Such a cleaver book. Really well written. The ending 😶‍🌫️🤐🤯. Well I should say from about the last quarter. So very very good!! I'm not going to spoil anything don't worry. But great work Gillian.

If you know me, you know that Gillian McAllister is one of my favourite authors. Her newest nowel "Famous Last Words" is simply out of this world. I was so happy to receive my early copy from #NetGalley and #michaeljoseph #penguinrandomhouse couple of days after preordering copy for myself.
Back to the book - new family involved in bookish World with a baby girl. All goes well until husband takes hostages in a warehouse and kills them, then disappears... Years are passing yet the wife hopes for his return and believes his innocence. Nial - hostage negotiatior starts to believe her but how to find him and how to figure out what really happened...
This book had so many twist and turns that I kept changing my villain theory couple of times. It was beautiful and masterfully created thriller that increased my already high expectations for the genre. Gillian McAllister has done it again and this time she's managed to deliver masterpiece. 5 out of 5

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

This book captured my attention from the first few chapters and I was soon absorbed within the pages and whilst I did enjoy the story overall I did figure out the twists and I personally think more could have been done with the ending.

Having said that I liked the characters throughout and liked how Cam never gave up. For me this is more of a love story than a thriller but it was a nice change from the books I normally read and it was an enjoyable read.

4.5 rounded up

It’s the summer solstice and the first day of literary agent Cam’s return to work after a nine month maternity leave. She drops Polly off at her nursery but has a persistent niggling concern for her husband Luke. Where is he? There are vague recollections of a goodbye kiss in the early hours, she finds a cryptic odd note and in terms of text messages, it’s radio silence.
She goes to work, tries to immerse herself in tasks but the dread creeps in and builds up… It’s that note. Then she hears the sirens, catches sight of breaking news on the TV screen in the office foyer, observes police officers outside in Kevlar vests, with which her world shatters in an instant.

…..And she’s back with quite a bang! I’ve loved Gillian McAllister‘s books since I read her debut novel ‘Everything but the Truth’ and she’s produced yet another gripping tale. Her novels feel so real and authentic with characters that are so well crafted that I feel like I’m in their shoes. Cam’s unease and escalating fears are palpable, her incredulity and shock are tangible as she uncover secret after secret and has to live with the consequences. Her life and that of others implode that day and watching how that unfolds is fascinating reading. The hot and perfect summer day with bright blue skies and scorching sun are matched by the red hot tension, cliffhangers and twists and turns some of which are jaw droppers.

It’s a novel which has weird, puzzling off notes from the start, things which don’t chime, they are misdirections and on several occasions I set off down blind alleys as the author has my mind working overtime and spinning in all directions. The mystery/conspiracy deepens, there are cryptic clues to unravel and when the truth finally emerges years later, it’s one I don’t see coming.

This is a terrific suspenseful thriller. Yes, there are a couple of things that require some suspension of disbelief and the final third is not quite as strong as the first two. However, there is so much that I will take away from this book. It’s a compelling demonstration of how lives can change in an instant, of how a nightmarish scenario can have an impact for years to come, it’s reflective as the main characters ponder their mistakes, there’s obsession too but overall it’s a heartbreaking love story. There’s also the love of a child who is indeed a ray of sunshine in a dark world, thus enabling Cam to put one foot in front of the other. Now, anyone that can pull all that off in an absorbing novel deserves five stars in my opinion!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Cam and Luke have a pretty good life; they are best friends, happily married with a gorgeous 9 month old daughter Polly, both working sought-after creative jobs. They don't keep secrets from each other, supporting each other through those stressful new parent moments. On the day that Cam is returning to work as a publishing agent and Polly goes to nursery for the first time, Cam is surprised to see that Luke has left early without saying anything, just leaving a half written note.

As Cam gets on with her day, she hears breaking news of an ongoing hostage situation near to where Luke works - and is that the police coming to her desk looking for her? To her absolute disbelief, Luke is involved in the hostage situation but not a hostage, but the perpetrator. She is completely blindsided by the news, as her world swiftly moves from a place of comfort to a place where anything might happen.

Alongside Cam's perspective, we have a dual storyline told by Niall one of the negotiators, who is part of the police team trying to crack Luke's case. Niall has dedicated his life to being a hostage negotiator, sometimes at a cost to his personal life. As the hostage situation develops, he becomes more involved with the action, and the aftermath of the events spill out into his life afterwards.

I love Gillian's writing, her plots are often so complex and multilayered that I find myself dumbfounded by what I've read. I will pick up anything and everything that she's written. I loved the set up of 'Famous Last Words' and the first third was flawless. The plot had one or two convenient plot points that unfortunately jarred as too unrealistic even for me, but overall, I'd definitely recommend it and look forward to seeing what's next- we just know that it'll be nothing like we've seen before.

Camilla drops her baby off at nursery and returns to her job on her first day after maternity leave.
The police arrive to tell her that her husband has taken three hostages at gunpoint in a nearby factory. This is out of character for her husband and she can’t believe it to be true.
A slow moving thriller with a few twist and turns.
Thank you NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unputdownable!!!
This was gripping, exciting and full of twists and turns. I am a massive fan of Gillian and I think this may be her best one yet.
Cam returns to work after having baby Polly to discover a hostage situation happening with her husband at the centre. The way this is written makes you feel as though you're there. You feel all the emotions that Cam goes through and cannot help but route for Luke. I honestly did not predict where this was going which is what I love about a book.
5 fantastic stars, I'm just devastated I have finished it already

This was INCREDIBLE! I was gripped from page 1 and loved every moment of Famous Last Words. It kept me guessing until the very end and was one of those rare books I felt bereft when I finished.

