The Last Policeman: A Novel

· The Last Policeman Trilogy Book 1 · Sold by Quirk Books
3.5
1.03K reviews
Ebook
336
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

"[The] weird, beautiful, unapologetically apocalyptic Last Policeman trilogy is one of my favorite mystery series."—John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns

Winner of the 2013 Edgar® Award Winner for Best Paperback Original!

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?

Ebook contains an excerpt from the anticipated second book in the trilogy, Countdown City. 

Ratings and reviews

3.5
1.03K reviews
Matt Milone
December 13, 2013
Winter's nearing apocalyptic world he's created is incredibly interesting. It's grounded and well developed and you literally hang on every new piece of news or history regarding *how* society got to its' present point. Despite this amazing world, the actual detective story is solid but not particularly moving. The protagonist is somewhat interesting, but maybe too much an everyman to ever stand out emotionally. Despite several really personal and emotional situations, Det. Palace never fully feels invested in the world. At times, that really helps the story stylistically, but ultimately makes him a bit forgettable. Generally, its a quick read that never slows down too much to get boring, but also never drives towards any bombastic ending. Even when the "climax" occurs, it doesn't blow the barn doors off of the story. The book is solid all around, and while I definitely need a short break from the at times bland Detective Palace, my interest in the world will make me buy the sequel "Countdown City."
6 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
Hitokiri Battousai
September 9, 2014
The protagonist at the beginning was a bit too analytical for me, but I started to enjoy his quirks/personality as I progressed through the book. Great read, really liked how a post apocalyptic scenario was tied into solving a crime. Picking up the second book as we speak!
Did you find this helpful?
A Google user
August 5, 2012
A very common story, set in a familiar setting, but for the first time (as far as I know) they've been blended together. The imagery composed by the writer fits perfectly with the mood of the book. An interesting portrayal of how global media would handle such a situation as well.
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

Ben H. Winters is the New York Times best-selling, Edgar Award–winning, and Philip K. Dick Award–winning author of The Quiet Boy, Golden State, Underground Airlines, the Last Policeman trilogy, and the mash-up novel Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Ben has also worked extensively in television; he was a writer on the FX cult hit Legion as well as Manhunt on Apple TV+, and he is the creator of the CBS drama Tracker. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.