I'm going to be completely transparent here - Ben Winters is a local author whose brother I occasionally try cases against. So when I heard that Ben wrote this trilogy, I was excited to start it because not only do I love reading about places that I know about, but it's written by someone I'm connected to, albeit tenuously.
In this book, the asteroid Maia is on a crash collision with Earth and that collision can't be stopped. Society is falling apart but it's not as bad as you would think although there has been a significant uptick in suicides, people walking away from jobs and people walking away from families to do whatever suits them in the moment. Except for Henry Palace, a detective with the Concord PD who has responded to a suicide call at a local McDonald's.He quickly believes that this was a homicide, not a suicide.
What I enjoyed about this book is its critique of society when everyone knows they're going to die and the questions it poses. Henry, for instance, is trying to figure out why someone would commit a MURDER now of all times. I enjoyed how quick paced the novel was and its introspection - you're in Henry's head for the entire novel. He's likeable and a nerd at heart. I also like Winters' writing style - it's precise and quietly humorful (don't blink or you'll miss the humor). I also really enjoyed seeing how different people were reacting to the news that the world was ending - some were pursuing bucket lists, some adrift, some committed suicide and some just did what they loved or were plodding along. This was a great commentary about the value of life and time and the message that I got was that our time was limited so best to enjoy every moment you have.
Definitely worth the read.
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