This book had a very interesting premise. The story follows an island at the very end of the world - a fog has taken over the rest of the planet, and the island is populated with some people who have found a way to keep the fog at bay. However, a murder occurs which sets into motion the fog coming for the rest.

The book was interesting and unique, unlike most other books I've read recently. The story was engaging, the twists were unexpected, and it was hard to predict what would occur next. I liked it because it was definitely different, and given many books nowadays, that is generally hard to come by.

I would recommend this as something for anyone who enjoys a good thriller but is tired of formulaic writing, and predictable endings. At no point during this book did I have any idea what would come next. Highly recommend!

This is such an interesting idea for a book that I was immediately interested but wasn’t sure how it would play out on the pages. I think it’s also fairly unique to have the narrator be the AI character and I loved it. The book started out a little slow for me but I was definitely interested from the beginning. Once the story really gets deeper into the plot I couldn’t wait to finish it. Although the book is set in the future it really corresponds to our current state of humanity sadly.

Decades ago a murderous fog swept over the world, and anything that touches it dies brutally. Only a small island survives untouched, populated by 123 villagers and 2 scientists. All is peaceful and idyllic, until the morning everyone wakes to find a scientist dead and all memories of the night before missing. Worse, a fail safe was in place – the death has caused the defense system to come down and the fog is swiftly approaching. To restore it, the survivors need to solve the murder, and time is running out.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the digital ARC!

It’s hard to review this; not because I didn’t love it, but because I don’t want to give anything away. I think it’s important to go into this book knowing only the bare bones, because part of the experience is discovering things along with the POV characters. In this book we have the bigger scale problem – the possible extinction of humanity – and the smaller scale problem – solving the murder of a beloved friend, and both are given equal attention. The author does a great job of introducing small bits of info at a pace that keeps the tension high but also keeps the plot moving. So many times something would be casually mentioned and I was like “wait – but – that means..!!” The murder mystery is very well balanced with the deeper emotional impact on the villagers, most of whom deeply loved the victim. We see the far-reaching consequences and how it fractures and changes relationships. I was kept guessing right until the end and while I figured out pieces of it, the whole picture came as a surprise.

I don’t know yet if I loved the ending. This is the kind of book where you need to sit with it a bit and let it settle into you. I can say that, looking back at the way things were framed, it seems inevitable in retrospect. It makes sense and I don’t know that any other ending would have been satisfying, and I think the author did a great job of weaving the personal emotional stakes with the survival, end-of-the-world stakes to deliver a fantastic story.

A great story that is well-paced and keeps you turning the page. Don't read late at night if you have to be up early and need rest, because it will be hard to put this book down.
I loved how the layers kept peeling back to reveal the reality of the island, yet also revealing the vulnerabilities, fears and trauma everyone had experienced and how it led to the possibly "end of humanity".
The storyline kept me guessing and the ending was better than I kept anticipating. Kindness first!

When their perfect society is rocked by a series of events that they can't remember the last people on Earth have to do something they have never done before, solve a mystery. This book is perfect for someone who has read too many mysteries and can always guess what is going to happen next. I honestly didn't know how this would end and loved every minute of tying to figure it out. A few times I felt things lined up a little too conveniently but they were small things that I was easily able to get passed. This book would be best enjoyed by someone who doesn't mind a little sci fi feel but book never gets bogged down so being a huge sci fi fan isn't necessary. Highly recommend.

"The Last Murder at the End of the World" was absolutely going to be 5 star read for me UNTIL around the last 20ish percent mark, when the twists and answers were given in a huge info-dumping fashion that practically gave me vertigo. I actually had to go back and read some parts again to understand what was actually going on. Still, despite my gripes with the ending dropping off, this is still an easy 4 star read for me and 4 stars is nothing to be ashamed about.

The first 75% of the book is really, really REALLY good.. We're basically just dropped into a world in the middle of its existence with very little explanation and we have to figure out what’s going on as we turn each page. Mystery, suspense, and intrigue is present in this novel right away, although the actual murder in the title doesn’t occur until WELL into the story. The buildup IS worth it, though.

