I’ve never read The 7 1/2 Deaths by this author, but I’ve heard good things so I went into this one thinking that it would be a hit with me. Not my cup of tea. Very convoluted, so I had to go back and re read often, and I still can’t tell you which character is who except for Emerson(?). I struggled to follow along.

The premise is very good! The world building was hard to follow along with, and this gave more sci-if than thriller. The author was creative in their creation of this world. I also love the cover!!

The whole sleeping and waking up with bruises and cuts was a little much for me, even after I found out how they came to be.

I didn’t like any of the characters which didn’t help. I’ve seen other people read this book and love every minute so, don’t take my word as final because this is a well loved author who many people seem to enjoy! This book just didnt resonate with me, but it might with you!

In terms of audio quality, the quality itself was good! They had British accents that were pretty heavy, so I couldn’t play my book as fast as I usually do, but not an issue! Overall great production

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Having read the synopsis of The Murder at the End of the World, I was extremely intrigued as it sounded like a post-apocalyptic dystopian (my favorite genres) set on an idyllic island with the last 122 people left in the world along with 3 scientists (elders).

A murder is committed, and the villagers have only a few days to solve it or the world will end for them all.

However, this book was not quite what I expected and I felt rather confused and lost through alot of it.

I saw someone describe this book as something like: Willy Wonka is murdered and the Oompa Loompas work to solve the murder. That actually felt pretty accurate. Ha!

This book kept me involved because I had to know what the heck was going on, but to be honest it was just a tad bit too bizarre for my tastes. But… I still needed a signed copy with the beautiful stained edges for my library.

I listened to the audiobook and thought it was well done. The narrator definitely fit the vibe of the book.

*Thank you so much to Tantor Audio and to NetGalley for the advance audiobook!*

In a post-apocalyptic island community, villagers must solve the murder of one of their revered elders quickly to prevent a deadly fog from destroying them all, and their memories of the night before have been erased. While the hardcopy of Stuart Turton's The Last Murder at the End of the World has been receiving mixed reviews, I decided to try the audiobook and was pleasantly surprised. Narrated by James Cameron Stewart, the audio version adds a unique dimension to the story, with Stewart's narration enhancing the eerie and suspenseful atmosphere.

The story is heavy on science fiction concepts and requires careful attention to detail, so reading the preview or at least the blurb beforehand is helpful. While character development and relationships take a backseat to the broader mystery and community dynamics, the originality of the plot and the immersive narration make the audiobook version worth a listen. I recommend it to fans of science fiction and mystery looking for something different.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I'm still processing this book as I write this.......WOW.
1. I could like to stereo instructions if James Cameron Stuart reads them-So glad he narrated this
2. This book was innovative and fun-West World meets murder mystery and I'm all in for it!
3. ST is a new must read author for me and this did not disappoint-although I will admit if you are not a fan of his this might be hard to follow.
4. 7,5 deaths will forever be difficult to top because its hands down one of my favorite all time books but this was also very good.
THANK YOU FOR THIS ARC. I will make a cocktail post for it ASAP this week!!!

The premise of this novel is very intriguing, but the execution dragged a bit for me personally.

There are one hundred twenty-two villagers and three scientists on the only island to survive the deadly fog. The villagers do much of the heavy lifting keeping the island running smoothly, while the scientists continue to run their experiments, and everyone seems happy until one of the scientists turns up dead. Her death triggers a release of the barrier protecting their island from the fog and sets the whole island on a countdown to their demise.

One villager works to solve the murder and get the barrier back up before the fog consumes them all. In her search for the killer, she finds out much more than she bargained for and has an uphill battle as everyone’s memories seemed to have been wiped from the night of the murder.

It’s hard to describe this book without giving anything away. This is definitely a more speculative/sci-fi murder mystery. It’s obvious that Stuart Turton has world-building talent, I just found some of the details tedious causing the plot to drag. This certainly would incite interesting discussions, and for the right audience this is a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and author Stuart Turton for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Last Murder at the End of the World is out now. All opinions are my own.

Since I knew it was a Stuart Turton novel, I had the right expectations about this book as I've read his prior novels. It's a bit of a brain workout! I absolutely loved the 7 and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle! This book is different but also pretty good. I think Stuart Turton is just not for everyone and it's ok. I enjoyed it. It was confusing and took a while to get into (but I knew that in advance). It had a satisfactory and interesting ending.

