Gillian McAllister's latest novel is a quick and twisty thriller that will delight fans of her previous works. When new mother Camilla learns of her husband's involvement in a shocking crime, she knows in her gut that there must be some mistake. Luke then disappears without a trace aside from a short and cryptic note left behind, and for seven long years, Camilla must shoulder the weight of motherhood along with the never-ending cycle of grief. Knowing she should move on, she attempts to have Luke declared legally dead, but then mysterious events begin unfolding at an alarming rate. Told from both Camilla's point of view and that of the hostage negotiator on the day of Luke's disappearance, Famous Last Words pulls the reader/listener in from the very beginning. One thing that I really appreciated about this book is that McAllister's characters are so easy to empathize with. It often felt like I was reading about something that happened to a friend rather than a fictional character. Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers, but twistier than most! Thank you to HarperAudio for my eALC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to get this ARC audiobook from NetGalley, I started listening to it right away. Here's the problem: I couldn't stop! This is a great book to binge! It's a love story set amid a hostage situation. Camilla is returning to work after a long maternity leave and Luke is nowhere to be found. It doesn't make sense. Did he even kiss her goodbye like her does every morning? As she gets herself and their daughter ready for her first day of daycare something feels off. Why wouldn't Luke be here to help? Then she finds a cryptic note from him.. What does it mean? Once she arrives at work she finds out about a siege in Central London. As she's watching the story unfold on the news police come to her office asking for her she wonders if something bad happened to Luke. Was he a hostage? Nope, was the gunman! How can this be? Does she even know her husband at all? A hostage negotiator is brought in and his gut feeling is that something more is going on than what it seems. The police want to go in but he makes them hold off because he is sure he can convince him to let the hostages go. 7 years later and they're all trying to move on carrying the heavy burden of Luke's actions. Camilla changes her and their daughter's last name so they're not immediately recognized. Niles, the negotiator, can't get past the fast that he was wrong about the situation. Or was he? He pulls himself off of negotiations and goes back to detective work. He can't stop thinking about how it all played out. His wife left him, he's seeing a therapist about his nightmares, and yet he can't shake the feeling that he needs to help Camilla get some resolution about that tragic day. The characters really made you root for them.

This book is written with clever plot twists and is a wild ride!

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this upcoming thriller. This book drew me in immediately.. a seemingly perfect couple in the morning, and by the afternoon the husband is a wanted terrorist who has killed two people for no reason? What made him snap? Why did he do it? How did the wife not know? The questions keep coming and the answers don't come until way later.. I couldn't put this book down because I wanted to know what happened and why, but honestly was disappointed in what I learned. I did love listening to this on audio though because of the narrator.. she seamlessly went back and forth between narrators without skipping a beat!

The way this story unfolds is absolutely riveting. Suspenseful and full of drama. I genuinely wanted to throw all things to the side and just stay on this ride. I don't think a person can help but ask themselves how they would deal with a situation like this in their own lives. What if you looked up at the TV one day and found your husband had taken people hostage somewhere? Your sweet, wonderful husband who has never been in trouble with the law and to your knowledge, didn't even own a gun.

Loved the character development, especially how it's almost a story within a story as we get to know Niall and Cam's sister. There are some very real passages about grief. I think it really adds some nice depth to the story.

The narrator was great - really brought the characters to life.

I don't want to give any more details because of spoilers. Go place this book on hold at the library right now!

Many thanks to HarperAudio for the ARC - you all are lovely!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I have read a few books by this author and while they were good, they were not books that blew me away. I thought it started off really strong, but then slowed and then the end part was a little messy and confusing. The one big plot twist, I had figured early on, so that didn't help either.

This one pace was ok but at times it dragged and the twist wasn't as good as I expected. It was easy to figure out and fell flat for me

I loved Wrong Place Wrong Time but I felt like this one fell flat for me. I wasn't great but it wasn't bad. Just ok. I liked parts of it a lot but felt that the pace set early on couldn't be maintained and it felt more like an action/adventure commercial thriller than suspense/thrillers that I expect from McAllister.

I have read one previous book by this author, which I liked, so I thought I would give this one a try. It was enjoyable, but not riveting. Sometimes I found myself drifting a bit. The mystery was good and the resolution was satisfying. The narrator did a good job. 3 1/2 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC! I enjoyed this one! The story was unique and I really enjoyed Luke’s character. I did think the twists were a bit too predictable at times, but the execution was well done! The narrator was great.

The beginning of this book hooked me. A shocking event kicks off as the story opens and unfolds through a hostage situation. Gripping, tense action that has you on the edge of your seat. Then it travels into the future and we see lots of clues and evidence fall into place. I liked the dual POV and how those 2 storylines fit together. While this is a suspense-filled mystery thriller there is a story of love and loss mixed in.

