Camilla wakes thinking this will be just a normal day drops her daughter at nursery drooping her daughter off at nursery for her first day and she is off for her first day back at work after maternity leave.

Breaking News - Hostage Situation developing in London.

The police arrive at inform Camilla her husband is involved and he isn't a hostage.

I am a big fan of Gillian McAllister but this one didn't quite hit the same for me as her books usually do still a good solid read with some good twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph Publishing and Gillian McAllister for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

***3.5 rounded up***

A really gripping and unputdownable thriller! I love Gillian’s writing and the way she feeds you little bits as you go along. A really good story and one that I finished in 2 days. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher

I absolutely loved this book because its one of those that takes you completely away with it.

It's a twisty mystery to be sure but what I like about Gillian McAllister is she never cheats the reader with her ultimate resolution so you know you'll get an answer so you just want to read faster.

Why would a husband, a father, with zero criminal anything suddenly take hostages and hold them at gunpoint? Well that's the question isn't it, one that will obsess you until the very end.

An excellent read. Highly Recommended.

This was a quick, easy read.

I didn't think the twist was actually that big and really saw it all coming. It felt a bit too obvious but maybe that's because I read so many thrillers. I went to a talk and saw the author describe the book and I actually think it would have been more fun if the husband had been evil and we explore why he did it rather than he was in the wrong place at the wrong time so got a hit on him.

Thanks for the arc

Fantastic read. I really enjoyed Gillian’s novels and they’re always very clever, and this was top notch. I liked Camilla and Niall and I was definitely surprised at points in the novel.

Overall, an excellent read with an intriguing premise and very well executed.

This was my first Gillian McAllister book, and I had a great time with it. The concept was super intriguing to me, as I've never experienced a hostage book written from the POV of the hostage taker's wife.

There's quite a lot of action and events in this book, and sometimes I felt maybe there was a little too much going on. However, the time jump seven years on is something I felt was done rather well.

I also appreciated the story of Cam's sister and her struggles with infertility and miscarriage. This was written incredibly respectfully and with a lot of heart.

I felt the book Cam was working on could have been made more distinct from the narrative story, either with italics or a different font. At times I felt it blurred together a little too much.

This was my first Gillian McAllister book, but it sure won't be my last.

Gillian McAllister gets better and better!

On the same day that Camilla returns to work and her daughter starts nursery, her husband Luke mysteriously disappears, leaving behind only an unfinished note. As she navigates the distractions of her first day back, a shocking hostage situation unfolds in London. But the biggest twist - Luke isn’t a victim. He’s the gunman. Camilla’s world is thrown upside down as everything she thought she knew doesn’t appear to be true…

A gripping thriller full of twists and turns, with an unpredictable ending!

Not my favourite book by this author but it was still enjoyable. I found the ending a little bit far fetched however it was one that I didn’t see coming. All in all an enjoyable thriller with a unique concept and maintained my attention throughout.

just gobbled up “Famous Last Words” by Gillian McAllister and cannot imagine why I have not read it earlier! It has high drama, plot twists, mystery, heartbreak, and also some books. The story is about an ordinary woman whose husband does the unthinkable and takes people hostage. The story follows Cam as she grapples with the crisis and the aftermath of those events, and is at places heartbreaking and also very intense. I read it in one sitting, and that hardly ever happens these days, so believe me, the book really makes you sink your teeth into it.

To put it simply, there was a lot happening in this book. I enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading, intrigued to know what had happened Luke and what the side was really all about. Many twists and turns and some surprises and then others that I had already guessed at myself.
I wasn’t a big fan of Camilla, I didn’t not like her, but I just didn’t warm to her. There weren’t many characters that I did like. I liked Niall and was glad of his ending. I did feel that there were parts too cliche, like Camilla going to the location and just like magic what enfolded. An enjoyable book overall and I would always recommend Gillian McAllister for a good plotted crime thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I found this a compelling and thought-provoking read. At first, I was a little unsure about the long gap between the original incident and its aftermath - it felt like a significant stretch of time. But as the narrative unfolded, it became clear why these events were only coming to light now and the delay made more sense within the wider emotional context of the story.

There were a few lulls in parts where the pace slowed and although it’s not my favourite book by her, it’s still a solid read. What really stood out was how powerfully the book explores the ripple effect of a single event - how far its impact can reach and how many lives can be altered in its wake. It’s a poignant reminder that consequences often extend much further than we imagine.

A tense, edge of your seat thriller
Characters are well developed with a well plotted and complex storyline
There are twists and surprises galore
You really felt for the main character, Camilla, caught up in a situation you can only imagine, but having to keep going for Polly, her young daughter
Thanks @gillianmcallister @michaeljbooks & @netgalley for the rollercoaster of a ride

I've read all of this authors books. The thing I love about her stories are the creative premises are all so different. I'd love to understand how he brain comes up with them!

