This was an excellent page turner ; returning Gillian McAllister to the top of the ladder of British psychological thriller writers. From the electric opening chapters, this book has me hooked from the start and managed to maintain the fast pace throughout. Despite the outlandish situation the main character finds herself in, this felt realistic from the emotions captured to the police procedural elements. The was one element that relied on a coincidence or lucky break, which for me, was the only small flaw in a wonderfully woven tale of terror, secrets and hope.
Recommend.
4 stars

Camilla Deschamps is flustered, she's returning to work following maternity leave. The note left by her husband Luke before he left the house is unusual but not enough to worry her until she receives a visit from the police informing her that Luke is involved in a hostage situation.

I only discovered author Gillian McAllister a couple of years ago when it seemed like everyone was talking about Wrong Place Wrong Time. I loved the book and the author's following novel, Just Another Missing Person. When the chance to read and review Famous Last Words came up I leapt at the chance, knowing I wouldn't be disappointed.

What follows is probably one of my shortest-ever reviews because I don't want to spoil anything for the reader. It's clear from the outset that Cam and Luke have a happy marriage, so when Luke holds hostages at gunpoint in a warehouse Cam is filled with disbelief. I felt every emotion as Cam tried to understand her husband's motivation. What would possess a quiet and unassuming writer to turn violent?

The hostage situation becomes a watershed moment for Cam, splitting her life into before and after. Still unable to comprehend what had driven her husband to commit such a terrible crime she decides to investigate, tracking what her husband was doing in the days before the incident and discovers that he was keeping secrets. You can also feel the turmoil she suffers as she has to continue living her life and protecting her daughter from the knowledge of what her father did.

The reasons behind the crime are slowly revealed, but that doesn't mean the storyline is slow, the way in which the author has broken the story in to sections makes for a pacey read. Revelations are impossible to guess as twist after twist is uncovered.

3.5. This author has been receiving a lot of buzz lately and so I was intrigued to pick up her latest book having never read from her before. The speed in which I flew through this one is definitely a positive sign as I’ve not done that in a while! You are dropped right into the drama straight away and I was immediately hooked. The first part involving the siege and the second part 7 years later I thought were done really well with the alternating views of Cam and Niall. The reason this isn’t a 4/5 is that when we come to find out the reasons behind how Luke found himself entangled in this whole situation I wasn’t really convinced by the plot and it didn’t have enough shock/oomph that I had hoped for so the ending was a bit of a let down. Having said that, I really enjoyed this authors writing and would definitely like to pick up some more of her books.

Loved this! From the shocking events which happen near the beginning, I was totally hooked on the story of Cam and her husband, Luke. Set in London, this seemingly average family are about to have their worlds blown apart when they become involved in a hostage situation. The events which follow over the next 7 years kept me guessing and wondering right to the very end. Highly recommended!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

It’s Cams first day back at work after her maternity leave. She drops her daughter Polly off at nursery nervously wondering where her husband Luke has gone. He left really early that morning and left her a mysterious note. As she settles into work she soon finds out that Luke is involved in a hostage situation and that he’s the gunman!

I liked the way in which this story was written, little snippets of information in the chapters which all led up to the ending really well. The characters were well developed, I didn’t like Libby much but think that’s down to what she’s been through and was trying to still achieve.

It was a good storyline, I liked reading it but felt that this book lacked something for me which didn’t have me turning the pages as quickly as I’d hoped to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A superb, clever, creative and entertaining read. Loved the book from start to finish.

The book has three main characters in Cam, Luke and Niall. I am certain that each of them could be placed in a series of their own!

The plot was sensational and complex but as each thread developed everything came together rather neatly.

The ending was satisfying but for some strange reason I felt sad.

A book that I can whole heartedly recommend to others..

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Another well-written thriller that will keep readers guessing to the end. I love how Gillian puts her characters in impossible situations and gives us insights into the policing world at the same time.

