Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC of The Last Murder at the End of the World. This book drew me in from page 1. With lots of twists and turns, I never saw the ending coming! Fabulous dystopian that was a different take on the genre. Great character development and intriguing plot throughout. Highly recommend!

I loved the first half of this and then when the big reveal happened, I didn’t care as much as I could. It could. Turton is an excellent writer and I am going to always want to read what he writes. Just didn’t work for me.

I love dystopian, end of the world books, and this one was a super interesting and unique take on it. But for some reason, it just fell a little flat for me. I can’t really but my finger on it, but I just wasn’t invested in the plot or tje characters the way I expected or wanted to be. It was still a decent read, it just didn’t do it for me the way I wanted it to.

Thank you #Sourcebooks and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is May 21, 2024.

• 368 pages • first pub 2024 • crime fiction • mystery • science fiction • dystopian • dark • 4 Stars

“The Last Murder at the End of the World” by Stuart Turton is a gripping mystery novel set in a dystopian world. In a world devastated by a deadly fog, a group of islanders find themselves trapped on an isolated retreat. The fog, which kills anyone it touches, is kept at bay by a security system. However, when one of their beloved scientists is brutally stabbed to death, panic ensues. The murder triggers a lowering of the security system, endangering everyone on the island. If the killer isn’t identified within 92 hours, the fog will engulf the island and its inhabitants. The story revolves around Darby, who investigates the murder. She discovers shocking secrets about the island’s billionaire organizer, Andy, and his family. As the tension rises, Darby must unravel the truth before time runs out. Paranoia, hidden motives, and complex relationships make this novel a thrilling read.

#TheLastMurderAtTheEndOfTheWorld #StuartTurton #Bookstagram

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest review!

Having adored The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and failed to click with The Devil and the Dark Water, I was hopeful for Turton's latest foray into everything-isn't-what-it-seems mystery novels. I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Murder at the End of the World, which was a compelling exploration of what makes us human, what constitutes a family, and how we interact with the limits of right and wrong.

The book starts with a simple enough premise - on a small island in the Greek Archipelago, the last remnants of humanity are trapped by a mysterious fog and eke out a hard but peaceful existence. All is well until one of their scientists turns up dead and no one has any memory of what happened the night before. Emory, the social misfit of the isle, is tasked with discovering the truth of the murder as time ticks down to Turton's ominous "End of the World."

Turton is a master of constructing insanely complex and interwoven plotlines that leave the reader guessing until the last page while still making the story seem possible to solve. This holds true in TLMATEOFW, but even more impressive to me was his character building. Emory, her family, and the other islanders came alive, making me feel the hope they felt with every new lead and the disappointment of every setback. The decisions that the scientists made were frustrating, but only because they were so plausible and I could see how their value systems ruled their actions.

Overall, this was an excellent read for plot-lovers, character-lovers, and even world-building lovers. I will be reading it over and over to catch everything I missed the first time!

I loved how twisty and genre bending Turton's first book was- and this book did not disappoint! A dystopian murder mystery set in an apocalyptic world, Last Murder at the End of the World mixed all my favorite things about both genres (mystery and dystopian) to make a book that was compelling. I stayed up way to late finishing this book.

After a deadly fog kills most human life, what remains is an island holding three god-like scientists and a group of villagers. When one of the scientists is murdered, Emory, one of the villagers, is tasked with finding the killer. If she doesn't, the deadly fog will reach the village and end life as they all know it. But the island and the scientists have secrets, and nothing is really what it seems.

The cast of characters is so interesting- each one different from the last with differing motivations and personalities. The big reveal at the end did not disappoint! Turton definitely knows how to write a surprising ending. Highly recommend this fascinating and unique whodunit.

Halfway through this book, I realized that writing this review was going to be a challenge - mostly because it’s so different from anything I normally read or that might seem similar from the synopsis. So I turned to the trusty CAWPILE method (with personal modifications) to help. The math gives 3.5 stars, rounded to 3, which feels right. Details below:

Characters (4/5) - Lots of characters but not hard to keep them all straight based on how they are introduced.The main characters are multi-dimensional - they grow, evolve, and become more complex as the story unfolds.

