Last Light [Paperback]

Alex Scarrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

It begins on a very normal Monday morning. But in the space of only a few days, the world's oil supplies have been severed and at a horrifying pace things begin to unravel everywhere. This is no natural disaster—someone is behind this. Oil engineer Andy Sutherland is stranded in Iraq with a company of British soldiers, desperate to find a way home, trapped as the very infrastructure of daily life begins to collapse around him. Back in Britain, his wife Jenny is stuck in Manchester, fighting desperately against the rising chaos to get back to their children in London as events begin to spiral out of control—riots, raging fires, looting, rape, and murder. In the space of a week, London is transformed into an anarchic vision of hell. Meanwhile, a mysterious man is tracking Andy's family. He'll silence anyone who can reveal the identities of those behind this global disaster. The people with a stranglehold on the future of civilization have flexed their muscles at other significant tipping points in history, and they are prepared to do anything to keep their secret—and their power—safe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Alex Scarrow is a crime writer of real distinction" GOOD BOOK GUIDE

About the Author

Alex Scarrow is the author of A Thousand Suns. He is the brother of historical novelist Simon Scarrow.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing; Reprint edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752893270
• ISBN-13: 978-0752893273
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #386,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Technothrillers

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A World Without Oil, January 25, 2010

By 

Jeffrey Swystun (Ottawa & New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Last Light (Paperback)

This is actually three books in one. One aspect is the conspiracy surrounding the theory of Peak Oil, the second is the breakdown of society, and the third is the three individual journeys of family members as they attempt to re-unite in global mayhem. It was highly entertaining and a relatively fast read. I especially enjoyed the odyssey of Andy Sutherland from Iraq through Turkey back to London.

Sure, much of the action stretches credibility but the sequence of events that shutdowns global oil supplies is scary to consider. I was intrigued by how important communication is in any catastrophe given that Scarrow has the British Prime Minister multiply the panic by delivering a horrible press conference. Like many apocalyptic books, one must wonder how people would behave. Would we see people band together or, as most of this fiction suggests, would we quickly revert to savagery and 'everyone for themselves'?

I read this book for an escape and it delivered on that expectation. The ending was abrupt and slightly disjointed so as a result the book lost a star. Quite frankly, what happens next would make for an even more interesting book.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Off to stock up on tinned food and bottled water! ;-), November 13, 2007

By 

Helen Simpson (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Last Light (Hardcover)

A gripping thriller which works so well because we know that some of the scenarios are all too true.

It doesn't matter which political party you support, we all know politicians can be economic with the truth or if they feel themselves or their job to be in jeopardy...lie through their teeth!
We (as a country) never seem to be prepared for anything, whether it's floods or snow in the winter or drought in the summer...for some reason it always seems to surprise the 'powers that be'.

As a nation we worry about crime...gang warfare, violence and lack of respect. we don't feel there is enough of a deterrent...how would we cope when there is no deterrent at all?!

Add to that our dependence on other countries for some of our most basic needs and our lack of survival skills and you begin to be glad this is just fiction!

It IS fiction and yes there are some stereotypes in the story but then stereotypes are that for a reason...there are always exceptions...and hopefully as people get to know other people those stereotypes are proved wrong - as in this case.
I liked how the characters developed enough to make me care about what happened to them yet didn't take over the story.

Recommended.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It Could Happen!!, October 30, 2007

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Light (Hardcover)

Alex Scarrow lives a nomadic existence with his wife Frances and his son Jacob, their current home being Norwich (you can`t get much more nomadic than that). When he left college he led an interesting life chasing record deals and the next 12 years in the computer games industry, which I suppose is the same kind of thing, chasing dreams and fantasy.

The author has spent a number of years researching an issue that affects us all. He has written a spine-chilling thriller that leaves the reader in no doubt, how fragile the human society has become and is now. It is only a nanosecond away from oblivion.

What leaves society teetering on the brink. The world's oil supplies. The book shows what could happen to society if these supplies were ever cut. It is of course a fictional novel but the story shows what could happen if somebody sabotaged the world's oil supplies. Oil a natural product that society has come to lean on so heavily. This is a terrific read and a really convincing story. Maybe, just maybe it could happen . . .