Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a suspenseful, thriller/mystery that had me hooked from page one. I hated to put it down and finished it within two days. I had heard about it from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s substack, a great place to go for book, TV, and movie recommendations. This story involves hostages, murder and the joy of reading, and involves very interesting main characters who struggle with the aftermath of a traumatic event.
Camilla is a book editor who loves her job. There’s nothing better than getting lost in a story and leaving the world behind. She is a bit of a homebody/introvert, unlike her charming husband Luke. He is more of a social butterfly and enjoys going out and engaging with people. Nonetheless, they have a great marriage and complement each other beautifully. Camilla is coming off her maternity leave, and the novel opens with her first day back at her job. Camilla is, unsurprisingly, a bit nervous and stressed because she will have to take 9 month old Polly to day care. But she is very much looking forward to returning to her job and co-workers. Strangely, on that morning, Luke is gone early and, despite Camilla’s texts and phone messages, does not check in with her. Shortly after arriving at work, a news story breaks about a hostage situation at a warehouse in London, and CCTV footage shows a man brandishing a gun at 3 hooded hostages — a man who looks a lot like Luke. The police arrive shortly thereafter and Camilla’s worst fears are confirmed; Luke has taken hostages. Part I of the novel follows the events of that day and introduces other important characters, including the hostage negotiator Niall, whose marriage and professional career are on the line, and Camilla’s older sister Libby, who has struggled to get pregnant and whose support Camilla and Poppy will need to get though this traumatic event and its aftermath. The narrative point of view for the novel shifts mainly between Camilla and Niall, but also includes reports from an unknown actor whose intentions are unclear.
Part II takes place 7 years after the hostage situation, and this is where the real mystery solving happens. I hesitate to discuss much about it because I don’t want to spoil this novel for anyone who wants to pick it up, and I highly recommend that you do. It’s beautifully written and deals with grief, particularly over broken relationships. There are also some very tense, spine tingling scenes with shadowy characters following Camilla for reasons that only become clear as the danger gets nearer. I also very much enjoyed the way Gillian McAllister included Camilla’s job as an editor in this novel. The stresses of her life melt away when she loses herself in the proofs her clients send her, especially a writer named Adam whose first novel was a smash but who has needed many many years to finally get his second novel into her hands.
Famous Last Words is a must-read for those who enjoy mystery/crime novels. It would make a great weekend beach read, too.
