Brilliant! Camille ‘Cam’ Deschamps is a literary agent, her husband Luke is a Ghost-writer and they have a new baby Polly. It’s Cam’s first day back at work after her maternity leave but it’s about to become the worst day of her life. Luke had gone out that morning without saying anything, leaving a strange note. The next thing she knows the police arrive at her office telling her Luke is involved in a hostage situation and worse he is the hostage taker! Told from multiple POV’s including an unnamed voice, and some narrative from a script Cam has been sent, and in dual timelines, this is a compulsive read from the start.

Briefly, Niall is a negotiator called in to work the hostage situation but before he decides what to do there are shots fired, two people are dead and Luke has disappeared. Not your normal day then! Seven years later Luke is still missing and Cam is trying to sell their house. Niall is still determined to find him, as is Cam, but both are finding themselves up against a brick wall.

Wonderful narrative with some great red herrings and twists and turns, this is really well plotted and executed. A very clever thriller, fast paced and exciting, which kept me guessing all the way through; I had to balance myself to stop falling off the edge of the seat it was that tense! The question is what would you do for someone you love? A very entertaining novel.

Quite honestly the best book I’ve read in a while and I’ve read some excellent ones. I’m really very sorry that I’ve finished it as it swept me along and completely enveloped me in the compelling story, although it will definitely stay with me for a long time and I loved the ending.
The premise is very clever and flips everything you think you know on its head. A caring and lovely man takes three hostages in an old warehouse and he kills two of them before the negotiations can even start.
This is a powerful love story, a tale of a frighteningly real criminal underworld, the complexities of having children and the strength of the love you feel for them and so much more. Forget everything you think you know as the realities flip reverse and then again and again. Wholeheartedly recommend this one, thank you.

This is an incredibly clever and well plotted book which I thoroughly enjoyed and raced through in a couple of days.
Luke and Cam are happily married with a beautiful baby girl. One morning Luke goes out early and doesn’t reply to calls or texts. Starting to worry Cam takes their baby to her first day at nursery and makes her way to work hoping there is an explanation for Luke’s disappearance.
When a hostage situation is reported she quickly discovers her husband is caught up in it and she begins to question everything she thought she knew about him.
The book fast forwards seven years and Cam is a single mother but she still yearns for things to return to how they were before that fateful day.
The other excellent character is Niall the police hostage negotiator who feels guilty and let down, determined to solve the case that has blighted his career and his personal life.
As I said earlier this is a great book, it really was the sort of novel I couldn’t put down. The characters were all well drawn and the mystery at the heart of the story, very complex and indeed compelling.
I really wanted to know how it would all end and if Cam was right in her pursuit of the truth and her determination to believe in the innate goodness of her husband.
I definitely recommend this as a five star read and I will certainly look out for more books by this author in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Another 5 star thriller by Gillian!
Straight into the story, with a fab unique storyline where you just can't guess where it's going!
I loved the connection between Cam and Niall

Definitely give this a read!

Absolutely phenomenonal. What a rollercoaster ride of twists, turns and totally unexpected reveals.
Yet again my housework suffered because I needed answers! I couldn't put it down.
One of the best authors for thinking outside of the box and coming up with brilliant plots that are precisely thought out and well written.

Try to avoid detailed reviews, you’re best off going into this with as few preconceived ideas as possible.

I loved, loved, loved, this book. I was gripped immediately and was desperate to read a few pages here and there.
I've read a few from this author now, and this is without a doubt the best yet, in my opinion.
She has such a great style of writing, it's always complex, but makes sense in the end!
The characters were great, the little hints throughout the book were great, as was the overall ending.
Definitely the best book I've read in a while, and recommended to everyone.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super original premise and I was hooked right from the start. Cam is due back to work after maternity leave when a siege hits the news. Luke has disappeared and won't answer his phone when Cam discovers that he is actually at the heart of the drama. This book had excellent pace and good twists. I really enjoy the way this author writes and would read more in future.

Famous Last Words is a cleverly written compelling mystery thriller that starts off with an almighty bang.

Told over three different timelines, it is a character driven story with enough twists to keep you guessing through out.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Do you have an author you can trust to deliver every time? For me, Gillian McAllister is one of them - and Famous Last Words proves it yet again.

Camilla and Luke seem to have it all: fulfilling jobs, a cosy home, and a beautiful baby girl. But one fateful morning, Camilla wakes to find an ominous note from her husband. Hours later, her worst fears are realised - Luke is involved in a siege. The twist? He’s not the victim. He’s the one holding the gun.

