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.

Clare Mackintosh has nailed it once again with an exceptional thriller! As I read, I found myself convinced I had figured out the plot at least three times, only to be completely blindsided each time. The twists and turns were relentless, and I found myself doubting every character, never knowing who to trust. The atmosphere was charged with suspense, and the story was packed with unexpected shocks that kept me hooked from start to finish. A flawless example of a thrilling mystery!

I received an ARC of this book as a gift, and I’m so glad I did!

As a big fan of Gillian McAllister, this book didn't disappoint. I was enthralled right from the very beginning, drawn in to the life of Camilla and Luke. I couldn't put it down, desperately wanting to know what happened next.

I really liked the characters in the book, especially Camilla. Her strength to continue on with her life after the siege was admirable, despite her struggle to come to terms with what Luke was accused of. I enjoy the switching points of view between Camilla and Hostage Negotiater Niall, and how they were both searching for the truth for different reasons.

The ending tied up all the loose ends with a few jaw dropping twists thrown in. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm fairly new to Gillian McAllister but I'm quickly becoming a big fan. "Famous Last Words" doesn't disappoint. Full of twists and turns that you would expect from a good thriller and an every changing storyline as the plot slowly changes perspective as time goes on. I'm going to add McAllister to my auto-buy list.

One of my auto buy authors, super excited to grab a NetGalley copy. Great cover art. Excellent plot, great story building, and relatable characters, great overall

Cam wakes up on her first day back at work, finishing her maternity leave and going back to her beloved job as a literary agent. Still nervous about leaving baby Polly at nursery, she is glad her and husband Luke had planned to drop her off together, but he is nowhere to be found, leaving only a cryptic note. Deciding to take Polly herself and go to work, she tries to distract herself, despite the niggling worry. Then the breaking news hits...

This was fast-paced to start, the edginess done well from when Cam wakes up and Luke isn't there, with the tension building up quickly. The middle slowed and did a great job of exploring what happened, with the ending being twisty and exciting!

As Cam wakes on her first day back at work after maternity leave, she wonders where her husband Luke is.
After trying to contact him unsuccessfully, Cam takes Polly to nursery. She tries to immerse herself in work but is wondering why Luke's phone is not switched on.
All becomes apparent when Cam sees a breaking news story. There is a seige in a warehouse with hostages. Luke is not a hostage. He is the kidnapper.
To begin with, this is fast-paced and draws you straight in. Cam can not understand how Luke is involved.He is a loving husband and father. Her emotions are a rollercoaster.
The second part slows down a bit, and we hear from Niall, the hostage negotiator and Cam, seven years after the event. How their lives have been affected.
The last part ties everything up
I absolutely loved this. There are lots of dramas and a few twists. I did guess bits of it, but not enough to suss the plot.
Mcallister's writing just gets better and better. I look forward to seeing what she writes next and top this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph,Penguin, Random House for the ARC in return for an honest review.

What an amazing book! I couldn't imagine how it could possibly be resolved and am in awe of the plotting skills of Gillian McAllister.

I enjoyed every word of it and was happy to read long into the night. When I had finished it, I wanted to continue living in that world, with those characters. A triumph.

I love Gillian’s books and this was no exception. Clever, spine tingling and unexpected this story is laced with tension. I couldn’t put this book down I was totally transfixed with where the story was headed. A fantastic read.

Another brilliant psychological thriller from the consistently excellent Gillian McAllister. Camilla has been on maternity leave and is returning to work, having taken her baby to nursery for the first time. While she is busy working, news of a siege breaks and the gunman is her husband...! All is not as it seems at first and the story unfolds tantalisingly. Superb.

This is an excellent book that starts with a bang. Cam’s husband is the perpetrator in a deadly hostage situation. The novel fast forwards to seven years later, but although Cam has moved on, she’s never been able to reconcile what Luke supposedly did with the man she knew so well. As she uncovers the truth, the book twists and turns, ending in a very satisfying, exciting finale. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Gillian McAllister, the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy.

One of the reasons I really like Gillian McAllister's books is that each one is original, clever and often thought-provoking.

Famous Last Words starts off with a real shocker. Camilla and Luke are new parents to a little girl and after several months on maternity leave it's the morning Camilla is finally returned to work. She's been looking forward to getting back to her job as a literary agent and upon waking she finds that Luke is not there, but has left a strange and cryptic note.

After dropping their daughter at day care and arriving at the office, a hostage situation which is taking place locally is all over the news and then Camilla's life implodes when she finds out from the police that Luke is involved. Initially terrified for his safety, her feelings quickly change to horrified and then confused when she is told Luke is actually the gunman.

4* Not your average thriller, but not sure I buy it. Glad I read it, but could they really have ended up where they do?

This is well written and makes you think. There's a huge moral dilemma that Cam's faced with, on top of her first day back at work following mat leave. At first I thought her husband must have been looking for a way out of a maybe-going-stale marriage with his evasiveness but omg, the hostage situation was totally out of the blue. It had me thinking of Michael Douglas in Falling Down, but then the author followed through with more twists and reveals.

Parts were well done, like the message and the book at the end, but bits felt glossed over, as did the departing new love/r after Luke came back. I'm not sure I bought why Luke didn't go to the police before things came to a head, when he saw/heard what he did and 'did' what he did, but maybe human panic and frailties made him more human and provided the backbone to this tale?

I'd definitely pick up more from this author.

ARC courtesy of Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my reading pleasure.

Gripping thriller which kept me reading from the first chapter. The story unfolds with the hostage situation but is it all as it seems. Time moves on and only later does the full story start to come out with those involved unable to let go from what happened.

Great read