What would you do if you knew your days were numbered? If you were Henry Palace, you would keep doing your job. All Henry has wanted to do, since his mother was killed when he was twelve, was be a police officer. He has recently been promoted to detective after only one year and three months as a patrol officer. Many people from all walks of life are walking off their jobs to complete the items on their "bucket lists" before Maia, a huge asteroid, impacts somewhere on Earth on Oct. 5. And those who are still on their jobs are often suffering from depression and a complete lack of interest in the job. Suicide has become increasingly common.When Henry is called to a suicide in a McDonald's restroom, he thinks something is wrong. He believes that insurance man Peter Zell was murdered and he is determined to investigate no matter what obstacles might be in his way. And the obstacles are many. There are false trails, red herrings, government plots and a variety of obstructive witnesses.Henry is an admirable character. He is persistent. I do wonder how much his devotion to finding out the truth is his way of coping with the very uncertain future. It was also fascinating to watch the world around him fall apart as essential services fail and society disintegrates. I recommend this one for dystopia fans and for mystery fans as well. It was a very compelling read.
