I'm disappointed would be the easiest quick review to give for this book.

When I first read the plot for this book, I thought it sounded amazingly intriguing and fresh; unlike anything I've read before. When I got granted access to the ARC via NetGalley I was excited to dive in. And then I began reading.

I've never read Turton before (though I do have a copy of Evelyn Hardcastle that I'm now nervous to read) and I don't think this was a great introduction to him. I found the writing style to be dry and really tough to get into. Turton has a huge cast of characters that he didn't seem to want to give the time to to build and flesh out and make you care about. I was just reading about things happening to characters that I wasn't invested in and felt to emotions towards.

Similarly, the world building was very lackluster for me. To take place in some post-apocalyptic future and not clearly establish the world is certainly a choice. Like the characters, I never got a grasp on the world. We get 1 (?) brief flashback to when the fog started to roll on in that lasts maybe a page or 2 and that's in. I needed more to feel of reality or a sense of understanding, but instead I spent most of the book reading and not comprehending the world itself that these characters were inhabiting.

Maybe the book was too intelligent for me? Maybe I needed to focus more? Maybe it just simply isn't for me. Regardless, I did read this quickly because I was hoping there would magically be puzzle pieces given to you throughout and at a certain page, everything would click, but for me it never did.

I also think the synopsis could be better written since the murder in question doesn't happen until around a third of the way into the book.

Overall, I will still give Turton's Evelyn Hardcastle a try, but this book and I simply didn't get along well.

My thanks to Sourebooks Landmark for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An island is all that’s left of the world after a destructive fog killed anything it touched and now there’s been a murder that’s doomed the remainder of humanity unless it’s solved in time in Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World.
On an idyllic Greek island, a village of one hundred and twenty-two, plus three scientist Elders, live in collaborative harmony, guided and comforted by Abi in their thoughts, as they live ensconced within their small world that’s the result of what remains after a killer fog circled the planet, ravaging anything it touched. Though nearly all the villagers go along with what the Elders and Abi tell them, Emory has always been an exception, questioning the rules and generally asking why; when she overhears the Elder Niema’s talk of an experiment and killing someone only for Neima to herself later wind up dead and everyone’s memories of the last twelve hours wiped, Emory takes up an investigation to reveal the truth and murderer, which happens to be their only hope of survival as the murder has lowered the security system that has kept the fog at bay. With the clock ticking down, fog encroaching, and with memories gone leaving everyone a suspect, the fate of humanity’s survival rests on the solving of this murder.
Following an ensemble cast of characters, but focusing most closely on Emory and her investigation, the narrative develops out and slowly reveals pieces of information that shed new light on the overall situation, which in turn might change the way in which it is viewed as part of the larger whole. There are plenty of secrets being kept and full truths being craftily obscured, primarily from the villagers but also between the Elders as well, which provided a level of necessary tension to the mystery of the murder at the crux of humanity’s survival that drove interest forward. The technology presented in the world and being researched, particularly that of Abi, as an artificial biological intelligence, was intriguing and frightening in equal measure with the possibilities it poses and how it follows, as well as devises, plans so well; with the plans that Niema put in place for the future of the village and villagers offered at the outset, the tone at the opening of the novel and the end serve as strong reflections of one another but the perception of them is shifted by the context of what’s learned in the interim.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very slow to start, to the extent that I *almost* DNF'd, but I'm so glad I didn't. I think it was just a lot of drier events with too many characters to keep track of and care about, but once it got moving, it *moved.* I loved the parallels to humanity and the fate of it and how this could very well be one of the darker timelines we're heading toward. I really enjoyed the twists and the big reveal. The ending was a delightful bit after a lot of darkness.

5 sparkly stars! It’s always great when you finish a book and feel the need to silently stare at a wall for 10 minutes after because you don’t know what to do with yourself now.

There’s some gorgeous writing in this and an infuriating countdown. What more do you want?

This is a favourite of the year. Stuart Turton remains one of my all-time favourite authors. He made me enjoy an environmental dystopia that has hints of climate scifi, a subgenre I usually don’t like at all!

I can't say much about this book since I believe the less you know about this author's novels, the more fun you'll have. What I will say is that, although The Last Murder at the End of the World shares some characteristics with his previous books—namely, that they are all mysteries featuring a small number of core characters who are surrounded by a larger cast and they all have lengthy titles—it is also, once again, a completely different book compared to the other things Stuart Turton has written. In the same way that The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water are very different books!

Basically, if you love how Stuart Turton builds his stories, you won’t be disappointed. If what he does is not your cup of tea, then I’m not sure this will work for you.

Personally, I can’t wait for his next book! And with all due respect, please write faster, sir.

