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Caller Unknown
Not yet published
Expected 5 May 26“Only a Gillian McAllister thriller can make your heart race and then your heart melt from one page to the next! I’m a devoted fan!”—Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author
How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time.
There is nothing that Simone won’t do for her daughter, Lucy. The two have always been close, and with Lucy about to leave home for university, they depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone, missing from their rental cabin. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…
Though Simone’s husband urges her to bring in the authorities for help, she knows she can’t take any chances. The kidnappers might kill Lucy if she tells anyone. No mother would take that risk. Instead, that night, she drives to the isolated meet-up.
What she finds there changes everything. The mysterious kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do something. The unthinkable.
A catastrophic chain of events is set in motion, with chilling consequences that extend beyond Simone and her family. What follows is a heart-pounding journey through the small towns and punishing deserts of remote Texas, in which Simone’s courage—and morality—is pushed to the brink as she discovers what it truly means to be a mother.
Unbearably tense, compassionately told, and full of well-crafted moral dilemmas, Caller Unknown proves once again why Gillian McAllister’s thrillers are “the best of the best” (Lisa Jewell).
How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time.
There is nothing that Simone won’t do for her daughter, Lucy. The two have always been close, and with Lucy about to leave home for university, they depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone, missing from their rental cabin. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…
Though Simone’s husband urges her to bring in the authorities for help, she knows she can’t take any chances. The kidnappers might kill Lucy if she tells anyone. No mother would take that risk. Instead, that night, she drives to the isolated meet-up.
What she finds there changes everything. The mysterious kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do something. The unthinkable.
A catastrophic chain of events is set in motion, with chilling consequences that extend beyond Simone and her family. What follows is a heart-pounding journey through the small towns and punishing deserts of remote Texas, in which Simone’s courage—and morality—is pushed to the brink as she discovers what it truly means to be a mother.
Unbearably tense, compassionately told, and full of well-crafted moral dilemmas, Caller Unknown proves once again why Gillian McAllister’s thrillers are “the best of the best” (Lisa Jewell).
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 24, 2026
38830 people want to read
About the author
Gillian McAllister
18 books11.9k followersAs you find me, it's autumn 2025 and my latest novel is Famous Last Words, a thriller with a marriage at its centre. It asks the question: what would you do if your husband is caught up in a siege in central London? Only, the police tell you he isn't one of the hostages: he is the gunman... I hope you like the answer!
Upcoming in spring 2026 is Caller Unknown, a thriller about a woman whose teenage daughter is kidnapped, and she decides to pay the ransom, meet the kidnappers direct, and not tell the police.
As to me, otherwise, I am the author of these novels:
Everything But The Truth (2017)
Anything You Do Say (2018) called The Choice in America
No Further Questions (2018) called The Good Sister in America
The Evidence Against You (2019)
How To Disappear (2020)
That Night (2021)
Wrong Place Wrong Time (2022)
Just Another Missing Person (2023)
Famous Last Words (2025)
My most popular novel is probably Wrong Place Wrong Time, which was selected for the Radio 2 book club and was the Reese's Book Club August '22 pick. It debuted at number 4 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List and number 2 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
When not writing (which is basically never), I can be found walking my dog Wendy and parenting my small toddler. The best moments of my day always are the first sip of my coffee, the moment I step into the bath at night, and my son telling me he loves me. And that rare thing that happens only once a year - a novel idea.
Upcoming in spring 2026 is Caller Unknown, a thriller about a woman whose teenage daughter is kidnapped, and she decides to pay the ransom, meet the kidnappers direct, and not tell the police.
As to me, otherwise, I am the author of these novels:
Everything But The Truth (2017)
Anything You Do Say (2018) called The Choice in America
No Further Questions (2018) called The Good Sister in America
The Evidence Against You (2019)
How To Disappear (2020)
That Night (2021)
Wrong Place Wrong Time (2022)
Just Another Missing Person (2023)
Famous Last Words (2025)
My most popular novel is probably Wrong Place Wrong Time, which was selected for the Radio 2 book club and was the Reese's Book Club August '22 pick. It debuted at number 4 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List and number 2 on the New York Times Bestseller List.
When not writing (which is basically never), I can be found walking my dog Wendy and parenting my small toddler. The best moments of my day always are the first sip of my coffee, the moment I step into the bath at night, and my son telling me he loves me. And that rare thing that happens only once a year - a novel idea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 721 reviews
November 6, 2025
“A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.
-The Last Seance (from The Hound of Death and Other Stories, also Double Sin and Other Stories)”
― Agatha Christie, The Hound of Death and Other Storie
Just how far would you go to protect your child? We’re about to find the answer to that question from Simone Seaborn. Simone flies out from the UK to Texas, it’s a dream holiday with her daughter Lucy, a little bonding time before Lucy heads off to Uni.
They’ve arrived at a cabin in Texas, but on their very first night, Simone awakes at 4.am to find Lucy missing. She then discovers a burner phone displaying the message caller unknown, with the chilling message that they have taken Lucy, but they’re not looking for a cash ransom, they demand that Simone commits a crime in return for Lucy’s freedom. From that moment on, Simone’s life is turned upside down and leads her into some terrifying situations.
Gillian McAllister never lets me down, and this one was no exception. It was a heart pounding, compelling, thrilling novel that I found difficult to put down. Okay, so I had to suspend disbelief towards the end but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed it.
*I was invited to read Caller Unknown by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
-The Last Seance (from The Hound of Death and Other Stories, also Double Sin and Other Stories)”
― Agatha Christie, The Hound of Death and Other Storie
Just how far would you go to protect your child? We’re about to find the answer to that question from Simone Seaborn. Simone flies out from the UK to Texas, it’s a dream holiday with her daughter Lucy, a little bonding time before Lucy heads off to Uni.
They’ve arrived at a cabin in Texas, but on their very first night, Simone awakes at 4.am to find Lucy missing. She then discovers a burner phone displaying the message caller unknown, with the chilling message that they have taken Lucy, but they’re not looking for a cash ransom, they demand that Simone commits a crime in return for Lucy’s freedom. From that moment on, Simone’s life is turned upside down and leads her into some terrifying situations.
Gillian McAllister never lets me down, and this one was no exception. It was a heart pounding, compelling, thrilling novel that I found difficult to put down. Okay, so I had to suspend disbelief towards the end but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed it.
*I was invited to read Caller Unknown by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
November 20, 2025
The queen of twists is back—and she does not disappoint! This newest thriller is a gripping, action-packed, adrenaline-fueled, feminist-charged rollercoaster that leaves you breathless. It’s the kind of story that keeps your heart in your throat, your palms clammy, and your nerves on edge as you frantically turn the pages. By the time I finished, I felt like I had been holding my breath the entire ride.
From the very first chapter, the story seizes you. We meet Simone, a strong, self-made British entrepreneur who has carved her own way in life after a childhood scarred by neglect and foster care. Now happily married and proud of her independence, Simone is excited to reunite with her daughter Lucy, who has just left for university. Lucy finds a cozy rental cabin online in Texas, and Simone looks forward to spending quality time together, strengthening their mother-daughter bond. But the moment they arrive, the ill-fitting cabin door refuses to shut properly—an eerie omen of the nightmare to come.