Camilla (Cam) returns to work as a literary agent after maternity leave. That day she wakes and her husband (Luke) has already left the house, leaving a strange cryptic note. Once at work, news breaks of a hostage situation in London. Soon the police arrive and tell her Luke is involved, but not a hostage, the hostage taker. It makes absolutely no sense. As the situation unfolds, 2 of then hostages are shot and the gunman, her husband is no where to be found, he has disappeared.

Cue doubts about who her husband was, did she know him at all. He will reach out to her surely to explain, he wouldn't just disappear without a trace and leave Cam and Polly the daughter he doted on. But he does. Or maybe he isn't alive?

There are two narratives in the book, Cam's where you see her trying to come to terms with the loss, even years later when things start happening that make her think Luke maybe still alive. The other narrative is the police officer, Niall, who was the negotiator at the hostage situation, who berates himself for that day, firstly for getting it wrong in thinking Luke wouldn't shoot anyone, but also, for it being his wifes birthday and he standing her up which is the final straw and she leaves him.

McAllister describes this as a love story wrapped up in a mystery, which I guess it is as there are two stories, Cam never really letting go of the love for husband and Niall who misses his wife.

It is a well woven tale, well constructed, well paced, well written characters. Sadness oozes from the pages. The different Acts control the story, Act 1 moves quick, Act 2 is a lot slower, but allows you to buy into the characters. Act 3 things pick up and the truths start to be revealed along with a twist or two. As in a couple of her previous books I felt the middle may have been a little slower and longer than needed and the last part happens all in a bit of a rush, but not so that it damaged the story terribly and could just be me as I did take a break 2/3 into this book.

An enjoyable read as her books generally are, clever premiss as always and strong characters. I give this a strong 4/5.

Camilla and Luke are happily married with a baby daughter. On the day Camilla returns to work after her maternity leave and Poppy starts at day care she is slightly concerned that Luke isn't there for this event. All she has is a rather cryptic note. Meanwhile in another part of London, a hostage situation. Someone is holding two Men and a woman are being held at gunpoint .Camilla is horrified when she finds out Luke is involved and shocked to the core to find that Luke is holding the gun.

The reader sees the story from various angles, from the hostage negotiator with his own problems, from the police and most of all from Camilla. Although this was a really fascinating premise and plot I did find that the narrative dragged at times. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review the book.

It’s Camilla’s first day back at work, her daughter’s first day at nursery.
But husband Luke is nowhere to be seen. The only trace of him is an unfinished note. Camilla tries to put it out of her mind; there must be a rational explanation.
At work, there are welcomes back, and too many distractions.
Then it starts.
Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London.
The police arrive: Luke is caught up in it.
But he isn't a hostage. Luke - doting father, successful writer, enthusiastic runner and eternal optimist - is the gunman.
What Camilla does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind says, and the clues

Love this fast paced story which kept me interested all the way through. An enjoyable read - highly recommended.

It's Cam's first day back at work after maternity leave, but as she gets up she finds her author husband, Luke, is nowhere to be seen. He's not answering his phone or his texts, and it's all a bit strange. Quite quickly though, it becomes apparent that a hostage situation is taking place nearby and the hostage taker is none other than mild-mannered Luke.

The plot follows hostage negotiator Niall and Camilla's POVs, with each trying to work out what happened before, during and after the siege. It's a good mystery, with lots of plot twists (some obvious, many less so), and a satisfying ending. I really enjoyed the mystery and am looking forward to reading more of Gillian McAllister's books.

Thankyou netgallery for the ARC, Having read a few books from this author I was expecting this to be a page turned full of twist and I was not disappointed! Loved it.

I am a huge fan of Gillian McAllister but this was hands down my favorite novel of hers yet. Brilliantly executed plot that moved between timelines and revealed what really happened at a great pace and excellently developed characters I was invested in from the start. This is a truly inventive story and I highly recommend it!

An intense slow-burn thriller. What begins as a harrowing day for new mum Camilla unravels into a haunting mystery that spans years. The time jump felt abrupt at first, but as the story progressed, it added emotional depth and clarity. A reflective and suspenseful read.

I remember my first day back at work after maternity leave. It was awful.

But now I see it could have been so much worse!

Camilla is a little peeved when she wakes to find her husband Luke has already left. It's her first day back at work after maternity leave, and she's dreading dropping off their little girl. A little support would be good, right? But as the day passes, anger changes to worry when she doesn't hear from him. When the police turn up at her office, she fears the worst. But she couldn't possibly guess what they would tell her. There's an armed hostage situation. Luke's involved. He's the one holding the gun.

This is just the opening! The story then leads us to the aftermath. How it affects lives for years later. Not just Camillas but others around it, like Niall, the hostage negotiator that thinks he messed up.

I'd say this isn't a typical Gillian McAllister book. Yes, there's a puzzle to solve, twists, and turns to be surprised by. But this felt different in that there's more of an emotional tale to be told.

I like this very much. This author never disappoints.