The Last Day

‘A tender, beautifully written book about marriage, love, grief and fear: how all can be lost in a moment, and how hope survives.’ Julie Cohen, author of Together

‘From its sophisticated front cover through to the very last page of exquisite prose, The Last Day is perfection.’ Sarah’s Vignettes

‘Claire Dyer understands humanity and presents it on the page with utmost skill.’ Linda’s Book Bag

‘Creating one authentic character is hard enough but to create three is remarkable …   The writing in The Last Day is sublime. Joy Kluver

This moving and emotionally intelligent novel sets the bar high. The Literary Sofa

For other reviews, please see the Reviews page in News and Reviews.

They say three’s a crowd, but when Boyd moves back in to the family home with his now-amicably estranged wife Vita, accompanied by his impossibly beautiful twenty-seven-year-old girlfriend Honey, it seems the perfect solution: Boyd can get his finances back on track while he deals with his difficult, ailing mother; Honey can keep herself safe from her secret, troubled past; and Vita can carry on painting portraits of the pets she dislikes and telling herself she no longer minds her marriage is over.

But the house in Albert Terrace is small and full of memories, and living together is unsettling.

For Vita, Boyd and Honey, love proves to be a surprising, dangerous thing and one year on, their lives are changed forever.

Available as an audio book here and in paperback from info@clairedyer.com @ £5 +P&P

Here’s what some other lovely people have been saying about it:

“A beautifully written story of love, loss and longing. Claire Dyer writes with a poet’s precision and a compassionate heart.”
Stephanie Butland, author of Lost for Words ​

“A heartrending situation, beautiful writing and unforgettably vivid characters.”
Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow ​

“A tender love story, but also an unputdownable read. Dyer creates tension from page one as each character’s destructive secret slowly and tantalisingly unravels. It’s beautifully written, as you would expect from Dyer, but she has stepped up to the plate this time and delivered a story that is both heartrending and gripping in equal measure. Don’t go down to the basement!”
Hilary Boyd, author of The Lavender House ​

“This is a beautifully written, heartbreakingly poignant story about the enduring nature of love… I was moved to tears by the ending.”
Colette Dartford, author of Learning To Speak American ​

“This is a clever book on so many levels. Just as you are settling in with the characters, Claire Dyer throws a curve ball which grips you and makes it impossible not to move on.”
Jane Cable, author of Another You ​

“Exquisitely written and completely immersive, The Last Day caught me from the very first page. With taut, page-turning plotting, intense emotion, and characters who live and breathe – so real, I now feel I know them – this book was a complete joy, one I didn’t want to finish, but which I know will stay with me for a very long time, now that I have.”
Jenny Ashcroft, author of Beneath A Burning Sky ​

“Sharply observed, cleverly constructed and exquisitely written. Emotionally intelligent and intense, I am completely hooked…”
Rosanna Ley, author of The Little Theatre By the Sea

“The Last Day immerses you in a world of slow-burn tension from the get-go. Dyer’s writing provides a mesmerising quality throughout the novel, as we follow the story of three beautifully-drawn characters searching for love in its many guises. I didn’t want it to end.”
Kendra Smith, author of The Jacaranda Wife