Stuart Turton is a writer that is able to develop interesting characters and plot lines that will grab you from page one. His newest, The Last Murder at the End of the World, is no different.

Imagine a beautiful island in a post-apocalyptic world. Imagine the entire world has been decimated by a deadly fog (The Mist???!!!). Imagine 122 villagers and 3 scientists, all living together, trying to survive.

Then, imagine waking up and finding out that one of the scientists was murdered. The islanders must all try and find the killer....all before the deadly fog covers the island.

God damn it, Stuart Turton did it again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Stuart Turton, author of the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is back with The Last Murder at the End of the World.

This post-apocalyptic, murder mystery definitely took some time to get into. The combination of 1st and 3rd person narration was a little confusing and I never felt connected to any of the characters. Even with these grievances, I did find the book enjoyable. The mystery unfolded in a slow burn kind of way and although the reveals weren't surprising to me, they did help the story come together and kept me invested until the end.

I could see this book being a great choice for a book club as it is thought provoking and brings to the forefront uncomfortable things about human nature.

This book will take you on an adventure. Happy Reading!


Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing this ARC for my honest review

The Last Murder At The End Of The World is a gripping and unpredictable sci-fi murder mystery on an isolated, post-apocalyptic island. This book is a totally different vibe from The 7 & 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (which I also LOVED), but it’s a similar reading experience: Stuart Turton takes you on a ride where you enjoy every twist and turn, even if you’re uncertain of the final destination. There are many red flag characters and even more red herrings, you’ll never know who to trust!

This book was such a wonderful reading experience, a masterful story. I highly recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4+ stars

Wow my mind is still processing! Turton’s books are a wild ride, and this is no exception. We are once again placed in a unique situation, needing to solve a murder, and oh by the way, the last of humanity is about to be destroyed if you can’t solve the puzzle in time.
If I hadn’t had to be a responsible human I would have stayed up all night to read this in one go. It’s incredibly compelling and I couldn’t stop turning the page. As usual, the deeper you get into the book, the more you realize that absolutely nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. I really liked Emory as the character spearheading the investigation. She notices things that no one else does and asks the hard questions.
I won’t do anything to spoil it, but I definitely got a bit of whiplash from all the twists and reveals. The end wasn’t quite as satisfying as I was hoping. I definitely never figured out the mystery on my own. But the conclusion felt a little bit like a moral lesson.
But I had a great experience reading it and would recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

The latest offering from bestselling author Stuart Turton continues his tradition of setting up mysteries where the traditional format is spiced up by paranormal elements that leave the reader guessing, not only who did it, but what is going on in the first place.

The story unfolds on a secluded island that's the only habitable land left in a world devastated by a deadly fog. With a population of one hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, life on the island appears idyllic until one of the scientists is found brutally murdered, lowering the barriers that keep the fog from the island. The islanders must race against time to solve the crime before all humanity is destroyed.

As usual, Turton crafts a gripping narrative, although the mystery of the island itself is more compelling than the murder mystery. One of the novel's strengths lies in its ability to deliver timely twists and turns that reveal more about the island while also revealing clues about the murder.

I found the mystery itself a bit predictable, but the way the story is told makes up for it. The twists that reveal the nature of the island and its inhabitants provide enough surprise, and the omniscient narrator who may or may not be a reliable one is well done, keeping a sinister tone throughout as you're never sure how much you can really trust what characters are being told.

The protagonist is a compelling and relatable character, providing readers with a strong anchor amidst the chaos of the unfolding events. However, the supporting cast could benefit from further development, as some characters feel underutilized and lacking in depth.

Overall, this is a fun and atmospheric read that will appeal to fans of Turton's other work, or to those who are intrigued by the idea of mystery with a sci-fi twist.

The Last Murder at the End of the World is a mix of dystopian fiction and mystery with twists and turns that keep you guessing. I found the beginning to be a little slow, as the setup and world building takes several chapters to establish. But once the murder occurs and the investigation begins, things get interesting quickly. There were moments where I thought I knew what was going to happen, but then a curve is thrown and new puzzle pieces appear. All in all, an enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

I loved this! Such a unique, high concept murder mystery… I couldn’t put it down! And I didn’t guess the ending.

An original and fun sci-fi/murder mystery dystopia mashup. I enjoyed spending time in the world Turton created (despite the overwhelming sense of foggy doom the characters are facing) and he builds a world that is detailed enough for the reader to feel fully invested, but doesn't get bogged down in worldbuilding or exposition. This would be a good choice for mystery fans looking to branch into speculative genres. The fast-paced plot will encourage readers to keep turning the pages.

Stuart Turton is one of those authors who is able to come up with a truly unique world and a plot that never goes where you expect. This book was absolutely not exception, and if you are a fan of Turton’s other works, this one will not disappoint.