After a long flight, Simone drifts off to sleep, only to awaken to every parent’s worst fear: Lucy is gone. In her place, Simone finds a mysterious phone tucked beneath her pillow. It rings. On the other end is a stranger, followed by a chilling text: they have her daughter. A video soon arrives, showing Lucy bound but alive. The message is clear: follow instructions, come alone, and do not involve the police if she wants to see Lucy again.
Desperate and terrified, Simone calls her husband Damien back in England. He urges her to contact the police and promises to board the next flight. But Simone, guided by her maternal instinct and the fear of losing Lucy, lies to him and refuses to risk alerting the authorities. She goes to the meeting point, expecting a ransom demand—but instead, the kidnappers force her into a harrowing task. They order her to cross the Mexican border, deliver a mysterious bag, and return it to the States. Suddenly Simone is a pawn in what is clearly a dangerous, illegal operation.
Every fiber of her body tells her this is wrong, but her love for Lucy drives her to comply. She has survived on her own before—raised without dependable parents, hardened by life in the foster system—and she knows how to fight. Simone will do whatever it takes, even if it means risking her life, her marriage, and her morality. The question becomes: how far is she willing to go? How many lines will she cross? How deep will she sink into the criminal underworld before she can save her daughter?
Overall: This book is electrifying. It’s heart-pounding, tense, and utterly impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting, my pulse racing with every chapter, my nerves shredded by each twist. The pacing is razor-sharp, the stakes sky-high, and the emotional depth—particularly the exploration of motherhood—adds a powerful layer to the relentless suspense. It’s a wild, nail-biting ride filled with clever surprises and the kind of moral dilemmas that linger long after the final page. Fans of high-octane thrillers with emotional resonance will be hooked.
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From the very first chapter, the story seizes you. We meet Simone, a strong, self-made British entrepreneur who has carved her own way in life after a childhood scarred by neglect and foster care. Now happily married and proud of her independence, Simone is excited to reunite with her daughter Lucy, who has just left for university. Lucy finds a cozy rental cabin online in Texas, and Simone looks forward to spending quality time together, strengthening their mother-daughter bond. But the moment they arrive, the ill-fitting cabin door refuses to shut properly—an eerie omen of the nightmare to come.
After a long flight, Simone drifts off to sleep, only to awaken to every parent’s worst fear: Lucy is gone. In her place, Simone finds a mysterious phone tucked beneath her pillow. It rings. On the other end is a stranger, followed by a chilling text: they have her daughter. A video soon arrives, showing Lucy bound but alive. The message is clear: follow instructions, come alone, and do not involve the police if she wants to see Lucy again.
Desperate and terrified, Simone calls her husband Damien back in England. He urges her to contact the police and promises to board the next flight. But Simone, guided by her maternal instinct and the fear of losing Lucy, lies to him and refuses to risk alerting the authorities. She goes to the meeting point, expecting a ransom demand—but instead, the kidnappers force her into a harrowing task. They order her to cross the Mexican border, deliver a mysterious bag, and return it to the States. Suddenly Simone is a pawn in what is clearly a dangerous, illegal operation.
Every fiber of her body tells her this is wrong, but her love for Lucy drives her to comply. She has survived on her own before—raised without dependable parents, hardened by life in the foster system—and she knows how to fight. Simone will do whatever it takes, even if it means risking her life, her marriage, and her morality. The question becomes: how far is she willing to go? How many lines will she cross? How deep will she sink into the criminal underworld before she can save her daughter?
Overall: This book is electrifying. It’s heart-pounding, tense, and utterly impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting, my pulse racing with every chapter, my nerves shredded by each twist. The pacing is razor-sharp, the stakes sky-high, and the emotional depth—particularly the exploration of motherhood—adds a powerful layer to the relentless suspense. It’s a wild, nail-biting ride filled with clever surprises and the kind of moral dilemmas that linger long after the final page. Fans of high-octane thrillers with emotional resonance will be hooked.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
November 16, 2025
3.5 stars ⭐️
Mothers and Daughters share a special kind of bond-and Simone would do anything for her daughter, Lucy.
Simone has just arrived from London for a mother-daughter trip in Texas, before Lucy starts University but when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone-missing from their rental cabin, a lock of her hair caught in the hinge of the doorway, from when she was taken.
In Lucy’s bed, she finds a cell phone, displaying CALLER UNKNOWN and a message issuing a command-“ Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…”
Simone’s husband Damien, urges her to go to the Police for help, but she is unwilling to take that risk, so she drives to the isolated meet-up place for further instructions. It turns out that kidnapper doesn’t want money-they need Simone to carry out a task.
BUT THINGS GO TERRIBLY WRONG-setting up a game of cat and mouse.
This sounds like this story would be a nail biting thriller BUT I found the pace to be more of a VERY SLOW BURN. 🔥
Instead it is very cerebral, focusing instead on how each woman chooses to process the situation that they find themselves in rather than being action packed, although a few highlight worthy passages resonated.
What it does offer in place of excitement is a clever and surprising ending although it is also abrupt and probably pretty unlikely too! Yes, two things can be true at once. 😉
The U.S. edition releases May 5, 2026
Other editions may be available on February 24, 2026
Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, I have offered my candid thoughts.
Mothers and Daughters share a special kind of bond-and Simone would do anything for her daughter, Lucy.
Simone has just arrived from London for a mother-daughter trip in Texas, before Lucy starts University but when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone-missing from their rental cabin, a lock of her hair caught in the hinge of the doorway, from when she was taken.
In Lucy’s bed, she finds a cell phone, displaying CALLER UNKNOWN and a message issuing a command-“ Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…”
Simone’s husband Damien, urges her to go to the Police for help, but she is unwilling to take that risk, so she drives to the isolated meet-up place for further instructions. It turns out that kidnapper doesn’t want money-they need Simone to carry out a task.
BUT THINGS GO TERRIBLY WRONG-setting up a game of cat and mouse.
This sounds like this story would be a nail biting thriller BUT I found the pace to be more of a VERY SLOW BURN. 🔥
Instead it is very cerebral, focusing instead on how each woman chooses to process the situation that they find themselves in rather than being action packed, although a few highlight worthy passages resonated.
What it does offer in place of excitement is a clever and surprising ending although it is also abrupt and probably pretty unlikely too! Yes, two things can be true at once. 😉
The U.S. edition releases May 5, 2026
Other editions may be available on February 24, 2026
Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. As always, I have offered my candid thoughts.
August 27, 2025
Hiking trip turned nightmare…
Texas holiday is meant as a way to reconnect with her older teenage daughter, as she prepares for her to begin life as an adult. But things go horribly awry when Simone wakes to a missing Lucy, only to discover a burner phone with a message from a caller unknown, telling her they have her daughter. The ransom? Simone must commit a crime of her own if she wants her daughter back alive.
I have such mixed feelings on this book, even though I ultimately really enjoyed it. Here is a breakdown of what worked and what didn’t:
What I loved:
-The mother/daughter connection is fierce in this story.
-GM’s writing is always incredibly unique and one-of-a-kind.
-There is a strong lesson around when to hold on and when to let go that is very powerful.