Atmosphere/Setting (5/5) - Incredible scene setting and world building. The island feels like a foreign land out of place in time. It’s the end of the world. The author’s writing style is so descriptive, you feel like you’re there. I’m hoping the final print version will have a map of the island, that would have been really helpful.

Writing style (5/5) - Descriptive but not overly flowery. Writes to show you rather than tell you what you need to know.

Plot (3.5/5) - Wildly unique premise, solidly executed, per usual for this author. I didn’t particularly LIKE the plot itself (it kind of gave me the ick, as the youths say), but I think others will really enjoy it. The plot shephards an important and powerful message - that humans are terrible to each other and if we don’t change, we’re going to cause the world to end. The author shares this message overtly through a character’s stated mission, but it’s also apparently subtly, in the way our characters behave in response to challenging circumstances. So so powerful.

Intrigue (3.5/5) - The book is compulsively readable, but the pacing felt off. I was so eager to know what was going on and to get my questions answered that it started to take away the enjoyment of reading. I wanted to know more and it wasn’t coming fast enough. There are small reveals along the way, but so many of them were from characters we couldn’t trust. The BIG reveal about halfway through was almost too big - it could take the storyline in so many directions that it opened up more questions than answers… and I just really wanted some answers!

Logic (2.5/5) - The story blurs the boundary of sci-fi and magical realism in a way that I found confusing and distracting.

Enjoyment (2/5) - For much of the book, I was compulsively reading because I had to know what happened. It’s challenging to enjoy the journey when you’re that eager for the finish line…

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

One of the best and most well loved mysteries is the classic locked room mystery. The Last Murder at the End of the World takes all of the intrigue of a locked room mystery, set on an island in the future where all the humans left alive still list. And one of them is a murderer. But which one? And why?

What a wild ride. A dystopian novel with terrific narrative pace, allowing a slow reveal on an island where myth confronts reality over a week's time. Our central heroine emerges, evolves and dares challenge the falsehood of their origins as the community's identity unravels.
All while the island's AI proves to be a very unreliable narrator....

I really wanted to read this book for three big reasons:

* I’d read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by this author and loved it.
* The GORGEOUS cover.
* The blurb reminded me of a return to traditional dystopia.

The Last Murder at the End of the World takes place in a world where most of the planet has been destroyed by a poisonous fog. The last safe haven is a little island where one hundred twenty-two villagers and three scientists live in harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm, and do as they’re told — including treating the scientists, or “elders,” with the utmost reverence. And then one of the scientists turns up dead, and the shield protecting their island from the fog goes down. It’s up to Emory — one of the more curious villagers, to figure out what happened. There’s one big problem: everyone’s memories have been erased.

I do think there’s a bit of a learning curve with the world-building and the sheer amount of characters. I myself had to reread the beginning chapters a few times just to remember the names.

Once the plot really gets into the thick of it, however, it became very interesting. This is probably what I would call a “slow burn mystery.” The pieces are carefully laid out and slowly revealed as Emory herself discovers more clues and uncovers the truth about the world.

I think the book was at its strongest when we were following Emory, who was made the most interesting by her imperfection and lack of knowledge. I actually wish we followed her more instead of the other characters, like Abi, the island’s resident artificial intelligence. While it’s a really interesting idea and I understand how Emory’s perspective might’ve read too much like a typical, cliché dystopia, I felt like everyone else’s narration was just a little too robotic and monotonous, whereas Emory’s was refreshingly full of life and chaos.

Overall, I feel like this was objectively well-written and thought out, but I never felt completely emotionally invested in any characters other than Emory. I’d still highly recommend this to readers of science fiction and speculative fiction, since there’s a lot we can discuss about human nature as we read this book. And I’d love to see this world adapted to film.