★★★½
This was a very ambitious book as was Evelyn Hardcastle, which was a DNF for me. This one was more engaging although I think at the end of the day, this author's work may not be my cup of tea. This was a dystopian post apocalyptic science fiction mystery novel. I love mysteries; end-of-the world scenarios not so much. However, this did keep me reading so that I finished it in two days.
The positives: Mr. Turton has a very vivid imagination. The creation of the plot alone had to have taken tremendous mental prowess. We are in a world that was brought to an end by a fog that is layered with insects. A small group of people managed to survive and is threatened again with extinction. There are 122 villagers, three scientists and serious Artificial Intelligence involved. There is also a mechanism for erasing peoples' memories.
There is a murder on the island and the threat of extinction by bringing back the fog becomes real; the murderer must be found, make a confession and be put to death in order to avoid this.
Embedded within this story are issues around whether it is ever justifiable to commit murder, artificial intelligence, climate change, loyalty, and so on.
I loved the scope of this book.
What I did not love so much: the pace. There were times it was a bit slow. The jumpiness of the plot: there were times that it was hard to follow.
I read and listened to audio (alternated). I preferred the arc. It was a bit harder to follow in audio or to go back if I missed something. And while the narrator had a wonderful voice, I felt like the English accent was a bit much with this. Just my opinion for what it is worth.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Tantor Audio and, of course, NetGalley for providing me with access to this heady novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am willing to give most books a try, as I have read several recently I wasn’t sure I would like and truly enjoyed. This one however just didn’t hit the mark for me. There was just too much happening and the genre wasn’t my jam. I did finish it, but if I was physically reading it, I would have given up on it far before it was done. On a good note, the cover and dyed pages are gorgeous!

A dense fog has swallowed up the world. Only an island of people remain and their deeply hidden secrets.

This book kept me coming back for more. I had to learn the truth! I had to know who dunnit! Though I did get lost with all the characters and the storyline at times. I am still not sure who is who and who did what.
I liked the sci fi and post apocalyptic vibes.

Just not for me. I loved the idea but the story itself fell short of any excitement.

This is a Sci-Fi Mystery with truly an interesting set up.
Simply put; The twists were obvious, and the emotions were nonexistent. The ending felt frantic and rushed and I found myself not really caring when or how it ended. There were so many characters to try to keep up with and none of them were really likeable.
I was bored from the beginning and had a hard time getting interested.

I received the audio book for this and honestly did not feel like the narrator portrayed the appropriate emotions or feelings on this one. I think part of that contributed to my boredom with the storyline as a whole.

Thank you, Stuart Turton, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

I freaking LOVED this - my favorite of Stuart Turton's books by far, and I loved the other 2!

First, the audio production - fantastic. I loved the narrator and how he represented each character. Soothing and great voice, very well executed narration.

Now, the book. I never really know how to write reviews for Turton's books because they are WILD and describing my thoughts would require spoilers....but let me tell you, you're always in for a wild ride and a lot of fun. The Last Murder at the End of the World felt very Sherlock Holmes or, for a much more modern comparison, The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (another favorite of mine). It has fascinating characters and a seemingly impossible scenario/murder that never quite leads where you suspect it will. The twists are random and rarely predictable, but they never feel any more far fetched than what you were suspecting either.

It's an absolutely absurd book and mystery, but it does explore a lot about humanity and our vices. It's well mapped out and written and I had an absolute blast listening to/reading it. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but any fan of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christy, Robert Jackson Bennett....you'll love it.

I THINK I loved the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hugo? I remember as I read it, I felt confused most of the time, especially at the end. But the way Turton created a story that had never been done before was fantastic and I loved it for that reason alone. He knocked it out of the park again with The Last Murder at the End of the World. I was a little confused at the very beginning because he jumps right into the story with no background or explanation but I caught on pretty quickly and then promptly DEVOURED the rest of the book. Stuart Turton is a master at storytelling in a way I've never experienced before and I'm already looking forward to his next book.

love love love love

The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of my all time favorite books, so I knew I had to get my hands on this new release from Stuart Turton. This dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel is a mixture of all of the best things you'd look for in a novel. I don't want to give the premise of the book away, so trust me when I say it needs to go on your TBR.

