Ambitious dystopian fiction with a complex mystery plot keeps the reader hooked.

At some point in the future, there's an island at the end of the world. Surrounding the land inhabited by 122 villagers and 3 scientists is a thick fog containing insects that destroyed everything within its path and the entire rest of the planet. Daily life on the island is simple and peaceful as the villagers work and sleep, performing any tasks delegated to them by the scientists whose leader is Neima. Every night they go to sleep promptly at curfew and exist only to provide service and self-sacrifice for their community.

Suddenly things fall apart when one of the scientists is found dead and their murder has caused the barrier holding back the fog to fail. Now on a tight deadline to solve the murder and prevent the fog from killing them all, a brave villager, Emory, who has always questioned everything about life on the island, is delegated to solve the mystery and prevent extinction of the inhabitants. The investigation is hampered by the fact that the security failsafe on the island has done a memory wipe and no one there can remember what they were doing the night before.

Even as the clock ticks and everyone seems to be running amok all over the island trying to figure out who did what to whom, the reader knows that somehow this is all going to be OK because otherwise this would be a really terrible story. The protagonist, Emory, is as courageous as expected and exhibits all the necessary smarts and talent to figure things out of course. So, in essence, this is a common enough plot with archetypes except that Emory and the villagers are different in a fundamental way to most heroes.

The reason this novel resonated with me is that it was quite a puzzle full of interesting twists and turns that kept me guessing. The island was full of technology that made the place and the events unique. The writing was excellent even though the big picture was quite complicated, and I had to reread some of it just to make sure I was following. The setting and the description of the island layout and buildings, etc. also made for a great backdrop to the story line. I kept thinking this would make a great movie.

I listened to the audiobook while also reading along with the e-book ARC provided by the publishers. I did not care for the narrator -- mostly because it was a male voice, and the main characters were primarily female and so it seemed totally out of place for the story. Plus, all the voices of the women sounded the same and done badly. I would think it wouldn't be that hard to get both a male and female narrator for an audio version of a book that would enhance the listening experience. I'm sort of new to the audiobook but I am finding more and more that the lack of dual (or more) voices creates an irritant. I finally put the audio aside and finished without it.

I wasn't sure if I would like this or not, but I totally did. I am looking forward to hearing what others think of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital advance reader's copy.

Turton manages to write the most unique mysteries with the most unique settings. I've enjoyed all three of his books.

In this one, humanity has been decimated by a deadly fog that has invaded the entire world.

There's only one small bastion left on an island that used to be a scientific research facility, where they were able to create a shield that held the fog at bay.

There are less than two hundred inhabitants left, but they are surviving, and, in some ways, thriving.

However, when one of the elders is found murdered, the secrets being held on that island may destroy humanity forever.

As those on the island uncover the secrets, so does the reader. Some of them you may figure out before the characters do, but many of them will change your whole perspective on the characters and the purpose of the island.

This is not only a good mystery, but a thoughtful look at artificial intelligence and what it means to be human. What makes a life worthwhile?

Definitely two thumbs up, and I'm looking forward to whatever Turton writes next.

*violence, although mostly off-page

This was such a unique book. I loved the premise of it, one island left in civilization with a few scientists and a bunch of villagers. One of the “elders” is killed, and the murder must be solved or they all die. I kept getting a bit confused keeping the characters straight early on in it, but overall really enjoyed.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I was really excited to get my hands on an ARC of this book as I really enjoyed The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and this one did not disappoint! Stuart Turton’s mind works in the most fascinating of ways. He writes mysteries in such a thoughtful, twisty, and intelligent way that you simply cannot guess how they conclude, and this novel is no different.

Set on an island where a group of people have managed to escape the fog that wiped out the rest of humanity, a murder takes place and the entire group’s lives depend on solving the mystery of whodunit. While this novel is largely thriller/mystery, there is a sci-fi component which added an interesting and unique twist to the story.

Secrets are revealed as you go, almost like peeling back the layers of an onion. It allows you to get to know the characters little by little and builds interest and investment in the story the whole way through. I think what elevated this novel even higher for me were the moments of reflection on humanity and the obvious parallels to our world today. It added depth to the characters and the story as a whole. A book that makes me stop and think about life is always just a step above the rest for me.

I’m not going to say much more as this is a journey you just have to experience for yourself, but I highly recommend you do.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future where a fog has covered the planet and nearly wiped out humanity, an isolated island persists ninety years after the fog arrived, occupied by a small village community who don't know the end of the world is about to reach them. Stuart Turton takes this concept and marries it with a murder investigation racing against the clock. As The Last Murder at the End of the World unravels, it becomes far more sci-fi than I'd expected, which makes for an interesting genre pairing and examination of scientific ethics and philosophies of humanity and life. To say any more would get too far into spoilers, but I found this mystery really interesting and fast-paced, though it took me a bit to adjust to the the AI and other elements revealed. I don't think the writing style itself was as strong as Turton's past books, but it still kept me captivated and was a fast read. This is definitely a unique mystery and I'm impressed with how Turton pulled the plot and ideas together.

