAllister for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was an enjoyable thriller that provided many twists and unanswered questions that kept me interesting in the story. The beginning starts off strong, but kind of slows down towards the middle. I found Cam’s behavior at times questionable with how she never tried to find out certain things about her husband. A lot of the characters were likable, but served no real purpose. It was a fun story that kept me interested, however one things were revealed, I was left with some questions that were never answered. For that reason, I would rate this a 3.5, but have to choose 3 since there are no half stars on goodreads.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a heart stopping thriller that will grip you from the very start. The novel centers on Camilla, a new mother whose seemingly perfect life is shattered when her husband, Luke, becomes the gunman in a shocking hostage situation. What follows is an exploration of secrets as Camilla races against time to unravel the mystery behind Luke's actions. This book is full of suspense along with emotional depth, delving into the complexities of relationships. This is a brilliant and addictive read, with twists you won’t see coming!