Natasha’s hands have begun to shake uncontrollably, reminders of Barney are going missing or turning up in unusual places, a prototype race car model is stolen and is being held for ransom and Natasha gets the feeling their house tucked into the North Carolina woods is under constant surveillance. Which is of course, because it is. 

The Watcher knows Natasha and Ward’s most intimate secrets and knows about what and whom they are most vulnerable and is able to quietly creep around, plotting Natasha and Ward’s last day on earth, which the Watcher has scheduled for the first anniversary of Barney’s death.  

As various players drift in and out of Natasha and Ward’s lives – the Dibbles who want to buy Ward’s company, young Alice Palmer who plays a bigger role in the events about to unfold than anyone would imagine, Ward’s secretary Leslie and her boyfriend private eye Todd Hartman – things spiral out of control. At a certain point, Ward and Natasha decide to take control of their situation and become pro-active in an attempt to restore normalcy to their lives, and even save them.

The Last Day is fast-moving and very suspenseful as the plot unfolds in an intricate pattern, revealing more each time than the reader might realize.  Sympathetic readers will feel Natasha and Ward’s loss and will struggle with Ward as he decides the fate of his family company. Things revealed in the final climax will surprise many readers who were too caught up in the plot to recognize the clues as they are presented.  

The Last Day, with its intriguing premise, complex plot, sympathetic characters in need of redemption and tense climax and resolution, is sure to please readers and win new fans for John Ramsey Miller.                                        

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry