I was sad to say that this was my very first Stuart Turton book, but I have heard of his others, especially The 71/2 Dealths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I was super intrigued by this cover and this description (and I was somehow auto-approved on Netgalley), so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I don't think this book was for me. I think most readers can tell when a book is bad, and when a book is just simply not for them. I think The Last Murder at the End of the World falls into the latter category for me. A little over a quarter into the book I started to feel as if I missed something, so I went back and searched for any sign of new information I might've accidentally skipped over, or a page I accidentally skipped, since I was reading on my Kindle. I just couldn't find anything, and every so often, I'd get this same feeling again. But, I do think it's safe to say that this book will be popular simply because it has so many twists and so many jaw-dopped moments, I didn't even need to fully understand the story to understand how many twists there were. I'm very disappointed in my opinion of this book because now, I don't have the motivation to read his other popular works.

A huge thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for an E-ARC of this title. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton will be published on May 21, 2024. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved The 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle so I was pretty excited for this book.

Unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It starts off fairly slow while describing the village and its inhabitants. It takes a while to reveal *why* they’re on the village and once you get over that hurdle the book flows easier.

Unfortunately the entire thing was more abstract then I’m accustomed to and I spent much of the book confused. This was compounded by the fact that they’re actively piecing together memories so it just felt like a lot to keep track of. I loved Emory and Clara’ characters but still felt confused by the elders in general.

Overall, I’m happy to read Turton in the future, but this book is wasn’t my favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is an unknown time in the future. Ninety-eight years ago fog covered the entire Earth except one small island where all of humanity is preserved. Niema was part of a group of scientists who built a barrier to protect the island, and now she, Thea and Niema’s son Hephaestus are the island’s elders, guiding the lives of the 122 residents. When a person dies, at age 60, he or she is replaced with a child. However something has gone wrong and the island will be consumed by the fog in 96 hours.

Emery, a resident who is searching for her place among her people questions the strict rules and also has questions for the elders. Then there is a cataclysmic event which changes everything. What happened? And what does it mean for their survival?

This wasn’t my usual type of book but I still enjoyed it. Lots of big questions still remain at the end but I was OK with that. Well drawn characters who generally act in believable ways and I liked the world view: “there are no prayers here, no thoughts of an afterlife. The reward for a good life is the living of it.” Well done and recommended.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
The Last Murder at the End of the World is a murder mystery in a post-apocalyptic world. A deadly fog has killed the majority of the planet except a small island with a few scientists and over 100 villagers. When someone is murdered in their peaceful commune, it kickstarts the end of humanity. With the fog slowly inching toward the island, villager Emory has 91 hours to solve the murder and prevent everyone from dying. Throughout their lives, the villagers have always been complacent and obedient. Emory has always felt different from the others- she possesses a curiosity that is frowned upon. She questions the elders who have absolute authority and always wants to know more. But when the murder takes place, there is no one better to take on the role of detective. Emory has an eye for details and the ability to catch lies, but the elders have secrets. Ones they don’t want anyone to find out about. With the help of her daughter Clara and father Seth, Emory sets out to save humanity. I enjoyed how fleshed out the characters are. Throughout the story we get to see how flawed and multifaceted the ‘perfect’ elders are. Their backstories were also super interesting to read about. Emory is an admirable protagonist, you can’t help but root for her. I enjoyed Clara and Seth’s character development, especially seeing them go from being embarrassed by Emory’s nature to working by her side. Clara really became so much more like her mother. The drawback of this book for me is mainly that it was hard for me to follow at times. From the beginning I was confused by the narration. It took me a bit to realize the narrator is Abi, who is in the characters’ minds. I also found it hard to follow all the revelations being made, I felt like my brain was all over the place. I rated this story 3.5 stars but rounded up since this could just be me. All in all it was a very creative storyline that really showcases the imperfection of humanity and the dangers of power and control. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advance reader copy.

I’ve heard of Stuart Turton a lot; his books are popular enough to always be checked out at the library. So when this one, his latest, showed up on Netgalley, I grabbed it. And read it and read it and read it some more. It took days to get through, and I really did try to like it, but in the end, it just wasn’t fork me.
I’d like to think I’m aware enough and objective enough of a reader/reviewer to be able to tell when the book is a dud or when it just isn’t my thing. This one seems to be firmly in the latter category.
Reader/book chemistry is a very real thing, and the nicely titled The Last Murder at The End of the World and I just didn’t have much chemistry.
Intellectually, I appreciated it. The story is smart and original, something that’s difficult to find in modern clichéd mystery thrillers. The fan of dystopian fiction in me was delighted by the setting. The fan of character-driven sci-fin in me appreciated the meditation on life and intelligence, organic and artificial, and the value of it—a theme tightly interwoven throughout the narrative. As a reader and a writer, I appreciated the language.
But then there were the unignorable facts that I didn’t much care for any of the characters and found the plot, especially the murder mystery itself, to be excessively, exhaustively convoluted. That made the novel drag for me and it the end, outweighed the pluses. I’m uprating it some for the cleverness. User mileage may (and I’m sure, will) vary. Thanks Netgalley.