I felt like the ending was extremely rushed, and I felt like I got too many questions answered; I know that is something that is a ME problem, but I prefer for endings to not necessarily tie everything up nice and neat/answer everything. Books with more ambiguous endings are the ones that keep me thinking about it well after closing the book/reading the last page.

This is a very, very good book that had the potential to be great. I will still absolutely be recommending this to my friends and family who I know will love it despite the issues I had with it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review this book. It was fun and I love the color! Very eye-catching!

This was quite the different story, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is Science Fiction as it takes place after an apocalyptic event in the future in which most of the human race is destroyed by a mysterious fog. After a murder happens in the village on a sanctuary island, Emory, the village outcast, is asked to help solve it, or they will all die from the collapse of the barrier that protects the island, and its inhabitants. The kicker is, that right after the murder, everyone’s memories were wiped by an omniscient being that is able to control most of the people on the island; so the task is daunting to say the least. As the clues are gathered, and evidence is presented, the reader learns more about their own people, the island, and the secrets that have been kept for decades. But, time is running out.

This is page turner, and the story and characters are well written so that you understand, and are part of the process of solving the murder. Though this is a murder mystery, this is also a book about the people, and the effect our behaviors have on society.

Recommend for both mystery and Science Fiction fans.

In Last Murder at the End of the World, the entire Earth is covered with a deadly fog and only one island is clear of it. A small number of people are left, guided by three elders and an artificial intelligence. When one of the elders is found dead under mysterious circumstances and everyone's memories are missing, the truth must be uncovered before the AI removes the barriers that keep the fog out. One of the villagers leads the investigation, as the reader gradually discovers what happened that fateful night, and more about the mysteries of the island itself.

In The Last Murder at the End of the World, author Stuart Turton plunges readers into a fantastic murder thriller set in post apocalyptic world. This novel blends elements of mystery and suspense in a dystopian world where a deadly fog has swept the planet leaving only a few scientists and villagers.

Overall this was an enjoyable read even though it was outside my usual genre. I would recommend it for someone who enjoys thrillers and solving mysteries.

Three scientist and one hundred twenty- two civilians remain on an island. They exist in a peaceful harmony, caring for the land and each other. The rest of humanity has been overtaken by a deadly fog, wiping out everything it touches. Everything remains in a steady holding pattern, until a murder occurs. The people on the island awaken to find out that they can't remember a thing. To make matters worse, the defense mechanism is down and they only have a set numbers of hours before the fog reaches the island. They must solve the case in order to save themselves. Who and what could possibly have caused such a heinous crime. The clock is ticking and answers must be found.

This was a fun read. Society crumbling, humans turning on each other, very realistic but certain elements create a very fictional world. Stuart did a great job leading readers down a hill that continues to crumble as you get closer to the end. I wasnt sure what was happening at times, lots of distractions to create confusion. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

If you loved The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, then you should get ready for Stuart Turton’s new novel The Last Murder at the End of the World. It releases in May and is a great read! Perfect for the mystery and science fiction readers in your life. I always feel like my best book compliments are when I tell my husband he needs to read the book and this one goes on that list. 👍🏻 👍🏻

Many thanks to #netgalley #sourcebookslandmark and the author for the #arc in exchange for an honest review. Check back on my accounts when the book comes out for original #bookclub questions.

#thelastmurderattgeendoftheworld #stuartturton #mystery #sciencefiction #mysterysciencefiction #scifi #scifibook #the7andahalfdeathsofevelynhardcastle #booksbooksbooks

I was very excited by the premise of this book -- a dystopian novel and murder mystery all wrapped up into one? Sign me up! I think for myself, personally, my expectations were too high on this book. I really liked it but did not love it.

The premise: a collection of scientists and other villagers are trapped on an island surrounded by a fog that has killed off the rest of humanity. The technology they have is holding the fog back, but after a murder on the island the technology goes off and the fog starts moving in. Can they solve the murder and save everyone on the island in time?

For me the book veered a bit too far from dystopian into sci-fi, and I'm not a fan of pure sci-fi. I was on board with the changed world where this killer fog has moved in, but once they started talking about the technologies on the island, the science behind it, the different machines and devices they have and use it sort of went off the rails for me. If you're a sci-fi fan this is probably in your wheelhouse though!

