Read this book if you:
- like dystopian sci-fi books
- don’t mind untangling a complex puzzle
- might find yourself playing a game of Clue during the end of the world

I have found I really enjoy a lot of dystopian reads, but this one was fairly complex and hard to follow at times. This felt a little too literary fiction for my taste. The premise is interesting, and the cover is BEAUTIFUL, but I had higher expectations for this book.

The narration was stellar. It was one I could easily listen to and I enjoyed the narrator’s voice.

If you like dystopian plots, literally fiction, and a complicated puzzle to try to solve - this is for you! I did enjoy the reveal of this one, but it dragged too much for my taste personally. But the concept was interesting and I am glad I read it.

3 and a half stars

I really wanted to love this because I loved "The Seven but of Evelyn Hugo" but this was a three star book for me. I listened to the audio thanks to Netgally and I really enjoyed the narrator but I felt that the book was a little slow. I guess I would describe this as a closed circle mystery. All of humanity is stuck on this island because a deadly virus in the form of fog has taken over the world and the only safe place is the island and even then the fog is closing in. When someone is murder the survivors must figure out who did it.

I tried to listen to this audiobook several times but didn't get very far. I don't know if it was just the story line or the narrator but I just couldn't get into the story enough to continue.

Thank you for the ALC for my honest review.

Always down for a murder mystery with a premise that feels a bit different and unique to the genre. The concept behind the story made the book overall feel all the more fun. This one goes into more of a dystopian, sci-fi direction. Overall, I had a really good time with the majority of the book.

The mystery plot itself was super solid. I grew to like a couple of the characters quite a bit and seeing them evolve with each new revelation was great. The ending was very neat and satisfying. Personally, I loved a mystery with a nice closed ending.

The only red mark I have against the book is that the pacing was bit off for me. It was a slower moving story overall, so be prepared for that going in and it could make all the difference. Getting into the story for those first 30-40% was more difficult than I would have liked, but once the mystery solving really kicked into gear I was hooked! Loved it from that point on.

(2.75 rounded up to 3)

Given the title, I don’t know why I was surprised by the fact that this book is just as much a dystopian novel as it is a mystery. I don’t know if my opinion of the story would have been different had I gone into it knowingly, but it definitely did take me by surprise.

I struggle to give a synopsis of this because I found it tricky to follow on audiobook. The delivery may be better suited for paper. The gist of the story is that a small island community is cut off from other parts of the world due to a dense fog that surrounds them. They live in relative peace, that is until one of their important scientists is found murdered, jeopardizing their security system.

A common problem I find in several of the dystopian books I’ve read is that the universes are presented as though the reader already knows every intricacy. I felt lost from start to finish, feeling only slightly enlightened as the book went on. Again, this might have been less of a problem if I’d been reading it with my eyes. Even still, it felt like as a whole there were a number of gaps in regards to both plot and character. By the end, I felt nothing had resonated.

Trouble following aside, I enjoyed the narrator, James Cameron Stewart’s performance on the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me with a free audio ARC of the book!

I loved loved loved the narrator of this audiobook! The characters are quirky and the storyline is original. I did find myself drifting in places as the twists and turns and AI became a bit overwhelming, which made it a little long, but I really liked that this novel crossed so many genres.

