Maybe this is not the question you wanted to ponder first thing on this Monday morning- but really, Monday probably is the best day to think about your own personal “the-world-is-going-to-end” plan, don’t you think? You certainly wouldn’t want to waste a perfectly good weekend day for that? Right?
Well, I read The Last Policeman a few weeks ago and this question of “what would I do…” has been lingering in the back of my brain ever since. This morning the thought came to me again as I was comparing my glorious day at the beach yesterday, to my not-so-glorious commute into work this morning.
I decided that if the world really were going to end in six months- I would definitely put in a formal request ASAP to do all of my work and whatever else I could possibly do from the beach. (Manasquan Beach in NJ to be exact.)
So…in case you were wondering this is where you would find me if the incidents of The Last Policeman were actually going to come to fruition.
If you don’t know the premise of The Last Policeman– here is the scoop…Detective Hank Palace is one of the last working detectives in the Concord Police Department, an asteroid is about to destroy the earth- and while most people are off living out their bucket-lists or causing problems or committing suicide, Detective Palace is staying the course, solving crimes and trying to keep life as orderly as possible. It is such a fun read on so many levels, from a whodunnit to a philosophical brain teaser. What would YOU do if the world was going to end in six months?
Want to share what you’d do at the end of the world? Email your essay, short story, song, visual art (whatever medium you choose to express yourself in) to Quirk Books at thelastpoliceman@quirkbooks.com. You may get published on their blog!
Here’s what is being said about this title…
“I’m in the middle of it and can’t put the dang thing down.”–USA Today’s Pop Candy
“…a solidly plotted whodunit with strong characters and excellent dialogue…This memorable tale is the first of a planned trilogy.”—Booklist
“This thought-provoking mystery should appeal to crime fiction aficionados who like an unusual setting and readers looking for a fresh take on apocalypse stories.”—Library Journal
“Ben Winters makes noir mystery even darker: his latest novel sets a despondent detective on a suspicious suicide case–while an asteroid hurtles toward earth.” —Wired magazine
“A promising kickoff to a planned trilogy. For Winters (Bedbugs, 2011, etc.), the beauty is in the details rather than the plot’s grim main thrust.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review