My only complaint is that I would have loved a female narrator instead of a male narrator. With the majority of the main characters being female, it didn't make sense to me that there wasn't a female narrator.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook!

One of the reasons I love Stuart Turton is that he writes novels that are so smart - there's no better word for it. His novels are so unique, and the mysteries are so convoluted that they're impossible to figure out. This novel was no different - we follow a group of people, seemingly the only people left on the whole planet, who are survivors of a deadly fog that has settled over the earth. There are only three elders remaining - three people who were alive during the "before" - before the fog, before the apocalypse. When one of them is murdered, and everyone's memories have been wiped, there's a race against time to figure out who did it, before the world truly ends.

I love Turton, and it might just be me/my headspace at the time of starting this novel, but I did not *love* this book. It was still very smart, very unique, and impossible to figure out with all the twists and turns, but the story did not capture my attention quite the same way his previous novels did. I was really intrigued by the initial concept, but it started lagging around 33%. It didn't truly pick back up for me until we were at about the 75% mark - I feel like this fell under the category of "too much showing, not enough telling." There's a lot of information thrown your way throughout the book, and I felt like a lot of it didn't (seemingly) have a point until much later in the book. It was hard for me to focus, which never happens to me with audiobooks.

I think the author should still be applauded, because this was a really impressive book. This is just one of those "it's not you, it's me" things. I will still continue to read everything this author writes.

This was a very intriguing ride. It kept me guessing the entire time but I thought some parts of the mechanical computer like character was confusing in time. I would have loved a bit more world building but I really liked the narrator. He did a great job and I love that there were characters who refused to just follow along with the status quo even though they could get in trouble. If you are looking for a unit story line and a sense of closure at the end, go for this one! I will pick up the other books by this author to see what happens!

I liked this a lot! A cleverly crafted murder mystery!

This one took some time for me to get into but when I got into it I was reeeally in it. This was well written and descriptive enough that I could imagine the island. There are lots of strange things going on but the vast majority of the island residents don't ask questions, they just do what they've always done; Except Emory who is curious, some would say to a fault.

There were lots of surprises to come as the murder is investigated. It kept getting twistier but Emory kept digging, because the fate of the island and everyone in it depends on discovering what happened. I am not a regular Sci-fi reader but love a good mystery. This does have a lot of characters but they all felt different enough and easy to keep straight.

Would recommend!

I thought the narrators was great!

2.5 stars
On paper, this book should have been right up my alley. Perhaps that’s the biggest issue for me here— the narration ruined the story for me. The narrator’s female voice was a total no go (nails on chalkboard offensively done) and the male voice still sounded pretentious and laconic, even sped up to 2.0! So, it was already difficult to listen and then the language itself didn’t seem to connect as well with the written voice. Some authors translate better/differently with audio and text. For me, both the narration and the writing didn’t work for me in the audio format. The reviews are pretty good so I’d hazard a guess that most of the 4-5 star ratings were from people who read the book.
*Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the audio review copy

Science fiction meets mystery/suspense in this novel. The narrator is really good and I enjoyed the accent. There were a lot of characters in this novel and at times it was confusing who was who by listening to the audiobook vs. reading this one

I have honestly never read anything quite like The Last Murder at the End of the World. In fact, I think I started this audiobook over three different times because I kept thinking that I must have missed something. This drops you right into a post-apocalyptic world where a small group of people live on a small island in harmony with one another. They each contribute to the community with their own skills, respect the village elders, and are connected to each other and controlled by a conscious creature in their minds named Abby. Then, someone is murdered. Totally normal set-up for a mystery.

I don't think I ever fully grasped what was going on with this book. The world-building unfolds gradually over the course of the story and was either unique and surprising or just entirely confusing. I did like the main characters, especially the annoited detective Emery, who is tasked with solving the only crime to have ever occurred in the island village. Additional mysteries emerge and more and more strange aspects of the village life get revealed. Eventually, everything reaches a mostly satisfying conclusion.

The audiobook narrator, James Cameron Stewart, does a respectable job bringing this inscrutable book to life. I think it was sheer curiosity that motivated me to hang in there with this one and I'm sure I'll still be muddling over this one for weeks to come. If you are looking for something completely different and unlike anything else out there, then I definitely recommend giving this one a try and making sure you push through the beginning.

I absolutely hated this narrator. I struggled to get through it and felt that the narration actually ruined it for me.