-The beginning…it grabs you almost immediately.
-Set in various parts of Texas, GM creates a very dynamic atmosphere that feels both vast and tiny at the same time.
-The ending, while a little too neat, was a lot of fun to read.
-Marriage/parenting and the complexities that go with each element and how they differ between Mom and Dad was very interesting.
-Fantastic character development
What I loved less:
-Once the action happens in the first 1/3 of the book, the pace then slows to a crawl and felt like a slog.
-The middle section became more of a slow burn, character study, which felt off from the original vibes, throwing me for a little bit of a loop.
-This is not the type of book you can read small portions of every day. It’s better, and less slow, when binged (if that makes any sense).
-The end of the story was entirely too neat for my liking, and I think contributed to a bit of the OTT issue most thrillers are suffering from of late.
I will forever and always read Gillian McAllister’s latest novel, as soon as it drops, because although I might not have loved this one as much as I had hoped and predicted I would, it was still engaging and well done, and most likely will still be in my favorite thrillers of the year, even sitting at 4 stars. I have a feeling it will be even better on audio.
Thank you William Morrow for the advanced copy.
Texas holiday is meant as a way to reconnect with her older teenage daughter, as she prepares for her to begin life as an adult. But things go horribly awry when Simone wakes to a missing Lucy, only to discover a burner phone with a message from a caller unknown, telling her they have her daughter. The ransom? Simone must commit a crime of her own if she wants her daughter back alive.
I have such mixed feelings on this book, even though I ultimately really enjoyed it. Here is a breakdown of what worked and what didn’t:
What I loved:
-The mother/daughter connection is fierce in this story.
-GM’s writing is always incredibly unique and one-of-a-kind.
-There is a strong lesson around when to hold on and when to let go that is very powerful.
-The beginning…it grabs you almost immediately.
-Set in various parts of Texas, GM creates a very dynamic atmosphere that feels both vast and tiny at the same time.
-The ending, while a little too neat, was a lot of fun to read.
-Marriage/parenting and the complexities that go with each element and how they differ between Mom and Dad was very interesting.
-Fantastic character development
What I loved less:
-Once the action happens in the first 1/3 of the book, the pace then slows to a crawl and felt like a slog.
-The middle section became more of a slow burn, character study, which felt off from the original vibes, throwing me for a little bit of a loop.
-This is not the type of book you can read small portions of every day. It’s better, and less slow, when binged (if that makes any sense).
-The end of the story was entirely too neat for my liking, and I think contributed to a bit of the OTT issue most thrillers are suffering from of late.
I will forever and always read Gillian McAllister’s latest novel, as soon as it drops, because although I might not have loved this one as much as I had hoped and predicted I would, it was still engaging and well done, and most likely will still be in my favorite thrillers of the year, even sitting at 4 stars. I have a feeling it will be even better on audio.
Thank you William Morrow for the advanced copy.
September 9, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I sometimes think about ransoms. Not about wanting to be part of one, just about whether a single one has ever worked out in the history of pop culture. I think the answer is no, and at the risk of being spoiler-y, this book doesn’t do anything to change that fact.
What it does do though is tell a very interesting story, filled with winding, unexpected turns. It’s fast-paced, while not being afraid to pause and explore character depth. It asks difficult questions about how far we’d go for the ones we love, and it answers those questions unambiguously. It offers up characters that infuriate you as much as they infatuate you.
Another solid novel from an author I’m growing to appreciate more and more with every book.
I sometimes think about ransoms. Not about wanting to be part of one, just about whether a single one has ever worked out in the history of pop culture. I think the answer is no, and at the risk of being spoiler-y, this book doesn’t do anything to change that fact.
What it does do though is tell a very interesting story, filled with winding, unexpected turns. It’s fast-paced, while not being afraid to pause and explore character depth. It asks difficult questions about how far we’d go for the ones we love, and it answers those questions unambiguously. It offers up characters that infuriate you as much as they infatuate you.
Another solid novel from an author I’m growing to appreciate more and more with every book.
October 28, 2025
This dove very much into the mother daughter relationship. How far would you go as a parent to protect your child. With a ransom story there were points where you want to scream wtf !!!!! Because you wouldn’t have made the same decision but that is the crux of the book, what WOULD you do?
Great descriptions of the settings. Solid thriller book 4 stars x
Great descriptions of the settings. Solid thriller book 4 stars x
September 6, 2025
4.25 ⭐️Review to come. 💫
September 11, 2025
Your children are only ever on loan to you…
Simone Seaborn flies into Texas from the United Kingdom to meet her 18-year-old daughter Lucy who has been attending an acting camp. From the start, her trip is problematic when her luggage fails to appear at the airport. Eventually, she finds someone to help her and she’s reunited with her luggage and is able to make her way to a cabin where she will meet her beloved daughter. The following morning she wakes to find Lucy is missing – where is she? Then she’s alerted to a tinny old-fashioned ringtone from a basic flip phone… Caller unknown and a message that strikes fear into Simone‘s heart. Someone has her daughter and she has to be prepared to do a deal. No police. A proof of life video follows. Understandably, Simone is in turmoil – what should she do? Follow the instructions or disobey and call the police? What would you do???
Gillian McAllister is one of my favourite authors and I’ve read everything she’s written with five star ratings and although there’s no question in my mind this is good, that’s not to say I don’t have some issues with it. As a mother myself, there’s much here I can relate to. She’s a fierce, tigress mother, so am I and her love for her daughter is obvious for all to see. Her point of view is done extremely well, it’s reflective and a reflection of what it means to be a mother and her feelings as Lucy becomes increasingly independent. As for the unbearable situation she finds herself in, how far is she prepared to go and what sacrifices will she make? It’s good on how this affects her husband Damien, how it affects their relationship and his relationship with Lucy. The dynamics with Lucy are also good and this tests them both, and how.
However, because it’s reflective at times this gets in the way of the pace, there’s some prevarication and so in the middle part of the novel it becomes much slower. Then, it does pick up and it becomes a runaway train, an out of control situation with the strain and tension becoming palpable. It builds well with a cat/mouse situation developing and you have no idea how it’s all going to pan out. Is it resolved a bit too easily? Maybe so.
Overall though, it’s rich in atmosphere, it’s thoughtful and parts are absolutely gripping so it’s definitely worth a read and the four stars I’ve given it.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Simone Seaborn flies into Texas from the United Kingdom to meet her 18-year-old daughter Lucy who has been attending an acting camp. From the start, her trip is problematic when her luggage fails to appear at the airport. Eventually, she finds someone to help her and she’s reunited with her luggage and is able to make her way to a cabin where she will meet her beloved daughter. The following morning she wakes to find Lucy is missing – where is she? Then she’s alerted to a tinny old-fashioned ringtone from a basic flip phone… Caller unknown and a message that strikes fear into Simone‘s heart. Someone has her daughter and she has to be prepared to do a deal. No police. A proof of life video follows. Understandably, Simone is in turmoil – what should she do? Follow the instructions or disobey and call the police? What would you do???
