This book went on a wild but fun post-apocalyptic ride. Most of the world has been annihilated by a toxic fog. The survivors live on a beautiful island.

Then one day, there is a murder, but everyone’s memories have been wiped so they don’t know who did it. In order to stop an actual doomsday clock (think Siri but with the ability to kill everyone at once) from ending all remaining life, they have to solve the murder with the clues available.

I was telling someone that I had requested this book thinking it was related to the 2023 Hulu series, A Murder at the End of the World, which I just loved. They’re not in the same universe, but they both do mention rich people finding ways to survive the coming environmental disasters caused by global warming, so that was interesting.

I love cozy mysteries and this one is sort of locked room/And Then There Were None-y in that there’s only 122 people on the island so it has to be one of them.

Special thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub Date: May 21 2024

Will this was great murder mystery with the end of the world happening at the same. Love the plot and how it was will written. This is by far a great audiobook I listen too!

I loved Stuart Turton's other novels, "The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" and "The Devil and The Dark Water." I love how he integrates science fiction elements with murder mysteries. Unfortunately, "The Last Murder at the End of the World" just did not work for me. I did not like the characters or the post-apocalypse story line. The writing is well done, the pace was good, and the narrator of the audiobook did a good job, so I'm sure there will be people who love this one. I would give Turton's next book a read since I loved his first two novels.

This book was absolutely not what I was expecting and I'm not going to say why because nothing about it is mentioned in the synopsis.
A deadly fog has wiped out almost all of civilization. There is one island that is safe. The people that made it there are happy and compliant. Then, a scientist is murdered. This triggers a lowering of a security system type thing and the fog is now going to engulf the island in 107 hours. The people on the island need to figure out who the murderer is before then, but everyone's memory has been wiped.
This book had a really interesting concept. The beginning was kind of slow until we start to figure out certain things. Then it gets interesting. It does stay kind of slow, but the interesting things kept me just interested enough to follow along.
There are quite a few characters in this book and it was kind of hard to remember who was who for a while. They were all fine, none of them really stood out to me. I don't know if it was just me not paying attention in the beginning because it was slow and hard to get into, but the narrator of the story is like an AI being who can talk to people in their heads and kind of is able to carry out instructions from the "elders." It was a very interesting point of view, but one that fit the story.
The narrator of the audiobook was kind of monotonous which is probably partly why it took me a little while to get into the story. But once I realized that the narrator of the story is actually the AI being (ABI), the narration really fit with the character. His voice was pleasant and I did enjoy listening to it once everything started clicking into place.
This was overall a fun and unique mystery/sci fi book with a really cool moment in there that just makes you go ......OHHHHH.

This was my first audiobook. And I learned something about myself. Audiobooks, are not for me. It’s just how my brain is wired. So unfortunately, I could not finish this one. The description sounds so good that I do plan to actually read it in the future. But as I was listening, I was getting too lost in and not retaining any of the story. This is a problem that solely belongs to me and has absolutely nothing to do with the book. To say I’m bummer is an understatement. I do, however, look forward to actually reading the book in the future. I gave this 3 stars because I don’t feel like it’s fair to give any more or less at this point as the problem was mine.

2.75 stars - This was a highly anticipated book, as the concept was super interesting! The world has ended and one of the remaining people left on this island has been murdered...yeah, sounds interesting, right? Well, we go through some world building because the fog is coming and will end all of humanity. We go through several people being the possible murder suspect that just felt like unreliable narrator trope (because memories were wiped)...and the end was just such a big disappointment. It wasn't even surprising to be honest. Unfortunately, this one was not for me, but I am still interested in reading Stuart Turton's other books.

Of note: there were some discrepancies between the e-book and the audiobook.