In a post-apocalyptic world a dangerous fog collapsed society 90 years ago. Life as we know it now no longer exists. If the fog didn’t kill you murderers, cannibals or diseases would.
On a distant island scientists - Niema, Hephaestus and Thea - have created a society with strict rules that allow them to survive the fog. A village of only 122 where everyone knows not to question the rules and the secret bruises that appear on them at night. Emory is the only one who dares to question the inconsistency and rules set by Niema.
Niema knows she needs to commit a murder to help humanity survive but will she be able to complete her task before it is too late? But when the villagers find Niema brutally murdered they only have 92 hours to solve more than one crime.
Overall rating 2/5
I was intrigued by the description of this book but I struggled to stay with it until the end. I am not sure if it was the narrator who seemed to have a flat tone, or if it was the never ending plot. I felt it was too similar to The Island of Doctor Moreau mixed with West World but not in a compelling way. I do feel that this could have been a great plot if it had more outside influence, or an unpredictable twist. I also would have loved to see more of their “night time duties” incorporated throughout the 1st half of the book.
*Thank you to the Stuart Turton, Netgalley, and Tantor audio for the audio copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. It had a plot that seemed so interesting. I just simply could not. I don't know if it was the writing style or just the book all together but I struggled to follow what was going on and who was who. I felt like it bounced and didn't explain much. It could be that it was an audiobook and since I wasn't struggling to get into it I may have zoned out and missed things but over all it was just not my thing. I thought maybe something interesting would happen or the end would give a big bang but to me it was meh. It was good enough that I did not give up and DNF the book so I will give it that!

I'll say one thing about Stuart Turton's books, they are always very unique and creative!

This one is no exception and if you enjoy his mystery puzzles, you'll like The Last Murder at the End of the World, despite the long title ha.

First off, our narrator is an all-knowing AI that refuses to say more than she's meant to. There's a ticking time bomb in the form of a mysterious, murderous (albeit seemingly passive) fog, and a murderer who doesn't remember they're a murderer. It's a complex new world, and the author excels at his world building. I was intrigued and captivated by the world and society, especially our main protagonist Emory.

The mystery too was really engaging, though I did suspect a few parts of the ending. It was a very satisfying "I was right" because I didn't really see another way for it to end!

The audio was okay, but the way the narrator voiced female characters really grated on me, especially the longer I listened. And most of the characters are female. So I do wish I'd gone the physical route.

If you prefer straight-up murder mysteries, you probably won't like this, but if you like some sci-fi and fantastical situations to go with your murder mysteries, this will be right up your alley.

3.5 stars
I did enjoy this one and think most will love it. It has such a unique and interesting premise with a twist that is to die for. I did find it a bit slow at times and found myself skimming, I’m sorry to say. Overall, it was an entertaining read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It always makes me sad to be reminded that even the best writers are not immune to the pitfalls of a bad plot.

Unfortunately that’s the case here with Murder at the End of the World. I really loved Turton’s first two books, so though the premise for this one sounded a bit rough and also not to my taste, I assumed I would enjoy it anyway. I’ll put a caveat on all this to say that if you like dystopias (I don’t) you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did, but the real problems with it are more about structure and trite themes.

Though I don’t love dystopia, I’m not totally opposed to trying one if the premise feels fresh and unique. I was hoping that would be the case here since Turton is so creative in his work, but this is actually very tropey and leans heavily on the same themes that show up over and over in dystopian fiction.

I probably could have lived with this had the mystery itself not also fallen victim to tropey, formula-driven stuff. To an extent you sign up for a certain amount of that with anything labeled a puzzle mystery, but some are better than others at both cutting down on the subgenre issue of convolutedness and avoiding the tendency to do something cutesy and contrived in an attempt to surprise with the solve. This book unfortunately fell victim to both of these pitfalls.

I also didn’t love the world building, though again I would place a caveat on this that if you like dystopias, this issue probably won’t affect your reader experience.

Turton’s writing is still very good, and it almost rescues the book with clever turns of phrase and solidly done tone and pacing. Almost. I’ll continue to read whatever Turton publishes in the future, but this one felt like a miss.

Not only is this book strange and hard to understand, but the narrator of this sounds like he is announcing every sentence. I made it thru and few hours of this audiobook, but it is truly terrible and even if I liked the book more (which I don't), this narrating is very off-putting.

Unfortunately The Last Murder at the End of the World wasn't for me. I think I got over excited by the title and maybe didn't read the synopsis close enough as it just wasn't what I was expecting. Nothing wrong with it and would definitely recommend if you were seeking out this type of book.

