Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The action in The Last Good Man takes place in a rural dystopian setting, with no further explanation provided. The community gripes are painted anonymously on ‘The Wall’ by the offended, and once they have been, petty or otherwise, action must be taken to punish the offenders.
This is a straightforward morality tale for those who like to post their grievances on social media. In this reduced village there is no time for niceties such as the difference between how something is and how something seems, and ambition and pride feature strongly when there is little else to aim for.
The last Good Man reminded me of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, quiet and simple but horrifying in its concept.
With thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.

In a post apocalyptic world Duncan Peck walks from the city to Dartmoor to find his cousin. He finds him in an apparently ideal village still with a tea room, church and school house. There is also a large wall. Anyone can write on this wall and express their feelings about fellow residents as well as post announcements and the like. Any accusations of wrong doing may have real consequences and Peck's cousin is the person who deals with it. This still appears better than the city to Peck but is he right?

So starts one of the more unusual books I've read this year. The book follows Peck's time in the village which looks stranger as time goes by - it is an odd place in an odd world. This isolated community is as interesting as it is atmospheric. For me - and I am a lover of it - Dartmoor is a good setting and well caught by the writing. The characters come over well enough and particularly Peck.

I've read a few post apocalyptic books over the years. Some have been excellent, some rather silly and some ok. This one defies those categories quite happily! I found this both unsettling and hard to put down. Indeed as it went on it became even more like that. This is a dark story and not just because of the setting. I kept wanting to look behind the façade to see who - if anyone - was pulling the strings. Or indeed to see if there were any strings or is this simply human nature? For some reason "Lord of the Flies" seems to come to mind rather than, for example, "The Road".

I have to confess I am not sure I understood everything that happened. I am not really sure how much I enjoyed it. However I am certainly glad I read this.

A fable of a novel which reads like a mash-up of The Lottery, The Handmaid's Tale, the recent Pew, and The Crucible. Because this has so many clear precedents, it feels predictable in its trajectory and I can't say I was surprised by anything which takes away all narrative tension. It feels like a short story stretched inordinately. Not my favourite from McMullan.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book.

Duncan Peck is visiting his childhood friend James Hale, in the small village. Within the outskirts of the village there is a mysteriously placed large wall, It would appear the wall is actually used as a means for the villagers to communicate between themselves or more particularly to accuse fellow citizens of wrongdoing and ultimately decide and carry out appropriate punishment for them.....

3 stars

Great book! Full of vivid scenery. A wonderful journey to follow, this was a delight to read. Likeable characters, enough emotion, and enough to grip you from chapter to chapter.

Duncan Peck is visiting his childhood friend James Hale, in a small village, a rural retreat. At the outskirts of the village there is positioned, rather mysteriously, a large wall. It would appear the wall is used as a means for the villagers to communicate between themselves or more particularly to accuse fellow citizens of wrongdoing and ultimately decide and carry out appropriate punishment. A sudden dark unexpected incident results in accusations being directed towards Peck who quickly understands that departure may be the most attractive option.

As well as being a good novel The Last good man reminded me of the writing style of Bernard Taylor. There are elements of horror and a very uneasy at times frightening storyline. I thought the closing chapters were very neatly structured and the fate of Duncan Peck was not quite what I expected and a great credit to the author’s undoubted writing ability. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.