The Bookish Ashley

When I pick up a Gillian McAllister novel, I expect two things: my pulse to spike and my heart to ache. Caller Unknown delivers on both fronts. With her trademark mix of propulsive pacing and nuanced emotional depth, McAllister has crafted another thriller that is as much about the choices we make as it is about the danger lurking in the shadows.

The Story

Simone and her daughter Lucy set off on what should be a final, memory-making vacation before Lucy heads to university. But their trip to the Texas desert quickly descends into nightmare territory when Lucy vanishes from their cabin and Simone receives a chilling ransom call. The rules are clear: don’t involve the police, follow the instructions, and do whatever it takes to get Lucy back.

From there, the book spirals into a series of high-stakes moral dilemmas that pit a mother’s love against her conscience. The kidnapper doesn’t want money – they want Simone to do something far darker.

What Worked for Me

Tension you can feel in your bones: McAllister knows how to build suspense scene by scene, layering dread with every choice Simone makes. Moral complexity: This isn’t just a chase across the desert; it’s a meditation on how far a parent will go, and what lines they’re willing to cross, when their child’s life is on the line. Compassion woven into chaos: Despite the adrenaline-fueled plot, McAllister never loses sight of the mother-daughter bond at the center of the story.

What Fell a Little Short

The pacing occasionally wobbles in the middle, with a few sequences feeling stretched just long enough to dilute the tension. Some secondary characters felt underdeveloped, existing more as plot devices than fully realized figures in Simone’s journey.

Final Thoughts

Caller Unknown is a thriller that knows how to hook you from page one and doesn’t let go. While not flawless, it delivers exactly what fans of McAllister crave: heart-pounding suspense grounded in human emotion. This is a book you’ll inhale in a couple of sittings, all the while wondering, What would I do if it were my child?

⭐ 4 out of 5 stars

A gripping, morally complex page-turner perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, or anyone who likes their thrillers with both brains and heart.