The story starts with Cam’s return to work after maternity leave, and quickly moves to the siege involving her husband Luke and subsequent ‘afterlife’. The chapters are written primarily from the perspective of Cam herself and Niall, the hostage negotiator, in his pursuit of justice. The characters are brought to life by the rich descriptions, and Cam’s love of books and literary career were particularly appealing. The ending is pacey and was written in such a clever way, that the many twists and turns are tied together and there were no lingering questions.

I’ve enjoyed a number of Gillian McAllister’s books but this is a masterpiece and definitely her best yet!

Huge thank you for the ARC.

This story had me gripped right from the beginning. I loved the twists and turns and even though I worked out one of the twists, there were still plenty to keep me racing towards the end. I would highly recommend this.

I've read quite a few of the author's books over the years and this is without a doubt my favourite. Gillian's style has developed beautifully, and she has created a very rounded out story of humanity, in all its facets.

SPOILERS
The twists, when they came, took me by surprise and the ending was incredibly satisfying.
Thank you so much for the ARC, this was incredibly enjoyable.

I honestly don't know where to start with this review.
Epic, fascinating, thrilling and edge of my seat writing are just a few thoughts that went through my head as I was reading.

As per the norm, I went in excited as Gillian with out a doubt is one of my favourite authors. I really enjoyed the tense beginning and different point of views.
The twist roughly halfway is what I'd call a middling one. I guessed it a few pages before it was properly revealed but that was just the beginning as the following two twists left me wide jawed and wondering how I had missed them.

I finished this in about a day due to work commitments but definitely spent the last couple hours reading it telling people to leave me alone as I NEEDED to know what happened.

Easily the best thing I've read this year.

Officially an auto buy author for me. This is maybe the third or fourth book by them and I’ve loved them all. Plots are not believable at all but I get sucked into the atmosphere so quickly. I need to read the book as fast as I can to find out the ending.

Gillian McAllister’s Famous Last Words is an exciting thriller that had me hooked from the very start. New mother Camilla is ready to return to her career as a literary agent, leaving her infant daughter at day care for the first time. It’s June 21, the longest day of the year, a date meant for fresh starts and promises. But her husband Luke’s absence and a cryptic note change everything.

When news breaks of a hostage situation in London, Camilla’s life is sent in a tailspin. The police inform Camilla that her loving husband Luke is the one holding the gun. The story is full of suspense as Camilla comes to terms with her terror and disbelief to what is happening. What has turned her supportive husband into a criminal.

This is a very enjoyable read that I struggled to put down reading most of it in one sitting.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

New mother Camilla’s world is turned upside down on her first day back to work after maternity leave. She gets up to a mysterious note from her husband Luke who is nowhere to be seen. This is the beginning of the day from hell when she finds out her husband has taken 3 hostages and has a gun. From this moment her who world spirals and what follows changes her life forever.

This book was fantastic and I was addicted from the first page. It was written from the perceptive of Camilla and also Niall the hostage negotiator who I had a soft spot for.

It was fast paced , full of twists and turns and every time I thought I knew what was going to happen it took the reader in a different direction. I recommend this brilliant book 100 percent it was fantastic

Thank to NetGalley, Gillian McAllister and Michael Joseph , Penguin Random House for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Gillian McAllister does it again with this incredible thriller! As usual with this author, nothing is as it seems and you better stay on your toes when flying through this book!

Very well written book. Some interesting twists and turns. I enjoyed this but not as much as the last one I read by this author ‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time’ which was excellent.
Still a really good story with good characters and a clever conclusion. Recommended.

I really should know better than to pick up a Gillian McAllister book in the evening. I couldn’t put this one down and was up until the wee hours feverishly turning the pages.

Such a clever book with smart twists that have become Gillian’s trademark. I also really liked the character of Cam and loved the snippets of the publishing world we see through her job as a literary agent.

Famous Last Words is tightly plotted and well paced. Another cracker from a master

Huge thanks to Michael Joseph & Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy

What an absolutely brilliant read .Full of twists and turns a real roller coaster of a ride .Cam's first day back at work after maternity leave and Luke disappears ,then the Police come knocking to tell her Luke is holding 3 people hostage in an old warehouse ,Cam can hardly believe it ,from then on everything spirals and is never the same as Luke kills two hostages and goes on the run for 7 years .I was trying to guess what Luke's involvement was ,the story was so clever but finally everything fell into place with an excellent ending .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

WOW WOW I know Gillian Mcallister always delivers but this one is exceptional.
The storyline is unique to anything I’ve read in along time.The tension begins from the very first pages and leads us into a maze of WHO,WHAT and IFS leaving you thinking what would you do in Cams situation.
Each chapter is suspenseful and gives you just what you want from a thriller and makes it a next chapter must read. The reveal was unique which I’ve come to expect from the author.
Leaves you thinking well after the last page.
Highly Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph,Penguin Random House for the Arc

Famous Last Words is hands down my favourite book of 2024 so far. The storyline is ridiculously gripping. I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and even days after I've finished reading, I'm still thinking about them and questioning what I would have done in their shoes.

For me, what makes Gillian not just a good author, but an outstanding one, is her ability to not only produce an addictive thriller, but an addictive thriller that always has a relatable love story or lesson in human nature at the heart.

A must-read, you'll struggle to find better.