Really good. Great premise. Had me hooked very early on. Full of intrigue amd clever twists amd turns. Definitely one to read!

I really enjoy this author's work and was delighted to receive this as an arc to review. I really felt for Camilla who was returning to work after maternity leave. The day she returns to work, her usually supportive husband Luke disappears. I could sense Camilla's growing feeling of fear throughout the day. The siege situation comes right out of the blue and no-one can believe Luke is responsible.
Very cleverly written I really enjoyed this book.

Gillian McAllister has done it again! Famous Last Words has it all — a pacy plot, twisty twists, a compelling and real voice in Camilla, a love story and heart pounding suspense-filled moments. Main character — and literary agent — Cam often makes reference to becoming lost in the world of the book she is reading so that the real world no longer exists and that’s exactly what Famous Last Words has achieved. I raced through it in a couple of days. Another winner from this author!!

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

You will know from my previous reviews I’m a huge fan of Gillian McAllisters books, no one writes plot twists quite like her and her upcoming book Famous Last Words doesn’t disappoint.
The book if full of plot twists and need to find out more moments which makes it very hard to put the book down!
Not coming out until January 2025 it’s very hard not to give spoilers away but I loved the way it was written between Cam and Niall and the way it was written just had you feel connected to both characters and on the edge of your chair. So as not to give anything away here is the book synopsis and I hope you all give it a read on 30 January 2025 when it’s published.
Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this amazing book early.

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 . . .

This one I have to admit was a bit of an enigma for me. It is almost a book of two halves and two mini stories.
It starts out really well with the plot that a gunman is holding hostages at a warehouse in London. Then the main person in this book, Camilla discovers that the gunman turns out to be her normally placid husband which is a shock in itself but then it develops. Camilla gets the police arriving to interview her as it's a hostage situation and what does she know? Then she is dragged down there to possibly help with talking down her hubby. They hear gunshots and there are two hostages killed and so the police storm the building.....
All good so far and a great start that captivates you and gets you reading wanting to know what is going to happen but all that for me changes in the second part.

When they storm the building it appears that the gunman, said husband, has vanished but where. They look but can't find and they we cut to 7 years later. Camila is trying to move on with a new boyfriend and their daughter is older and at school but how far can you move on from being the wife of a murderer. Also the hostage negotiator from the warehouse situation believes hubby is still alive and wants to find him so they are watching and surveilling Camilla for hopefully contact from him. Even though it has been all quiet and nothing from the missing husband.

Spoiler Alert: I fully expect the second part to be more of a edge of your seat, where is the guy? and tracking him down etc. and certainly more of a page turner than it was. Instead we get a much slower pace mainly around Camilla and it peters to a love story kind of ending that makes you think what a load of rubbish. Seven years to discover what they should have, in fact could have, discovered 7 years before. A complete let down and waste.

While Camilla does get a text which could be from hubby that gets the ball rolling a bit the story for me just is not the pace of the first part. Is too slow and concentrates too much on Camilla rather than the hunt for missing murderer and husband. To make matters worse the ending is poor for me and dragged along to the end for that ruined the book for me and dropped it from being a really good and possible 5 star read to just a 3 and then only because of the start. If the second part was all the book I'd say it was in the wrong genre and it would have got a 1 or 2 stars at best.

What an amazing rollercoaster of a read!

Cam is a literary agent, returning to work for the first time after maternity leave. When she gets up, though, her husband Luke is nowhere to be seen and she hears nothing until she discovers there is a siege taking place nearby and Luke is the hostage taker. Also on the scene is Niall, a negotiator with the police, and the book from there on tells the story of both of them through the siege and over the following years.

Once I began this, I just couldn’t put it down. The writing is superb, not only with the plot that twists and turns all over the place, but also with the effect the situation is having on these two different people. We really get a look beyond the surface story at their lives, their personalities and their reactions and all of it is believable, which is very often not the case in this kind of book.
This is the first book I’ve read from this author but it certainly won’t be the last.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This author is so consistent in writing cracking books, you cant help but get excited when a new release lands on your kindle. This book was no exception and I cant praise it highly enough.
If you want action, mystery and danger then seriously... read it. It has each in spades!
Can it get more thrilling than opening with an armed siege? I didn't think so.. but then we have that gorgeous tension throughout the unravelling of the characters lives, the creeping danger and the threats to characters, that are so realistic and beautifully formed, we really become invested in their safety and the outcome.
As always, what you see is absolutely not what you get. I have quickly learned Gillian McAllister is the absolute queen of a curve ball and I'm truly grateful for the clever mind that produces these books for us to devour!
I'm already anticipating the next release, although how she will match this, I don't quite know.. it was an absolute belter!

I've read and enjoyed almost all of Gillian McAllister’s novels now and I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this one. From the beginning, I knew I was in for a wild ride, as Famous Last Words begins with one of the most tense opening sections I have ever read, and never truly let's go. My heart rate was racing from the first page to the last.

Famous Last Words is mostly narrated by Cam, a literary agent, and Niall, a negotiatior with the police. I loved the way that this allowed the reader to see quite deeply into both their lives. In these protagonists, Gillian McAllister has created two characters for whom I had sympathy and I hoped they would find the answers they needed as the story progressed. I love the way the author uses vocabulary that pinpoints the character's emotions so precisely that it is impossible not to feel the emotional connection with them.