A new Gillian McAllister novel is always such a treat, and this, her latest offering, especially so. Expect believable, realistically-drawn characters with emotional depth, an extraordinary storyline woven against an ordinary contemporary background, and perfectly captures dialogues, and you have a good idea of what Famous Last Words will offer.

The main characters this time are new mum parents Camilla and Luke as well as trained hostage negotiator Niall. On the longest day of the year – 21st June – in Bermondsey (South London), Camilla is just about to return to work as a literary agent when she hears that her husband – her kind, funny, ordinary husband – has catapulted himself into the national spotlight as a crazed hostage taker. What double life has he been leading? And what will happen when Camilla and Niall try to talk her husband into surrendering? With this intricately plotted novel that shows how quickly treasured ordinariness can tip over into chaotic disorder, Gillian McAllister confirms her place at the forefront of contemporary British thrillers once more. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for letting me have an ARC that allowed me to read this amazing addition to the psychological thriller scene.

Wow! Another page turner from Gillian McAllister, if you are a fan of this author you will not be disappointed
A very clever plot. I was hooked from page one.
Camilla (Cam) has the dream job, she reads novels for a living, she loves to open a new book and escape into the story.
It’s her first day back at work from maternity leave, she drops baby Polly off at day care, she is wanting some encouragement from her husband Luke but he isn’t answering her calls or responding to her text messages, which is odd, Cam is unprepared for the events which are about to unfold.
A breaking news flash, a hostage situation, 3 hostages being held at gun point in a warehouse, two men and one woman. Cam’s mind goes into overdrive, is Luke one of the hostages? The situation is worse than Cam thought, Luke is the one holding the hostages!
The story is fast paced, action packed and full of tension and suspense. It is told from two points of view, Cam and the hostage negotiator, Niall. Each chapter is left on a cliff hanger encouraging the reader to devour another chapter.
The story is cleverly woven together, the outcome of the siege, life afterwards for Cam and her young daughter Polly, The effect the seize had on Niall the hostage negotiator and what happened to Luke, is he still alive or is he dead?
An outstanding 5 star read.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Michael Joseph & Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Another great crime novel by Gillian McAllister! It’s smart and thrilling, with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists. I really enjoyed reading this.
Thank you Penguin and Netgalley for the ARC.

Another 5* read from Gillian McAllister. I was gripped from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. Believable characters and an intriguing report with lots of twists and turns. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Netgalley.

Once again Gillian McAllister delivers an amazing book!! I have read all of her previous books and loved them, and this was certainly no exception. I read it in 2 days! Definitely recommend

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ just 4 stars. Mainly because I did really enjoy the book until the end which seemed so implausible and rushed.

The characters of Niall and Libby were not really necessary and Niall’s bits I felt added nothing to the story.

I am a big fan of Gillian McAllister’s books - her unique premises and twisty, gripping plots are always a joy to read. This is why I chose Famous Last Words as my first read of 2025.

Camilla has just started back to work after maternity leave, when breaking news comes on the television – a hostage situation is taking place in a nearby warehouse. But when police contact her that her husband is the gunman, not one of the victims, her whole life is turned upside-down.

I was expecting the majority of this book to be about the hostage situation – we even have split point of view between Camilla and Niall – the hostage negotiator. However, this is only a small percentage of the start of the book before we move forward in time by 7 years. I was actually a little disappointed at this, as the start of the book was so fast-paced and gripping, but the pace really slows down when we jump into the future.

I love the premise of this book – the idea that your husband might not be who he says he is and the doubt sown from that, added to a stereotypical crime trope being turned on its head was really clever. However, the latter half of the plot became too bogged down with the love story between Camilla and Luke and I didn’t understand how she could still love and defend a man that threw everything away, including being there for his very young child and did it all on the most stressful day of her year as she was trying to get back to her career. This made it quite hard to feel empathy with her throughout as I was just wanting her to put her husband behind her and move on! As a fellow introvert, I enjoyed the representation in main character Camilla, but it did feel a little too overstated by the end.