4.5/5 ⭐️
My brain feels a little like pudding after reading this…but in a good way. The death grip this story had on me. I couldn’t put it down. Even when I was so confused, I didn’t put it down cause I NEEDED to know what was going on. The only way I can think of describe it is that it’s like Sherlock Holmes meets Westworld. After that, I honestly cannot describe this book without rambling and spoiling. However, I will also say how much I loved that my opinions and perspective on many of the characters, especially the murder victim altered and changed drastically as more details was revealed. I honestly flipped and flopped on my opinions as hard as a fish flailing out of water.
My only complaint, and why it isn’t a 5 star, is because of the telling at moments. However, it didn’t annoy me as much as telling does in other books.
Overall, I highly recommend this if you like a good mystery that has plenty of twists and turns. But also if you really enjoyed Westworld.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

A really interesting murder mystery where a lot of information about what's really going on is given right out of the gate, but it doesn't make sense until all the pieces are in place. I enjoyed that. And the idea of a "locked room" mystery where all the suspects have their memories erased so any of them could've done it is a great premise executed well.

This book is BANANAS in such a good way. From the concept to the execution, Turton hits an incredible home run with this ode to humanity and all its good and evil.

The concept of this book, that the world has been ended by a strange fog that kills everything in its path and only a few hundred people survive on a remote Greek island, is an amazing jumping off point. It only gets better from there. This book is, from the start, filled with so many questions and a feeling of acute unease because things are very obviously not exactly what they seem, but the narrative is, seemingly, controlled by what seems to be a sentient AI of sorts, that resides in the minds of everyone on the island.

In very short order, we're introduced to a strange way of live that consists of curfews and rules and deference to elders that have lived 100+ years, though we don't necessarily know why. Is it simply that humanity evolved to understand how to live longer? That's one of the questions we dont get an answer to.

When the crux of the story begins, we're taken on a murder myster ride. Its so much like a locked room mystery, but everyone's memories have been wiped so even the killer doesn't know they're a killer. Its a fast-paced, wild ride from start to finish.

On top of this ingenius murder mystery is a examination of human nature. Are the traits that humans have, the worst of those traits, learned? Inherent? Would we sacrifice the one for the many? Turton asks some very heavy questions while playing out this incredible mystery and threatening the last of humanity's survival. Every second of this book is delicious and fun and intense and mind bending and question asking. It is a MUST read.

This was a fascinating look at an 'alternative future' for mankind. The characters were well developed and the plot kept me going well past my bedtime in an effort to reach the conclusion. At times the story was a bit drawn out and there were so many moving parts that I often got confused about who knew what, what they'd all done and what the timeline looked like. I had to content myself with knowing approximately what was going on and, at the end, it pretty much resolved. All that said, I heartily recommend this book.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher; the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

It's the end of the world and a small island inhabited by the last known remaining survivors may have to face another deadly attack.

This was like some weird cozy murder mystery in a post-apocalyptic setting. Bogged down by too many characters and randomly changing points of view, I just could not get into this story. The characters didn't have enough development to make me care for them and the "mystery" aspect wasn't even all that intriguing to me. In the end, I just finished it to finish it and probably speed-read through the last 50 plus pages. This was my first Turton novel and may be my last. The writing just wasn't great, the story itself was odd, and then the onslaught of characters and mid-sentence shifting POVs just made this a chore to finish.

This was an interesting read for me. I haven’t ready anything from Stuart Turton before - but saw he is well know and loved. I don’t know if I loved the narration style. I kept starting this and then moving to something else but still wanting to come back. Slow burner for sure with a great mystery.

Imma say something that I've kinda thought deep down ever since I read THE 7 1/2 DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE for the first time, and which THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD has affirmed for me: Stuart Turton is basically the 21st century's answer to Agatha Christie. Which is a big statement, I know, but I just cannot think of a single other mystery author writing now who does locked room murder mysteries quite like he does. You wouldn't think that a post-apocalyptic whodunnit featuring deady fogs, memory wipes, an omniscient and morally ambiguous AI narrator, and the impending death of humanity could still manage to feel so classic and fun and unputdownable, but holy hell, this did it for me.

I have been a huge fan of Turton ever since I read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle while my youngest was in the NICU. Turton truly excels at writing creative, grand scale locked room mysteries with a litany of moving pieces. The Last Murder at the End of the World takes place on an island, protected by a forcefield that repels what is simply known as the fog. Years ago, the fog swept across the entire world, killing everyone and everything. The survivors on this island are all that is left of humanity. But a murder lowers the forcefield, the memories of the islanders have been wiped by their protective AI, and time is ticking before humanity is wiped out for good.

Turton was as ambitious as ever with this one. He has created a thriving, simple yet technological futuristic society. It calls out a lot that is wrong with our current world, without idealizing this fantasy world. Because even in this supposedly idyllic space, there is murder, secrets, and danger. I loved the multiple POV's, as it really added so many nuanced layers of depth and feeling to this tale. The story itself was fast paced, as the AI made it clear that the islanders had a set number of hours to solve the murder before humanity is wiped out. I enjoyed several of the plot twists, and found myself mostly unable to put the book down. Where this story flounders is in pacing. The book starts really slow, and even though it is supposed to be on a time crunch, it didn't translate particularly well. The characters didn't feel particularly rushed, and this lack of urgency really made things fall flat in some spots where the lackadaisical attitude of the protagonists really killed the "race against time" vibes. Still, a solid entry from Turton.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

I'm not a gambler. I'd rather spend my money on a sure thing. Plus my anxiety won't let me make solid decisions in a short amount of time. I should know this about me. I DO know this about me in every aspect of my life except the bookish part.

