A heart pounding thriller with a twist I DID NOT see coming! I could not put down this fast-paced, action-packed story about what a mother will do when the worst thing imaginable happens - your child has been kidnapped. We follow the story of Simone as she does everything she can to get her daughter Lucy back alive. 

This book was emotionally charged and had my pulse racing for the entire read. It had me truly questioning what I would be capable of doing for the ones I love. If your a fan nerve-racking thrillers, make sure you add this to your TBR

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows a mom and daughter who are in the states for a vacation. The first night ends in disaster and her daughter is taken. Simone follows all the directions because she's afraid they will kill her daughter Lucy. It seemed to me that Simone had a very unhealthy attachment with Lucy. For me I struggled with the first 75% of the book. It seemed to just be repetitive and didn't really keep me hooked and dragged a bit for my liking. The ending got me interested and I didn't see the ending twist which was a nice change.
Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for an earc for my honest opinion.

This was a tense, high-stakes thriller with Gillian McAllister’s signature “what would you do?” moral dilemmas woven throughout.
Simone and her daughter Lucy take one last vacation together before Lucy heads to university. But when Simone wakes up in their Texas rental cabin, Lucy is gone—and in her place is a phone with a terrifying call. No ransom money. No police. Just a demand: do something unthinkable, or risk her daughter’s life.
From there, the story unfolds in an unrelenting chain of choices and consequences, each one forcing Simone further into moral gray areas. The pacing is brisk, the Texas setting feels vivid, and the tension is constant. I especially appreciated how the book balanced the adrenaline of the plot with compassion for Simone as a mother doing everything in her power to save her child.
While a few twists stretched believability for me, the emotional core and relentless suspense kept me turning the pages. McAllister once again delivers a gripping story that forces you to ask yourself: What would I do in her place?
Unbearably tense, thought-provoking, and very much worth the read.

I typically like if not love Gillian McAllister’s books unfortunately this latest was just a mess for me. It had the potential to be a really great thriller but the plot was implausible with characters very hard to root for.

Gillian McAllister has done it again. I read this NetGalley advanced copy in just two days. It is a suspense novel that will keep you on your toes and guessing the whole time. How far would you go to protect your own child? This is the question that is asked allthrought this book. When a daughter is kidnapped, a mother decides not to involve the cops because she was told not to. But following the kidnappers requests gets Simone in some hot water. Drugs, murder, going on the run are all part of this high stakes suspense novel.

This book was a DNF.

I really was excited, but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I did not care for the characters or the plot.

Since I did not finish this book, I will not be leaving ratings on Goodreads or other websites..

I have always loved Gillian McAllister, but this book might be my new favorite of hers! It was such a beautiful story of the mother and child bond, with a fun twist that I didn’t see coming. “Save the day” concept is something I am going to start with my kids too when we have a bad day, it was so sweet and such a positive look on a crappy event. I loved the entire journey of their escape in the Texas desert and then becoming fugitives. Her husband is just goals, he is so supportive and sweet. The story was a tad slow in the middle but honestly, didn’t mind it at all, as it allowed me to become more attached to the characters . I really really felt attached to Simone, as a mother myself, asking myself what would do in her shoes. Wonderful book! Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

This book had a bit of a slow start. I didn’t feel like I knew as much about the characters as I wanted to. I did feel like it picked up in the second half some. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc!

Pros:
- Poses interesting "what would you do" scenarios
- Fun little twists
- Suspenseful
- Great author - creative plot
- Good ending
Cons:
- You have to suspend logic a bit - the mother makes a few decisions that don't seem particularly logical. Hopefully, the way she sees the US/Texas isn't the way most Europeans do.
- The writing style was choppy and took some getting used to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC.

I usually really enjoy Gillian McAllister’s books, and while this one wasn’t my favorite, I did like parts of it. The beginning felt slow to me, but it picked up in the early middle and held my attention from there.

Without spoiling anything, I think the heart of this story wasn’t just about a kidnapping, but about motherhood itself. To me, it read like a reflection on how deeply we love our children, the constant grief of them growing up and changing, and how that love can sometimes cross into obsession or overprotection. I think Gillian wrapped those feelings into a suspense plot — showing a mother fighting fiercely for her child, but also realizing that kids are often more capable than we give them credit for.

That said, I had a few issues. The ending felt rushed, and I honestly don’t know what the point of the lawyer subplot was because it seemed to go nowhere. There were times where I had to suspend a lot of belief, which I usually don’t mind, but this one veered into feeling a little Lifetime movie-ish at times. It also dragged in spots and occasionally threw in details that weren’t explored enough to matter.

On the positive side, the writing itself was strong, and some of the scenes where Simone had to make tough choices genuinely made me feel nervous and anxious. I also appreciated the way McAllister captured the bittersweet grief of motherhood — that constant push and pull between wanting to hold on and knowing you have to let go.

Overall, I’d give this one about 3.5–4 stars. Not her best, not her worst. Worth reading, but not the one I’d hand to someone as their first Gillian McAllister.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for sending me an ARC of Caller Unknown in exchange for an honest review.

