Bookseller Reviews
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Amazing!!
Set just as the world ends from a nuclear Armageddon, The Last is a chillingly plausible dystopian novel, a murder mystery, and a thoughtful glimpse of hum... READ MORE
Dystopian perfection
With a jacket quote from Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven, and my general affection for dystopian and post apocalyptic themes, The Last appe... READ MORE
The world ending with a wimper, not a bang
In this book the end of the world is depressingly realistic. A nuclear war which happens because world powers mistrust each other and because financial pow... READ MORE
Gripping and Addictive
Nuclear disaster has happened and it’s the end of the World. Stuck in a hotel in the Swiss mountains with 20 others, Jon documents what life has become, ho... READ MORE
Amazingly Written, Gripping Novel
First of all, this book was an incredible read. I couldn’t drop it. The way Hanna Jameson describes the post-apocalyptic world, I felt like I was living it... READ MORE
A great post apocalyptic whodunnit...
I LOVED this book!
Historian John Keller is on a business trip in Switzerland when Nuclear war breaks out.
Isolated in their hotel in the Swiss alps, comm... READ MORE
A dystopian murder mystery
Packed with tension this fast paced thriller has kept me up into the early hours. It's a different take on the usual dystopian setting and the murder myste... READ MORE
A thriller that will constantly surprise you
This book is truly absorbing, its impossible to put down and when you finish it it’s hard to readjust to the idea that you didn’t just live through the nuc... READ MORE
Really great, not for the faint of heart though
While this bills itself as mainly a murder mystery that happens to be at the end of the world, in reality it is more the other way round.
The murder and su... READ MORE
Loved it!
This is the book about the end of the world that I never knew I needed.
Jon, our narrator, is at a conference in Switzerland when the unthinkable happens.... READ MORE
Addictive and chilling
A closed-suspect pool crime novel set in a dystopian world?? Sign me up! If Agatha Christie wrote an end-of-the-world novel I’m pretty sure it would be som... READ MORE
Engaging read
Hard to classify this book, dystopian, philosophy, murder, thriller all included. Brilliantly executed plotting, poses questions about how the reader wou... READ MORE
Post Apocalyptic Murder Mystery
I don't usually write a review until after I've finished the book but this has impressed me from the very first page.
A post apocalyptic murder mystery tha... READ MORE
Hopefully not The Last
Let me just start by saying that I really loved this book. It was brilliant. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is the ending and a couple of t... READ MORE
Unsettling and apocalyptic
A compelling murder mystery buried inside a narrative that takes the reader on a harrowing, apocalyptic survival romp.
Incredible writing with a host of c... READ MORE
Synopsis
Our Thriller of the Month for August 2019
BREAKING: Nuclear weapon detonates over Washington
Historian Jon Keller is on a trip to Switzerland when the world ends. As the lights go out on civilisation, he wishes he had a way of knowing whether his wife, Nadia, and their two daughters are still alive. More than anything, Jon wishes he hadn't ignored Nadia's last message.
Twenty people remain in Jon's hotel. Far from the nearest city and walled in by towering trees, they wait, they survive.
Then one day, the body of a young girl is found. It's clear she has been murdered. Which means that someone in the hotel is a killer.
As paranoia descends, Jon decides to investigate. But how far is he willing to go in pursuit of justice? And what kind of justice can he hope for, when society as he knows it no longer exists?
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241983997
- Number of pages: 400
- Dimensions: 198 x 128 x 23 mm
- Weight: 280g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allNot for meeting
Was looking forward to this book, but unfortunately I didn't get the gripping wow factor I was expecting.
I felt the author brought two concepts together b... READ MORE
Grippingly paranoid
This was so tense that I couldn’t put it down until it was 2am and my eyes wouldn’t stay open anymore, and so immersive I have to keep reminding myself it’... READ MORE
A refreshing apocalyptic thriller
When the end of the world happens, where will you be? Jon is at a conference in Switzerland when nuclear war hits, away from his family and friends he find... READ MORE
A good dystopian
I generally avoid dystopian fiction since the huge influx of bad dystopian these past few years. This novel is not one of them. Jameson has created a well-... READ MORE
Original Post-apocalyptic Mystery
“Nadia once told me that she was kept awake at night by the idea that she would read about the end of the world on a phone notification. It wasn’t exactly ... READ MORE
the last
a page turner.. one of those books where you are reading and suddenly you have to re read that page just be sure that what you have just read did actually... READ MORE
A thought provoking and compelling mystery set at the end of the world.
