I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this because I really liked Turton’s previous two books, and this sounded equally interesting. I was a little disappointed in the length - I genuinely expected it to be much longer, and I was shocked at how quickly the status bar filled up! The plot (though not really the style) is reminiscent of Justin Cronin’s books - both the Passage trilogy and The Ferryman. The early chapters here are especially similar to the Colony sections in The Passage - a small group of people, all that’s left of humanity, stuck in a very small area with a threat very close by.

It’s tough to talk too much about the plot without giving away spoilers, so I’ll try my best! The setting is an indeterminate point in the future - it’s at least 90 years after the “end of the world” (so to speak), and although there aren’t any flashbacks, it certainly seems like the world ended several decades past where we are now. There was this giant fog that slowly blanketed the world, and it literally destroyed every living object in its path (it’s full of glowing insects? Or creatures that are insect-like). It’s clearly man-made, but there’s never any detail on who made it. Either way, it was unstoppable, except for this tiny Greek island that used to be a military outpost. The people living here are the last humans on Earth. They’ve created an essentially utopian society - everyone has a job and they all work together to grow food and keep the community running. And everyone just dies at 60 (it’s weird that this just isn’t questioned, but it does make sense later on) so the population doesn’t grow out of control. The only people exempted from the dead-at-60 rule are the three elders: Niema, Thea, and Hephaestus. They’re truly the last remaining humans, as the rest of the islanders are just descendants. Niema is the person who sent out the radio broadcast inviting the last of humanity to make its way to the island - she and Thea were working in the Blackheath lab there already. Hephaestus is her son.

When the novel opens, Niema is working on a problem. She thinks she’s figured out a way to fix the human race - get rid of humanity’s impulses for selfishness and violence, a world of perfect equality. I was rolling my eyes pretty hard here, but her reasoning does eventually make sense. The only hiccup, as she’s informed by Abi, the AI that speaks in the minds of everyone on the island (just go with it), is that someone has to die in order for her plan to succeed. This is the last murder at the end of the world, and it sets off a chain of events that could either lead to humanity’s salvation or extinction, depending on if our protagonist Emory can solve the murder in time.

What’s interesting about the structure here is that Abi (the AI) is the narrator - which as others have pointed out is occasionally jarring, because Emory feels very much like the protagonist, but we aren’t tied to her the whole time. Given that Abi is all-knowing, it makes sense for her (she takes female pronouns) to narrate, and it lets us see a little more than if we were tied to Emory exclusively. Emory is kind of a spin on your typical dystopian protagonist - she likes to ask questions (which Niema has always encouraged, even though the other villagers frown upon it), so she makes a natural detective. She’s skeptical of why things are the way that they are on the island, and she’s intensely curious about the rest of the world AND the world before the fog.

I also think it’s interesting that we don’t have any pre-fog or early island flashbacks (it makes sense by the end, because those would give away the game too quickly, and ultimately they aren’t necessary to the story Turton is trying to tell). Given that there’s a literal secret lab on an island, and a damn smoke monster to boot, I was worried this would turn out like Lost - just a giant puzzle box with nothing interesting inside. Happily, that’s not the case here, and although I would have liked more detail on both of those potential flashback scenarios, again, that’s just not the story we’re here for. Suffice it to say, I was worried this would turn out to be as disappointing as Lost, but it’s not!

The end of the world starts like many other ends--with a death. But how can they solve it sand save themselves when every single person has lost their memory? If you're looking for a fresh take on the dystopian genre--look no further. The mind of Stuart Turton must be one of the most interesting places on Earth. Turton's style is so unique and remarkable and always seems to turn a classic genre on its head.

This is the first book I've read by this author, so I look forward to reading his previous book now that I've read this one! It is a dystopian, murder, who-done-it mystery set in the not-so-distant-future and deals with such issues as human greed and ingenuity, artificial intelligence, protecting our environment, and what defines humanity. It starts slowly, but builds as the various characters reveal secrets in their pasts, as observed by the AI who narrates the book and a countdown begins to the end of human existence. I do wish that there had been a bit more explanation of the fog/insects (was it man/lab made? where did it come from?) and some more glimpses of life before the fog for each character, to get to know them better. I appreciated the ending had a hopeful conclusion. This would make a wonderful movie or mini-series.

