This one was a slow burn and honestly the writing just didn't fully pull me in. The story pulls you in pretty much immediately but after that, the characters and story started to fall flat. I didn't care enough for the characters and the twists just kept getting more and more far-fetched. There was so much potential, and I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the story, but it just wasn't executed well enough for me. The suspense was overshadowed by boring dialogue and the obsession Simone had with her daughter. This may have just been a case of not relatable for me as overall this is a story of what a mother will do for their child. Since I am not a mother, maybe I just didn't connect as much as I would have if I could have related more to that.

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

Simone and her daughter Lucy are having one last mother daughter hurrah before Lucy begins college. They meet in Texas at a small cottage. When Simone wakes up Lucy is gone and Simone receives a bone chilling message: "Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…"

And with that the action begins and never stops in Gillian McAllister's Caller Unknown. Because Simone will do whatever it takes to get her and her daughter out alive.

I greatly enjoyed McAllister's scene building and melodic descriptions. To label the story as tense doesn't seem enough, this taut thriller is so well crafted and keeps you on pins and needles from one message from the kidnapper to anther. I actually had to set it down because my stress level got so high. This is not a bad thing, it's a really well done story that kept me on my toes with its many twists and turns. Four stars for this well crafted thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This plot was EXACTLY my type of thriller. I was expecting it to be like the movie Payphone or something which for some reason I love those types of movies. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't quite like that, however It had a lot more "adventure" to it as the book progressed. I can't say much without giving away major spoilers but it was actually a lot of fun to read as it had a little bit of everything! I picked up on a few crumbs but absolutely did NOT guess the ending and twists and found myself just along for the ride. Gillian McAllister does a wonderful job writing these more unique types of thrillers as I really liked the concept in Wrong place wrong time. Similar to that book as well, I did find the mother daughter relationship a bit overbearing or obsessive in some parts. Definitely worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC!

A race against time and a story that explores family relationships and mother/daughter bonds. I was enthralled from start to end. Such a great book that McAllister has crafted. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This one was a tense read! Technically Gillian McAllister is brilliant: in the last four or five books, she has hit her stride in terms of pacing, plotting and integrating twists, and characterization. All her protagonists are slightly too obsessed with motherhood and she is overly dependent on mining their relationships with their children for pathos. She can just about get away with it because she writes standalone novels instead of series. I recommend this novel, with the caveat that some themes will seem familiar or repetitive if you've read her other works.

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read an ARC.

📗 August Read (ARC): 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎📗📕

📘: Caller Unknown
📝: Gillian McAllister
📊: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨4.5/5 ( rounded up)
📆Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026

This was my second Gillian McAllister novel (the first being Famous Last Words). I really enjoy her writing style—she seamlessly weaves character details into the story as it unfolds.

This is a fast-paced, nonstop story—from the crimes to being on the run, all the way through to the finale. I truly didn’t see the twist coming, and the ending was classic Gillian McAllister!

The major crime (without giving anything away) was intense and brilliantly written—I could truly feel the mother’s pain and stress throughout. ( my heartbeat was high reading it)👏👏👏👏 This story really showed the lengths a parent will go to in order to protect their children.

🗣️Quotes:
The opening line : “Your children are only ever on loan to you””

“No one pokes a hornets nest when their child is nearby”

“Wonder if I will ever sleep well again.”

I loved Famous Last Words, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of Caller Unknown. My first impression of this book is confusion. I kept having to reread parts of the first few chapters because I simply could not understand what Simone was saying. And, as other reviewers noted, her obsession over her daughter was very heavy-handed. I was hoping to get pulled into the plot, but between the writing style and some of the characters' behaviors, this was unfortunately a DNF.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for this eARC.

Caller Unknown is a kidnapping mystery with clever (and unpredictable) twists and turns.

Every day there are criminal cases that result in the innocent being persecuted, and this is a believable story of a family whose lives are torn apart due to a few understandable decisions.

Scary, tense, and believable, the high-octane psychological thriller Caller Unknown maintains Gillian McAllister's high caliber standard, and earns 5 stars from this reviewer.

Caller Unknown is a tense, fast-paced thriller that kept me turning pages late into the night. The setup is simple: Simone travels from England to Texas for a mother–daughter camping trip with Lucy, only to wake up the next morning and find Lucy gone. All that’s left behind is her phone—and a burner flip phone that starts ringing. The nightmare begins, and Simone must follow the kidnapper’s instructions if she hopes to get Lucy back.

What worked for me was the pacing and the reveal. Even though there aren’t dozens of twists, the structure—six distinct parts—keeps the tension high. The ending surprised me, which I loved.

Where it fell short was in the details. The dialogue often used British phrasing that didn’t fit the Texas setting, and some passages felt overly wordy or repetitive. Neither Simone nor Lucy were particularly likable, though by the end, I still found myself rooting for them.

Overall, despite its flaws, this was a gripping and binge-worthy thriller that delivered on suspense.

3.75 ⭐️

It’s been a while since I last picked up a Gillian McAllister novel, so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy from William Morrow and NetGalley. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read this tense and engaging story.

Caller Unknown was about a mother, Simone, and her teenage daughter, Lucy. While on a mother-daughter trip to Texas, Simone awoke to find Lucy missing and a phone left behind with chilling instructions: don’t call the police, come alone, and be ready to make a deal. Despite her husband’s pleas to involve authorities, Simone followed the demands—only to discover the kidnapper wanted more than ransom. What followed was a tense, harrowing journey across the Texas desert that pushed Simone to her limits and tested the lengths a mother would go to save her child.

I’ve always appreciated McAllister’s writing style—fast-paced and accessible, yet layered with moral complexity. She knows how to build tension through inventive structures and thought-provoking “what would you do?” scenarios, striking a balance between suspense and emotional depth. Having read a couple of her books before with mixed reactions—one I loved and one that fell flat—I approached her latest release with cautious optimism. The premise immediately intrigued me, and I knew I had to pick it up.

