The Last Resort
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Margaret Atwood meets Raymond Chandler meets Greta Thunberg: Jen Lu is back on the case when the death of a lawyer sparks an even more intriguing mystery in Michael Kaufman’s second book in the thrilling series.
It’s March 2034, six months after D.C. police detective Jen Lu and Chandler, her sentient bio-computer and wannabe tough guy implanted in her brain, cracked the mystery of Eden. The climate crisis is hitting harder than ever: a mega-hurricane has devastated the eco-system and waves of refugees pour into Washington, D.C.
Environmental lawyer and media darling Patty Garcia dies in a bizarre accident on a golf course. Of the seven billion people on the planet, only Jen thinks she was murdered. After all, Garcia just won a court case for massive climate change reparations to be paid out by oil, gas, and coal companies. Jen is warned off, but she and Chandler start digging. Signs point to Garcia’s abusive ex, a former oil giant, but soon Jen turns up more suspects who have an even greater motive for committing murder
Soon Jen is in the crosshairs of those who will ensure the truth never comes to light, no matter the cost. She has to move quickly before she becomes next on the killer’s list.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 2034, Kaufman's stellar sequel to 2021's The Last Exit presents Washington, D.C., police detective Jen Lu and Chandler, the biocomputer implanted in her neocortex, with a complex murder case. Patty Garcia, "Time Magazine Person of the Year for leading the landmark civil suit against the oil, gas, and coal giants" and a rumored presidential candidate, was golfing in Rock Creek Park, repurposed for commercial purposes after Disney bought the National Park Service, when she was apparently accidentally struck in the head by a golf ball. The blow knocked her unconscious, and she died soon afterward. The fatal golf shot came from an apparent stranger, hedge fund CEO Peter Trebook, who was in the group playing after Garcia and who denied any ill intent. Despite Trebook's credible testimony, which convinces even Chandler, Lu believes Garcia was murdered. Acting on her suspicions, she follows her squad's mandate to "take creative initiatives to investigate crime," despite the danger to herself. The near-future worldbuilding, the pacing, the plot twists, and the characters are all top-notch. Kaufman remains a rising talent.