This was an interesting twist on a sci-fi book mixed with a murder mystery. While sci-fi isn’t always my favorite genre, this one was also dystopian, and I enjoyed the mystery of what was going to happen to the entire village, as well as trying to figure out who committed the murder. I don’t want to give too much away, but this one was an interesting read that I would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A group of humans migrate to the end of the world and struggle to survive under the rule of a few elders who enforce stringent rules. One is to follow orders and not ask questions. For the ones who question, there are consequences.

Pub date: 5/21/24
Genre: dystopian fiction
Quick summary: One island and its 125 residents are all that remain of a world destroyed by a mysterious fog. But one scientist's death mean two things: someone is a murderer, and the colony is no longer safe from the fog.

I loved THE 7 1/2 DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE, so I was excited to see how the author would create a dystopian world. I felt completely immersed in the strange world of the island, and Turton included a few nice twists in the first half. Unfortunately, the book felt too long and drawn out for me at 400 pages, as Turton continued to throw in twist after twist plus tons of different characters. I felt like the last 50 pages of the book completely upended everything and didn't fit well with the first half. However, dystopian fiction lovers may enjoy this one more than I did!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Apocalyptic, whodunit mystery? Count me in! We follow multiple POVs - including an all seeing biological creature named Abby, to figure out who is a killer to prevent the end of the world.

What can you say about this thriller without giving up any spoilers and revelations? Turton has done such a fantastic job of blending mystery and sci-fi in this exciting new suspenseful mystery that will engross you from beginning to end. Like his others, it's a book I can't stop thinking about, and after you read it, you won't either.

At this point I will read anything by Stuart Turton! Each story of his is entirely unique and unforgettable and The Last Murder at the End of the World was no exception. Keep them coming, Mr. Turton!

This was a fabulous book. Slowly learning the history of this place while unraveling the future. Just powerful l, beautiful writing.

Insanely interesting! In this dystopia, only a small group of humans are surviving on what was once a private island for research. The villagers and the scientist live in harmony as the rest of the world has been destroyed by a horrible fog.

One morning the villagers awake to news of a murder. The scientist considered the de facto mayor is found dead along with several villagers. The security system that keeps the fog at bay is now counting down hours. The only solution is for the villagers to solve the murder which will effectively reset the AI system.

Working against the clock, Emory rises to the challenge but begins to unearth more and more questions in place of answers. Suddenly, their entire being is called into question and Emory has to make a choice.

Stuart Turton has created a completely believable world filled with tense moments and underlying questions. I am still thinking about this book many days later and did not guess the twist and of course not the murderer. If you love a murder mystery mixed with dystopia, this is the perfect book for you! #Thelastmurderattheendoftheworld #stuartturton #sourcebooks #sourcebookslandmark

I loved every moment I spent with this book. The premise was already interesting: there is a black fog that kills most of humanity. The 110some people are left on an island and one is murdered. Our main character is trying to solve the mystery of what happened before the rest of them die from the incoming fog.

From the beginning this story was a bit dystopian. It smelled like "The Giver" where what you're reading has something off about it and you're waiting to see what unravels. But the story that comes together keeps surprising the reader more and more every minute. All the way to the very end, I totally didn't see any of the onion layers as they peeled.

I loved all of it. I loved the characters. I loved the writing. I loved the ending. I loved this story.

with gratitude to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The most unique mystery that I've read. A bit more science fiction/dystopian than most. Some people will like it. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This was so different than what I had expected and from what I'm used to reading from this author, but that didn't necessarily make it a bad thing. It was very dystopian/apocalyptic and had twist after twist. I was invested in finding out what happened and who was responsible for so many things happening at once on the island. I did figure out a few of the plot twists, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I'm so glad I read this book and can't wait for everyone to have the opportunity in 2024!

A fog filled with countless insects that tear apart anything and everything that comes into contact with it has swept the planet.
An island at the end of the world, untouched by the fog.
Then a murder is committed, with the fate of the island depending on the murderer being caught.

Turton created an interesting world from a unique premise. There were many twists and turns throughout the story that helped maintain my attention.

Unfortunately, the writing style was not for me. I feel like the characters lacked in development and ended up embodying caricatures instead of fully fleshed out people, which made it difficult for me to become attached to anyone in particular. Big climactic moments happened with little build up or fallout, making me go back to reread a bit to see if I missed something.