Set in a dystopian world where the earth has been consumed by a fog that kills all living creatures in its path, there is an idyllic island protected from the fog. When one of the island’s scientists is found murdered, the islanders are informed that with her murder, the barrier keeping them safe has come down, and if they do not solve her murder, the barrier will remain down and the fog will finally reach the island. The islanders have 107 hours to solve the murder, and the only catch is that no one on the island can remember the night of the murder.

This was a truly fascinating fantasy mystery with plenty of sci-fi elements. Throughout the story, it is impossible to guess what is really going on because nothing is quite what it seems. It is also a study in humanity, family, and how we treat each other and the world.

I was completely engrossed in this story, even though there were a few times that the pacing felt slow, my investment in the mystery kept me going. It is definitely another standout work from Turton.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

I've been a fan of Stuart Turton's other books and was excited to receive an ARC of The Last Murder at the End of the World. After a bit of a slow start, I was HOOKED and couldn't put it down. While I'm not generally into sci-fi, I do love mystery. This was a mystery that kept me guessing and engaged until the very end. Well worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a complimentary copy of this novel!

This is a murder mystery that takes place on the last piece of post-apocalyptic habitable land. The entire world has been obliterated by a deadly fog and the last remaining survivors are on this island. There is a shield that was put in place to keep the deadly fog away. But there is so much more happening on this island. Three human scientists are living on the island along with villagers who were created in pods to make the island habitable. One of the scientists gets murdered, but no one knows who did it. And if the murderer is not caught soon, the deadly fog will engulf the entire island and all humanity will die. The only problem is, in this Sci-Fi, dystopian novel, everyone’s memories have been deleted and no one knows who the killer is, including the killer. Although this novel is a race against time, I had a difficult time getting through it. There was so much going on throughout the novel. I enjoyed this author’s previous book, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but could not get into this one as much. This is a perfect read for those who enjoy Dystopian, Sci-Fi novels with a murder mystery thrown in!!! I gave it 3 stars.
Available May 21, 2024

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It's very hard to describe Stuart Turton's new futuristic, post-apocalyptic murder mystery without giving away any spoilers. There are many tasty twists and turns throughout, making this an absolute page turner.

Essentially, a small village is surrounded by a deadly fog. There are leaders and followers making this last holdout viable. One of the leaders has been killed, and no one is as they seem. There is both advanced technology, and almost stone-age practices co-existing, and varying schemes to ensure the success of humanity's last stand. There is a narrator of sorts - an A.I. that has access to almost everyone's mind and activities.

This is the kind of book that releases so many secrets throughout, you may want to read it again immediately to see how all the hints are so cleverly plotted.

Because of all the twists and many characters, the big reveal at the end is a little complicated... I had to read through it a couple of times, & I'm still not sure all the ends were tied up. But I still love this story; SA is a new must-read author for me.

I preface this review by saying I could not wrap my brain around one of his previous books, The 71/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle, but I had hopes that this one would grab me. I enjoyed the story, but I didn’t love it. It had its surprising elements and it is inventive, and yet I never found myself fully engaged with the fate of these people. I also felt like I was missing something about 1/2 way through the book.. and it frustrated me that, as I backpedaled, I never felt 'caught up'.

That said, the ending is frantic, jaw-dropping and exciting, and it did keep me urgently turning each page to see how things would finally play out. I’m pretty sure many others will love this one more than I did, but it’s a three star offering for me.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing an early copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Readers and fans of Stuart Turton prior work, like The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, will feel right at home in this book. We begin The Last Murder with an ominous start “91 Hours until Humanity’s Extinction” and then learn about the last protected island and the destroyed world around it. I don’t think we get to the actual murder until about halfway through the book, but it becomes obvious that this island is not quite utopia and secrets are everywhere. I’m not going give anything away, but in very Turton fashion there are lots of twists, turns, surprises, and hidden motivations. This was a quick read for me, the short chapters make it easy to consume a dozen at a time, and unlike Hardcastle the narrative is easy to follow. I’m a fan of Turton, I enjoyed this book and look forward to his next.

Please note, I received an ARC copy of this book for review from NetGalley, but that never influences my honest reviews of books or authors.

I have never read a Stuart Turton book before this one. I enjoyed his style quite a lot and felt that he created a beautiful web that sweeps the reader up into a world that has a lot of mysteries to be discovered. I will be honest at first, I was not quite enchanted with the world that was being painted. Yet as the book progressed, I became more and more invested. I loved seeing the characters be able to go beyond their expected limits. I think this book would make the perfect book club book for people who like books about the end of the world mysteries.
Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I'm disappointed would be the easiest quick review to give for this book.

When I first read the plot for this book, I thought it sounded amazingly intriguing and fresh; unlike anything I've read before. When I got granted access to the ARC via NetGalley I was excited to dive in. And then I began reading.

I've never read Turton before (though I do have a copy of Evelyn Hardcastle that I'm now nervous to read) and I don't think this was a great introduction to him. I found the writing style to be dry and really tough to get into. Turton has a huge cast of characters that he didn't seem to want to give the time to to build and flesh out and make you care about. I was just reading about things happening to characters that I wasn't invested in and felt to emotions towards.