Here's why I took a gamble on this book even though his best selling 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was just okay for me. #1 - I enjoy distopian fiction when done well but usually it leans more YA which I've been in a trial separation with. #2 - I have really been enjoying speculative fiction lately - this is sci-fi adjacent. #3 -While I've heard 7 1/2 Deaths described as sci-fi, I wouldn't really put it in the same category as Star Wars or Dune. #4 (this one is on me - I first requested this because I thought it was Scott Turow... (oops).

First of all, this is NOT a murder mystery in the traditional sense of murder mysteries. The murder doesn't even happen until almost 45% of the way in. Turton sets up the story so the inhabitants of this isolated island are generations removed from the original cataclysmic event that almost ends humanity. They have no idea about murders and clues and detecting. This gives Turton an out for basic murder mystery genre expectations and makes the amateur detective's simple discoveries amazing to the rest of the inhabitants while being a bit cringy to me. This is where it started to feel more YA than adult to me.

There is also a LOT going on in this story. After a while, it honestly got hard to figure out who was related to whom and who was lying and who was in charge of whatever. And, honestly, I didn't really care about any of the characters or the story that much to really slow down and figure it all out. The middle of the story dragged for me. I ended up skimming most of the end after the 60% mark. One of the tough things was all the different POVs and timelines. We also have the first person narration of the AI creation, Abi, who is able to completely control the inhabitants of the island to the point of wiping memories, making them sleep, and controlling their bodies while they sleep. Isn't that just a very convenient plot trick for Mr. Turton.

Overall, this was MUCH more sci-fi, a little too YA, and a lot of slow moving detective work for me. I'm sure fans of sci-fi and Turton will enjoy this book. I think Mr. Turton and I will have to part ways after this.

I really enjoyed the writing style, but overall the story wasn’t my favorite! I tend to not enjoy locked room mysteries, so I think that affected my enjoyment of this story.

Stuart Turton keeps the suspense going and going! This post- apocalyptic book will keep you turning the pages. I have loved each and every book written.

Stuart Turton writes mysteries that are anything but ordinary. I refer to them as "thinking person mysteries," with stories that are complex and original. Like the author's previous books, this one is edgy and a blend of dystopia, sci fi, and mystery. It's a "locked room" mystery, where a group of people are isolated from the outside, and one of them must be the murderer, but it seems to be impossible that any of them did it. Hints of the television series LOST and also The Prisoner. I could have used a map of the island since it was sometimes difficult to picture where the characters were at times in relation to the village and the bay. Not for someone looking for a traditional mystery, but will appeal to readers who like fiction that is "out there."

In Stuart Turton's latest masterpiece, "The Last Murder at the End of the World," readers are plunged into a gripping whodunit set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world. The story unfolds on an idyllic island, the last refuge in a world decimated by a deadly fog, where survival is contingent on solving a murder that could expose the inhabitants to the same deadly fate that befell the rest of the planet.

The island, sheltering 122 villagers and three scientists, seems like a peaceful haven, but the murder of one of the revered scientists sends shockwaves through the community. With a ticking clock of 92 hours, the islanders must unravel the mystery, as failure to do so will result in the encroaching fog swallowing everything in its path.

Great read!

The Last Murder as the End of the World takes place in a combination of an apocalyptic world, an idyllic paradise, a treatise on over-reaching technology, and a mystery. This combination of elements presaged an intriguing storyline and thought-provoking novel. I found that it delivered on the former while missing on the latter. Rather than providing a synopsis you can read elsewhere, I will present my thoughts on the delivery of these two elements.

Many stories utilize the concept of the few "haves" and many "have nots", usually in opposition to each other. Last Murder offers a scenario in which they live in (apparent) harmony with each other. Elders are revered and treated with great respect and awe, perhaps undeserved. The general population of this small island village chooses their work based on personal interests - or do they? The supernatural fog that surrounds the island and keeps them in place focuses the story on the present, with only flashes of life as it used to be. The short timeframe of the story provides an ever-increasing pace that kept me guessing.

Without providing spoilers, I can say that I was disappointed in how the elements were lightly addressed but not in-depth, Some of the elements cause actions that drive the workings of this village but aren't developed as fully as they might have.

While engaging, I found myself wishing I was spending my reading time with some other involved novel.

"The Last Murder at the End of the World" by Stuart Turton told a compelling, Christie-like story with a few fun twists. It felt front-loaded with a bit too much exposition and a breadth of characters but once I got past these introductions, the plot was enticing and kept me guessing. The chapters were short, which made it easy to pick up and put down, and the characters were well drawn in a way that allows the reader to ask themselves ethical questions about good and evil.

It takes some time for this book to get its footing. There are a lot of characters and since it's set in the future there is some world building to get used too as well.

Ultimately, I'd describe it as a cross between The Ferryman, Annie Bot and a murder mystery.

I found the novel difficult to read due to its narration which was jarring. I'm not sure if I'm describing it right, but it was largely third person but with a sudden bit from Abi, the AI system who is in first person. The flow between them is really awkward and was uncomfortable to read. The narration style definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the story.