A tense, high-stakes mystery that plays with time and truth. McAllister crafts a clever, propulsive puzzle that keeps you guessing until the final reveal.

Gillian McAllister has done it again with another gripping, addictive thriller. Literally dropped everything I was doing the moment I got approved for this ARC. I was in a bit of a reading slump before, but boy did this book pull me right out of it. As soon as I started reading, I knew I was in for a treat. From the first chapter, I was hooked. My heart was racing, and I was flipping pages as fast as I could.

"Caller Unknown" is a wild, twisty ride from start to finish. I loved the remote desert setting in Texas, the enthralling plot, and the well-developed, complex characters. The missing child trope is common for thrillers, but McAllister managed to put a fresh, original, and creative spin on it. This was such an atmospheric novel just brimming with tension and suspense. The high stakes kept me turning pages late into the night. I could never guess what was going to happen next, and I had no idea who to trust. As a mother to a daughter, I couldn't help but put myself in Simone's shoes. This book was an insight into mother-daughter relationships and just how far we would go to save them. Side note: my daughter is never allowed to leave my sight! This was such an exciting, pulse-pounding novel. I highly recommend!

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

This book had so much suspense and thrills I was on edge with my heart pounding the whole way through. I loved the fast pace of the plot and how I could feel the emotions from Simone as she dealt with the biggest nightmare I could ever imagine. This book had me sweating during some of the scariest parts. The character development was amazing, the narration top tier, and the plot overall was like reading the script of an action packed thriller movie, playing out in your mind as you read. Absolutely loved this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review will be posted on Instagram and Amazon on pub day and links added to NetGalley.

Author McAllister again writes a brilliant thriller that drips with maternal fear. We had Jen in “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” and new mom Camilla in “Famous Last Words.” Now we are introduced to London resident and overprotective mom, Simone, who arrives in rural Fort Davis,Texas in the Big Bend region to meet up with her daughter Lucy. Lucy has spent the last month at an intense American vocal workshop (she intends to attend RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and needs to be able to sing). The pair plan to camp (AirBnB style first) and they are initially reunited at a lonely collection of cabins just after midnight. But when Simone wakes up, Lucy’s phone is there but she is gone. But there is an older cellphone trilling under Lucy’s pillow. It rings, displaying “Caller Unknown” and a recorded voice instructs her to check the messages. The message is “we have your daughter; prepare to do a deal.”

Lucy also has a loving dad, Damien, who is getting an emergency flight to the US and wants Simone to call the police. But Simone is hesitant and lies that she will. So, with two deadlines, the kidnappers’ and the appearance of Damien, she reaches the rendezvous point and discovers that the ransom isn’t for money but an illegal “task” that will take her across the US-Mexican border. This apparently will not end well and the author takes on a twisted journey along a treacherous border area with unexpected revelations as we wonder if the truth will ever see the light of day.

This will make a terrific film. The action is intense and the experience of two British women in the Texan desert is alarming and stressful (for them and the reader!) You feel their frustrations about being in a strange land — even as an American reader who lives in the arid Intermountain West, the scorched landscape of snakes, scorpions, coyotes, javelinas and armed pursuers would terrify me. 5 stars!

Oh, I never knew about the what3words app, but now I do! Put these women in the hands of caring.saves.fool

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only the basic brown and blue.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): MAYBE Chihuahuan Desert is home to a large diversity of cacti, but Simone and Lucy don’t see those, and are experiencing mostly grasslands and spiky bushes like creosote.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Okay I need to own everything Gillian McAllister writes!!! Wrong place wrong time is a top read of mine from last year. Not only did the author draw me in automatically to wanting to read this book… the synopsis and cover got me too. I love it all! Thank you for the opportunity to read this early!! It was fast paced for me, twisty, and I just love Gillian’s writing style .

As one of my favorite authors, she never disappoints, and this book is no exception. The suspenseful plot kept me guessing until the very end, and her writing style is as sharp and gripping as always. I was completely immersed in the story and appreciated how she weaves complex characters with intricate twists. Highly recommend to anyone who loves psychological thrillers!! Gillian McAllister is a master of her craft!

📗 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.”

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.

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.

Any book Gillian McAllister releases is always going to be an instant read for me!

All I can say is WOAH. This was one heck of a wild ride from start to finish. Her writing is SO addictive, ever. single. page. kept me wanting more and more. And as on par with a Gillian McAllister thriller, I was completely wrong about the twists the entire time! I truly felt like I was reading the script of a movie, she does such a good job with environment building, between their home in England to the area they are staying in Texas, even when the characters left that area I felt like I could visually imagine being there with them. This is a fast-paced thriller which I LOVE, but also has an underlying story of motherhood and the deep bond between a mother and daughter, and how she will do anything to protect hers, and vice versa.