All in all, great premise and bones. The writing wasn't for me, but it could be someone else's cup of tea.

Thank you NetGalley, Turton, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a village on an island that is surrounded by a barrier that protects them from a deadly fog but soon one of the main 3 scientists dies which triggers a dead man's switch effectively disintegrating the barrier which means that the only way to have the barrier back is by figuring out who killed the scientist.

This book was both confusing and compelling. It started out in a very odd way and you really don't understand what's fully going on until the very last page but even then, I still have so many unanswered questions. This book dug deep into what happens when you don't have humanity and lie to people, along with a sort of doomsday situation.

The narrator in my opinion was sometimes reliable and sometimes not, due to the fact that the narrator is this thing called Abi which is this mental being that is in all the villagers' heads while also being its own entity. Abi causes a lot of secrets to be kept and perpetrates many of the events of this book.

Stuart Turton is trying really hard to write murder mysteries the way they have never been written before. His first book had a setup that was certainly original: the detective is charged to solve a murder by observing it from the perspective of many different characters during the same day, which is repeated over and over. It’s obvious here that there’s an amazing amount of planning involved. Similarly, in the Last Murder at the end of the world, the (amateur) detective has to reconstruct an evening where all the memories of all its participants have been erased. Furthermore, she is living in a society where detecting Itself, and even the asking of questions, is really frowned upon. To make matters more difficult, there’s also a hard deadline, because if she fails, in a few days, the world will end.

Several tropes of science fiction are deployed here: first, this is a post apocalyptic society; second, it’s a seemingly idyllic village where ugly secrets are just below the surface ; and third, there is an AI who can read everyone’s mind. But Stuart Turton is not really interested in them, and in fact some game changing answers are given before the middle of the book. Because this is a murder mystery, and he moves his pieces around on the board to suit his investigation. It’s similar to how in The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, the puppet master who lets our character wake up every day in a different body is not really explained. But it bothered me more here, probably because I have read a lot of SF. So there is no sex in this village? How about trade? And these questions are integral to the motivations behind the murders.

The characters are also not very likable, and not very fleshed out. Kind of like in an Agatha Christie mystery, the puzzle is central. But you have to give it this: it is memorable, and it is unlike most other mysteries. I will still be looking forward to wherever Stuart Turton is taking us next.

deadly fog has wiped out our world, killing anyone it touches. The Island is the last place left untouched. Life is close to paradise. 122 villagers and 3 scientists are all that's left and they are keeping the fog at bay. The villagers have jobs to do; farming, fishing, teaching, or whatever the scientists need them for. Until one day their peaceful existence is upended when one of their scientists is brutally murdered. The murder triggered the security system to fail and now the fog is encroaching on their island.
If the murder isn't solved within 92 hours the fog will kill them all.

This was riveting and I couldn't put it down! I love Turton's writing style, and just like the 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle this book has you jumping to conclusions and blindsiding you with the actual outcome! I love that the twists in this one didn't make me roll my eyes like some thrillers. I've seen a few reviews that compare this to the Lost television series(which I never watched😳) but if you enjoyed that this may be for you! Lots of suspense, beautiful writing about terrifying scenarios, and a crazy imaginative world and cast of characters that I won't forget anytime soon. A must read!

Stuart Turton never ceases to be creative. This book is really original, keeps you guessing, full of twists, and a fun read.

It kind of reminds me of WESTWORLD meets LOST, but definitely it's own story. There were times it was harder for me to connect the dots since I was reading it digitally, but once I got all the characters down - I couldn't stop reading. I think if you liked his previous books, you will enjoy this one.

Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi Detective Fiction at its finest!

In all seriousness, this was a really well done mashup of genres. Despite its futuristic setting, it felt like reading a classic mystery novel. The writing kept me engaged, and the plot kept me guessing. The setting was unique enough to make it a memorable story for me.

The only thing I noticed as a possible weakness is the lack of character development. Only a few of the characters are more than basic sketches. Admittedly, this is fairly common in detective novels.

Regarding content: There are several deaths. Descriptions of wounds and a postmortem. However, I didn’t feel it was presented in a gruesome or traumatic way.