An island surrounded by deadly fog remains clear the inhabitants live a peaceful existence guided by the three elders who supply them with the knowledge of a previous world. When one of the elders is suddenly murdered everyone begins to suspect maybe they’re not as peaceful as they once thought. Stuart Turton’s new novel takes you on an exciting journey of the island, through the human psyche and the question how far would you go to learn the truth. As all his books it keeps you engaged and wanting answers. 4⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Murder at the End of the World has been burning a hole in my TBR list since I received a copy back in October. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read this book because it was AMAZING! I was a little nervous to read this one because I feel like I was in the minority of people who didn't enjoy The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and figured this one might end up a slog for me.

The story is about a group who are the last survivors on Earth living on an island surrounded by a fog that took over the planet many decades ago. The only thing separating them from the fog is a forcefield that was put into place by one of the scientists/elders when the fog began inhabiting the Earth. One night, someone on the island is murdered which sets into motion the forcefields being lowered, and the fog slowly moving in to take over the island . The only way to stop the demise of all who are on the island is to figure out who the murderer is.

This was equal parts murder mystery, commentary on humanity, and some sprinkles of a dystopian world all mixed together. There was enough slowly revealed to keep the story moving at a fast pace and with short chapters, the pages flew by very quickly. I can definitely see this being one of the best books of the year. I can't recommend it enough!

This was an interesting premise...a murder mystery combined with an end of the world plot. Basically a murder of one of the scientists on this island left after end of world must be solved to save humanity. This was a very creative premise with some interesting twists and unexpected events, it was a but slow for me in the first half but then had a satisfying ending.

While I started off NOT liking this book whatsoever, it totally flipped for me and I ended up loving it. One of those that you just have to push through and it is so worth it!!

I have been chasing the high of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle every time I pick up a book from this author. I remember reading The Devil and the Dark Water during Halloween-time in 2020 and while I did like it, Turton's writing didn't grab me like it did the first time. I was so intrigued by the synopsis of this, and it's by Stuart Turton, so I knew I had to give it a read. I liked it a good amount and thought it was an interesting ride. Basically, we are thrown into a society grappling with the aftermath of a dangerous fog sweeping the Earth. Everything in its path was wiped out, save a small community of humans. These people live on a Greek island which houses a laboratory which has shields that save them from the fog. The story comes to when the shields are starting to become less viable and someone commits the islands first murder. I thought that this was such an interesting setting for a story like this, and I enjoyed the fact that it balances between a murder mystery and a dystopia.
This book was longer than I expected, but I was compelled by the setting and the mystery to keep reading. The one part that I really wish had been expanded on was the fog and how it connects back to the people on the island--I feel that an explanation about that could have made the mystery even more impactful, but it wasn't bad with the explanation we did get. For how long this story was (400ish pages), I just found myself wanting a bit more from it; a bit more exploration, a few more threads tied off, a few more twists, etc. As it stands, this was a solid murder-mystery-dystopia, and while the culprit was pretty easy to figure out, it was still a compelling and pretty fun read.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 Stars

This is a twisty, complex whodunit that kept me guessing until the very end.

Nothing is quite as it seems on the idyllic Greek island where three scientists live with a group of a hundred or so villagers. They live quiet, peaceful lives working and pursuing their personal interests while outside their protected island the rest of the world lies in ruins from a deadly. fog. Their peaceful lives are thrown into chaos when one of the scientists are brutally murdered and the fog starts to roll closer to the island, threatening to destroy the last of humanity.

Turton is a master of storytelling. He slowly ramps up the tension as the fog creeps closer and the villagers, who have had their memories of the murder wiped, try to piece together what happened. The reader is given clues and information as the story unfolds--not only about the murder, but also the other secrets they have been hiding.

Recommended for fans of Turton's previous novels and anyone who loves mystery and science fiction.

It's been ninety years since a mysterious fog erupted from the earth, wiping out every living creature save the handful of humans who made it to a tiny Greek island housing an advanced laboratory. The lab's shields have carved out a bubble of peace for the close knit community. That peace is shattered when someone commits the island's first murder. Even worse, a dead man's switch means the shields are collapsing. The island's lone inquisitive villager has less than two days to fix the shields by solving the case, but everyone has amnesia and furthermore her whole life is a lie. 60% murder mystery, 40% dystopia.

There are many theories as to how our world will die, and this one couples the population's death with the murder of a person who was a scientist, in a team of three living with others on the only piece of land with survivors.

