The Last Policeman, by Ben H. Winters
Big favorite here, and it's a crime novel!
I heard about Ben Winters through Jeremy Anderberg's newsletter, What to read next. He was talking about Big Time, but with a passing mention of the trilogy The Last Policeman, calling it "criminally underestimated". He also compared Big Time with Blake Crouch's Brooks (Dark Matterone of my favorites), which immediately convinced me.
I got through the trilogy in record time (one or two weeks), and the emotions it made me experience on the spot, the dreams it gave me at night and the thoughts it provoked during the day, in addition to the sheer pleasure of reading it, mean that I can't fail to rank it as one of my best reads.
Summary
It's confirmed that a meteorite will hit the Earth in six months' time. There was no way of predicting it, the probabilities were too low, but here we are. In six months, humanity will be extinct, and there's nothing we can do about it.
Many people have decided to leave everything behind to realize their dreams before they die; many commit suicide; and some carry on working, because they can't see what they'd do otherwise. The detective in the story falls into the latter category. Against all odds, he decides to solve cases that the rest of the world, under the circumstances, would be content to sweep under the table. And we're glad that he does.
Impressions
I liked this novel because it was a good detective story, for one thing. The cases the detective solves are always well-crafted and more complex than you'd think. The detective is a bit odd (after all, what's the point of solving a suspicious suicide a few months before the end of the world?), but that makes him endearing. He's a stabilizing force in this chaotic world, one of the few people you can still trust. He inspires respect.
But what made this trilogy memorable for me was the context. Watching the world quietly fall apart, 6 months before the real end, was surprisingly moving. The suicide/murder and the two disappearances dealt with in the trilogy are very touching, and the detective approaches them with great compassion. The ending isn't impressive, but it's perfect.
I think this book will stay in my thoughts for a long time.
