THE LAST DAY

One woman must discover what lies at the center of a government coverup in this near-future thriller.

The year is 2059, and the Earth hasn’t rotated in 39 years. The Stop plunged parts of the world into darkness and others into everlasting sunlight. Britain lies right in the middle of a habitable zone, and the government has scrambled to build up its defenses to help its people while keeping others out. Scientist Ellen Hopper has been working on a rig out on the Atlantic for the past few years, away from the overbearing government and her failing relationships with her brother and ex-husband. But when a group of government officials arrives by helicopter to tell her that her old mentor is dying and wishes to see her, she is once again whisked into a world full of citizens spying on each other, curfews, and oppression. With only her mentor's promise that she will figure out “the truth,” Ellen must find what he has hidden away before the government can destroy it. In his fascinating debut, Murray has crafted something original out of the classic "one person against a totalitarian government" trope. The world after the Stop is completely fleshed out and lived in, with explanations of how people eat, farm, work. The breakneck pace of Ellen’s trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities (and not always succeeding) makes for a fast read, with short chapters that propel the action forward. Ellen and David, her ex-husband, grew up post-Stop, so their interactions and personal issues grapple with what the world has become in interesting ways. Thorne, Ellen’s mentor, shines in flashbacks. The open ending leaves room for more exploration in a potential sequel.

An interesting new twist on a post-apocalyptic tale.