Caller Unknown

My favorite mystery/thriller writer has done it again! I was a bit wary about her latest because it takes place in Texas and she's a Brit. Simone, mom of Lucy and co-owner of Dishes, an up-and-coming London restaurant, has travelled to Texas to rendezvous with Lucy as she finishes up summer sessions at acting camp. On the first night of their reunion at an out-of-the-way AirBNB, Lucy is kidnapped from her bedroom as Simone is deeply asleep, recovering from jet lag. When Simone is contacted by the kidnapper, she is instructed to travel to Mexico and to trade Lucy for six kilos of cocaine she was forced to transport and deliver. When the meetup goes wrong, Simone and Lucy flee on foot as Damien, husband and dad, travels from London. At show more times, Simone becomes suspicious of her own daughter, as Lucy seems to be keeping secrets. A major theme is Simone's obsession with Lucy leaving for college and her inability to separate from her, due to her own childhood trauma. The debate between Simone and Damien re: whether mothers and fathers hold differing degrees of attachment to their children is an important plot point; however, the stunning resolution is just as much of a shock as McAllister's denouements always are! The audio narration is, as always, first rate and really adds to the suspense. show less

I consider myself to be a Gillian McAllister fan and Caller Unknown is now one of my favourites of her books (along with How to Disappear and Wrong Place Wrong Time).

Simone flies to the US to meet up with her teenage daughter Lucy who has been at summer camp before hopefully taking up a place at RADA. Bar some temporarily lost luggage, all goes well until the morning after Simone’s first night in Texas when she wakes up to find Lucy gone and a phone in her place. Lucy has been abducted and from that moment Simone’s only purpose is to get her back. Her husband, Damien, is back home in London but even if he was in Texas, it would still be Simone who would be following orders not to contact the police, complying with the abductor’s show more demands, and doing all she could to save Lucy.

Some reviewers have said a suspension of disbelief was required when reading this book but of course that is the case as who can really imagine being in Simone’s situation? It doesn’t happen very often but it does happen sometimes. What shone through from start to finish is what parents, and mothers in particular, will do for their child, the hoops they will jump through, the laws they will consider breaking and the sacrifices they will make, all to keep their child safe. McAllister, in Caller Unknown, writes what she does best: a psychological thriller with moral dilemmas scattered throughout and a love story, not only between wife and husband, but in this case, even more powerfully, between mother and child.

I found this book very hard to put down. It’s pacy and full of cliffhangers (good ones that lead into the next chapter rather than leaving you hanging for longer) and it’s exciting, edge of your seat, ‘one more chapter’ brilliant. The plot is so well executed and there are so many passages of wisdom about family life that I wish I had marked them all to come back to and read again. This is such a fantastic book. show less

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister is a highly recommended thriller following a mother and daughter during a series of disturbing events.

Simone arrives from the UK to Fort Davis in the Big Bend region of Texas where Lucy has been attending a vocal workshop. The plan is to spend time with her daughter Lucy on an enjoyable vacation before Lucy leaves home for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, RADA. Simone awakens the morning after their first night in the cabin they rented and finds all her luggage there but Lucy gone. Then she receives a message, caller unknown, on a cell phone left in Lucy's bed. She is instructed to not tell the police, go to a specific location, and be prepared to follow instructions if she wants to see her show more daughter again. She does receive a video with proof Lucy's still alive.

Simone calls her husband Damien who encourages her to call the police, but she declines, worried about Lucy's safety. Damien says he will be on a flight to the USA and Simone proceeds to follow the kidnapper's instructions. Instead of a ransom demand, Simone is given a task. Simone follows the instructions and this sets into motion a distressing encounter, morality choices, an arduous journey, and intense cat and mouse game.

This well-written thriller starts out at a sweeping, intense, nail-biting pace and then slows down as the situation changes. The sources threatening Simone and Lucy include humans but also the harsh environment as they are on the run. Along with the thriller plot line, the narrative also explores the close relationship/connection between mothers and daughters. The middle part of the novel becomes a thoughtful character study and examination of familiar relationships. The ending explodes back into action with surprising developments and twists. Take note that there are several times I had to set disbelief aside while reading.

The characters are all well-developed and intimately portrayed as complex individuals with strengths and weaknesses. The exploration of the connection between mothers and daughters, and the sacrifices mothers will make for their children is especially well done and compassionately depicted through thoughts and deeds throughout the narrative.

Caller Unknown is a great choice for those who enjoy thrillers which feature a mother and daughter encountering a tension-packed situation. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/01/caller-unknown.html show less

Simone and her daughter, Lucy, are very close. Simone leaves their home in England to vacation in Texas with Lucy. But, when, Simone wakes up the next morning, Lucy is gone. In her place is a cell phone and someone on the other end with a shocking ransom demand. Simone's husband urges her to bring in the police but she knows she can't take any chances. She gets another call telling her they will kill Lucy if she tells anyone. No mother would ever take that risk. At one point, I had to put this book down to calm myself. Then, jumped back in and finished it! So good!!!

[4.5] aah this was so good!! when the initial "mystery" / "problem" was somewhat resolved in the first half of the book, i was slightly unsure as to where the story would go next, and really hoped it wasn't just going to be one mystery after another after another, etc. but i should've known better than to doubt miss gillian like that! this is only my second book by her, but with this, and wrong place, wrong time, the mystery / thriller elements and the plot twists are always SO well thought out, and never leave me confused as to how we got there, but still leave me shocked as i didn't see it coming, which i think is so hard to do well!! this was so fast-paced, and addictive to keep reading, so i will definitely read more of her work in show more the future now!!

thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced reader's copy, in exchange for an honest review. show less

A mother's love is strong. When Simone's daughter, Lucy, is kidnapped, Simone knows that she will stop at nothing to bring her home. Simone's husband, Damian, begs her to call the police, but she fears Lucy will be killed. Surprisingly, the ransom for Lucy isn't money; it's for Simone to perform a task. This starts a series of events that put both Lucy's and Simone's lives in danger. When Damian comes to help, the trio tries to go underground and escape the authorities.
I found the concept interesting, but I couldn't suspend disbelief regarding how this trio handled things. They were too capable, without any help or training.

Simone and Lucy are mother/daughter and looking forward to a camping getaway in Texas. Unfortunately, things go drastically downhill when Lucy is kidnapped and Simone receives a call, instructed not to call the police and given directions to follow. Against her husband’s wishes, Simone refuses to call the police. She follows all directions.

The plot drew me in and the beginning was very suspenseful and had my heart pumping. It slows down in the middle with Simone making numerous poor decisions fueled by her panic. I was able to relate to that panic but the situations and decisions the family made were far fetched. I have enjoyed previous books by this author and look forward to reading her again.

Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC. show more This is my honest opinion. show less