The Last Policeman: A Novel

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."

I bought this ebook almost at random -- I had just bought a new tablet, and just wanted to experiment with it. I was pleasantly surprised that this is a really good book, much better than I was expecting. Writing mysteries well is really hard, and writing science-fiction mysteries well is really, really hard. Winters has created a believable world with mostly believable characters and then laid out an intricate plot with lots of twists. I'm glad to learn that 2 more books are planned. I'll buy them ASAP.

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.