Gillian McAllister is one of my favourite authors and I’ve read everything she’s written with five star ratings and although there’s no question in my mind this is good, that’s not to say I don’t have some issues with it. As a mother myself, there’s much here I can relate to. She’s a fierce, tigress mother, so am I and her love for her daughter is obvious for all to see. Her point of view is done extremely well, it’s reflective and a reflection of what it means to be a mother and her feelings as Lucy becomes increasingly independent. As for the unbearable situation she finds herself in, how far is she prepared to go and what sacrifices will she make? It’s good on how this affects her husband Damien, how it affects their relationship and his relationship with Lucy. The dynamics with Lucy are also good and this tests them both, and how.
However, because it’s reflective at times this gets in the way of the pace, there’s some prevarication and so in the middle part of the novel it becomes much slower. Then, it does pick up and it becomes a runaway train, an out of control situation with the strain and tension becoming palpable. It builds well with a cat/mouse situation developing and you have no idea how it’s all going to pan out. Is it resolved a bit too easily? Maybe so.
Overall though, it’s rich in atmosphere, it’s thoughtful and parts are absolutely gripping so it’s definitely worth a read and the four stars I’ve given it.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
September 6, 2025
ARC for review. To be published May 5, 2026.
2.5 stars
I have never been a fan of the trope used here (I won’t spoil anything by elaborating, but if I can tell by the synopsis that this is what the book is about, I will avoid it.). However the description for this wasn’t clear, I sent I was already about a hundred pages in when it happened I felt compelled to finish it (I hate not to finish a book, but I’m getting better about it in my old age.
My rating reflects how I feel about the trope versus how the book was written and the characters. They were all fine for a thriller. Not outstanding, but OK.
2.5 stars
I have never been a fan of the trope used here (I won’t spoil anything by elaborating, but if I can tell by the synopsis that this is what the book is about, I will avoid it.). However the description for this wasn’t clear, I sent I was already about a hundred pages in when it happened I felt compelled to finish it (I hate not to finish a book, but I’m getting better about it in my old age.
My rating reflects how I feel about the trope versus how the book was written and the characters. They were all fine for a thriller. Not outstanding, but OK.
November 5, 2025
➳ 2.5 ☆
DNF @100 pages. i feel like i am slumping so hard because i don't think the book was the issue. this thriller is very atmospheric and relies on a lot of familial dynamics to move the story, but i also found them to be very annoying. i feel like a lot of why i didn't enjoy this is due to personal interest, so i don't think it's fully reflective of the book. the characters are very annoying, especially our main character, but that is usually a given in thrillers. i did go into this book having read no other review or summary, which did help form my own opinion, but it also bored me a lot. i truly think the slump is the issue here, so i won't put off this author. since this is the very first book i read from this author, and i am looking forward to trying/reading her other books. it's unfortunate that i didn't enjoy this because there was a lot of potential, but i just wasn't vibing with simone and her weird relationship with her daughter.
🍂🤍 ── thank you so much to william morrow & netgalley for this arc. this book comes out february 24, 2026! i am grateful i was able to read this early!
DNF @100 pages. i feel like i am slumping so hard because i don't think the book was the issue. this thriller is very atmospheric and relies on a lot of familial dynamics to move the story, but i also found them to be very annoying. i feel like a lot of why i didn't enjoy this is due to personal interest, so i don't think it's fully reflective of the book. the characters are very annoying, especially our main character, but that is usually a given in thrillers. i did go into this book having read no other review or summary, which did help form my own opinion, but it also bored me a lot. i truly think the slump is the issue here, so i won't put off this author. since this is the very first book i read from this author, and i am looking forward to trying/reading her other books. it's unfortunate that i didn't enjoy this because there was a lot of potential, but i just wasn't vibing with simone and her weird relationship with her daughter.
🍂🤍 ── thank you so much to william morrow & netgalley for this arc. this book comes out february 24, 2026! i am grateful i was able to read this early!
August 26, 2025
this is quite possibly the worst book I've ever read, I cant even be bothered listing everything that's wrong with it, bizzare metaphors that seem plonked in the middle of a sentence, the whole thing reads like a bad AI story, the characters are not only unbelievable but highly irritating, why is the mother oddly sexual about her daughter, why does everything circle back to how good a chef she is, honestly I cant even ✋️
January 2, 2026
Never go to Mexico, or at least in this case, south Texas. At least that's what you'll tell yourself after reading this book. A kidnapping! A drama-filled, tense family expedition where it's unclear who is playing whom. The length's a mother will go to, the key to this book's plot line. While I enjoyed the writing style and the suspense, the story was a letdown for me. So many holes that I had to just "go with it" but when I force myself too, the author took it too far. I'm generally a forgiving reader when the plot shines more despite the obvious "that would never happen" moments. Nonetheless, still a good read, just not her typical 4-stars for me on this release.
November 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Simone and Lucy, Mother and Daughter decide to go on vacation in Texas where Lucy has been attending acting camp. During the first night of their vacation Lucy goes missing, taken from her bed in the middle of the night. Simone wakes the next morning, wondering where Lucy is and then receives a call on a mobile that has been left - Caller Unknown. The message strikes dread right into the core of her. They have Lucy and they want Simone to complete a task in order to get her back.
As you can expect things go from bad to worse for the pair as they navigate their way out of the nightmare situation.
The story is fairly well paced, there are a few slower moments, but overall it kept me wanting to frantically turn the pages to find out what happens, more so over the second half of the book. It is a story of survival and the fierce protection and bond of mother and daughter. The story really makes you think - what would you do if you were faced with an impossible dilemma - do you get the police involved if it could potentially cause the death of your child, or do you go rogue, doing anything and everything in your power to protect her.
There are some fairly significant twists, and I thought I had the story worked out at one point, only to realise that I didn’t. Sure there are some parts which I thought were maybe a little over the top, but it’s a story, and not real life, so I just went with it.
Dramatic, thought provoking and thoroughly engrossing!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Publication Date 9th April 2026.
Simone and Lucy, Mother and Daughter decide to go on vacation in Texas where Lucy has been attending acting camp. During the first night of their vacation Lucy goes missing, taken from her bed in the middle of the night. Simone wakes the next morning, wondering where Lucy is and then receives a call on a mobile that has been left - Caller Unknown. The message strikes dread right into the core of her. They have Lucy and they want Simone to complete a task in order to get her back.
As you can expect things go from bad to worse for the pair as they navigate their way out of the nightmare situation.
The story is fairly well paced, there are a few slower moments, but overall it kept me wanting to frantically turn the pages to find out what happens, more so over the second half of the book. It is a story of survival and the fierce protection and bond of mother and daughter. The story really makes you think - what would you do if you were faced with an impossible dilemma - do you get the police involved if it could potentially cause the death of your child, or do you go rogue, doing anything and everything in your power to protect her.
There are some fairly significant twists, and I thought I had the story worked out at one point, only to realise that I didn’t. Sure there are some parts which I thought were maybe a little over the top, but it’s a story, and not real life, so I just went with it.
Dramatic, thought provoking and thoroughly engrossing!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Publication Date 9th April 2026.
December 23, 2025
Let it be known that Gillian McAllister's brilliant Wrong Place Wrong Time and Famous Last Words changed me on some fundamental level.