I did think that the conclusion and explanation to the events was a little convoluted and unrealistic as well which was a shame. The finale chapters tied both points of view together a bit too well to feel genuine, and I felt like I still had quite a few questions regarding some plot holes.

Overall, although I love Gillian McAllister’s writing and am excited to read her next book, this one fell flat for me, sadly. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stunning! I know that Gillian McAllister will never let us down, but this one is next level brilliant!

Camilla and Luke, with their young baby, face the normal struggles of new parents with very little sleep, but are otherwise very happy and supportive of each other. On Cam’s first day back at work after maternity leave, Luke becomes involved in a hostage situation and Cam’s whole world falls apart.

The story focuses on Cam, the hostage negotiator, Niall, and an unknown person who is watching Cam. As time passes, Cam can never truly let go of Luke’s memory. There is so much more about the hostage case that makes it so brilliant, and the whole plot is fabulous, but I’m not going to say anymore, you just need to read it and thank me later!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Gillian McAllister and Michael Joseph, Penguin for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Yet another wonderful book!

Gillian McAllister really is one of the very few authors who actually manages to keep you guessing the whole time. I was literally 3/4 of the way through this book and I still had absolutely no idea what was happening. I really find that amazing.
Once again the characters were strong and likeable and I felt myself really caring about them. The plot was believable and full of suspense and the pace was perfect.

Every time I read one of this author’s books I think how can she write anything as good as this? But she never fails to deliver and I think that’s remarkable.
100% my favourite author… I cannot wait for the next one!

I loved this book and as an avid fan of Gillian McAllister I think that this is her best yet. The story begins straight away and all the way through I felt very sorry for Camilla , she had so much strength of character. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing what was really going to happen but all unresolved issues were closed up nicely at the end. This was a book that I did not want to put down at all. The hostage situation was so well documented that I could really feel the emotions of all those involved.

I really enjoyed reading this one. I loved the love and loyalty shown. It kept me guessing throughout, and although I think it was fairly obvious he wasn’t entirely guilty, I just couldn’t figure out how.

Honestly amazing.

I feel like this is Gillian McAllisters best work and i have read most of her titles. It was intriguing and thought provocating, suprisingly i did not guess any of the spoilers through out.

Camilla Deschamps is returning to her work in publishing after maternity leave. It’s her first day and she’s understandably nervous. She’s bothered by the lack of contact from her husband, Luke, who appears to have headed out to work early, leaving a half-written note. Minor irritation at his lack of support for her becomes more apparent as he fails to reply to her texts and his phone goes to voicemail. When the police arrive early in her working day Camilla is not prepared for the news that her husband has been caught up in a hostage situation, and he is the one who has taken people hostage.
A situation that you could not even begin to process, and our focus then shifts to that of Niall, the negotiator tasked with trying to establish communication with Luke. We learn that one of the hostages is the wife of a high-ranking officer but nobody can work out the identity of the other hostages.
The first part of the book depicts the drama involved in the hostage situation. Things do not go to plan, two of the hostages are shot and Luke escapes. For such a high profile case it seems odd that this is over so abruptly. I wondered where this was going and what we were meant to be thinking.
Moving on in time to seven years after the shootings we catch up with Camilla and see how her life has changed. In some ways she’s moved on; in others, not so much. Unbeknown to her, the Met are monitoring her contacts and carrying out surveillance, convinced her husband is in contact with her. She has learnt to be a single parent and is back in work. Her sister is encouraging her to move on, let Luke go and start anew. She’s considering moving home and how to broach the subject with her daughter of who her father was.
This was interesting and yet I felt as if we were waiting to get to the point of the story. Something felt amiss and I couldn’t put my finger on why, but as the story continues we start to get our answers.
Nothing is as it seems, and there is a definite moment when we start to see how elements of the various timelines/strands link. It’s hard to appreciate this until we get to the end and realise just what has been taking place.
Thanks to the author for another hit and to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.