Paperback, 288 pages
Published Nov. 11, 2012 by Quirk Books.
What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?
Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.
The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.
The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilization rest upon? …
What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?
Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.
The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.
The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilization rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?
The mystery was kinda meh, but the world building was excellent. I really like the premise - end of the world is happening and what do cops do about crime when you know that it’s all over in a year?
Enjoyed this quirky guy and setting - have arranged to read the next two in the series!
Thoroughly enjoyable, original premise. The world's about to end - an asteroid is going to collide with earth, destroying life as we know it - but that's not going to stop the main character Detective from solving his first murder case. The detective procedural tropes were all there, but in light of the decaying civilization and individuals' newfound priorities, they felt fresh, and different.
Intrigued to read the sequels - not obvious where the story goes from here, but I can't wait to find out.
Tightly plotted and told by an instantly likeable protagonist, the book beautifully balances the personal ethics of one man against a world slowly winding down to oblivion.
3.5 rating