I was expecting that same emotional gut punch from Caller Unknown, but what I got was sheer chaos, unrelatable characters, and a plot driven by panic and poor decisions.
The author is British, but this book is set in Texas. I'm American, and Texas might as well be Timbuktu. Texas is its own kingdom. Unless Big Bend is in your blood, you cannot bring the vastness of the desert to life. It will always read like a superficial sketch of an imaginary place.
Simone, the mother, and Lucy, the daughter, traipse through the Chihuahuan Desert with a few bottles of water, wearing shorts and old trainers. At one point, Simone boils down water for salt and makes fish and potatoes. The women hide, bathe in a creek, brush their hair with forks.
So many mundane details, yet there's no sense of the brutal landscape, dehydration, heatstroke, hazardous wildlife (scorpions, rattlesnakes), or hypothermia when the temps drop precipitously at night.
Mother and daughter are running from the authorities. Why? Because 18-year-old Lucy was kidnapped, but instead of going to the police as per her husband's logical suggestion, Simone ran off to Mexico, served as a drug mule, and killed a man, all of which sounds like the beginning of a bad Western.
These unhinged actions are painted as the right things to do. But NO. No no no. When you're in trouble in a foreign country, you call your home embassy. That's what you do because you are not an international spy or a Legionary or Jesus. You are a 40-something-year-old British woman who has no fucking clue, none at all.
You'd think all this running around, evading the police, hiding in Airbnbs, would prove exciting, but you'd be wrong. The pacing is slower than a slug in molasses, filled with random details about Simone's cooking (she's an amazing chef!), Lucy's acting (she's an amazing actress!), the family restaurant (amazing food!), and English weather (not so amazing but better than Texas).
To add insult to injury, Simone is an extraordinarily unlikable character, a martyr with a savior complex who is attached to her daughter, a spoiled, arrogant little shit, to the point of dysfunction. I'm a woman around Simone's age with a 19-year-old daughter and couldn't relate to Simone's toxic, obsessive love at all. She needed therapy, not a camping trip.
There are few secondary characters to break up the monotony of mother/daughter interactions. The husband serves as mere foil to Simone's madness. Moody, the hero lawyer, talks like this: "They could see a kidnap, too, but they're usually so keen for a quick getaway." An English barrister might say that, but a 50-year-old Texan lawyer? Ma'am, that's not how they do things in Texas.
I never felt engaged enough with the characters to root for them, but by part III, I was somewhat invested in the plot and hoping the ending would deliver. More fool me.
Following an out-of-left-field, what-is-happening twist, everything was wrapped up too quickly and easily. You can't walk off the street to confess at a murder trial. That's not how the American legal system works. That's not how sociopaths operate. That's not how any of it works.
It pains me to write this review, especially since the publisher was kind enough to provide me with an ARC. Regardless, I always call a spade a spade, so here we are.
I was expecting that same emotional gut punch from Caller Unknown, but what I got was sheer chaos, unrelatable characters, and a plot driven by panic and poor decisions.
The author is British, but this book is set in Texas. I'm American, and Texas might as well be Timbuktu. Texas is its own kingdom. Unless Big Bend is in your blood, you cannot bring the vastness of the desert to life. It will always read like a superficial sketch of an imaginary place.
Simone, the mother, and Lucy, the daughter, traipse through the Chihuahuan Desert with a few bottles of water, wearing shorts and old trainers. At one point, Simone boils down water for salt and makes fish and potatoes. The women hide, bathe in a creek, brush their hair with forks.
So many mundane details, yet there's no sense of the brutal landscape, dehydration, heatstroke, hazardous wildlife (scorpions, rattlesnakes), or hypothermia when the temps drop precipitously at night.
Mother and daughter are running from the authorities. Why? Because 18-year-old Lucy was kidnapped, but instead of going to the police as per her husband's logical suggestion, Simone ran off to Mexico, served as a drug mule, and killed a man, all of which sounds like the beginning of a bad Western.
These unhinged actions are painted as the right things to do. But NO. No no no. When you're in trouble in a foreign country, you call your home embassy. That's what you do because you are not an international spy or a Legionary or Jesus. You are a 40-something-year-old British woman who has no fucking clue, none at all.
You'd think all this running around, evading the police, hiding in Airbnbs, would prove exciting, but you'd be wrong. The pacing is slower than a slug in molasses, filled with random details about Simone's cooking (she's an amazing chef!), Lucy's acting (she's an amazing actress!), the family restaurant (amazing food!), and English weather (not so amazing but better than Texas).
To add insult to injury, Simone is an extraordinarily unlikable character, a martyr with a savior complex who is attached to her daughter, a spoiled, arrogant little shit, to the point of dysfunction. I'm a woman around Simone's age with a 19-year-old daughter and couldn't relate to Simone's toxic, obsessive love at all. She needed therapy, not a camping trip.
There are few secondary characters to break up the monotony of mother/daughter interactions. The husband serves as mere foil to Simone's madness. Moody, the hero lawyer, talks like this: "They could see a kidnap, too, but they're usually so keen for a quick getaway." An English barrister might say that, but a 50-year-old Texan lawyer? Ma'am, that's not how they do things in Texas.
I never felt engaged enough with the characters to root for them, but by part III, I was somewhat invested in the plot and hoping the ending would deliver. More fool me.
Following an out-of-left-field, what-is-happening twist, everything was wrapped up too quickly and easily. You can't walk off the street to confess at a murder trial. That's not how the American legal system works. That's not how sociopaths operate. That's not how any of it works.
It pains me to write this review, especially since the publisher was kind enough to provide me with an ARC. Regardless, I always call a spade a spade, so here we are.
November 18, 2025
This was a slightly different one. Half thriller, half treatise on motherhood.
Simone leaves the U.K. to visit her daughter Lucy in Texas. She wakes up after her first night there and discovers Lucy is gone. She soon finds a burner phone in Lucy's place and realizes her daughter has been kidnapped. A message on the phone warns that Simone should not involve the police. Her husband wants her to call them anyway, but Simone refuses, going rogue to save Lucy, especially when she realizes that the kidnapper doesn't want money.
It's a captivating plot, but unfortunately it starts to border on preposterous fairly early on. Simone and Lucy make some insane decisions and are unwilling to listen to reason (e.g., lawyers, family). Much of the book focuses on Simone's fears of Lucy going to university, portraying her (justifiably) as a clingy mother unwilling to let her only child go. She thinks she loves Lucy more than her husband does, and makes statements on how mothers love kids best or children need two parents. It just wasn't necessary and the story spent much too much time focusing on it.
There are some good twists here and the plot is tense, but marred by annoyed decisions and outlandish developments. Add in Simone's crazy ramblings about motherhood and a plot that wraps up too easily and this is a decent read, but not a great one.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
Simone leaves the U.K. to visit her daughter Lucy in Texas. She wakes up after her first night there and discovers Lucy is gone. She soon finds a burner phone in Lucy's place and realizes her daughter has been kidnapped. A message on the phone warns that Simone should not involve the police. Her husband wants her to call them anyway, but Simone refuses, going rogue to save Lucy, especially when she realizes that the kidnapper doesn't want money.
