The trend in fiction today seems to be in presenting protagonists who are morally flawed, sort of like Ishmael in MOBY DICK, who nonetheless rise above their shortcomings to persevere. This is what John Ramsey Miller has achieved in THE LAST FAMILY.

While certainly not on a par with SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, this novel is certainly a cut or two above the standard fare within the thriller genre, with a high, original concept and one of the best baddies since Hannibal Lecter and Lyle Pointer.

The ending, too, seemed telescoped, gotten over with, unsatisfying, which marred the whole book and largely invalidated what Mr. Miller had worked so hard to set up. The main problem I had while reading LAST FAMILY was that there was not one character in it that I liked.

However, the book has one of the best closing lines I've ever read. I'll certainly give Mr. Miller's next book a chance.

John Ramsey Miller has produced a fine first effort. The evil Martin Fletcher was a captivating character. The story was a page-turner, and except for some slightly flawed elements,the book is a fine example of this genre.

Now, to the flaws. The main character, Paul Masterson, was brought out of a retirement funk (physically, mentally and emotionally) too quickly. More time could have been devoted to Paul's recuperation. Also, some of the peripheral characters were hard to believe (Tod Peoples). Finally, the security used to protect the "last family" was, at times, laughable. Ten ardent fans of any television crime series could have made better plans.

Having said this, I feel as if I am being too hard on Mr. Miller. These flaws are minor and do not take too much away from a fine first effort.

A great debut novel. It was hard to put dowm. Mr Miller has written a very entertaining, action-packed, fast-paced, compelling book. The characters were great, the villain was incredibly scary and believable and Paul Masterson was great, flaws and all. I can't wait to read his next novel. A sequel would be great. I highly recommend this book if you like fast-paced action. But beware if you're squeamish.