Similarly, the world building was very lackluster for me. To take place in some post-apocalyptic future and not clearly establish the world is certainly a choice. Like the characters, I never got a grasp on the world. We get 1 (?) brief flashback to when the fog started to roll on in that lasts maybe a page or 2 and that's in. I needed more to feel of reality or a sense of understanding, but instead I spent most of the book reading and not comprehending the world itself that these characters were inhabiting.

Maybe the book was too intelligent for me? Maybe I needed to focus more? Maybe it just simply isn't for me. Regardless, I did read this quickly because I was hoping there would magically be puzzle pieces given to you throughout and at a certain page, everything would click, but for me it never did.

I also think the synopsis could be better written since the murder in question doesn't happen until around a third of the way into the book.

Overall, I will still give Turton's Evelyn Hardcastle a try, but this book and I simply didn't get along well.

My thanks to Sourebooks Landmark for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An island is all that’s left of the world after a destructive fog killed anything it touched and now there’s been a murder that’s doomed the remainder of humanity unless it’s solved in time in Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World.
On an idyllic Greek island, a village of one hundred and twenty-two, plus three scientist Elders, live in collaborative harmony, guided and comforted by Abi in their thoughts, as they live ensconced within their small world that’s the result of what remains after a killer fog circled the planet, ravaging anything it touched. Though nearly all the villagers go along with what the Elders and Abi tell them, Emory has always been an exception, questioning the rules and generally asking why; when she overhears the Elder Niema’s talk of an experiment and killing someone only for Neima to herself later wind up dead and everyone’s memories of the last twelve hours wiped, Emory takes up an investigation to reveal the truth and murderer, which happens to be their only hope of survival as the murder has lowered the security system that has kept the fog at bay. With the clock ticking down, fog encroaching, and with memories gone leaving everyone a suspect, the fate of humanity’s survival rests on the solving of this murder.
Following an ensemble cast of characters, but focusing most closely on Emory and her investigation, the narrative develops out and slowly reveals pieces of information that shed new light on the overall situation, which in turn might change the way in which it is viewed as part of the larger whole. There are plenty of secrets being kept and full truths being craftily obscured, primarily from the villagers but also between the Elders as well, which provided a level of necessary tension to the mystery of the murder at the crux of humanity’s survival that drove interest forward. The technology presented in the world and being researched, particularly that of Abi, as an artificial biological intelligence, was intriguing and frightening in equal measure with the possibilities it poses and how it follows, as well as devises, plans so well; with the plans that Niema put in place for the future of the village and villagers offered at the outset, the tone at the opening of the novel and the end serve as strong reflections of one another but the perception of them is shifted by the context of what’s learned in the interim.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very slow to start, to the extent that I *almost* DNF'd, but I'm so glad I didn't. I think it was just a lot of drier events with too many characters to keep track of and care about, but once it got moving, it *moved.* I loved the parallels to humanity and the fate of it and how this could very well be one of the darker timelines we're heading toward. I really enjoyed the twists and the big reveal. The ending was a delightful bit after a lot of darkness.

5 sparkly stars! It’s always great when you finish a book and feel the need to silently stare at a wall for 10 minutes after because you don’t know what to do with yourself now.

There’s some gorgeous writing in this and an infuriating countdown. What more do you want?

This is a favourite of the year. Stuart Turton remains one of my all-time favourite authors. He made me enjoy an environmental dystopia that has hints of climate scifi, a subgenre I usually don’t like at all!

I can't say much about this book since I believe the less you know about this author's novels, the more fun you'll have. What I will say is that, although The Last Murder at the End of the World shares some characteristics with his previous books—namely, that they are all mysteries featuring a small number of core characters who are surrounded by a larger cast and they all have lengthy titles—it is also, once again, a completely different book compared to the other things Stuart Turton has written. In the same way that The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water are very different books!

Basically, if you love how Stuart Turton builds his stories, you won’t be disappointed. If what he does is not your cup of tea, then I’m not sure this will work for you.

Personally, I can’t wait for his next book! And with all due respect, please write faster, sir.

4.5/5 ⭐️
My brain feels a little like pudding after reading this…but in a good way. The death grip this story had on me. I couldn’t put it down. Even when I was so confused, I didn’t put it down cause I NEEDED to know what was going on. The only way I can think of describe it is that it’s like Sherlock Holmes meets Westworld. After that, I honestly cannot describe this book without rambling and spoiling. However, I will also say how much I loved that my opinions and perspective on many of the characters, especially the murder victim altered and changed drastically as more details was revealed. I honestly flipped and flopped on my opinions as hard as a fish flailing out of water.
My only complaint, and why it isn’t a 5 star, is because of the telling at moments. However, it didn’t annoy me as much as telling does in other books.
Overall, I highly recommend this if you like a good mystery that has plenty of twists and turns. But also if you really enjoyed Westworld.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.