I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and the story kept me engaged throughout. I would recommend this book to others. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Stuart Turton is an imaginative, ambitious writer. I was delighted to find out that this locked-room mystery took place in a post-apocalyptic science fiction setting. The novel has a bit of an Oryx and Crake feel where you know something strange is going on in the future but it’s not apparent at first. There is also a definite Lost vibe, where bizarre things happen on an island of mystery. Those are all plusses for me! I was very invested up to around 35% of the book, where the pacing became an issue, the story became repetitive and I just lost interest. I did read/skim the rest of the book and the big reveal was quite fun, but otherwise, it was just not a book written for my taste. If the author could tighten the plot, cut back on the repetition and amount of info-dumping, then I think it would have been so much better. This is exactly the same experience I had on his previous book so I guess his writing is not for me, but I do understand that I am in the minority.

I found this to be a highly intriguing and well told story. It's a near-future murder mystery, which is becoming one of my favorite sub-genres. The setting is an island where the last tiny group of humans are surviving an extreme apocalypse, imprisoned there by a cloud of killer insects. The island was home to a genius scientist with the most advanced research company and lab on the planet. The head scientist and two of her assistants are alive, along with a small population of locals. When the head scientist is murdered, all sorts of fascinating secrets come to light. The characters are well developed and nuanced, each of them likable in their own ways, and their conflicts very understandable. It's truly a mystery what happened, right up to the very satisfying ending. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced ecopy of The Last Murder at the End of the World.

Yet again, Stuart Turton delivers a wholly original and fun novel that is much more than a mystery. The Last Murder at the End of the World is a complete mashup of dystopian/sci-fi/murder mystery, and it was a delight. The world as we know it had been taken over 90 years previously by a fog featuring human eating bugs, but a few scientists remained that were able to put up a barrier surrounding an island where they cultivated a village of human-like residents. Then comes a murder, and one of the villagers who has never quite fit in with the crowd is on the job to find the killer. There's so much more to say about this book - the messages about the human race, the hope in the future, and just the sheer complexities of the world Turton created. But instead of saying it, you should just read it. Fun and adventurous - couldn't ask for more.

YAY! I truly can’t believe I got an ARC of this as it’s my most anticipated book for 2024. The 7 1/2 Deaths is one of my favourite all time books so I do have to say I’m enamored with Stuart Turtons writing but I also don’t want to compare this to 7 1/2, There is already so much competition for authours out there that I don’t want to add to it by an authour also having to compete with their own previous works so let’s get down to it shall we??

A post apocalyptic book with Turtons classic twists and turns, secrets, and science fiction influences. I was immediately like A CULT but that’s not quite the situation here. I will never want to spoil a book ahead of time, especially one like this. It’s one of the points in reading Turton, he will weave you through storylines that never lose their grip on you and surprise you at every turn. But a big plus for me, he never loses you. The twists don’t come out of nowhere and they’re not silly like so many thrillers nowadays that pull out their “twist” at the end but it’s just nonsensical. You won’t find that here. It’s very clear to me when a writer plots out their full story ahead of time before they even start writing and that’s prevalent here. He’s prepared. He’s figured out every single aspect and is ready to take you on a wild ride from the get go.

The characters, whether they’re likeable or not, have you rooting for them. You want the truth but is it worth the cost?? Absolutely. I’m already hankering for another story by him. He did it again and I will purchase the book on release day so I can add it to my collection. I know I’ll be reading this again when it comes out in May.

The outstanding new high concept murder mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling and Costa Book Award winning author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle . An ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, an audacious solution. Available to pre order NOW.

Great mystery/sci-fi with excellent plot twists and great characters!

I LOVE STUART TURTON. I will read anything he writes and I will DEVOUR it. I didn't even need to read the description of this book before I wanted to read it. It was SO GOOD, and I love the Easter egg to reference Devil and the Dark Water!

I don't want to give much away in case new readers are looking over reviews but this was lovely. I just finished it today and I want to go back to the beginning and re-read it. I loved all the strong female characters (there were really only two main male characters and both were, shall we say, crotchety and scarred). I really loved that most things were explained but I also appreciated that some things weren't (these are small things, like how Thea and Niema managed to stay young - not sure what concoction of meds they were on to stay forever young). I didn't want this book to end but it was triumphant and glorious and I kept thinking how this would look on a TV screen.

Thank you for the chance to read and review. My only concern is how long before Turton's next book comes out?! (Maybe I can take some memory potion and read it for the first time again!)

This was an ambitious and unusual book that just didn’t cut it. The dystopian setting was unusual and there was a great reveal half way through. But then the book just segued into tedium and repetition snd increasing unbelievability (just like Turton’s last book). Ultimately this was a disappointment

A deadly fog has swept over the planet and killed most of its inhabitants, save for a few scientists and some simple villagers on a protected island. When one of the scientists is murdered, a dead man's switch is triggered and villager Emory must solve the murder in order to prevent the fog from destroying her home.