The other thing that was constantly a little confusing for me was the first person narration by Abi, a voice of consciousness and knowledge within everyone's heads (part of the agreement to live on this island). Abi answers people's questions as they think them and aggregates everyone's knowledge and experiences. Every time the narration said something like "I told them to..." I had to stop and think, who? Oh, Abi, this voice in their heads is narrating. I kept thinking the "I" referred to a person.

The last thing -- the solving of the murder itself was quite confusing! There were so many characters, bits of knowledge collected along the way, context clues. You really have to pay attention as the book goes along. This is not one you can read passively! It does all come together at the end, but wow there were a lot of tendrils and components involved. It's not a simple murder.

All in all if you like dystopian AND sci-fi, complex stories, created worlds, suspension of reality, and thoughtful mysteries, this is a book for you.

I enjoyed this book up to a point about 1/3 of the way in. At that point I felt the characters and plot became mired in unnecessary complexity. The concept is excellent but the sheer number of characters, who each has quite a backstory, was more than I could keep up with. If I were a note taker type of reader, it might have made more sense. I skipped to the end and still didn’t understand it. I did think the first person characterization of Abi in the midst of the third person narrative of all the other characters was a successful effect. I gave it 3 stars because of the book’s potential. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book was nothing like what I expected. At this point I'm not even certain I remember what I expected?

At the beginning I had moments where I considered DNFing it. But something about the story kept me going. I'm not one normally drawn to apocalyptic stories, but this one was compelling enough to keep me reading. Emory seemed to be the main character, though the novel was narrated by Abi (reminiscent of Janet from The Good Place).

At its heart, this novel seems to be a commentary on society as a whole and how awful humanity is. I can't decide if it ended on an optimistic note or a very dismal, pessimistic note. I really wanted to find out what happened to Niema, and I'm glad there was resolution. It kept me guessing, and I did not see all of the twists and turns that were in store for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book to review.

This is a fantastic story - the mystery keeps you guessing but also the futuristic view of society feels all too real. Enjoyed the story, enjoyed the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the pre-release copy.

This one was a wild ride. I'm not sure how Stuart Turton comes up with his over-the-top, super creative premises, but he absolutely knows how to create a twisty murder mystery with a wacky, never-before-seen world.

If you've read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, then you know what I'm referring to. It's an entirely new take on a murder mystery, and was so conceptually entertaining. I haven't picked up his second novel, the one about pirates, but when I saw this one hit Netgalley, I had to request it.

This one is another high-concept mystery, this time taking place in the future when technology has allowed for some amazing innovations but the world has ended because some of those inventions didn't work out right. There's an AI character, too.

All in all, there was some predictability to the solution, but the execution was so original that that didn't bother me at all.

Highly recommended for fans of futuristic/dystopian sci-fi and murder mysteries. 4 stars.

90 years ago, huge sinkholes appeared on earth, swallowing entire cities and emitting a fog filled with insects that destroyed everything they touched. Humanity’s last remaining survivors live on an island, 122 villagers and 3 scientists viewed as their elders.

Told from the perspective of an all knowing AI called Abi designed by the island’s elder to protect humanity against any threat, this dystopic futuristic murder mystery is set against a ticking time clock, as villagers have 92 hours to find out who murdered one of their elders and restore the barrier against the fog.

Turton peeled the layers of this complex world in a propulsive manner, keeping me hooked from start to finish. While I didn’t personally latch on emotionally to any of the characters, they were each distinct and compelling in their own ways.

I thought the memory wipe plot device was very effective set against the all knowing AI who refuses to reveal any more than is necessary to drive humanity toward its creator’s ultimate goal.

The book felt innovative and unlike anything I’ve read before and I thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning to its satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed this quite a bit - the mystery is complex and might be overly complicated in somebody else's hands, but Turton has a talent for filtering a lot of elements through a viewpoint character to get to "oh, of course!".

This just was not for me. I was excited to read this one from the description, but it really let me down.

Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World took me on a wild journey! While I don’t usually dive into dystopian tales, Turton’s unique storytelling drew me in, and I’m thrilled I took the plunge. The fusion of AI and mystery kept me glued to the pages until the very end. Turton’s signature originality shines through once again, making this novel unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what he dreams up next!