Great premise and interesting start, but this dragged quite a bit in the middle and felt kind of cheesy by the end (though it did keep me guessing). The audiobook narrator was great and it kept me engaged, though I don’t know that I’d have had the patience to finish a print copy (which seems to be the case for me with other books I’ve tried by this author - DNFd the print copy of Just Another Missing Person and really enjoyed the audio of Wrong Place Wrong Time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Dual POV, an interesting storyline. I enjoyed this one, as far as audio, it was a tougher listen for me and I'm not sure why that was... I loved that half of the story we got (perspective wise) was a detective. That felt fairly unique! 3.75, rounding up.

Title: Famous Last Words
Author: Gillian McAllister
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Emilia Fox
Publisher: HarperAudio Adult/Harper Audio- William Marrow Book
Genre: Mystery Thriller.
Pub Date: February 25, 2025
My Rating: 4.3 Stars
Pages: 336

Camilla ‘Cam ‘has been on maternity leave and it is her first day back at work - she works in publishing, as a literary agent Her job is read books for a living.- how sweet is that?

Cam and her husband, Luke, have a loving relationship, careers they enjoy – he was a journalist and now an author. They have a nine month old baby daughter Polly- their life is happy and their world completed
Cam is getting ready to drop Polly off to daycare but her husband Luke is missing. He sometimes goes into his office early so she looks for a note, she does find a note but it is strange.

She isn’t sure what is going on but heads off to work. A few hours later the police turn up.
And tell her that her husband is involved in a hostage situation. She immediately asked if he was kidnapped on his way to the office.” The police state he is the one holding three people hostage in a London warehouse.
Yikes! Cam perfect world has just turned upside down!

The hostage situation was a puzzle. Luke tells the negotiators to tell his wife Cam that he loves her and Polly more than anything. Yikes! Does that sound like a hostage murderer?

Cam starts to question what happened in the weeks leading up this situation. Easy going Luke seems agitated. Why? How could Cam have been so wrong about her husband?’

This story kept me glued. True I am never pleased with hearing profanity – always makes me wish I would bleep it. However, this story is so GOOD!

Want to thank NetGalley, Harper Audio Audio/Harper Audio and William Morrow for granted me this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 25, 2025.

The book's premise was very promising, and the first half was engaging. However, the second half fell flat. The beginning drew me in quickly, as it revolved around a husband who went missing and was later discovered to be a perpetrator holding three hostages. In contrast, the second half lacked the same excitement, and I forced myself to the end. It felt more like a love letter to the husband rather than a continuation of the suspense established in the first half. This book was a miss, but I would read more of the author's books in the future and the audio was great.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a masterclass in storytelling that hooked me from the very first page—the beginning was an absolute bang! The plot was unlike anything I’ve read before, with twists and turns that kept me glued to the story until the very end.

What truly sets this book apart is its dual POV narrative, alternating between the female main character (FMC) and the detective investigating the case. This structure provides a brilliantly unique perspective, allowing readers to experience the unfolding mystery from both sides—full of raw emotion, moral dilemmas, and shocking revelations.

McAllister’s writing is gripping, her characters are richly layered, and the story dives deep into both the personal and professional stakes of the characters. The dual POV adds depth and complexity, making the tension almost unbearable at times.

If you’re looking for a fresh, unforgettable thriller that will keep you guessing and tugging at your heartstrings, Famous Last Words is an absolute must-read! Highly recommend! A huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book!
#FamousLastWords #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
5 STARS!
I devoured this audiobook in 24 hours! This was my first book by McAllister, and it certainly won’t be my last. The suspense is masterfully built, keeping me guessing until the very end with twists that I never saw coming. The story had me on the edge of my seat, unable to put it down for even a moment. McAllister's writing is addictive, and I can’t wait to dive into more of her work.
Pub day is Feb 25, 2025....add it to your TBR list now—you won’t regret it!

Probably a great read for someone who is interested in crime thrillers. But going into it anticipating a psychological / domestic thriller, it was a letdown.

I was intrigued by the premise and hooked on the story right from the beginning. While it dragged a bit toward the end and some parts of the conclusion were predictable, I found the ending satisfying overall.

Famous Last Words was a good audiobook listen. The narrator was fantastic and the story was unique and interesting enough to keep me engaged enough to finish in a couple of days. Camilla is a happily married new mom whose world is turned upside down when her husband is involved in a hostage and murder situation. It was totally shocking and out of character and never sat right with Cam. The first quarter of the book was really interesting. I found parts of the middle to be on the slow side but there was good character development which can be rare in thrillers. The last bit of the book was suspenseful and the ending was satisfactory. I am not a huge thriller fan but I did enjoy this one and would definitely recommend the audio.

Posted to Goodreads on January 19, 2025.

Gillian McAllister has once again created a story with such a twisted plot that you literally aren’t sure what will come next. I loved all of the characters, especially Niall, and because I did my only complaint is, 7 years was way too long.