Thank you SO MUCH to William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

✨ARC Book Review✨
📖 Caller Unknown
✍️ Gillian McAllister
📅 Publication: February 24, 2026

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Simone planned her holiday in Texas as a chance to reconnect with her teenage daughter, Lucy.
But on their first night in the desert, Simone wakes to find Lucy gone, with only a mobile phone left in her place. A chilling message makes it clear: Lucy has been taken, and to get her back, Simone must commit a crime.
Determined to save her daughter, Simone is ready to do whatever it takes. Yet as she follows the kidnapper’s instructions, she quickly realizes that becoming a fugitive is only the beginning...

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
What a fantastic read! This book was packed with suspense and thrills from start to finish. As a parent, I couldn’t help but put myself in the FMC’s shoes, feeling every emotion and wondering how I would handle each challenge she faced, especially when it came to the lengths a parent will go to protect their child. The ending was both satisfying and memorable, tying everything together perfectly. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves an edge-of-your-seat, emotionally gripping story.
This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gripping, emotional thriller that combines heart-pounding suspense with a very human and relatable core.

Thank You, @Netgalley and @Williammorrow, for allowing me to review this ARC.

This was another great hit from Gillian McAllister! I have read all of his books and will continue to do so. This one was so relatable because I have a daughter myself so the main characters really hit home. I can't imagine what I would've done had I been in the same position as Simone. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves mystery suspenseful type books!

Gillian McAllister knows how to bring chills to your bones! I can not stop thinking about the ending of this book. Love her writing and am always amazed at her stories!

"Caller Unknown" was a book I honestly could not put down! Immediately felt connected to the characters, especially the mom Simone. The author did an excellent job giving us an insight into her thinking and maternal drive to keep her daughter safe. I had many theories as I was reading of who the antagonist would end up being... didn't anticipate the way it finally resolved but I loved the ending. Also a good reminder as a mom that it's good to let our kids grow and go over time. Highly recommend!

*A sincere thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing the advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.*

Caller Unknown is the kind of thriller that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t ease up until the final page. Gillian McAllister takes a chilling premise and turns it into something that feels both terrifyingly plausible and emotionally raw. Every chapter crackles with tension, yet there’s an intimacy to the writing that makes the stakes feel personal rather than just plot-driven. I loved how the twists weren’t just shocks for shock’s sake... they carried real weight and consequences for the characters. It’s clever, unsettling, and one of those books that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished.

Gillian McAllister doesn’t miss. She always finds that soft tender part of motherhood between muscle and bone and lands an arrow there. Simone, this book’s particular mother character, is clearly flawed, in the way that her love for her child seems almost stuck in the ferociously, primally protective stage of when a child is very small. That leads to some highly questionable decision-making throughout. But it also allows for a satisfying character arc, and what I love about McAllister’s books is the way she sticks the landing. I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists and turns, particularly at the end. She’s been an auto-buy author for me ever since WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME and I’m grateful that she continues to write this winning mix of heart-pounding and heartfelt.

Gillian McAllister truly writes some of the best mystery/thrillers out there! I first found her from Reese's book club and ever since have read every single one of her releases! Absolutely loved this one (might be my favorite)! I was turning pages into the night and stayed up late to finish this one! It should absolutely be on your Fall TBR! I'm just frustrated I have to wait to next year to talk about this book with my friends!

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Gillian McAllister for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for my honest review.
Caller Unknown is the perfect Cat and Mouse thriller. I’m such a fangirl of Gillian McAllister. The way Gillian draws you in, will leave you begging for more. The way, at the end, that everything tied together was chef’s kiss 🤌🤌
If y’all love an emotional suspenseful thriller, that keeps you begging for more…then I highly recommend this book. Y’all won’t regret it.

Absolutely phenomenal!!!! Gillian McAllister will always be an auto buy author for me! Judging from the previous books I’ve read by her, I expected this book to be fast paced, hard to put down and TWISTY!! Boy did it deliver! Pre order this NOW!

I really enjoyed this book. Interesting premise and it kept me interested through the end. I liked the characters and the relationship between the mother and daughter and the couple. I have read other Gillian McAllister books and she does not disappoint. I think fans of her books and new readers will easily get absorbed in this story. Thanks for the preview!

This book was hard to look away from! I found myself racing through the pages to see how it would all unfold. A well done, fast paced thriller.

This was absolutely wild. Tense, clever, suspenseful, and shocking…I could not figure out what was happening when the climax hit but it all came together in the end and left my jaw on the floor.

Simone and her daughter, Lucy, are from the UK and visiting Texas for a girls camping trip. Things go awry when Simone wakes up and finds that Lucy has vanished. She receives an anonymous message that Lucy has been taken and Simone must complete a task to get her daughter back. Simone loves her daughter so much that she’s willing to do ANYTHING to have her back.

