On the 2nd of May 2013 The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters won Best Original Paperback at the Edgar Awards and after reading this book I can see why. Ben H. Winters takes the classic 'whodunnit' premise and adds his own refreshing twist to it. The Last Policeman is unique and so well written and in my opinion a deserved winner.
The basic plot is as follows; in 6 months time an asteroid named maia will collide with earth brining about the apocolaypse. It is believed that no one will survive and everything has pretty much gone to pot.
Ben has presented a fascinating portrait of pre-apocalyptic America.
The Last Policeman is an exciting and engaging read, it grabbed my attention from the begining and managed to hold onto it right until the very end. I felt as though I was with detective Hank Palace every step of the way as he tried to solve the murder case of Peter Zell, much to the amusement of his co-workers (who believe Peter committed suicide). I too was excited when new clues were uncovered and was shocked by the ending, something I didn't see coming at all.
This book was interesting and made me think about how I would personally cope knowing the world was going to end in a matter of months. It is a terrifying thought and added a kind of dark feeling to the book. On many ocassions I found myself wishing that it was all a mistake and wanting a happy ending.
I can not wait to read the second book as Ben has created a world I am eager to revisit. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars as I believe it was a great starting point for the trilogy and I cannot wait to read more.
