After the joy of strictly reading one of my favorite authors for an entire month, it was tough to choose my first non-DWJ read. I eventually decided to go for something entirely different and chose The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters (the co-author of Sense and Sensibility of Sea Monsters), first in a trilogy. I chose wisely because this was a wonderful book.
The titular last detective is Hank Palace, a newish recruit to the Concord, New Hampshire detective force. Sadly, his time on the force will likely be short because a massive asteroid is heading toward Earth and they're only six months away from impact. Suicides are on the rise and when Hank gets called to examine a body found in a fast-food restaurant restroom, he's pressured to give this death the same tidy verdict. But he feels that something is off and, even with the imminent end of the world, he is determined to do his job and solve what could be his last murder case.
There were so many layers to this story, from the basic murder investigation to a pre-apocalyptic romance to the more philosophical questions of what to do with the last six months of your (and possibly everyone else's) life. Everyone in the story is some shade of unpleasant for the obvious reasons but, because of the circumstances, they almost all become sympathetic. Hank's dedication to his job is especially admirable but also a bit compulsive which makes him a complex character that you want to learn more about. I read this entire story in one day and can't wait to get to book two, Countdown City, which I have sitting here, and book three, World of Trouble, which comes out in July.
With a glimmer of hope,
K
p.s. I received my copy of this book from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.
I read about this book somewhere recently, but I can't remember where. Seems like an interesting idea, police procedurals usually end up pretty much the same, but this sounds intriguing. That you read it in just one day makes me want to pick it up right now! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it! I had heard about it "somewhere" too and added it to my mental list but then when I did get it, I was worried that I had misunderstood because it was a police story which I usually don't care for. But I'm glad I went with whatever recommendation prompted me to want it in the first place because it was so much more!
DeleteI really enjoyed this series! Henry Palace was sort of compulsive, but at the same time, I admired that he kept focusing on what he could work on, rather than fretting about a future he can't control. The second one gets quite a bit darker, and it made me excited for the third.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to read Countdown City in the next couple of weeks. Glad to know that it's darker though. I'll pick the right time to read it!
DeleteI'm so so damn in love with this series! The author is amazing - super responsive to conversation on Twitter - and just a fun guy. He stopped by Elliott Bay Books last year when I was out of town but I hope to catch him this year for the third book.
ReplyDeleteIs it embarrassing to ask him to sign all three?
I finished the second book last week (in another two-day reading session). It was even better than the first. I hope he comes for the third book too! I'll go with you and gush. :)
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