Gillian McAllister is one of a kind. Her books are always so creative and full of twists I never see coming. This one did not disappoint! I am still thinking about it and probably will for a long time!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

I'd like to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC! I truly cannot believe this is the second Gillian McAllister book that I've read.After reading this, I am going to read more! What really drew me into this book was the synopsis. The writing style is unique and the story line was fast paced, tense, and gripping. I found myself fully immersed in Simone's journey to save her daughter was a thrilling adventure. I have read a few books where a character goes missing and someone has to save them, but this was the best one yet. I absolutely loved the mother-daughter relationship that took place in the story and seeing the character development grow through out the story.

I absolutely loved Caller Unknown! Gillian McAllister never disappoints, and this one just reminded me again why she’s a favorite of mine. The premise is unique, the pacing sharp, and the tension had me hooked from the very first chapter.

Her ability to blend emotional depth with page-turning suspense is unmatched. The twists kept me on my toes, and the characters, layered, flawed, and so real, made me feel invested in every moment. McAllister writes in a way that feels both intimate and urgent, and that combination made this book impossible to put down.

This is one of those rare thrillers that I wouldn’t change a single thing about. I was sad when it ended and immediately found myself wishing for more. Caller Unknown is a must-listen for thriller fans and another outstanding work from an author I truly love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

18-year-old Lucy is in Texas for the summer to attend acting and singing lessons. Her mother, Simone, is meeting her at the end of the summer to camp for a few days before they return home to London. The first night, they stay in a cabin and plan to camp the next day. When Simone wakes up, she realizes her daughter is missing. A flip phone has been left with a message that Lucy has been kidnapped, and ransom instructions follow. Simone is not to contact the police and must meet at a certain location later that night. Talking to her husband on the phone, he thinks they should call the police, but Simone wants to do everything possible to get her daughter back. Simone is forced to make difficult choices along the way, but she knows she must keep her daughter alive. This is a suspenseful story and it's hard to predict where the story is going next.

Caller Unknown doesn’t ease you in; it throws you straight into the terror of a mother’s worst nightmare.

Gillian McAllister has a way of taking an already terrifying scenario., your child vanishing in a foreign country and then twisting it into something darker, sharper, and far more complex than you can imagine.

What begins as every parent’s worst nightmare quickly morphs into a high stakes psychological game where the rules keep shifting. Simone isn’t just searching for her daughter; she’s navigating moral quicksand where every choice comes at a devastating cost. I found myself questioning what I would do in her place and the answers weren’t always comforting.

The Texas desert setting adds an almost cinematic backdrop, wide, endless, and merciless. The isolation intensifies the suspense, making you feel every mile Simone drives and every second of silence when the phone doesn’t ring. McAllister layers in emotion without ever letting the tension slack. It’s raw, relentless, and almost unbearably tense at times.

This isn’t just a story about a kidnapping, it’s about motherhood, sacrifice, and the terrifying lengths love can push us toward. The dilemmas cut deep, forcing you to sit with the uncomfortable truth that sometimes there are no “right” choices, only survival.

By the final chapters, my pulse was racing, my loyalties torn, and my jaw literally dropped. Caller Unknown is an adrenaline fueled exploration of love and morality, and McAllister proves yet again why she’s at the very top of the genre.

Wow. High stakes right out the gate. Delicious cliffhanger chapters that keep you wanting to read more and more. Caller Unknown is a definite page turner.

What was supposed to be a fun, reuniting, camping trip for mother and daughter duo, Simone and Lucy, turns into a gripping nightmare when Simone wakes up to an empty cabin in the middle of nowhere Texas. Left with a mysterious burner phone providing her with instructions to find and save her daughter.

This book had my heart rate up before I even finished chapter one! Don’t even get me started on the plot twists. I love how I genuinely didn’t see a single thing coming. I could see this as an episode of Black Mirror.

That being said, its definitely on the slower side pace wise. Though, I think that’s intentional. It’s supposed to feel suffocating and drawn out like you’re right there with them. While I kept wanting to rush the process, I don’t think I’d change a single thing.

I will definitely read more of Gillian McAllister’s works!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & William Morrow for this copy!
I loved this book! It’s fast-paced, addictive, and I read it over the weekend without wanting to put it down.

At first glance, this is a high-stakes thriller about a kidnapping, but it goes so much deeper. It really explores motherhood and just how far you’d be willing to go to protect your child. Simone’s love for her daughter and the choices she’s forced to make kept me glued to the pages. Every twist had me holding my breath, and the Texas setting added so much atmosphere to the story.

Tense, emotional, and unputdownable, this was such a gripping read and one I’ll be recommending to fellow thriller fans!

this was a strong psychological thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. I thought the use of the ransom and how desperate the mother was in this. The characters were everything that I wanted in this and had that element that worked in this universe. It was a strong psychological element that I wanted and was engaged with the suspenseful atmosphere that I was hoping for. Gillian McAllister wrote this well and was glad I got to read this.

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.