New Release: World of Trouble

Next week, the world will finally get the third book in The Last Policeman trilogy, World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters. I didn't expect this series to become one of my all-time favorites but somehow it did. Between the first book (The Last Policeman), the second (Countdown City), and this one, I only spent about four days reading. I just couldn't put these books down. I can't say if it was the sense of urgency of an impending asteroid strike or the need to help Detective Henry Palace find what he was looking for or simply the morbid desire to watch the breakdown of civilized society as the end of the world approached. Whatever it was, this was an incredible ride and I'm sorry it's over.

I feel like this post should be longer because I enjoyed this series so much but I don't know what to say besides READ IT.

Out with a bang,
K

One Cop, Two Cop

As the second entry in the Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City had the possibility of being the dud book of the series. Therefore, I was immensely happy to find that Ben H. Winters had managed to write a better story than the first (which was also really darn good). In this next part of the story, we're a little closer to the day when an asteroid will strike the earth. Social constructs are starting to break down even more than before and it's become near impossible for Henry Palace to continue his work as a detective (especially since he's officially lost his job). Yet, he still must find a way to be who he needs to be to keep sane during such a crazy time. His morals are tested, his ties to other people are probed and a compelling mystery is solved. I have very high hopes for the third book (World of Trouble) which comes out on July 15. And, since the first book took me one day to read and the second one only slightly longer, I won't have to set aside much time for it, which is always good news to a reader.

After rushing through that book, I was strangely still in the mood for policemen so I picked up ...

The Yiddish Policemen's Union had been on my TBR shelf for a while but, since I knew it would be both quirky and amazing, I was waiting for the right time to take my next journey with Michael Chabon. In this alternate history, Jews were relocated after WWII to Sitka, Alaska as a temporary safe haven. Now the time has come sixty years later that the U.S. government is essentially kicking them out to find their own way again. As their time winds down, Detective Meyer Landsman has to confront his own demons, his open cases and his ex-wife. But there is one murder case that could be the death of him if he's not careful.

I have to say that the similarities between these two stories (counting the two Last Policeman books as one story) were strange. I can't talk much about some of them because of spoilers but the basic premise of how someone in the business of law and order reacts to a break down of the system they have worked to uphold was a really interesting parallel. Each of these men dealt with their situation in a very different way but both of them still kept their honor and integrity intact. Of course, one book also explored some different facets of Jewish/Yiddish/Hebrew culture and that was also quite fascinating. And Chabon's writing was again so wonderful that I would read sentences and paragraphs over and over because they were just perfect.

Admiring the order of a flawless police novel (or two),
K

p.s. I received an ARC of Countdown City in exchange for an honest review.

You Said You Would Wait Until the End of the World

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.