DRB Reviews...

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

DRB Reviews...Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars "Nail-biting"

​Caller Unknown is a high-stakes thriller about a mother, Simone, who travels from England to a Texas cabin to visit her teenage daughter, Lucy. The next morning, Lucy is kidnapped. A mysterious caller demands a ransom but issues an impossible directive: do not call the police, or Lucy will die. This was such a hook for me and I couldn't wait to dive in. After-all, a mother will do anything for her daughter. There is such a special bond between mother and daughter, especially a daughter who is an only child. 

Unfortunately, the book had moments where it fizzed out for me. I mean I love McAllister's books, they are instant must reads whenever a new release hits the stands. I am an avid follower on all McAllister's socials. But Caller Unknown was not one of my favourite books. It was nail-biting yes, but I found the character introspection to be too much, and it got in the way of the flow of the story for me. I almost felt like the hypophora was to fill in words rather than to deepen the plot. Sadly, Simone's internal conflict and rhetorical questions got in my way of enjoying the book. I also did not love Simone; she maddened me with her choices, as I felt she lost her personal integrity in them. However, kudos to McAllister, as this kept me turning pages just to see what she would do next. 

I did pre-order a physical copy of the book to read and was so excited when it was finally delivered in the mail. But due to my busy schedule, I found I didn't have a lot of time to sit and read it. So I downloaded it on Spotify and listened to the book in the car on the way to and from work. It definitely helped to pass the time and I LOVED the narrator; her is voice so calm yet articulate.

Overall, not my favourite new release of 2026, but I am still glad I read it. And I remain a loyal McAllister fan!

www.dawnrodger.ca

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