The Last Murder at the End of the World is a suspenseful blend of a murder mystery and post-apocalyptic science fiction wrapped up into a single book. From the description, I expected the story to be focused more on the murder mystery than the science fiction, but it turns out that there's a pretty equal amount of both. Novels heavy on science fiction – especially of the dystopian variety – aren't usually my jam, but somehow this book mostly worked for me?

Emory is a fantastic main character. While all of the other villagers are compliant and eager to serve their “elders,” Emory is defiant and full of questions regarding their existence on the island. When she's tasked with solving the mystery of Niema's death, she fearlessly confronts the scientists in charge and is unwilling to give up even when things seem hopeless. Her daughter Clara is equally brave and adventurous and is determined to help her mother accomplish her task. All of the major players in this book are complex individuals, and I particularly enjoyed watching Niema's story posthumously unfold over the course of the novel – is she a hero, a villain, or something in between?

The mystery itself is suspenseful and full of twists and turns. There are several people on the island who could have wanted Niema dead, all with different motives, but who actually did the deed? The answer to this question is complex and multi-layered, and I, for one, did not see it coming at all.

This book is fairly unusual in that it's narrated by an omniscient A.I. named Abi. It was a little confusing to me at first since the story primarily follows Emory, but occasionally Abi speaks in the first person and it'd take me a minute to realize that the “I” wasn't Emory speaking. Abi is an excellent storyteller, however, and I appreciated the all-encompassing point of view that her narration provides the reader.

I'm pretty sure there's a moral of sorts to this story, one that revolves around not waiting for a higher power to solve all of your problems for you and taking control of your own future. There's also probably something in there about leaders not being infallible and not following them blindly and all of that. But perhaps I'm just reading too much into it?

Final rating: 4.15 stars, rounded down. It was a wee bit too sci-fi-y for my tastes at times, but the superb writing and intriguing plot kept me turning pages nonetheless.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

The world and all the people in it are gone. With the exception of some scientists, who saw what was coming, and some people who for some reason can only live for 60 years. Niema,Hephaestus,and Thea are the only remaining scientists. They are the only ones who know what the world away from this island has become. They are also the keepers of so many secrets!
But then the unthinkable happens. One of the scientists is murdered, and the villagers have a very short window to figure out whodunnit. If they can’t, the black fog that has killed everyone on earth will penetrate the island’s defenses, and the last remaining humans will perish.
Thea entrusts Emory to figure out what happened. Since everyone’s memories from the night of the Murder have been wiped, it will not be an easy task. But Emory has always been different than the other villagers. Questioning everything but getting very few answers. Her tenacity is humanities only hope, and she uses every skill she possesses to find the murderer.
A very good story that kept me guessing, and learning more about what happened to the world and this island’s secrets. Some of them surprised me, and some of them made me despise the choices humans are willing to make. So many layers to all the lies and the truth, well, let’s just say it was not at all what I imagined. Emory was such a great character, and I was cheering her on to figure everything out before the fog killed everyone.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is still my favorite Stuart Turton book, but this takes the number two spot.

Wow! This book had so many twists and turns, I am stunned!
I am so pleased to have received an ARC of this book.
The book started slowly, and I wracked my brain trying to understand what was happening. Having the book be narrated by an AI was a new experience, but one I loved.

I highly recommend this book if you like books you cannot put down, and books that are thoroughly unique.

I especially enjoyed all the twist, and the whodunnit storyline. I was constantly trying to figure it out myself, and I utterly failed. Seriously, I am still shocked by the ending. This book is a 10/10 in my book.

The unique setting of “The Last Murder at the End of the World” - an island community apparently carrying the very last remnants of humanity after a horrible fog has destroyed all other life on the planet - instantly piqued my curiosity upon introduction, and with every little bit that I learned about this odd bit of land and the odd little society living upon it, I only found myself with even more questions. By the time that the actual murders occurred, I was already deeply drawn in, and things only grew even wilder from there at quite the clip.

I managed to devour the book within the span of one weekend. Stuart Turton once again provides another fantastical whodunnit that is as thrillingly fast-paced as it is wonderfully and weirdly inventive. It’s mystery reading at some of it’s more fantastical and just plain fun.

Stuart Turton is able to capture a moment and relay all the feelings that come with it. There is something extremely different about his books, something very other about them. They make you a little uncomfortable as you journey with the characters trying to solve whatever is put in front of you.

The way he plays with the idea of right and wrong in the book is enough to suck you in but it’s the attachment to the characters as the book goes on that keeps you reading.

To me it’s not the plot of the book that kept me engaged, even though it was incredibly well-paced and thoughtful, but it was the sense of the answer just being one more page away.

If you like locked room mysteries, amazing writing, and plot twists this is a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.