Thought provoking, for the most part, despite the annoyingly convenient ending. A bit trudgy in certain parts.

I'm still in awe of the amazingly detailed plotting and immersive world building. This story also flipped the post-apocalyptic genre for me since the rest of the world didn't matter - I only cared about these villagers.

As they try to solve the mystery of the murder, layer by layer of clues and puzzle pieces are uncovered. It was thrilling and compelling with a heart-pounding ending.

Stuart Turton is one of my favorite authors. I was thrilled to read his newest book. All of his books are mysteries, but they are each fresh and new— different from each other and different from other books available in the genre. This time, people who have survived the end of the world and managed to create a new kind of community face a new existential threat. When an important person is murdered, an outsider named Emory must face the suspicion of her family and her neighbors as she races to work out what happened in time to prevent the imminent destruction of everything she has ever known. The technology and community in this story feel original and exciting. There is enough detail about what happened in the before times to make the present feel rich without getting bogged down in flashbacks or exhaustive exposition. Turton is one of the most creative voices working in mystery today.

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the ARC to review!

A murder mystery where the fate of humanity rests upon solving it?? Sign me up!

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton (the genius behind the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) is a whodunnit wrapped in a sci-fi robe that sucks you in and keeps you hooked!

The world has ended due to being overcome by a fog that kills everything it touches, and the last hope for humanity is a small Greek island with sophisticated barriers keeping the fog away. A group of 100 villagers or so with 3 scientists from before the End of the World live, love and thrive here, with the end of the world always on the horizon. But not everything is as idyllic as it seems. Despite there being no violence of any kind since the island's establishment over 90 years ago, one of their beloved scientists has been murdered, triggering the barriers to fail. The worst part is that no one, including the murderer, remembers anything of that night. Now they have 91 hours to figure out who did it and serve justice, or the entire island, and humanity's last hope, will be over run by the deadly fog! What secrets and grudges will they uncover?Will they figure it out in time to save us from extinction? How do you get a confession from someone who doesn't know they're a murderer? I'll leave that, dear reader, for you to find out!

Wow! What a wild ride this book turned out to be! The premise is so unique and is delivered in spades in this book. The writing is so smart, but I feel like I'm spoiling it if I elaborate; but it definitely had me laugh out loud a few times! The characters are fully fleshed out and I really cared about each one of them and their interpersonal relationships and struggles. I also love how things book kept me guessing to the end! I also loved the the fact that parts of the book are a countdown of sorts, adding to the tension and gravity of the story as well as the little sci-fi touches that really brings the story together!

The only negative that I can see is that I found a few spelling/grammar errors, but honestly that's minor. Since reading this book, it's become my favorite read of 2023!

If you're looking for a whodunnit with a unique backdrop, fully fleshed characters, and a great plot with a touch of sci-fi whimsy, then The Last Murder at the End of the World is perfect for you!

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoy this author’s work. This was a great mystery story. Like The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, this book required a lot of concentration and was pretty complex. This book was not just about a murder mystery. The story also takes place in a futuristic dystopian society. There are science fiction aspects in this story, which I thought were interesting and novel. I can’t wait to read another book by this author.

WOW. If you loved the 71/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, you are going to love this too! Stuart Turton returns to the world of high concept sci-fi mysteries to great success. Like with Hardcastle, I think this story is probably best read with no idea of what it's about - the twists will be that much more surprising! Overall though, loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the worldbuilding, love love love. 5 stars. If you like science fiction, mystery or both this is a must read.

An island community at the end of the world battles a ticking clock. Add in a murder mystery to this dystopian sci-fi and you'll get a typical Stuart Turton book, one that's like no other author can pull off.

Wow. This might be even better than The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle! In this wholly original tale, narrated by an AI with an unknown agenda, a murder takes place in the last remaining group of humanity. What follows is a twisty, turny, sci-fi murder mystery. I absolutely loved this story! Emory is such a strong character. She refuses to blindly accept everything that happens without question, and she uses that tenacity to try and solve the murder and save humanity before it's too late.

The Last Murder at the End of the World is hard to put down, and the short chapters make it easy to keep reading. The unique plot, likable characters, shocking twists and brilliant solution all make for an excellent novel that I thoroughly enjoyed! Highly recommended and I already can't wait to read the next Stuart Turton novel! Oh, I also enjoyed the references to The Devil and the Dark Water. That was a fun little Easter egg.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

This is my first time reading anything by Stuart Turton, and this was an enjoyable, engaging read. It's not a genre I normally gravitate toward, but I quickly got sucked in and finished it within 2 days. It can best be described as a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi murder mystery set in the near-future. And oh yeah, the main narrator throughout is an AI who's intentions and allegiances are not entirely clear.

