Famous last words A novel

Marital secrets animate this heartrending standalone from McAllister (Wrong Place, Wrong Time). On a June morning in London, Camilla "Cam" Deschamps wakes to find that her husband, Luke, isn't home. Then she discovers the cryptic note he left behind: "If anything... it's been so lovely with you both." As Cam tries to convince herself that Luke left early for his ghostwriting job, she drops off their infant daughter, Polly, at day care before heading to work. Soon after she arrives at her office, Cam learns that a hostage situation is developing at a nearby warehouse and Luke is the gunman. The seasoned hostage negotiator on the scene is convinced Luke is a family man who won't resort to violence, but after Luke releases one of the hostages, he shoots the other two, then vanishes. Years pass with no sign of Luke, and Cam struggles to rebuild her life while secretly attempting to piece together clues that could point to her husband's whereabouts or explain his actions. Though the pace can drag and certain twists are a bit convoluted, the gut-wrenching plight of McAllister's three-dimensional heroine will keep readers flipping pages. This satisfies. Agent: Ariele Friedman, United Talent Agency. (Feb.)

McAllister's latest brilliantly constructed novel (following Wrong Place Wrong Time) is a perfectly calibrated mix of the thoughtful characterization that book clubbers will adore and the twist-filled plotting that armchair suspense junkies crave. Waking up one early summer morning and finding her husband Luke gone, Camilla Deschamps proceeds to get their daughter Polly ready for her first day of preschool. Arriving at the literary agency where she works, Cam tries to reach Luke in between dealing with all the tasks that have accumulated while she was on maternity leave. Later that morning, while Cam is watching a breaking news piece on the television in reception, two police officers enter the office and ask to speak with her. Cam is about to find out exactly why she hasn't been able to reach Luke. The icing on this delectable literary confection is its delight in language and words, which is artfully reflected in the protagonist's own appreciation of "le mot juste," as well as her love of reading and the transporting power of books. VERDICT A first-rate, fiendishly clever suspense novel that fans of Lisa Jewell, Megan Miranda, and Laura Lippman will eat up with a spoon.--John Charles