The Last Policeman

There are worse times to read books like Ben Winters’ than in the wake of a major natural disaster. ( there any books like this one? A pre-apocalyptic murder mystery?) Set in the days leading up to a cataclysmic asteroid crash into the earth, it depicts a world that is merely but not chaos, functioning on “auxiliary”, with all the major systems of civilization (economic, political, infrastructural) ailing, but still not nearly at levels. My minor post Sandy damage inconveniences (no milk at the store, no internet at the office), and the much worse stories I see in the news (looting, gas shortages, lack of food and shelter for many) are bringing Winters’ imaginary world home at the moment. So much for escapism!

The titular young detective has all of a year’s worth of police experience under his belt, his rapid promotion due to chronic attrition on the Concord (New Hampshire) police department, as more experienced officers retire to go check off items on their bucket list. For all intents and purposes, the remaining cops have ALSO checked out,  judging from the minimal attention they give their jobs. After all, who cares?  They’re all going to die anyway! But our hero Hank Palace, for whatever reason, looks at it differently. When an apparent suicide looks “off” to him, he treats it as a homicide, and follows a winding, sad trail to the truth.

Much nice writing in this book, and the characters (and their reality) are all well-drawn. I’m not the mystery-junkie that the Countess is, so I can’t speak to the relative originality of its twists and turns, although it seems to me the setting has to be fresh. There were times when I felt that Detective Palace was more psychic than deductive genius…I can’t imagine anyone figuring out the things he does based on the facts he is given. But I invariably feel the same way when reading Agatha Christie novels; it seems to be par for the course in mysteries.

is the first part of a planned trilogy. I’m assuming we are in store for two more whodunits which take place as the big rock hurtles ever closer to the earth. I look forward to it with morbid fascination! I’m also assuming (hoping) that the real world picture will diverge from Winters’ visions by that point!