The Last

In The Last (2019), a post-apocalyptic thriller novel by Hanna Jameson, numerous survivors of a nuclear war struggle to survive in an isolated hotel where a suspected murderer is on the loose. The book received an overwhelmingly positive critical response upon publication, and reviewers comment on its sharp writing and its thoughtful exploration of moral questions. A bestselling crime and thriller writer, Jameson dropped out of university, later returning to study history. She wrote The Last, her fourth book, in response to the outcome of the 2016 US election and subsequent fears over nuclear war.

The Last takes place in the fictional L’Hotel Sixieme in Switzerland. Jon Keller, a historian from San Francisco, is visiting the hotel for an academic conference. His wife, Nadia, and two daughters, Marion and Ruth, didn’t travel to Switzerland with him. Nadia had asked him not to go to the conference, but he went anyway. Although Jon cares about his wife, he sometimes wonders if he loves his job more. He plans to discuss separation with her when he returns home.

It's difficult to get reliable cell reception in rural Switzerland, and Jon doesn’t check his social media or text messages often. As the book begins, he receives a message from Nadia, who writes that she loves him and she is sorry they left things on a sour note. Before Jon can respond, his social media notifications explode. A nuclear bomb just hit Washington, DC.



Within minutes, Jon discovers that nuclear bombs also landed in London, New York, Edinburgh, and Berlin. Social media goes offline and cell reception disappears. Jon is now trapped in a Swiss hotel with no way to contact Nadia and the kids. Not knowing when the next bomb will land, knows there is no way to get home. There is nothing to do but lean on the other hotel guests for support.

Jon guesses there are around 20 other guests in the hotel. Some of them leave quickly, determined to find their way home at any cost. Since there are no flights, trains, or boats moving around the world, Jon doesn’t know how they think they will get anywhere, but he knows it is up to them to make their own choices. He also knows that the fewer the people who stay in the hotel, the easier it will be to stockpile resources. There is every chance they will be confined to the hotel for months, and Jon doesn’t want to die from starvation or thirst.

Jon befriends the hotel barman, Dylan, a jovial young Australian trying to make the most of a bad situation. He also befriends a doctor, Nathan, and a history student, Tomi. Jon fancies Tomi but he refuses to cheat on his wife; though he has been unfaithful to her in the past, he wants to remain faithful now.



Jon and the others decide to allocate resources, including food and supplies. They take stock of everything in the hotel and inspect the essential infrastructure, like plumbing. One day, however, when they check on the hotel water tank, they discover the body of a young girl. There is a chance she fell in by accident, but everyone worries that she is been murdered.

No one feels safe in the hotel anymore, and tensions rise between the guests. Some want to take their chances outside and see how far they can get. Others want to dominate the hotel and hoard the supplies. Others like Jon want to find out who the killer is so they can secure the hotel. However, as the weeks go by and resources dry up, Jon realizes that he is one of the few guests who care about solving the murder.

Jon throws himself into the investigation because it is all he has left. He has no way of knowing if Nadia and the kids are alive, but he thinks they are probably dead. Even if they are alive, he can’t get home; he will never see them again. However, as the weeks continue to drag by, Jon worries how he will cope after he exposes the murderer and there is nothing left to live for.



Growing closer to Tomi, Jon finally decides to sleep with her. He hates himself for giving in to his desire, but Tomi reminds him that the end of the world changes everyone’s priorities. Life is no longer about what happened before—it’s all about survival in the present. They bond over their shared passion for history, giving Jon another reason to keep going.

As the months go by, supplies dwindle, and they must venture outside. Jon and the others make unsuccessful trips to nearby stores, deciding that it is too dangerous outside to try again. Jon gets sick after an incident and assumes that he will die in the hotel. He loses hope. However, when he finally gets faint cell reception and checks social media, he realizes that Nadia and the kids are probably alive.

Jon and some of the other guests leave the hotel to search for a new community. Jon’s condition deteriorates and, although he finds a new community, it is unclear if he will survive. He doubts he will ever see his family again. The murder, however, is finally solved—Nathan’s father killed the girl.