It's quite difficult to say a lot about the plot without spoilers, but once again, I am in awe of Gillian McAllister’s ability to conceive and execute such complex and intriguing plots. The idea for Famous Last Words is incredibly clever and I loved the way it all comes together and the journey to get there. As you would expect, it is full of twists, and I found some of them literally jaw dropping.

I can't wait to see what the author does next!

Another great thriller from Gillian McAllister, though this time quite an unusual one based around a London siege. The story is told from the perspective of the wife of one of the protagonists, and becomes more involved as details about the background and the crime are revealed. An absorbing and surprising read which has a cracking pace and never fails to grip the reader.

Like each of Gillian McAllister's books that I have read previously, this is a satisfyingly deep psychological thriller. There are plenty of books I've read about wives who are shocked by their husband committing unspeakable crimes without them having any idea - the plot isn't unusual, but it still feels like a story I haven't read before because of the way it's woven in with well rounded characters with history and relationships with other characters, and baggage. I also liked that the story was split between the perspective of the investigating police officer and the perpetrator's wife. The book has emotional weight to go along with the drama of uncovering what happened on the day of the siege, and it's satisfying for the reader that they can probably work out for themselves what happened as the story goes along since it all pieces together nicely with no suspension of disbelief required, and leaves the reader to think "of course!" rather than "wow I never could've seen that coming". It was a really good read, highly recommended.

Absolutely devoured this. I like this writer and I’d recommend all of her books. I liked the characters which is unusual as I find writers sometimes try too hard to make their ‘good’ characters too good which never works. This had a level of realism and I was rooting for them all. Great ending. Great author. Another string 5/5.

Absolutely brilliant! Another 5 star hit from Gillian McAllister. Packed full of suspense, I read this in 24 hours I just couldn’t put it down!!

This is a gripping thriller and I read this very quickly. I think fabs of the author will love this one! Full of little twists and turns through out and well written.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc.

The best thriller I have read this year!
Raced through this book in one sitting, was hooked from page one.
A must read.

An intense, twisty thriller that kept me hooked right from the start. The story follows Cam, a new mother, whose life is turned upside down when her husband, Luke, is revealed to be at the center of a hostage situation. As Cam tries to understand why, we’re taken through multiple perspectives and timelines.

This is both a suspenseful thriller and an emotional story, with unexpected twists that had me guessing right until the end.

This one is the perfect choice for lovers of psychological thrillers.

I’ve been wracking my brain over how to avoid spoilers in this review, and II found the perfect line on Goodreads: “I wrote this book. I hope you enjoy it, a love story set in a hostage situation.” Leave it to Gillian McAllister to sum it up so perfectly!

This book truly is a love story within a thriller - a suspenseful narrative with plenty of action and mystery, yet deeply rooted in complex, fractured relationships. And for someone who isn’t typically drawn to romance, rest assured: this is a touching story, executed beautifully and still packed full of thrilling elements and suspense.

The story unfolds across four acts and is told from three perspectives - Cam, Niall, and a mysterious third narrator. We meet Camilla, or “Cam” for short, who is happily married, recently welcomed her first child, and is eager to return to her job as a literary agent after maternity leave. Her husband, Luke, is a ghostwriter: charming, loving, and a devoted father. So, when Luke vanishes one morning, it feels all the more out of character. Cam finds a note, with “If anything” struck out on one side, and on the other: “It’s been so lovely with you both. Lx.” He isn’t answering his phone and his WhatsApp shows his last seen online time as 05:10.

Unable to reach him, Cam drops her daughter at nursery and heads to work - where a breaking news broadcast reveals three people are being held hostage. And Luke is the one holding them.

From here, the twists and turns come thick and fast. Why has Luke taken hostages and who are they? I loved how everything in the book is meaningful, with details that circle back. So you really can guess along as you read. Crime fiction fans will appreciate the clever nods to the genre woven through Cam’s profession as a literary agent, too!

Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the ARC.

Gripping from beginning to end A real page turner. Gillian McAllister has the ability to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Enough twists to be entertaining but not so many that it became implausible Loved it.

‘Wrong Place Wrong Time’ was one of my favourite books that I read last year so when I was accepted for an ARC on NetGalley I was very happy.

We start the book with Camilla who is returning to work after her maternity leave. She is nervous to leave her daughter at nursery for the day and is surprised her husband Luke is not there for the occasion. All she finds is a scribbled note that he left for her.

Once arriving at work, breaking news is released on a hostage situation that is happening in London and much to Camilla’s surprise she finds out her husband Luke is involved.

Camilla has to work out if the note he left gives any clues and try to understand what has happened to the husband she thought she knew so well.

This was a great book! It was told through 4 Acts and spanned across multiple years. There were 3 POVs Camilla, Niall (the hostage negotiator) and an Anonymous character. There were many twists in the book and it really kept you guessing right until the end.

I raced through this book and definitely recommend it to thriller fans when it is released on 30 January 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy.

This is a really great and well written story as I have come to expect from this author. This story weaves a very clever tale as you are not sure what to believe from beginning to end but believe it you will! The main characters are all really well written and relatable, especially Cam the introvert bookworm! This is a psychological thriller but it is also a very compelling and heartwarming story. Definitely a recommended read.

I am really sorry to say I just didn't enjoy this book. The characters didn't resonate with me and I didn't feel very connected .Hopefully other readers will enjoy it more.