In Caller Unknown, I was immediately pulled in by the relentless tension, the vivid desert setting, and the raw emotion behind Simone’s choices as a mother. The twists and moral dilemmas kept me hooked, though at times the kidnapper’s demands felt a bit far-fetched and the intensity occasionally repetitive. Overall, it was gripping and atmospheric, even if not every twist landed perfectly.

Fans of Gillian McAllister, as well as readers who enjoy fast-paced psychological thrillers layered with suspense, emotional depth, and the moral extremes of motherhood, will find this a compelling read.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance copy—I really appreciate the chance to read and share my honest thoughts.

Caller Unknown is a tense and emotional story about a mother, Simone, and her daughter, Lucy. What begins as a trip filled with excitement and the promise of a fun visit in Texas quickly takes a harrowing turn when Lucy is kidnapped in the opening chapters. From there, the novel dives into the extremes a mother will go to in order to protect her child.

While Simone’s devotion to her daughter sometimes felt a bit intense—at times bordering on unhealthy—the premise kept me turning the pages. The inclusion of Lucy’s father, Damien, provided another perspective, though his role was less central to the story. With a relatively small cast of characters, the mystery of who was behind the kidnapping remained intriguing, if occasionally a little scattered in its execution.

Overall, Caller Unknown was an engaging and suspenseful read that explored family bonds, obsession, and the drive to uncover the truth.

Thank you to Gillian McAllister, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

"Caller Unknown" by Gillian McAllister is an intriguing thriller with an unusual premise: a woman receives a call from an unknown number, only to realize that her decisions on the line have real, lasting consequences. McAllister does a good job of setting up the tension and making readers question what they would do in the same situation. The pacing in the first half is steady, and the moral dilemmas the protagonist faces feel thought-provoking. I also appreciated McAllister’s clean writing style, which makes the story easy to follow even as the plot shifts between different timelines and outcomes.

That being said, the execution doesn’t always live up to the clever idea. At times, the plot feels repetitive, and the constant back-and-forth of scenarios can make it difficult to stay invested. Some twists are predictable, while others feel slightly far-fetched, which lessens the impact of the story’s emotional weight. While the book is engaging enough to finish and certainly original, it didn’t completely deliver the suspense or depth I was hoping for. Overall, it’s a solid read with an inventive concept, but not one that fully stands out in the crowded thriller genre.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

Fast paced, amazing storyline that keeps you turning pages until the end. We have some darkness in here as well as action, suspense and this could literally be a show or movie by the way it is written. I always love a good Gillian McAllister read and I cannot wait for what Gillian has for us next after this. Put this on your TBR for its February 2026 release.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Fast Paced, Texas Setting, Kidnapping, Cat and. Mouse, Materal Relationships

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as William Morrow

I have seen rave reviews for this author, so I gave her a try.

I am NOT disappointed at all. I will be sure to read her others because the ending was absolutely not what I thought it was.

Lucy gets kidnapped and Mom, Simone, follows the demands of the kidnapper.......then finds herself to be a fugitive. The twists and turns were well done, although there was some "filler" in the book leading there.

Overall 4 🌟 🌟🌟🌟 and I recommend it!

It's another winner for Gillian McAllister! Her stories continue to get better and better. I really liked Famous Last Words, and this was no exception..
Simone' is traveling from England to Texas to visit her daughter Lucy, who has been at a summer acting camp.. Their happy reunion at an AirBnB turns tragic when Lucy disappears in the middle of the night. Simone experiences every parent's worst nightmare when she receives a call from a burner phone, the "Caller Unknown." If she follows the kidnapper's instructions, she stands a chance of getting Lucy back. If she calls the police., you know the drill.
This is a propulsive thriller that kept me reading past my bedtime. It is also the story of a mother's love for her child and the lengths we will go to protect them. I look forward to reading her next book. I offer to be a beta reader!

A big thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Caller Unknown" by Gillian McAllister is a masterfully crafted thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The suspense builds with each twist, paired with compelling characters and an engrossing plot that’s impossible to put down. A five-star must-read for anyone who loves a gripping, thought-provoking novel.

Thank you for this book !!! It was gravely intense because as a mom to her that your kid has been kidnapped is insane so I’m at the edge of my seat trying to read this book nail biting panic attack lol so good

I struggled a bit with this one at first; it felt kind of flat to me. But then, it took a turn and I couldn’t put it down. The alternating perspectives between Simone and the kidnapper was so well done. I really enjoyed this one!

A grand slam!! This one rivals Wrong Place, Wrong Time for me. That was the first of hers that I read and none of her newer ones have lived up to its level, until now.

A kidnapping, a ransom, an exchange gone wrong. Now fugitives, mother and daughter have to decide how far they will go for their freedom.

I really thought I was going to hate this book, because, following the literary rules for mysteries (and countless red herrings), it is near impossible to figure out. None of the possible suspects made sense. And then comes The Twist, the moment you’ve been waiting for, and it’s like nothing that you could possibly expect. My jaw truly dropped open.

Not only is this a beautiful story about a mother’s and daughter’s bond, it is also the fasted paced thriller. I dare you to figure it out before the end.

Add this to your TBR right now!!

5⭐️s - This was wicked good! I love this author and I was lucky enough to receive the arc - so thankful! It had my full attention. Buckle up because this was a twisty ride with a jaw-dropping ending!! I could not put this one down and just flew through it. Characters were totally relatable and really enjoyed how the author held her cards super close while unfolding the intense chain of events. So good!

Thriller fans will definitely want to put on tbr and settle in for this page turner!


Expected release: 2/24/26

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.