The Last Policeman Book II (The Last Policeman Trilogy)

This book is to apocalypse as Queensryche was to heavy metal. Hard hitting but you have to think. I am so looking forward to the final book of the trilogy. the series has it all doomsday prepers, police mystery, conspiracy theory. I cant recommend it enough.

There are some pretty awesome reviews on here that say the same thing that I would, so instead of repeating what they have...read those 4 and 5 star reviews and mine would be right up there with them.

The original LP was a hoot. The last policeman as one of a few honorable souls living out their last days doing what they can and have always done to be the cog in the machine of civilized society. Carrying on in the face of futility. The second book was just as well written and didn't falter or get bogged down, but the message was a repetition and for me is the last "Last Policeman". Am eager to try other works by Ben H. Winters.

Read the first one yesterday, the second one today and Lord help me I just downloaded the third one at 10:30 pm. I can't put these down and hope I at least get a couple hour's worth of sleep before work tomorrow. Needless to say, I love these books!

Great story. The plot was innovative, with an excellent understanding of the subject matter. Detective Palace is a interesting study, first in what he trying to do and secondly, the why. I have already purchased the third part of this trilogy and I can't wait to get started.

The Last Policeman, Countdown City, and World of Trouble follow Henry Palace–a young, rookie detective–through a series of increasingly desperate investigations set against the backdrop of a certain, impending apocalypse. A 10km-wide asteroid is scheduled to hit the earth within a year, and throughout the series, Winters manages to balance the genre’s strict requirements of plot with a thoughtful, humanizing treatment of the tragedy as it plays out in individual lives and communities. Many times, Henry Palace takes up the question: “In the face of death, why do anything? Why not eat, drink, and be merry?” And his answer is usually unsatisfying: “It’s who I am. This is what I do. I detect. I look for answers.” Ultimately, he’s distracting himself from the coming doom (though with work rather than pleasure), and he knows it. But then, that’s probably a pretty fair assessment of how most folks live.

Winters' writing is very good, his narrator is both intelligent and compassionate, and the other characters are drawn in a way that is neither frigid nor sentimental. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Sequals are often a disappointment, but no so Countdown City. I gobbled it up on the edge of my sear, and I can barely stand to wait for the final book. Anyone want to lay bets on whether Winters will REALLY end the world?

An interesting, unflinching look at Paul Simon's career. The approved Hillburn biography due in a couple of years may not be as frank when it comes to certain issues about song writing credits and general ruthlessness. Simon comes off as complex here -- generous (sometimes to a fault) but exigent and somewhat unethical at times when it comes to awarding credit for the recorded material. In fact there are only a couple of controversies -- over the the arrangement of "Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme", and the tune "The Myth of Fingerprints" from the Graceland album. He's a shrewd and and you might even say heartless businessman in these pages, but he owns his own work which many other talented musicians do not. There are many curious details here -- he joined a fraternity at Brooklyn College, who knew? And once there he made sure their annual shows were the best anyone had ever seen. Of course, this is the guy who fired the whole "Capeman" orchestra because they weren't "musical" enough. All in all, the portrait of a difficult, neurotic, troubled genius. The key word there is genius.

Ben H. Winters first Last Policeman novel created the most realistic pre-apocolypse I've ever read.

This second installment continues the unsteady descent into pre-asteroid chaos, and for the most part keeps a level head about it. There is mass hysteria, as you'd expect, but the author keeps the same cool detachment about it that former detective Henry Palace does.

The same cannot be said for the author's approach to Palace himself, unfortunately. He goes from being a super human to being a superhuman in this novel, and works enough miracles to be eligible for sainthood when something (presumably the end of the world) finally kills him.

So just be prepared for that. The rest of the story will keep you guessing, probably in the wrong directions, in a most satisfying way from beginning to epilogue. The stakes get higher, the end draws nearer, and now matter what happens Hank Palace will stick around to find out how it all turns out. So should you.

Mr. Winters did not deliver much of a mystery novel. He became possessed with presenting a dystopian picture of a disintegrating contemporary society. Most things are left floating. The policeman's investigation simply dissolves into implausible events and incongruous conclusions. This fantasy is only recommended for those who wish for help in envisioning what anarchy and chaos would look like if everybody, save one or two, went walk-about. The characters are only slightly developed beyond the previous book and the writing is pedestrian. There are a few thought provoking philosophical and interpersonal questions raised but I did not find those worth the effort required to reach them.

I was very taken with the first installment of this trilogy. It's a great idea for a novel: the world is ending, what will you do with your last remaining months?

This second installment feels obligatory and somewhat stale.

The logistics of mystery solving seem impossible when almost all infrastructure has failed. In some sense, the mystery element becomes almost unbelievable. The police force itself is gone and our main character --now an ex-cop-- is forced to cycle around New Hampshire on a bike, yet he's able to take on a missing person case. Hmmmmm.

This series is unique because it deals with life just before an almost certain apocalypse. This book is just as fun as the first. It's a quick and easy read without sacrificing the writing. There's some really interesting sections that showcase just how ugly humanity can get (but I won't spoil them here). I cannot wait to read book 3.

I'm not normally a mystery reader. I have enjoyed this mash up of genres though. An enjoyable page turner. The story has some interesting twists and the protagonist grew on me. The backdrop of the world also appealed to me. Another way of asking yourself what is precious and just plain what if....

I loved the first book, The Last Policeman, and liked this one. The premise of a crime drama in a pre- apocalyptic setting was a unique idea for the first book. In the sequel, the focus is less on a mystery and more on the events that are unfolding as the end nears. I have the third book preordered and am anxious to see how the tale ends. As a NH resident, the setting is familiar, which adds to the enjoyment for this reader.

In a pre-apocalyptic world where society is rapidly decaying into barbarianism there is one man who still believes in justice for all. The story is riveting, the characters are well thought out, and it was hard to put down until it was finished.

I can't wait for the next book....

I really enjoyed the first book of this series. It's sort of a unique take on the whole Apocolypse storyline. This book was a pretty good continuation of the story, but I wasn't as into this one as I was the first. It does move through the story pretty quickly, and if there is another installation of this series I'll likely read it.