Who Would Like This Book:
This genre-blending novel offers both a chillingly realistic post-apocalyptic scenario and a locked-room murder mystery, making it perfect for readers who love thought-provoking thrillers with a strong psychological edge. If you enjoyed "Station Eleven" or like your dystopian fiction with a side of whodunit, this one’s for you! The setting - a remote Swiss hotel after a nuclear war - amps up the tension, and the characters’ struggles with morality, survival, and trust are gripping. The journal-style storytelling draws you into both the eerie atmosphere and the personal journeys of the survivors. Expect to ponder big questions about humanity and society along the way!
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers might be disappointed if they're looking for a straightforward thriller or a fast-paced, action-heavy read; the story can be more reflective and slow-burning, and the murder mystery is not always at the forefront. The ending has been called rushed or less satisfying by some, and a few were frustrated by unfinished plot threads or underdeveloped characters. Also, certain details about the setting or character choices may bug readers who prefer tight realism - or who are familiar with Switzerland!
About:
'The Last' by Hanna Jameson is a dystopian thriller set in a remote hotel in Switzerland after a nuclear war has devastated major cities worldwide. The story follows the survivors, a group of guests and staff who must learn to live together and somehow survive in the aftermath of the apocalypse. The main character, Jon Keller, an American historian, discovers the chaos unfolding and becomes determined to uncover the truth behind a murder that occurs within the isolated group. The narrative style is described as journal entries, documenting each day after the end of the world, creating a suspenseful and contemplative feel to the story.
The plot of 'The Last' intertwines elements of a locked room mystery, dystopian fiction, and a murder investigation, creating a gripping and thought-provoking narrative. The author, Hanna Jameson, takes risks with characterizations, introducing a less than perfect narrator and a spiky cast of residents in a post-apocalyptic setting, adding a layer of tension and intrigue to the story.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Last include themes of violence, death, and psychological trauma, as well as a murder of a child.
From The Publisher:
This propulsive post-apocalyptic thriller "in which Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None collides with Stephen King's The Shining" (NPR) follows a group of survivors stranded at a hotel as the world descends into nuclear war and the body of a young girl is discovered in one of the hotel's water tanks.
Jon thought he had all the time in the world to respond to his wife's text message: I miss you so much. I feel bad about how we left it. Love you. But as he's waiting in the lobby of the L'Hotel Sixieme in Switzerland after an academic conference, still mulling over how to respond to his wife, he receives a string of horrifying push notifications. Washington, DC, has been hit with a nuclear bomb, then New York, then London, and finally Berlin. That's all he knows before news outlets and social media goes black-and before the clouds on the horizon turn orange.
Two months later, there are twenty survivors holed up at the hotel, a place already tainted by its strange history of suicides and murders. Jon and the rest try to maintain some semblance of civilization. But when he goes up to the roof to investigate the hotel's worsening water quality, he is shocked to discover the body of a young girl floating in one of the tanks, and is faced with the terrifying possibility that there might be a killer among the group.
As supplies dwindle and tensions rise, Jon becomes obsessed with discovering the truth behind the girl's death. In this "brilliantly executed...chilling and extraordinary" post-apocalyptic mystery, "the questions Jameson poses-who will be with you at the end of the world, and what kind of person will you be?-are as haunting as the plot itself." (Emily St. John Mandel, nationally bestselling author of Station Eleven).
Ratings (11)
Loved It (3) | |
Liked It (4) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (34):
Read It (12) | |
Want To Read (17) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (3) |
What can you read after
The Last?
About the Author:
Hanna Jameson is the author of the London Underground mystery series the first of which, Something You Are, was nominated for a CWA Dagger Award. She lives in London.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