This was such an interesting concept: a murder mystery/dystopia. 3 Elders, a whole host of villagers and an omniscient voice that communicates with them all.

There is a full explanation as to what led up to these events to leave 3 elders at the end of the world with villagers who only live a fraction as long. In the way of good dystopia, the characters, for the most part, just accept the things as they are because this is all that they have known.

After one of the Elders is killed, the truth slowly begins to come to light. The murder has to be solved before the fog arrives and kills them all. While everyone has a motive, it seems that very few had the ability or the desire to kill.

I like the concept, the build up and the revelations. The actual solving was a little more drawn out than I would have liked. and the pacing dragged a several points,

3 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I don't really know where to begin here. I am a Stuart Turton apologis, I've probably recommended The 7 1/2 Deaths of Eveyln Hardcastle more than any other book in the last 6-7 years. I also loved the Devil and the Dark Water which some found tedious. I was so excited to get a review copy of this new book. And it was such a disappointment for me. The premise was solid, but the execution was unconvincing. I had a hard time caring about anything that was happening to any characters. It also felt a little too long. I think this book has readers who will love it, but it wasn't right for me. I was not a fan of the audio narration at all and believe that could have changed the experience for me significantly. I may return to the book in print down the road.

I will still continue to recommend Turton and love his books - just maybe not this one so much.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

This story is eerie, creepy, and un-put-down-able! The premise of this story drew me in immediately.. murderous FOG?! Count me in. I enjoyed Turton's writing and style, finding it very easy to understand and gripping. He truly blends a variety of genres into Last Murder, mixing in a little bit of everything. I highly recommend this page-turner.

“The Last Murder at the End of the World” offers a thought-provoking exploration of humanity and the forces that bind communities. However, it’s plot is a bit convoluted and some may find it distracting.

It must be wild inside Stuart Turton’s mind. His stories are such intricate puzzles and I cannot help but wonder how he manages to lasso the many ideas running through his brain, successfully taming them into one tale.

But let me tell you this: The Last Murder at the End of the World is a bit long winded. I’m beginning to think that’s Stuart Turton’s signature style. The synopsis’s promised murder takes quite some time to actually occur and the path to its resolution is a long and winding one.

Of course, the cleverness of this complicated tale makes the aforementioned aspect forgivable. Turton has a way of taking stale themes and making them seem fresh. Turton’s skill as a storyteller builds those themes into complex structures, making it all magnificently intriguing. So, yes, it’s a long, winding road, but the scenery is so vibrant, it’s easy to lose yourself in the journey.

What I especially loved about narrative, though, was the exploration of creation, control, and moral compasses. It’s its own sort of genesis, despite opening at the end of the world, and it all leads to a thought provoking mystery.

I did experience one issue, however. I had both the e-galley and advance audio copy of this. Having felt overwhelmed by my reading options, I chose to listen to this. Although James Cameron Stewart did a wonderful job bringing the story to life, I was baffled by the whimsical tone of the story, and couldn’t decide if this was because of how he read it or if I would have also interpreted it as such had I read it on my own. It just didn’t seem to mesh well with the dark content so it did hinder my immersion at times.

I am immensely grateful to Tantor Audio, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Dear The Last Murder at the End of the World,
Turton's stories are always a trip. I never know exactly what I am in for with one of his books, and you were no exception! There were so many things about your plot that surprised the pants off of me, and I was in for it! Your story took so many surprising twists. It is really difficult to write about you without giving anything away, but you were one wild ride!!

This book took me some time to read because of the amount of post-its I put in it. The same way I did for 7 and 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hugo. This book, however, I figured out way sooner than I did with 7 Deaths.
I liked the mystery. I liked how things came together. It wasn’t exactly how I thought it would be because after 7 Deaths, I thought some wild things.
Overall it was a pretty decent read.
I will say that some of the names in the book were unnecessary but I don’t know if that is to misguide you.
Worth the read