I was able to receive advanced readers copies of both the e-book and audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley, Stuart Turton, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Tantor Audio for the opportunity to read/listen and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest novel by Stuart Turton and amazingly narrated by James Cameron Stewart. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

The world was destroyed by a fog, killing anyone it touched. Only the island remains. It's a wonderful place with 122 villagers and 3 scientists living together happily. The villagers do whatever the scientists tell them to do to keep their world going. But everything changed when one of their scientists is found stabbed to death. Even worse, the murder triggered a lowering of the security system that kept the fog away. If the murder isn't solved in 107 hours, they will all die. Unfortunately, the security system wiped everyone's memories of what happened, so someone is a murderer and they don't even know it.

This is such a complex, immersive, atmospheric novel that incorporates mystery, science fiction, and a post-apocalyptic thriller. The descriptions of the cast of characters makes them feel alive and you'll be trying to figure things out right along with them, especially Emory. The narration was perfect, and highlighted the wonderful writing. Best go into this one without too much information, so you get the full impact of the reveals!

On the island it is lovely and idyllic. The villagers are living in harmony with 3 scientists who are in charge. Outside the island, the world has been destroyed by a deadly fog. As long as no one leaves the safety and security of the island (and the scientists' rule), everything will be fine. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.
But one of the scientists is murdered and this triggers a lowering of the security system that keeps the fog from engulfing the island. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audio e-arc.*

While the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was just "okay" for me (probably because I am a mood reader and didn't have the required brain cells to fully appreciate it at the time), I was so much more into this one. Listening on audio does require immense concentration because the storylines are very Sherlock Holmes-y and you can very easily miss something. I love post-apocalyptic thriller mysteries, so this was great. I loved that the chapters were countdown timelines for the end of humanity and the dark humor was so fun. I docked a star (total of 4 stars out of 5) because it was so wordy and some of the plot points were either not necessary, or I simply missed the resolution. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters, so I wish that I could have rooted for them a little more.

I received an audio copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What an imaginative author! I'll admit I was confused by the number of characters. Trying to sort them out while learning about the world as it is in this book was somewhat confusing. But about halfway through, it all kicked in and I finished in one day.

I was really looking forward to this one after it got so much hype leading up to its release, but it just fell flat for me, unfortunately. The premise was unique and definitely interesting, it was a bit info-dumpy at the beginning (which is to be expected in a dystopian story), but then got super interesting about 1/4 of the way through. But then the story just went downhill about 3/4 of the way all the way until the end. It just felt a bit predictable and underwhelming. Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator does a wonderful job with the narration on this book! He’s clear and concise, has an English accent that’s easy to understand, and voices all the characters to perfection! The story itself was a very interesting concept. I enjoyed going along for the ride and trying to find the murderer all while making sure the entire society stayed intact. I would recommend if you like mysteries and dystopian!

I had some mixed feelings about The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but it was definitely a book that I couldn't put down, so I was hoping for another entertaining time from this author.

My main problem with this book was that the beginning was quite slow. For the first third of the book or so, I felt pretty bored. I get the necessity of establishing the village and the characters, but there wasn't enough tension to keep me interested. The omniscient narrator didn't help, either.

It takes until about 37% of the book for a sense of urgency to be introduced. Shortly thereafter, there's a major twist that both makes the plot far more interesting and also increases the pacing quite a bit.

Ultimately, this is a book that incorporates some fascinating science fiction concepts, and I enjoyed following Emory and her reconciliation with her estranged family through solving a murder. When the investigation actually gets going, the story flies by—especially at the end, when the tension feels like a screw being cranked tighter and tighter. I just would've liked the opening act to be condensed or told with more tension/dread so the pacing didn't feel quite so slow.

Regarding the audiobook, I found it a weird choice to have a male narrator when the omniscient AI who narrates the story is referred to by the characters as female. It's a strange choice, honestly.

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.

Such a unique book!! I was completely interested in this book because it kind of had a "hitchhikers guide"/Sherlock Holmes/sci-fi/dystopia feel with so many layers that come into light.
Since I listened to it I am going to speak about that. Tho it seemed to be in third person, it was actually first person because it came from the POV of an AI who is both in the minds of all the island's residents and well as externally. See? Very unique.

The mystery itself was very well crafted and enjoyable.