Thanks to Penguin Books for a review copy.
This novel is, on the face of it, a detective story in an unusual setting but it soon becomes so much more than ... READ MORE
The End of the World can be Murder!!
I think everyone at some point has wondered what would they do if the worst were to happen and for Jon Keller staying at an isolated country hotel in Switz... READ MORE
Apocalyptic thriller
Totally believable end-of-world scenario - a small group of people are trapped in a Swiss Hotel, miles from the nearest town when nuclear war destroys most... READ MORE
Good read but did not live up to expectations
I was looking forward to reading this book as from the cover it sounded great and I expected a scary white - knuckle read .However for me this book did not... READ MORE
Only 2 stars.
Not a bad read, however the narrator is very weak and wanders through the story slowly. In reality this could happen, but I doubt if there would be any sur... READ MORE
A claustrophobic chilling read
Our narrator, Jon Keller, an American academic, is attending a conference in Switzerland. There was previously a change of hotel and he ends up staying at... READ MORE
Didn't work for me
I abandoned this about three quarters of the way through. I just didn't care about any of the characters. I honestly didn't really care who had done the mu... READ MORE
Hugely disappointing
I came to this book with high hopes. In a post-nuclear world a group of survivors is trapped in a remote hotel in Swizerland, where one of their number may... READ MORE
A great edition to the dystopian/apocalyptic genre with an added murder mystery.
A dystopian thriller beaten with a political stick!
Don’t let the political stuck put you off, politics is in no way forced down your throat or the main p... READ MORE
Thrilling but a disappointing ending
Rating 3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book. It starts well and really got into my head for the first two thirds. It’s at times a terrifying account... READ MORE
An enjoyable, if unoriginal, post-apocalyptic thriller, let down by an unnecessary and fruitless murder mystery.
Spoiler-free review: I received a proof of the book from Viking Books's Twitter account, who described it as 'an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery set a... READ MORE
Easy read!
Enjoyed this book, easy to read! However I didn't get the sense that an actual nuclear disaster had actually happened and the plot has plenty of potential ... READ MORE
Oh Dear
The worst work of fiction I have read since gone girl. It felt like a first attempt at a novel by a teenager, struggled to finish the book, a disappointme... READ MORE
Anti climax
Fantastic read up until the ending unfortunately. Had so much potential.
Mixed bag
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy.
This book really appealed from the blurb.
I was hooked as soon as I starting reading it.... and had... READ MORE
Contemporary fiction with little Thrill
The premise of this book - nuclear devastation is very topical and the references to the culpability of the American Voting public are well planted in the ... READ MORE
Part murder mystery, part end of the world novel
‘The end of the world is a fairly comforting concept, because – in theory – we wouldn’t have to survive it.’
In the aftermath of nuclear bombs wiping out ... READ MORE
Interesting premise
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed the premise of this book, and was pleased it didn't descend into zombies!
I thought the discussions about the time leading up t... READ MORE
This was another brilliant dystopian read for me. And also what I imagine to be scarily realistic.
This was another brilliant dystopian read for me. And also what I imagine to be scarily realistic.
Following a group of people in staying in a hotel when ... READ MORE
depressing
Despite being given an advance copy by NetGalley and the associated publishers I am not really enjoying this book...it left me with feeling quite depressed... READ MORE
Very good cannot put it down
If you like Agatha Christie murder mystery novels this is the one for you with a hint of a spine tingling Stephen King element
I will be definitely rec... READ MORE
Good book until the last few chapters
I must admit I was really enjoying this book up until the last few chapters.
From reading about the book I expected more of a murder, thriller thread t... READ MORE
Enjoyed this!
