essentialsaltes | The Last Policeman, by Ben H. Winters

A mystery novel set in an alternate (hopefully) universe in which the Earth is destined to be smacked by a large asteroid a few months in the future. This situation naturally has a great impact (er) on the way people think about their lives, and what they're worth, and what other people's are worth. There are a lot of suicides, and our titular detective investigates one such, an insurance actuary hanged in a McDonald's bathroom. Something doesn't sit right, and when you come to think of it... in a world where suicide is very common, what better way to hide a murder? Red herrings and revelations pull our hero by the nose through comedy and tragedy until the case is cracked. There aren't a lot of viable suspects, but Winters gives just about the right amount of hints and misdirection to keep the mystery mysterious.

I liked it a lot. Not quite love, but a lot. The book won the Edgar, and the followup won the PKD award, so I will probably make my way through the trilogy.