It's a captivating plot, but unfortunately it starts to border on preposterous fairly early on. Simone and Lucy make some insane decisions and are unwilling to listen to reason (e.g., lawyers, family). Much of the book focuses on Simone's fears of Lucy going to university, portraying her (justifiably) as a clingy mother unwilling to let her only child go. She thinks she loves Lucy more than her husband does, and makes statements on how mothers love kids best or children need two parents. It just wasn't necessary and the story spent much too much time focusing on it.
There are some good twists here and the plot is tense, but marred by annoyed decisions and outlandish developments. Add in Simone's crazy ramblings about motherhood and a plot that wraps up too easily and this is a decent read, but not a great one.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
August 12, 2025
I really wanted to love this story, but there were several frustrating aspects of the story that kept me from fully enjoying it. The basic gist of the story is that Simone, who lives in the UK, is visiting her eighteen-year-old daughter, Lucy, in Texas. Lucy has been there for a few weeks attending camp, and Simone can’t wait to start their camping trip, when she awakens to find that Lucy has been kidnapped. Everything spirals from there.
One of the points of contention between Simone and her husband is contacting the police. She thinks it’s ludicrous to even consider doing that because the ransom message says not to or they will kill Lucy. As her husband points out, they always say that. And guess what? That’s because it’s the right thing to do. She disparages her husband and basically blurts out that she loves Lucy more because mothers just do. Excuse me? That theme runs throughout the story, and it’s infuriating. Especially because her character is ridiculously attached to an 18-year-old child, acting like her heart was ripped out when she traveled abroad. It’s seriously like that the whole story. It’s not a mother’s love, it’s obsession and dependency.
And even worse? Her daughter is a nightmare – a brat who doesn’t help out and expects her mother to do everything for her. And Simone’s character will recognize that now and then, but just ‘let it go.’ Multiple times in the story, she does this. Every bad decision Simone makes is a good one in her mind because it’s out of love for her daughter.
It’s just way over the top, and I couldn’t stand either of their characters and the stupid, dangerous decisions they kept making when they should have just turned themselves in from the start. Their reasoning not to isn’t much more than ‘but the evil authorities will never believe us.’ The first thing a foreigner does if they believe they are in trouble in a different country is to contact their embassy. They bring this up exactly one time and say that it probably wouldn’t help to do that. And that’s it! The entire time, they never consider that again, when that’s literally the first thing Simone should do.
I just couldn’t with this book. As someone the same age as Simone, with a daughter slightly older than Lucy, none of what happened is what I would ever do. The whole ‘fugitives in the desert’ aspect is just ridiculous. They encounter no wild animals, they have plenty of water, no infections or cuts, just completely unrealistic. I just hope the author’s next story is more grounded in reality.
One of the points of contention between Simone and her husband is contacting the police. She thinks it’s ludicrous to even consider doing that because the ransom message says not to or they will kill Lucy. As her husband points out, they always say that. And guess what? That’s because it’s the right thing to do. She disparages her husband and basically blurts out that she loves Lucy more because mothers just do. Excuse me? That theme runs throughout the story, and it’s infuriating. Especially because her character is ridiculously attached to an 18-year-old child, acting like her heart was ripped out when she traveled abroad. It’s seriously like that the whole story. It’s not a mother’s love, it’s obsession and dependency.
And even worse? Her daughter is a nightmare – a brat who doesn’t help out and expects her mother to do everything for her. And Simone’s character will recognize that now and then, but just ‘let it go.’ Multiple times in the story, she does this. Every bad decision Simone makes is a good one in her mind because it’s out of love for her daughter.
It’s just way over the top, and I couldn’t stand either of their characters and the stupid, dangerous decisions they kept making when they should have just turned themselves in from the start. Their reasoning not to isn’t much more than ‘but the evil authorities will never believe us.’ The first thing a foreigner does if they believe they are in trouble in a different country is to contact their embassy. They bring this up exactly one time and say that it probably wouldn’t help to do that. And that’s it! The entire time, they never consider that again, when that’s literally the first thing Simone should do.
I just couldn’t with this book. As someone the same age as Simone, with a daughter slightly older than Lucy, none of what happened is what I would ever do. The whole ‘fugitives in the desert’ aspect is just ridiculous. They encounter no wild animals, they have plenty of water, no infections or cuts, just completely unrealistic. I just hope the author’s next story is more grounded in reality.
November 5, 2025
This book hooked me right away—it was intense, emotional, and packed with twists and turns that made me question how I would react in a similar situation. Simone and her daughter Lucy, about to head off to university, leave the UK for a vacation in Texas. But when Simone wakes up to find Lucy missing, replaced by a cell phone and a ransom demand, she faces tough choices. Her husband insists on calling the police, but Simone can't risk it. Determined to bring her daughter home safely, she sets out on a dangerous mission, confronting one moral dilemma after another. I’m a big fan of Gillian McAllister, and this book’s ending completely surprised me. As a mother, this felt like a nightmare scenario, and I was gripped from the start, knowing I’d do anything to find my own child. The story kicks off strong and had me hooked right away. While there were some slower parts, and I wish the ending involving Lucy had been explored more, the unexpected conclusion made up for it. Buckle up—this book is quite the ride!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 28, 2025
There is something fundamentally heartbreaking about wasted potential. At its core, this novel had the seed of something deeply affecting: a mother desperate to save her daughter, a foreign landscape, emotional turbulence, the thin thread of trust unraveling under pressure. But rather than unfolding with grace, it chooses chaos. Not the good kind. Not the human kind. Just noise. Panic. Decision after decision untethered from logic, realism, or emotional truth.
The protagonist, Simone, is written with a level of maternal devotion that’s not only exaggerated but exhausting. Love, real love the kind that ties parent to child is rarely clean. It’s flawed and fierce and confusing. But here, it reads more like codependency dipped in melodrama. We are asked to believe her love excuses every choice she makes, no matter how reckless or absurd. I don’t buy it. Real love holds itself accountable. It doesn’t glorify its own self-destruction.
Lucy, the daughter, is written as someone we’re meant to root for or at least worry for but instead, she comes across entitled, flat, and at times unbearably petulant. When a character is in danger, the reader should feel it in their chest. I didn’t. I was only frustrated. Detached. I spent more time shouting questions into the void than feeling immersed in their story.
Also baffling: the entire avoidance of authorities. The dismissal of the embassy. The cavalier approach to life on the run in the desert as if dehydration and infection were merely plot inconveniences too boring to write. Survival, as it turns out, is not just about being determined. It’s about being believable. And none of this felt remotely real.
The book wants to be urgent. It wants to be thrilling. But too often, it forgets that true tension is built not through constant motion, but through earned emotion. There were moments that hinted at what this could have been sharp lines, a flicker of insight but those were few and quickly buried under implausibility and overwriting.
It wished to be Taken taut, gripping, emotionally driven, popcorn enjoyed but instead it wandered off into implausibility, weighed down by characters we couldn’t believe in, let alone root for.
Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, and the author Gillian McAllister for the ARC.
