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The Last

by Hanna Jameson
Atria. Apr. 2019. 352p. ISBN 9781501198823. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781501198847. SF
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When nuclear war devastates major cities and nations, historian Jon Keller is attending a conference in Switzerland, far away from his home and estranged family in the States. Although safe, at least temporarily, Jon is anxiously waiting for news/rescue and worrying about the future. He begins documenting his stories and those of other survivors holed up in the L'Hotel Sixième to preserve a record of what has happened to them. When the body of a girl is found in one of the tanks supplying the hotel's water, Jon assumes the mantle of amateur sleuth, attempting to discover her identity and that of her killer, who may still be among them. Meanwhile, threats from the outside—looters and starving brigands—add to the tension. They can't stay at the hotel, but where can they go?
VERDICT Jameson's ("London Underground" mystery series) postapocalyptic tale presents some interesting moral/ethical quandaries, though a lack of specificity and detail occasionally undercut its authenticity as sf. More likely to appeal to readers of the author's previous works of suspense.
Reviewed by Karin Thogersen, Huntley Area P.L., IL , Mar 01, 2019
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