When I first read Gillian McAllister’s debut, I was captivated by its eloquence and the precision with which it portrayed the journey of two culpable souls. It was proof that a compelling narrative doesn’t need twists for the sake of twists; it needs emotional depth, rich character arcs, and a story that feels profoundly human. I was left thinking, “If this is her debut, what brilliance awaits in her future work?”

Now, having read her latest novel, Famous Last Words, I can confidently say McAllister has not only met those expectations but surpassed them. Once again, she demonstrates her exceptional ability to delve into the raw, emotional, and tangible experiences of her characters. Camilla’s journey is heart-wrenching yet beautifully rendered, and Luke’s tragic complexity is both gripping and devastating.

While the plot—a hostage situation with personal stakes—delivers the kind of clever intrigue McAllister is known for, the heart of this novel lies in its emotional core. The pain, joy, and love explored throughout the book feel so visceral that you can’t help but be immersed in the story. It’s not just about the twists (although those are expertly done); it’s about what those twists mean for the characters and the reader’s empathy for their struggles.

McAllister’s writing remains superb, her pacing deliberate and unrelenting. What’s remarkable is how she retains her knack for portraying characters with precision and humanity, a skill evident from her debut but now honed to perfection.

This is a novel that asks, “What would you do?” in the most gut-wrenching way, and it leaves you questioning your own choices long after the final page. It’s further proof that Gillian McAllister is at the top of her game—a must-read for fans old and new.

Thank You NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a Review Copy

the start of this stressed me out so much i almost stopped reading but im glad i continued! really interesting premise, the writing and the tone of it had me so stressed and kept putting myself in my position. it kind of unravelled/lost momentum about halfway in but i enjoyed the twists and turns

This book was good, although it just didn’t hit the same spot as the previous books that I have read by the author. The firm favourite is “the evidence against you”. Whilst it was an overall great read, I feel like the book lacked a “breathtaking” twist that the author usually delivers. I was intrigued what the story behind Luke doing what he has done was. I like the way it all pieced together. I do think that this book will be an absolute bestseller and for many will be the book of their month. For me, I just needed a little more “wow” factor.

The negotiator and armed police are in place, a siege underway. In a Bermondsey warehouse the gunman has three hostages and his weapon moves from one to the other. Brought to the scene his wife Camilla has no idea what's going on, why her husband Luke is there and what he's doing with a gun in his hand.

The armed police are keen to enter, the negotiator, DCI Niall Thompson is holding them back, he's got it under control, then suddenly he hasn't, two dead hostages and the gunman escaped out of a hidden service door.

Seven years later Camilla still sees husband Luke everywhere, she yearns for answers and closure, a phone call, a message, anything to tell her that he's still out there somewhere and he misses her and daughter Polly. She's not the only person who can't move on, police negotiator Niall can't believe he got it so wrong. Case unsolved he's still keeping tabs on it hoping for a breakthrough.

A clever and engaging thriller. The explosive start, dual narrative and complex storyline with several twists made this a compelling read. Definitely recommended

A fast paced, whirlwind of a thriller. Cam wakes up on her last day of maternity leave, to take Polly to daycare and finds that her husband Luke is missing. But not for long when she gets the shock of her life when the Police come knocking...

The depth of this story is incredible, the detail in order to keep the book suspenceful to a big blow of an ending, kept my mind ticking. A THRILLING story about love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC!

4.5 Stars

Another heart-pounding thriller that I raced through, eager to know the truth about the husband who's wanted for murder.

The writing is brilliant and I was swept up in the characters and storyline. My only gripe is that I didn't feel Niall brought much to the story and the ending reveal fell slightly flat after so much build up.

But all in all, thoroughly enjoyed those book!

4.5 ☆

『 plot 』
camilia is starting back at work properly, after maternity leave, her daughter is 9 months old and is starting nursery, she’s nervous about it all, but normal nerves. however, her husband is nowhere to be seen, his not his phone and she’s getting worried. she gets her daughter off to nursery and takes herself to work, she can’t shake the feeling that something is seriously wrong, and then there’s breaking news on the tv, a man has held 3 hostages up in a warehouse, police come to visit her at work and start asking questions about her husband, her husband who is now the man that has taken 3 hostages, he’s the gunman.


『 my thoughts 』
as far as thrillers go, this was an excellent one for me, i absolutely loved it and devoured it in one sitting. the story is told through the POV of camillia, the hostage negotiator niall and snippets of an anonymous person/s and it was done so so well. the writing style, the unanswered questions, the how, the why, the twists, the different POV, everything, just kept me so engaged throughout the whole book. camilla’s POV had you rooting for her husband, it had you wanting to believe he was a good person. niall’s POV was similar in the beginning, and then later, he’s so unsure of himself and second guessing his gut instinct. loved every page of this book!

I have been a big fan of Gillian McAllister books for years, so this was one of my most anticipated reads this year. Reading this one, I couldn't help but think that her writing style is just a cut above most thriller authors, and her world-building is second to none in my opinion.

Sieges and gunmen are not usually something I would find interesting to read about, but I love the 'ordinary person in an extraordinary situation' trope, so I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did. Was it my favourite of Gillian's plots? No, but the excellent writing and multi-faceted characters kept me invested. I particularly liked hostage negotiator Niall, and found myself really caring how things ended up for him.

In terms of negatives, I did find the plot a bit slow-going in the middle section, and whilst there were lots of little twists throughout, I felt that I was waiting for a shocking, heart-stopping twist which never quite came.

Overall this was a really well-written book, and whilst I will continue to recommend some of Gillian's other titles over this one, I would absolutely still suggest that fans of her work read this one.