The three scientists are in control and the inhabitants of the island follow their instructions and rules to the letter. Interestingly, the residents are awakened nightly, unbeknownst to them, to work on projects around the island. This island is protected by a kind of barrier, a shield that offers the islanders an environment where peace and harmony reign.

However, with the death/murder of one of the scientists, the barrier is faltering and it seems like death comes to the island through the fog that has killed countless others.

Intriguingly, the faltering has also causes all to lose their memories making the supposed murder unaware that he or she is the culprit.

It a very interesting dilemma and one in which there are many surprises as well as scientific instruments to attest to the fact that this was a future event.

What will be their future? Will they survive by finding the murderer? Will they become the beings they so want to be leading happy, peaceful, joyous lives?

Thank you to Stuart Turton, Raven Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out in May.

This is my first Stuart Turton book, and it won't be my last! The Last Murder At The End Of The World is without doubt one of the most original, genre defying books I've ever read.  This book blended elements of sci fi, post Apocalyptic horror, whodunit mystery, and psychological thriller and cleverly fit all the pieces together to form a riveting, multi faceted mystery that required me to pay close attention but which I thoroughly enjoyed. 


I loved the clever setup of this story and how, as the story progressed, it went in unexpected directions. My initial thoughts on the author's master plan for the story were totally wrong. Upon finishing the book, I'm in awe of both his imagination and ability to craft a complex mystery within a well developed, intriguing dystopian setting.


This book captivated me with its multi layered storytelling, creative setting, and many twists and turns. This is a very different take on the traditional isolated location murder mystery and was such a fun reading experience. 


Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of this novel about the end of the world, the hubris of science, and the fact that humans or at least some continue to strive for victory, even when all seems lost.

. The end of the world seems to be on a lot of people's minds. This being an election year and the choices being so stark, with one person being a end it all in a whimper Make things great, and a bang of always winning. Planes are falling out of the sky, the police are rioting to make overtime, there is a lot going on. The draw of dystopian books is, the worst has finally happened, now we can get on with things. Unless the end is natural, a fog that is unstoppable, one that can't be reasoned with, or bargained with, or even bought off. One that is surrounding the last place on Earth where humans live, and one that has found a way in. If only people could remember how, or why. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton is a nove of a future that could be ours, filled with humans who might be the last who act like us, dealing with puzzle that could mean the end of everything or the start of something magical.

One hundred and twenty-two people are among the last people on earth. Giant sinkholes have opened around the Earth, causing a fog that kills all human and animal life on Earth. A call went out from an island near Greece. Come here if you want to survive. Among these people are three scientists, who live outside of the others, and have found a way to keep the fog at bay. The people live a life that is fairly idyllic. Everyone has a task, they are alive and things are peaceful. Yes people don't live past the age of 60, but they have a nice send off before being put to sleep. And yes each one of them has a voice in their head, that watches and talks to them, keeping them safe and secure. There has only been one murder on the island, until the night there is another. A scientist is killed, which is horrible. Worse is that the security for the island is done, and within 96 hours the fog will come. Even worse is that the security blanked the minds of the people so no one is sure what happened or why. Or even who the murderer is, including the killer.

Another great book by Turton who continues to come up ideas that shouldn't seem to work, or that seem familiar, but in Turton's hands become something quite more. This story has a world building, human nature, a good puzzle, and a twist ending that makes one go wha??? but at the same time the clues are there, the story backs it up, and boy if it isn't satisfying. The characters are all well done, especially Emory, who tries to figure out what is going on. Turton has a interesting way of presenting the characters in that one thinks one is seeing the world from the characters point of view, but are really seeing everything from the voice inside their head. There are many interesting scenes, a bit of humour, and a lot of why is this important, why is that important, until one goes ohhh, I see where this is going. Turton also throws in some Easter eggs from earlier works, which for longtime readers is a treat.

Recommended for fans who like to think while reading and are tired of humdrum stories about characters who don't seem to do anything and stories without stakes. For old readers they will love this, and new readers will find a new favorite to follow and enjoy.