The protagonist, Simone, is written with a level of maternal devotion that’s not only exaggerated but exhausting. Love, real love the kind that ties parent to child is rarely clean. It’s flawed and fierce and confusing. But here, it reads more like codependency dipped in melodrama. We are asked to believe her love excuses every choice she makes, no matter how reckless or absurd. I don’t buy it. Real love holds itself accountable. It doesn’t glorify its own self-destruction.
Lucy, the daughter, is written as someone we’re meant to root for or at least worry for but instead, she comes across entitled, flat, and at times unbearably petulant. When a character is in danger, the reader should feel it in their chest. I didn’t. I was only frustrated. Detached. I spent more time shouting questions into the void than feeling immersed in their story.
Also baffling: the entire avoidance of authorities. The dismissal of the embassy. The cavalier approach to life on the run in the desert as if dehydration and infection were merely plot inconveniences too boring to write. Survival, as it turns out, is not just about being determined. It’s about being believable. And none of this felt remotely real.
The book wants to be urgent. It wants to be thrilling. But too often, it forgets that true tension is built not through constant motion, but through earned emotion. There were moments that hinted at what this could have been sharp lines, a flicker of insight but those were few and quickly buried under implausibility and overwriting.
It wished to be Taken taut, gripping, emotionally driven, popcorn enjoyed but instead it wandered off into implausibility, weighed down by characters we couldn’t believe in, let alone root for.
Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, and the author Gillian McAllister for the ARC.
December 30, 2025
I was not a fan of Caller Unknown. The choices made just felt unbelievable. The twist at the end was just too convenient and unrealistic. The amount of time we spent in Simone’s head really slowed the story down and I found my attention drifting. Her obsession with her daughter was so tiring to read. This was just not my cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
September 15, 2025
Thank you netgalley for this ARC.
I feel like the premise of this book was so good but it was not excuted well. The book would get really exciting and then it would go back to talking about her cooking in the restuarant.. we get it you're a cook. I was not a fan of the fmc's daughter she just seemed like a spoiled brat and the mom had a weird obsession with her. The book was just to slow for me personally regarding everything that was going on that by the end of the book I didnt even care what happened.
I feel like the premise of this book was so good but it was not excuted well. The book would get really exciting and then it would go back to talking about her cooking in the restuarant.. we get it you're a cook. I was not a fan of the fmc's daughter she just seemed like a spoiled brat and the mom had a weird obsession with her. The book was just to slow for me personally regarding everything that was going on that by the end of the book I didnt even care what happened.
Want to read
August 18, 2025Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for sending me this ARC. I cannot wait to read it. I love a good thriller.
Pub Date: Feb 24 2026
As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤✨
Pub Date: Feb 24 2026
As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤✨
September 17, 2025
Simone knows, somewhere deep inside her, that everything that happens from this moment will now be on her shoulders. If they had told the police, it would have been on Damien. But they’ve gone with her. A single decision. A single moment. A single truth spoken. And everything that stems from it.
She lets the phone fall again on to the passenger seat. She meant it. She loves Lucy more than Damien does. Always has. Lucy came first always, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. It is different for women.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for sending me an ARC of Caller Unknown in exchange for an honest review.
The publisher calls Caller Unknown a “high-concept thriller,” which means (I looked it up) something that can be easily explained with a succinct premise. I’d say that’s true here. Simone travels from England to Texas to spend two weeks camping with her 17 year old daughter Lucy. But the first morning, Lucy goes missing, a clump of her hair is on the door, and Simone finds a burner phone in her room with a message from Caller Unknown: “We have your daughter. Do not tell the police. She is safe. Meet outside Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, Shafter, TX 79843. 9:00 tonight CDT. Be prepared to do a deal.” And from there, consequences ensue.
Sometimes high concept is great. Michael Crichton—space virus falls to Earth, dinosaur zoo—was a master at it. But you still have to bring the goods of character development and other subtleties to make a story successful. If all you have if the concept and the twist, the book is probably going to fall a bit flat.
I really liked Wrong Place Wrong Time, and liked Just Another Missing Person, but was disappointed by Famous Last Words. Unfortunately, Caller Unknown was more like the latter than the former to me. Much of the story’s tension is in the disagreements between Simone and her husband Damien about how to proceed. And the events resurface Damien’s long held grudge that Simone thinks she loves their daughter Lucy more, or perhaps better, than he does. But I never bought that as a real source of tension because I suspect every woman who’s ever given birth believes she is connected to and loves that child more than the father or anyone else. I had issues with the plot as well. One of the villains is obvious. I thought everything that happened at the handover was distractingly unrealistic. And while the late twist was nice—I knew something was coming, but didn’t quite puzzle it out—I had two spoiler-filled problems with it. Overall, a bit disappointing.
October 12, 2025
How far would you go to save your child? When her daughter is taken ransom in the middle of the night, Simone is forced to confront this question in an adventure thriller that probably could’ve been resolved had she just called the police lol. Similar to McAllister’s ‘Famous Last Words’, this book publishes May 4, 2026!
Likes:
-“Breaking Bad” vibes in a desert setting
-Cat-and-mouse chase with the kidnapper/the law
-McAllister’s engaging, poetic writing style/prose
-The relationships between characters (although many find this particular mother-daughter bond over the top)
-A bit of a twist ending when I hadn’t anticipated one
Dislikes:
-Like another review here said, the story was slow enough that it would’ve been better to binge rather than reading a bit every day like I did
-Unrealistic on multiple levels, especially how nicely it happened to wrap up
-Took me forever to get through as I just didn’t feel the urge to pick it up
Thank you to William Morrow, Penguin & the author for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review!
Likes:
-“Breaking Bad” vibes in a desert setting
-Cat-and-mouse chase with the kidnapper/the law
-McAllister’s engaging, poetic writing style/prose
-The relationships between characters (although many find this particular mother-daughter bond over the top)
-A bit of a twist ending when I hadn’t anticipated one
Dislikes:
-Like another review here said, the story was slow enough that it would’ve been better to binge rather than reading a bit every day like I did
-Unrealistic on multiple levels, especially how nicely it happened to wrap up
-Took me forever to get through as I just didn’t feel the urge to pick it up
Thank you to William Morrow, Penguin & the author for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review!
August 30, 2025
Yikes, I normally enjoy Gillian McAllister books but this one was not for me. The storyline felt boring and lacked any real substance in my opinion. The premise is a daughter who is kidnapped but there really is no suspense or mystery to what is happening. It’s just a slow tale of a family burning time in the desert. Hopefully the next one is a little better!
October 29, 2025
Here’s my take on Caller Unknown—and why it left me with mixed feelings. 🤷🏽♀️
Thank you, William Morrow, for the gifted copy of Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 2.24.2026
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆
So, here’s the thing with this book—it started off so strong. I’ve always loved the way McAllister paints the perfect picture with atmospheric writing, detailed character descriptions, and pulse-pounding moments. Caller Unknown had all of that in spades. Just a few chapters in, I could feel the eeriness creeping in with every page and couldn’t wait to see where the story would go.
BUT about a third of the way through, it all came to a screeching halt. The story became repetitive through the inner monologue of our FMC, Simone. Page after page, it felt like the same thoughts repeated, with one bad decision after another leading to her having to flee for freedom. I had my suspicions from the very beginning and am proud I caught the subtle hint toward the guilty party.