Cam, Polly and Luke. A perfect little nuclear family, a toddler about to start the crèche as Camilla goes back to work after nine months on maternity leave. Luke was up and had gone out before she even woke, it seemed like an ordinary day, but it’ certainly wasn’t.
A devastating hostage situation, a shooting and Luke has disappeared, leaving no explanation of his involvement with the hostages, with the shooting, with whatever is going on.

This is one of the most compelling books I have read in a long time and I would like to thank the publishers for sending me this book as an arc prior to publication and exchange for an honest review #NetGalley

An absolutely brilliant page turner

I have read and enjoyed all of Gillian McAllister's books, so was excited to read this new one. It certainly didn't disappoint! Camilla is happily married to Luke and they have a baby daughter. Camilla has recently been concerned that Luke has not been himself, but, as she is just returning to work after maternity leave, she has more important things on her mind. So when the police arrive at her office and tell her that Luke is caught up in a hostage situation she is horrified to be told that he is the gunman. What follows is a real roller coaster of a read. What possessed Luke and where did he go after he escaped the scene? 7 years on the story continues.....
Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

There is not one of Gillian’s books that I have not read, and I have loved every single one of them. I don’t even care what they are about, I just buy them and know that I will absolutely adore them. It feels like each book just gets better and better, which is pretty crazy, but very true. Each one you read you think it can't possibly be topped, and then she goes and does it again.

I was absolutely thrilled to be given the chance to get my hands on an advanced copy of this, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, except to say this story is based around a hostage situation. It is very very exciting, unbelievably clever, and I was immediately sucked in from the very first page. I struggled to put it down and found myself getting annoyed when I had to. I read this in two nights and now have a massive book hangover. No matter what I read next, it just won’t be as good, even remotely. Unless I go back and re-read one of her previous books.

If I could give this book ten stars I would, and I will be buying a physical copy for my bookshelf. I cannot wait to read whatever comes next.

Huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where to start? This title literally set my pulse racing. I was engaged with the central character and invested in her story. Equally, I wanted to know what secrets her husband was hiding and why. Gillian McAllister is skilled at creating tension. The hostage situation is so authentic and I raced through the book, packed with unexpected twists and all in all, a totally satisfying domestic thriller. Simply brilliant.

Very suspenseful thriller. A woman returns to work after maternity leave and drops her child off at child care for the first time. A seige in London becomes very frightening. A real page turner from the start. Gripping.

Another brilliant book by Gillian McAllister. Suspenseful from the start it had me gripped. I expected something different and certainly got it. The story is complex and compelling. I had great difficulty putting it down. I'm not going to give a synopsis as I don't want to give anything away. I'll just say whether you are already a Gillian McAllister fan or not if you like a good thriller give this one a go. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Another great thriller from Gillian McAllister with more than a few twists and turns to keep you guessing. A hostage situation that that’s not quite all that it seems unexpectedly separates Cam from husband Luke, turning her life upside down. Niall, the hostage negotiator, is caught up in the fall out, and determined to get to the bottom of what happened, while burying his head in the proverbial sand when it comes to his own personal life.
Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for the chance to read an ARC.

I absolutely adore Gillian's books, she is one of my go to authors always, and so I felt hugely privileged to receive an ARC of this book!

The story begins with Camilla's first day back at the publishers where she works after maternity leave, having first dropped her daughter at nursery. But then some shocking news filters through....there's a hostage situation developing and Luke, her husband, is involved. This is shocking enough, but when Camilla discovers he isn't a hostage but the instigator, her whole world is thrown into turmoil forever....

Where to start with this one?! I instantly loved it and felt hooked straight away. Gillian has such a clever way of making the characters feel real, thus ensuring you care about them, and she does this here in spades.

The whole hostage situation felt incredibly true and is clearly tantamount to the amount of research that must have gone into this book to reach this level of authenticity.

The pace is quick ensuring you always want to know more. Not only is the plot intense and gripping, Gillian's prose is real and powerful.

Another stunning book from the "Queen of the what would you do thriller", it of course comes highly recommended!

Thanks to author Gillian McAllister, publishers Michael Joseph Penguin Random House and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this interesting mystery. I loved the concept and didn't see some of the twists coming. I found the middle quite slow but the story picked up again the last third.

Would recommend if you're a can of this author

An ingenious premise for a book - what do you do when your husband has taken two people hostage? Told through multiple PoVs we find out what the messy aftermath is for Camilla, her daughter Polly, and the hostage negotiator.

The majority of the book is actually after the siege, which was super interesting as I didn’t expect it. Lost a star because I did work out a few of the twists way ahead of time. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s one of those you can’t put down once you start and I very much encourage thriller fans to pick this one up!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Synopsis —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 it might hold . . .

My thoughts ….. what a rollercoaster of a ride !
Who’s truthful who’s not ?
Camilla was an excellent character and you completely invested in her plight! Written perfectly, of who, what, where and how!

I am not putting too much on here as I want you to read it without spoilers ! This is a great read preorder it’s coming January !!!!!!

Camilla is returning to her publisher’s job after the birth of her first baby who is starting nursery that day. Her husband Luke, a writer (ghostwriter) is nowhere to be found. She carries on, a bit disappointed he isn’t wishing them luck with their new beginnings, but determined to get back to the job she loves. However, things do not turn out as planned.

A hostage situation develops in London and the police arrive at Cam’s workplace. The beginning of this book is superb; exciting, fast-paced and unexpected. However, the book then jumps to 7 years later and it all slows down rather a lot: How Camilla is living, the hostage negotiator, the police charged with trying to find out anything about the case… It picks up towards the end and there’s lots of twists. Some of the story is unbelievable (just don’t ask yourself “and how are you going to evidence that, to be believed”???! at the end). But ignoring this and more, read along for the ride. It’s very entertaining.