How could her fun-loving, easygoing husband be capable of something so unthinkable? That’s the question Camilla must answer before the police - or someone far more dangerous - gets to him first.

From the gripping first chapter to the satisfying conclusion, I was hooked. I devoured this in just two days, drawn in by the clever narration style with excerpts and shifting timelines. While I did piece together some of the twists early on, it didn’t lessen my enjoyment one bit - if anything, it made me eager to see how it would all unfold.

The pacing is spot-on, with tension that builds relentlessly and chapter endings that practically beg you to keep reading. The hostage scenario is particularly nail-biting, but it’s the emotional depth that truly sets this book apart.

McAllister’s characters are so well-crafted. Niall, the hostage negotiator, stood out as a richly developed and pivotal figure - not just a narrative tool. And Camilla’s raw pain, confusion, and desperate need for answers made her journey incredibly compelling.

This is a first-rate thriller packed with sharp twists, authentic characters, and a haunting reminder of how one split-second decision can alter everything. Famous Last Words is another McAllister winner that I’ll be enthusiastically recommending to everyone.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin, and Gillian McAllister! All opinions are my own.

As always with a book by Gillian McAllister this is extremely well written, cleverly plotted and well researched. I was gripped from the start with the hostage situation, intrigued why a family man with no previous criminal connections would find himself embroiled in such a situation. Following on, the next seven years make for good reading and a desire to get to the bottom of the situation that never fully resolved. I liked Niall and his dogged determination to push on the investigation at the risk of losing his job. Eager to get to the end to find out the truth I did find the latter part to be very slow moving. Maybe it was just my impatience to see the outcome but I do feel that the book would have been better for being, maybe, 50-100 pages less. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to more of the same from this talented author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. My review is voluntarily given.

I’m a huge fan of Gillian McAllister and this did not disappoint. Full of twists you will be on the edge of your seat and flipping those pages at the speed of light. When a hostage situation doesn’t seem right. Things are revealed. My favourite yet!

I adored FAMOUS LAST WORDS by Gillian McAllister. Such a masterpiece of a drama centres around a siege, following the hostage negotiator and the wife of the criminal through the story and its aftermath and ultimate conclusion. A very satisfying conclusion with some great twists along the way.

Absolutely brilliant book!
I am a big fan of this author and love the writing style!
I cant wait to read more!

As a fan of Gillian McAllister’s books I was excited to get the opportunity to read an ARC of this one from NetGalley. To review without spoilers, I was surprised that the hostage incident itself concluded so early on in the book, but liked the subsequent time jumps that allowed us to check in with the characters and how the incident had continued to impact on everyone’s lives. It kept me guessing to the end. Would recommend!

Once again an absolute corker of a story! The pacing was relentless, and the suspense kept building with every chapter. The final twist was unforgettable. Loved it.

First but definitely not the last Gillian McAllister book I’ll read. This one starts with a siege and then we see things jump to 7 years further on, as Cam is learning to live without her husband, as well as hostage negotiator Niall still thinking about the case… I did spot a few things ahead of time, which I’m impressed with, as I don’t always!

It’s a gripping story that has twists and turns and all comes together beautifully at the end. Definitely recommend this one.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Yet another very enjoyable book by McAllister. It starts off at a fast pace, then lulls in the middle only to speed up in the end. The end did seemed rushed and I would have liked a bit more explanation. Still a good read.

This is another sure fire winner from the super talented Gillian McAllister and I’m in awe of just what a brilliant author she is.
The story is just so clever with lots of twists and just when I thought I got the it all figured out bang I was wrong and for me that’s what made the read so good.
Loved the characters all were believable and well written, loved the pace of the story with the reveals coming just at the right time and I just loved the read, I mean what more could you ask for….. well the next book please!!
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story of a loving husband and new father fleeing a hostage situation where 2 men are killed, told from the perspective of his distraught, grieving wife and the hostage negotiator is hugely entertaining and a fast paced read..

Skillful writing means the reader feels the anguish and confusion of the wife over the seven years following these events, and also the hope of the husband's return. Hints of a contact ramp up the tension.

The ending perhaps is a little rushed, coming to a conclusion too soon. Nevertheless, a satisfactory book and well worth attention.

Yet another winner from the marvellous Ms. McAllister! -I am in awe of all the different plots and characters she is able to come up with!
This was an interesting twist on a hostage story following what happens to the people involved afterwards, when the story is no longer newsworthy, and the characters were well portrayed.
I guessed one or two of the plot points, which is always fun in a thriller, but some definitely caught me by surprise.
Looking forward to the next one
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book