Towards the end, the story picked up again as Simone and Lucy faced the consequences of their actions—but then it took a strange turn, wrapping up too quickly in a way that felt somewhat unbelievable and way too neat.
Read if you enjoy:
🐌 Slow pacing
🫶🏼 Mother/Daughter relationships
🗣️ Unreliable narrator
👎🏼 Reckless decisions
If you haven’t read anything by Gillian McAllister before, I highly recommend Just Another Missing Person and Wrong Place, Wrong Time. They are two of my favorites by this author and I constantly recommend them to people.
______
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Thank you, William Morrow, for the gifted copy of Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 2.24.2026
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆
So, here’s the thing with this book—it started off so strong. I’ve always loved the way McAllister paints the perfect picture with atmospheric writing, detailed character descriptions, and pulse-pounding moments. Caller Unknown had all of that in spades. Just a few chapters in, I could feel the eeriness creeping in with every page and couldn’t wait to see where the story would go.
BUT about a third of the way through, it all came to a screeching halt. The story became repetitive through the inner monologue of our FMC, Simone. Page after page, it felt like the same thoughts repeated, with one bad decision after another leading to her having to flee for freedom. I had my suspicions from the very beginning and am proud I caught the subtle hint toward the guilty party.
Towards the end, the story picked up again as Simone and Lucy faced the consequences of their actions—but then it took a strange turn, wrapping up too quickly in a way that felt somewhat unbelievable and way too neat.
Read if you enjoy:
🐌 Slow pacing
🫶🏼 Mother/Daughter relationships
🗣️ Unreliable narrator
👎🏼 Reckless decisions
If you haven’t read anything by Gillian McAllister before, I highly recommend Just Another Missing Person and Wrong Place, Wrong Time. They are two of my favorites by this author and I constantly recommend them to people.
______
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaptersofc...
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November 21, 2025
A strong 4 stars!!
I won’t lie when I started this book and was reading part 1 I was a little worried as it was using something I personally don’t like in books
But let me tell you when you get to part 2 you get dragged along on the wildest ride!! I couldn’t put it down!!
Super grateful I got to read this early!!!
I won’t lie when I started this book and was reading part 1 I was a little worried as it was using something I personally don’t like in books
But let me tell you when you get to part 2 you get dragged along on the wildest ride!! I couldn’t put it down!!
Super grateful I got to read this early!!!
December 16, 2025
Gillian McAllister has delivered her most emotionally resonant and tightly wound thriller yet with Caller Unknown. The desolate Texas setting amplifies Simone’s terrifying moral dilemma—a mother forced to commit a crime to save her daughter—creating unbearable tension from the very first page. The plot mechanics are flawless; every turn, every hidden detail, and every panicked decision felt entirely authentic and propelled the story forward at a furious pace. This is a brilliant exploration of the lengths a parent will go to, culminating in an intricate and devastatingly clever twist that leaves you breathless. A guaranteed five-star read and an absolute masterclass in high-stakes psychological suspense.
Thank you netgalley for the arc !! 🖤
Thank you netgalley for the arc !! 🖤
September 16, 2025
My mom loves me, and I love her, but if she ever thought about me "Swimming inside her, in the amniotic fluid" I would first need to get a court ordered restraining order and then be so creeped out. I don't have children, but I would love to know if any mothers out there ever contemplated their children swimming in the amniotic fluid? But ironically as I type this, my mom actually probably did think about me in the amniotic fluid because I literally did have Meconium Fluid--(Your welcome mommy) So Meconium mom's aside....you never reflect on that.
That demonstrates how weird and offputting the main character Simone is in this book. She was just flying that freak flag high. How's this for further proof: Daughter is kidnapped at 4 am (Don't forget that...o wait you can because that time is mentioned 22 times-) and SHE DOESN'T CALL THE POLICE!!! Her husband a continent away begs...she doesn't call the police because she is trying to be super mom-WHAT? Call the police!! I just couldn't get past it.
As the plot progresses(very slowly at that) we are in addition reminded of her crazy weird obsession with her daughter-who is really not that special....I mean...she was a C+ child at best-McAllister throws in all these food descriptions, in case you forget Simon is a chef--totally pointless except she made an enourmous amount of recipes with eggs in this book.
Okay I will back of Simone, let's talk plot. BORING.
Very slow moving, and the ending was so sudden. The ending felt like it was thrown up against the wall and so ridiculous.
The literary device she pulls at the end was so cheap, like really? That is what you are going to do Gillian?? You can do better.
The underlying message here is mothers have a fierce and intense love....but I am sorry I am not buying it. Not in the way it was shown in this book, especially the last few chapters.
Hoping for better in the future......
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this advanced copy of Caller Unknown. I was not paid for this honest review.
That demonstrates how weird and offputting the main character Simone is in this book. She was just flying that freak flag high. How's this for further proof: Daughter is kidnapped at 4 am (Don't forget that...o wait you can because that time is mentioned 22 times-) and SHE DOESN'T CALL THE POLICE!!! Her husband a continent away begs...she doesn't call the police because she is trying to be super mom-WHAT? Call the police!! I just couldn't get past it.
As the plot progresses(very slowly at that) we are in addition reminded of her crazy weird obsession with her daughter-who is really not that special....I mean...she was a C+ child at best-McAllister throws in all these food descriptions, in case you forget Simon is a chef--totally pointless except she made an enourmous amount of recipes with eggs in this book.
Okay I will back of Simone, let's talk plot. BORING.
Very slow moving, and the ending was so sudden. The ending felt like it was thrown up against the wall and so ridiculous.
The literary device she pulls at the end was so cheap, like really? That is what you are going to do Gillian?? You can do better.
The underlying message here is mothers have a fierce and intense love....but I am sorry I am not buying it. Not in the way it was shown in this book, especially the last few chapters.
Hoping for better in the future......
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this advanced copy of Caller Unknown. I was not paid for this honest review.
August 15, 2025
This was an absolute masterpiece! I’m a huge fan of Gillian as “Wrong place wrong time” was my favorite book in 2024 out of 335 books. So I will read anything by her and this book didn’t let me down.
I’m talking nonstop action with so many moral dilemma’s thrown in. She is an expert of creating a story where you are constantly asking yourself “what would I do in this situation?” I was on the edge of my seat wondering where this story would go and what the resolution would be!
There were strong themes of parenting and letting go of our children to make their way in the world. I loved that as a mother because we can all relate in some way. The sacrifices we gladly make for our children.
The ending blew my mind in the best way possible. This book is a must read for any thriller fanatic!
I’m talking nonstop action with so many moral dilemma’s thrown in. She is an expert of creating a story where you are constantly asking yourself “what would I do in this situation?” I was on the edge of my seat wondering where this story would go and what the resolution would be!
There were strong themes of parenting and letting go of our children to make their way in the world. I loved that as a mother because we can all relate in some way. The sacrifices we gladly make for our children.
The ending blew my mind in the best way possible. This book is a must read for any thriller fanatic!
September 1, 2025
ARC read: Typically I love Gillian and her books are 5 stars, unfortunately this latest was just a mess for me. It felt like I was reading a poorly made action movie with a bizarre mother/daughter relationship and not a jaw dropping thriller.
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