Caller Unknown

 

This book had me gripped — right up until the ending asked me to believe a little too much.

Gillian McAllister’s Caller Unknown opens with a premise that hooks you immediately: a mother’s daughter is kidnapped, and the terror that follows is visceral and real. McAllister absolutely nails Simone’s panic and desperation. That part worked.

What also worked was the relationship between Simone and Lucy. Simone is smart and capable — even when I didn’t agree with her choices. She has strong convictions about motherhood, including one I pushed back on a little myself. But she’s a compelling character and I was rooting for her the whole way.

Where the book lost me was the ending. The resolution hinged on a sequence of events that required me to suspend a lot of disbelief. I’m talking serious luck, not convincing plot. No spoilers, but let’s just say the characters’ survival depends on circumstances that felt more miraculous than realistic. My inner high school English teacher kept whispering deus ex machina.

McAllister’s fans will enjoy this one. She knows how to move a plot and pile on the emotions. I just needed the payoff to live up to what came before it. If you’re looking for a fast, propulsive thriller for a beach or pool read, this delivers. Just don’t look too closely at the seams. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. Caller Unknownpublishes May 5.

QOTD: If the ransom note said don’t tell the police — would you follow the instructions or call anyway?

If you enjoyed this review, you might like Forget You Saw Her by Noelle W. Ihli. 

#thrillerbooks #bookreviews #bookstagram #books#theretiredlibrarian

About the Author

Gillian McAllister is the New York Timesbestselling author of Reese's Book Club Pick Wrong Place Wrong Time, Famous Last Words, Just Another Missing Person, Everything but the Truth, The Choice, The Good Sister, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear, and the Richard & Judy Book Club pick That Night. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she now writes full-time. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authorspodcast.