This book, a sci-fi whodunit, is quite a good one.
Like a good pot boiler, there are lots of plot twists and the subtle sprinkling of clues. And, like other good science fiction, this novel explores the meaning of humanity in the face of dramatic technological advances.

The novel is set in a near future where most of humankind has been wiped out by a mysterious fog that has left untouched only a small island and the surviving remnants of humanity. Its central figure in the novel is an underestimated woman whose questioning mind has been an obstacle to finding her role in the island society. But it is that same questioning mind that thrusts her into the role of her life: the society's chief detective. What she uncovers along the way and what she learns about herself, and others makes for a great reading experience.

This review will be posted on May 21, 2024 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

I liked this, but not entirely because I'm not 100% the target audience for this dystopian, sci-fi, murder mystery. If you are, you'll probably have a more enjoyable experience. What slowed down my reading were the sheer number of questions (both logistical and about the dystopian future). Not quite understanding some of those elements just got in my way. #TheLastMurderAtTheEndOfTheWorld Rating: somewhere between 😐 / meh, it was ok AND 🙂 / liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on May 21, 2024. Thank you @bookmarked for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book and typically love his books but for me this was just a little out there. Emory was definitely my favorite character and how she questioned everything. She was never satisfied with just being.

This premise of The Last Murder at the End of the World was too compelling for me to not add it right to the top of my TBR. I don’t read post-apocalyptic fiction often, but when it’s done well it’s a genre I love. Stuart Turton’s latest thriller is inventive and complex, exploring a group of people who live on an island surrounded by a deadly fog that destroyed the rest of the world, until one of them is murdered and the fog threatens to take them too.

I don’t read post-apocalyptic fiction often, but sometimes a book comes along that’s too fascinating to pass up. The Last Murder at the End of the World is an interesting divergence from the norm in this genre. Rather than having a few stragglers looking through desolate space and figuring out how to survive, Turton’s plot is nearly claustrophobic and centers around a small group of villagers on an island surrounded by fog that has taken the rest of the earth. There is no way for them to leave, and a murder upends everything.

This is in many ways a locked room mystery taken to an extreme. The island is home to 122 villagers, three scientists, and one exiled villager. They live in peace. The villagers don’t feel hatred for others. They have always lived in this utopia. They’re told that 90 years ago a fog took over the planet, killing everyone it touched. This small group made it to this island and has been able to survive in large part due to the three scientists.

The scientists don’t die of natural causes the way the villagers do. They’ve lived through the emergence of the fog and the 90 years on the island. They are the only ones on the island who don’t adhere to a strict curfew. An AI called Abi can understand the thoughts of the villagers and control them, though they live in relative harmony. Abi is designed to do the bidding of one of the scientists. When that scientist is found brutally murdered in the morning and all of the villagers have had their memories of the night before wiped, the island is thrown into chaos. They must solve the murder within 92 hours or the fog will take out the entire island.

The story was narrated entirely by the omniscient AI, which was an interesting and different narrative structure. I found it interesting that the AI could provide the reader more information, but there was a lot the AI is holding back. Abi was designed to do what their creator asked them to do, but Abi isn’t authorized to share what that was. I found Abi fascinating and frustrating. Abi is emotionless, while the villagers and scientists are influenced by emotion. That made the calculus of decision making differ depending on who is in charge. In every way that the villagers are peaceful, the reader quickly realizes that the scientists are not. They have tempers, they can experience hatred, and they can seek revenge.

A woman named Emory is the central character that seeks to solve the mystery and save the villagers. Even before the murder, its clear that there is something different about Emory. She questions their life and the scientists much more than the other villagers do. She’s a keen observer and intelligent, making her the perfect person to put together the clues and save the island.

Tension mounts throughout and by 25% a lot more information unfolds. The more I learned, the more puzzled I was. Turton has a few twists that he drops throughout. One fundamentally changed everything I thought I knew about where the story might end up. I won’t spoil the twists, but they are well-crafted and compelling. This book is more thought-provoking than anything. What does it mean to be human? How can people harness a powerful AI like Abi to do the things that they are too emotional to do themselves?

The world building was well-executed. I was able to follow along and gain new insights as more information is revealed to the reader. I never would have put together the solution to the mystery, and it was fun hearing how Emory slowly tried to piece it together. An imaginative, thought-provoking mystery with a great message.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for my Copy. Opinions are my own.

