The Last Policeman is a police procedural mystery thriller kind of novel with an unusual and clever premise. An asteroid is going to crash into the earth. People are checking out early – hanging themselves in bathrooms and closets. Others have abandoned jobs to chase their bucket lists. Still others have turned to booze or drugs. What still matters? But this one apparent suicide captures the attention of rookie detective Hank Palace and he feels compelled to investigate.

The premise almost stopped me in my tracks. This isn’t the kind of book I usually enjoy. On the other hand, the book was recommended to me (by Karen London) and I thought to myself, self, don’t be so closed-minded, read the damned book.

The book is a whodunit, but at the same time it’s a book about what life could be like on the brink of an apocalypse. It is as if the whodunit format has given author Ben Winters a way into this grim situation. It’s a fascinating and entertaining page-turner. I understand this is the first of what is going to be a series of books, and the second one is out. I have mixed feelings about that. I’ll read the second one for sure. I just hope Mr. Winters doesn’t exploit his premise until it becomes a tiresome formula.

A big thanks goes out to Karen who recommended not just this book but also the previous one I read, 419 by Will Ferguson – I enjoyed both books thoroughly. My copy of The Last Policeman will be going into the book box out front so others can enjoy it. My next read will be The Mushroom Hunters by Langdon Cook – On the Trail of an Underground America!