I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and quite gripping. Very interesting and scarily possible setting of the story. Had me hooked!
What would you do at the end of the world?
The Last offers up something fresh and original in the end of the world. In it, nuclear war devastates much of the world but the current guests in a Swiss ... READ MORE
A really good 'End of the World' novel
Stepping outside my comfort zone to read The Last, I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Not being a big fan of 'End Of The World' novels, I'd list... READ MORE
It's The End Of The World Murder Mystery!
I found this end of the world story very engaging if just for following the main narrator, historian Jon, who writes down most days what is going on at the... READ MORE
Recommended for those who like dystopian fiction.
It is flawed in many ways but it was the most page turning thing I have read in a while. A dystopian post apocalypse whodunit set in a Swiss hotel. Lost me... READ MORE
Gripping
The Last is pretty incredible, it is so plausible it's boarding on terrifying! Jon himself is not the most lovable character, but he's not supposed to be, ... READ MORE
The blast that is the Last
There has been nuclear bombings in all major cities leaving this hotel full of people in remote Switzerland alone. What will the survivors do to survive in... READ MORE
A good read let down by a poor ending
I enjoyed this book right up until the ending... it felt rushed, lazy and had no bearing on the story up to that point. With its title and a blurb that pro... READ MORE
Real page turner
I read this book in just under 48 hours, I was absolutely hooked. It's such an interesting format and take on the already done post-apocalyptic setting. I ... READ MORE
A murder mystery in a post apocalypse world.
This is something a bit different as it combines elements of both the normal mystery who done it with an Armageddon type end of the world thriller. It may ... READ MORE
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the build up was great
Staying at L’Hotel Sixieme in Switzerland, having attended a conference, Jon wakes up one morning to find he has survived the end of the world; major count... READ MORE
Worth a read!
Jon, a historian, is staying at an isolated hotel at a conference when the world goes mad. Nuclear war breaks out and it is impossible to find out how much... READ MORE
Dark, tension fuelled and very thought provoking
You know that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that you got at the last US elections? That truly dreadful feeling when you wonder what might happ... READ MORE
Apocalyptic tale
Three and a half stars!
The Last begins with Nuclear weapons being dropped in various parts of the world and a small group in a Swiss hotel believing they ... READ MORE
Post-Nuclear Crime Fiction
This is the story of a nuclear apocalypse, and a group of survivors stranded in a hotel in Switzerland. As well as being the story of their survival, The L... READ MORE
Post-apocalyptic thriller and murder mystery
Wow: where do I start with a review of this novel? End of the world malarkey is not my normal choice of reading material but I’m glad I made an exception. ... READ MORE
Set in a hotel in Switzerland - nuclear war has broken out!
There’s a song isn’t there called Hotel California which has the line: You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!’. This would be a good... READ MORE
Page Turner
Fantastic character development, written in a highly plausible and realistic scenario during the end of the world.
Never read a book so quickly.
Post apocalyptic thriller set in SWITZERLAND
The Last is Waterstones August Thriller of the Month 2019 – and deservedly so. Academics from around the world are attending a conference in a hotel in the... READ MORE
Well worth a read
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the psycology and politics of the plot intruging, and the mystery of the body in the water tank added a sense of my... READ MORE
Lost interest
I was intrigued by the premise of the novel and it all started well, with thoughtfully crafted descriptions of how a disparate group might survive in a pos... READ MORE
Interesting plot
Interesting characters who are developed as the story progresses. The plot is interesting too but in the end disappointing as the story just sort of fizzle... READ MORE
The Last by Hanna Jameson
I received a free ARC of The Last but that has in no way influenced my review.
I do love me a post-apocalyptic thriller! But I know what I like and conver... READ MORE
Disappointing read
Struggled to get excited by this book, or immersed in the storyline.
Outstanding
I’m not a big reader but I read this book in under 2 days, absolutely incredibly gripping and well thought out, couldn’t put the book down as it just made ... READ MORE
AMAZING!
I honestly could not put this book down, I ended up waiting to get home just so I could find out what had happened the next day! I loved the build on chara... READ MORE