This was fine but a little lackluster compared to Turton’s other work. However, the concept was fascinating and I trust whatever he chooses to write next!

3⭐️

I just never really understood this book. I thought the concept was super intriguing, however it just failed to deliver. There was a lot going on and you really had to pay attention to not get lost in the story.

I think there is an audience for this book and I really think some people will love it.

This is so unlike most of the books I read and I really did not know what to expect. I was immediately drawn in and wanted to know more about everything. While the ending included a little too much “telling” how and why some things happened, I enjoyed this sci-fi mystery!

Set in a future where a mysterious fog wiped out nearly the entire population, this is a sci-fi heavy murder mystery about the one surviving island and what happens when an important member of the community turns up dead. This author has big brain energy and his books are always confusing, just usually in amore fun way. I was inhaling the majority of the book, then the last 30% didn’t stick the landing for me. Still fun and totally original.

3.5⭐️
This book is definitely different!
Set in an isolated location in the future post apocalyptic. A fog has covered earth but a small Greek island is safe and 122 people live here along with three leaders who are called the elders. This story is also told in the POV of an AI security system, Abi, that speaks in their minds. Abi also knows all the answers but you won’t get them from her.
Most of the villagers are happy and content with serving the elders without asking questions. But Emory has many questions. After an elder is murdered and their memories are wiped by Abi, Emory must find out who the killer is before the fog kills them all.

Stuart Turton’s books are high concept mysteries that encourage close reading and the expectation of being wrong in your conclusion. Turton’s third book, The Last Murder at the End of the World sets the murder mystery in a dystopian future where the worst has already happened. Aside from a small Greek island, it is not known if anyone else in the world still lives. 90 years ago a deadly fog spread across the Earth that kills any life that falls within it.

The fog had been previously kept at bay thanks to the work of a scientist, Niema, but now she has been murdered right before she promised to come clean and reveal all. Unless the village rebel, Emory can solve the murder they all will die.

What follows are brief episodic chapters as the investigation plays out, what has greatly complicated matters is an artificial intelligence that helps monitor and maintain life on the island. The deadline begins with 48hours.

There is a caste system, villagers who maintain the island and grow the food and only live to 60, with theirs days controlled with a set curfew of forced unconsciousness. They are overseen by three elders who all are highly intelligent and capable. It is in everyone’s thoughts where nothing can be hidden. And before the scientist died, they ordered everyone’s memoirs erased.

Emory must reconstruct the movements of the villagers and elders who lived on the island with no memories to guide them. Thanks to a caste system some assumptions can be made, but still there is a ticking clock and the challenges of trust and tradition to overcome. At the center of the book is what makes a life valuable? What would you sacrifice for the greater good?

Recommended to mystery readers who like the puzzles to cross genre lines.

A catastrophic event has destroyed the world except for a small island with a few hundred inhabitants.

The Last Murder at the End of World is a complex sci-fi mystery. This slow-burn story contains intense characters and storyline. At times, I found myself lost and uninterested in what was happening, begging the fog to end the story.

Enjoyed the author's previous works better than this read!

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark

Enjoyable read of a different kind. A group of survivors from a deadly fog that is killing everything in it’s path. So far they have survived on an island with an AI type of thought process controlling their behavior. Characters are put to sleep at night but it appears that they are doing jobs in a hypnotic state, with no memory of this upon waking. Great for middle grade and up.

Set sometime in the future, a mysterious fog has covered the world killing everyone except the last 122 people on an island. When an elder turns up murdered, one of the main characters, Emory, searches for the killer. In the process she finds the lives they’ve been living aren’t what they thought. I honestly can’t decide if I liked this book or not. The author’s writing kept me interested, so I kept going back to it. I think what I didn’t enjoy was the voice in people’s heads that was partially narrating the story. It took me some time to get into the groove of who was “talking”. It seemed sometimes Abi, the voice, answered and other times she didn’t. The randomness of Abi coming & going throughout the story was a little confusing. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

It’s hard to decide what to rate The Last Murder at the End of the World. It was a good book and it was not confusing, and it had a really interesting premise that I feel was done well. For me though, I never could get into it very deeply. It felt lacking for me with the characters and I never really connected with the story. With it not working very well for me, I am putting it at 3 stars, though I feel lots of people will really enjoy this and it’s probably more like a 3.5.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I tried with this book. I read 30% and could NOT get into it. It reminded me of a book I just read called Termush by Sven Holm but that was about as much as I could muster. I really wanted to like this book but I guess its just not for me. I don't think it would be right to give it a star rating as I didn't finish it.

BUT I just tried to submit without rating so I am giving it a 2.