The publisher calls Caller Unknown a “high-concept thriller,” which means (I looked it up) something that can be easily explained with a succinct premise. I’d say that’s true here. Simone travels from England to Texas to spend two weeks camping with her 17 year old daughter Lucy. But the first morning, Lucy goes missing, a clump of her hair is on the door, and Simone finds a burner phone in her room with a message from Caller Unknown: “We have your daughter. Do not tell the police. She is safe. Meet outside Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Shafter, TX 79843. 9:00 tonight CDT. Be prepared to do a deal.” And from there, consequences ensue.

Sometimes high concept is great. Michael Crichton—space virus falls to Earth, dinosaur zoo—was a master at it. But you still have to bring the goods of character development and other subtleties to make a story successful. If all you have if the concept and the twist, the book is probably going to fall a bit flat.

I really liked Wrong Place Wrong Time, and liked Just Another Missing Person, but was disappointed by Famous Last Words. Unfortunately, Caller Unknown was more like the latter than the former to me. Much of the story’s tension is in the disagreements between Simone and her husband Damien about how to proceed. And the events resurface Damien’s long held grudge that Simone thinks she loves their daughter Lucy more, or perhaps better, than he does. But I never bought that as a real source of tension because I suspect every woman who’s ever given birth believes she is connected to and loves that child more than the father or anyone else. I had issues with the plot as well. One of the villains is obvious. I thought everything that happened at the handover was distractingly unrealistic. And while the late twist was nice—I knew something was coming, but didn’t quite puzzle it out—I had two spoiler-filled problems with it. Overall, a bit disappointing.

2.5 stars

I enjoy Gillian McAllister’s novels, so I was excited to receive an advance copy of Caller Unknown. Unfortunately, I think this is her weakest work I’ve read so far.

Usually, I am okay with suspending some of my disbelief, but I found many of the characters’ decisions irrational and odd. The premise of the book requires the main characters to completely eschew police and other authorities. While I am certainly skeptical of the police, I find it hard to believe that the best course of action was to completely go on the run and not contact anyone—even the embassy.

The main character’s struggle with letting her daughter grow up and become independent was hard to read. Perhaps I am biased because I’m not a parent, but she came off as obsessive rather than loving. I do give McAllister credit for realism, as I’m sure this struggle is common for parents, and the main character does experience some growth in this area by the end.

A fast-paced thriller this is not. Most of the book is really just hiding out and waiting, and I felt like many scenes were stretched out to fill a word count. Even the lawyer’s investigation takes place “off-screen,” so we are just told bits of information once it becomes convenient to know them. There is a twist in perspective that I found the most compelling part of the novel, but it unfortunately comes too late and is too little to redeem the other weaknesses.

I will still look forward to McAllister’s next work because I think she is capable of much stronger writing than Caller Unknown. I received an advance copy from Penguin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

"Caller Unknown" by Gillian McAllister starts with Simone's teenage daughter being kidnapped. Instead of demanding money, the kidnappers give Simone a frightening task: she must follow their instructions exactly or she may never see her daughter again.

What I loved is how McAllister takes the usual "kidnap for ransom" plot and flips it. The kidnappers aren't after cash-they're after something darker, and Simone is forced into a moral maze of lies, secrets, and split-second decisions. It's a fast read, but also one that makes you wonder what you'd do if you were in her shoes. Definitely one to pass along if you like thrillers with a twist. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for a free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out great, I loved the premise: Mother and daughter reunite for a vacation, daughter gets kidnapped, mother goes to extremes to find and free her. So far, so good. Unfortunately the characters were unlikeable, the storyline totally unrealistic. It felt like a bad lifetime movie and didn't resonate with me. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I'm a big fan of Gillian McAllister, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I felt intrigued at the beginning and anxious about what was going to happen. As the book moved into a long walk through the desert, I felt bored. The ending felt a bit rushed in comparison, and I can't decide if I like the twist or feel frustrated by it.

CALLER UNKNOWN left me conflicted. It’s not bad, but it was just okay.

The novel is most centered as plot-oriented. The plot orientation works for this particular novel. It had this ominous feel. It’s one of the elements of thriller novels. I was excited to read this book after reading its synopsis. Upon reading it, I became hooked. The action started from the front gate, which is something I love when I read books. 

I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Simone. She was strong and determined, even when her husband doubted her. She pressed on, and I had nothing but admiration.

The thing I didn’t like about the book was that the pacing slowed right in the middle. It was slow to the point where it interrupted my reading experience. But I kept reading until I reached over the 70 percent mark. The action started again, and I was interested again. The reveal was simple, yet effective. I loved the ‘boomerang effect’ the antagonist received near the end. That was good.

The ending of the novel, though, was just okay.

Initially, I was to rate this book 3.5 stars, until I thought of how Lucy got her revenge. I rate this book four stars. 

Thank you, Simon & Schuster and Netgalley, for accepting my request for an ARC.

Thank you for letting me read this in advance. Such a great book. Had me hanging on the edge of my seat.

Wonderful family drama. This is a story about a mother's love and how far she would go to save her. Loved it!

Loved this book! How far would you go if your daughter was kidnapped? Imagine you're on a vacation with your almost adult daughter and you wake up to find her gone. We hear from the mothers point of view, the daughters, and the kidnapper. A good slow burn that sure makes you think......