One critique I have is that I do believe that the audiobook could have benefited from having dual narrators

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A major flaw of this novel is the voice of the narrator and the "voices" of the other characters are difficult to distinguish. Unless a character is addressed by name, it's tough to tell who is involved in the conversation. The pacing was a bit off due to the unnecessary padding in the whodunit story. If the book focused more of the development of the wide breadth of characters instead of centering too long on the whodunit story, we would have time to become connected instead of just passing them off as background characters. The story and world building were fantastic, but it leaves you with more questions than answers.

The Last Murder at the End of the World has such a cool sci-fi mystery premise that I was very excited to read. It took me a few chapters to get used to the audiobook narrator, but I very much enjoyed his delivery and found it rather charming. It added a wonderful quirky layer to the story and its characters.

There were plenty of characters to keep track of, jumping views but mostly being told by the island’s AI, Abi. This had a very textbook whodunnit murder plot and due to the scientists meddling, no one was a reliable character which made the book that more mysterious (or confusing, depends how you look at it!). I really liked Emory and her daughter Clara, with their strained relationship, they stood out amongst the others.

I was super intrigued by the strange circumstances of the island and the event that caused the end of the world as we know it. I think that’s what kept me going in the book because it was a little too long. I enjoyed all the details we got about the characters and the relationships with their loved ones, it was a little reflective and existential, strange but entertaining. 3.5⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the audiobook review copy.

I could not finish this audiobook. The narration was a bit confusing. Each character had almost the same voice. Having men read women's roles can be off putting to me.

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Landmark, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
An inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.

✨ My thoughts:
This book is WILD. It’s a murder mystery with a ton of twists and turns. I originally started this as a physical book but had a hard time getting into it so I ended up requesting the audiobook. The narration was great but the story still didn’t hit the way I thought it would, the story pacing was just off. This is my first Stuart Turton novel and I had really high hopes but unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. What I did love though was the world building, it was done beautifully and really made for an immersive read. Maybe it was just my mood but I see it’s a huge hit for many readers! The Last Murder at the End of the World is out Tuesday 5/21/24!

Happy reading

Stuart Turton builds an interesting premise in “The Last Murder at the End of the World” — a post-apocalyptic world in which the characters are trying to solve a murder. Except, of course, the rules are different: we’re on an island that has fended off a world-destroying fog; the inhabitants are three elder scientists (all well over 150 years old who remember the pre-apocalyptic times), and over 100 “villagers” who toil to keep food on the tables and remaining machines still working (and they all neatly die at age 60). There’s also an omnipresent AI named Abi who communicates telepathically with everyone, subtly modifying their behavior to always be kind and less curious, modifying the villagers’ evolution into always obedient and meek people.

But when an elder is murdered, a “fail-safe” is triggered: she had pre-planned the death of her murderer in revenge — if she dies, the fog will envelop the island, killing everyone. The only apparent escape is to find the killer first and execute him/her. Only then will AI Abi stop the fog. But there’s a twist: everyone’s memory from the night of the killing was wiped, so even the killer doesn’t know they did it. It’s up to villagers like Emory (always way too questioning for the elders’ liking) and others with seeping memories to be the detectives, but detectives with limited resources since most of the elders were lying all the time.

I listened to the audiobook and the multiple third person POVs interspersed with the first person AI Abi’s telepathic storytelling was initially confusing. I eventually did get used to it and I wondered if the “Abi” parts were distinguished in print to aid the print reader. Yet, I was able to totally enjoy the story and it did remind me of the author’s previous “The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle”. The narrator, James Cameron Stewart, was great at narrating straight descriptive parts, but since the majority of the characters (including the AI) were female, I questioned why a female narrator wasn’t chosen. Stewarts’s high pitched voices representing the women were often annoying and cartoonish, distracting from the dialogue. Yet, this was a high concept, inventive, and original thriller. 4 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Within the opening paragraph, we meet someone with green flecks in their eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): So what if the pink flowers can attach to living things and drain them of their blood?

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!