The setting is unique and intriguing - most of the earth and every living creature on it have been wiped out by a mysterious fog full of carnivorous insects that tear apart anything in its path. Of course humans being humans, the knowledge of this coming calamity is enough to cause civilizations collapse into violence before the plague's arrival. Salvation is available - but at a price. The survivors subsist on a primitive island led by 3 scientists/researchers known deferential as "The Elders" who have rigged a shield to protect the island from the fog. Every inhabitant on the island is born connected to the AI and live in a society founded on the principles of kindness and service for the greater good of the village. Strange things are afoot, but the idyllic days make the mysterious nights easy to overlook. That is until the lead scientist is found dead and the AI failsafe protecting the island is deactivated. A countdown begins until the fog destroys everything. The AI will only re-activate the protections if the guilty party is identified and dispatched.

This novel is well-paced with short, addictive chapters, making it too easy to want to read just one more. Major plot advancements roll out pretty early on keeping you engaged. I appreciated the strong female characters throughout the story. There's lots of twists and turns as you learn more about the island and its inhabitants. Despite being a pretty quick read, there's enough meat here to easily envision this being adapted into a scripted series and I would 100% want to watch it. Will definitely check out more of this author's work.

If you liked The Hunger Games or The Silo, you'll probably enjoy this.

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I loved The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and found The Devil and the Dark Water to be intriguing, but it didn't capture my attention in the same way that "7 1/2 Deaths" did. When I was granted "The Last Murder" I was the over moon and nothing about it disappointed. In fact, it was more than I could have ever hoped for.
The concept of the book was perfectly plotted by Turton and I felt fully enmeshed in the lives of the villagers and their island. "The Last Murder" brought up so many issues that our current technological world encounters and questions. I found the arrogance of the elders and the belief that they knew best as humans to be so interesting and reflective of our current culture. I thought "The Last Murder at the End of the World" was thought provoking, heart warming at times and perfectly paced and plotted. I predict this one will be a hit at it's release next spring. Highly highly suggest!

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and the story kept me engaged throughout. I would recommend this book to others. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Stuart Turton is an imaginative, ambitious writer. I was delighted to find out that this locked-room mystery took place in a post-apocalyptic science fiction setting. The novel has a bit of an Oryx and Crake feel where you know something strange is going on in the future but it’s not apparent at first. There is also a definite Lost vibe, where bizarre things happen on an island of mystery. Those are all plusses for me! I was very invested up to around 35% of the book, where the pacing became an issue, the story became repetitive and I just lost interest. I did read/skim the rest of the book and the big reveal was quite fun, but otherwise, it was just not a book written for my taste. If the author could tighten the plot, cut back on the repetition and amount of info-dumping, then I think it would have been so much better. This is exactly the same experience I had on his previous book so I guess his writing is not for me, but I do understand that I am in the minority.

I found this to be a highly intriguing and well told story. It's a near-future murder mystery, which is becoming one of my favorite sub-genres. The setting is an island where the last tiny group of humans are surviving an extreme apocalypse, imprisoned there by a cloud of killer insects. The island was home to a genius scientist with the most advanced research company and lab on the planet. The head scientist and two of her assistants are alive, along with a small population of locals. When the head scientist is murdered, all sorts of fascinating secrets come to light. The characters are well developed and nuanced, each of them likable in their own ways, and their conflicts very understandable. It's truly a mystery what happened, right up to the very satisfying ending. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced ecopy of The Last Murder at the End of the World.

Yet again, Stuart Turton delivers a wholly original and fun novel that is much more than a mystery. The Last Murder at the End of the World is a complete mashup of dystopian/sci-fi/murder mystery, and it was a delight. The world as we know it had been taken over 90 years previously by a fog featuring human eating bugs, but a few scientists remained that were able to put up a barrier surrounding an island where they cultivated a village of human-like residents. Then comes a murder, and one of the villagers who has never quite fit in with the crowd is on the job to find the killer. There's so much more to say about this book - the messages about the human race, the hope in the future, and just the sheer complexities of the world Turton created. But instead of saying it, you should just read it. Fun and adventurous - couldn't ask for more.

YAY! I truly can’t believe I got an ARC of this as it’s my most anticipated book for 2024. The 7 1/2 Deaths is one of my favourite all time books so I do have to say I’m enamored with Stuart Turtons writing but I also don’t want to compare this to 7 1/2, There is already so much competition for authours out there that I don’t want to add to it by an authour also having to compete with their own previous works so let’s get down to it shall we??

A post apocalyptic book with Turtons classic twists and turns, secrets, and science fiction influences. I was immediately like A CULT but that’s not quite the situation here. I will never want to spoil a book ahead of time, especially one like this. It’s one of the points in reading Turton, he will weave you through storylines that never lose their grip on you and surprise you at every turn. But a big plus for me, he never loses you. The twists don’t come out of nowhere and they’re not silly like so many thrillers nowadays that pull out their “twist” at the end but it’s just nonsensical. You won’t find that here. It’s very clear to me when a writer plots out their full story ahead of time before they even start writing and that’s prevalent here. He’s prepared. He’s figured out every single aspect and is ready to take you on a wild ride from the get go.

The characters, whether they’re likeable or not, have you rooting for them. You want the truth but is it worth the cost?? Absolutely. I’m already hankering for another story by him. He did it again and I will purchase the book on release day so I can add it to my collection. I know I’ll be reading this again when it comes out in May.