⭐️⭐️⭐️

I started this book with a lot of anticipation and excitement. I listened to the audio version of 7.5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and enjoyed the unique story and mystery. Just like that book, I could not multitask much while listening like I do with other audiobooks. It takes me longer to finish Turton’s books because they take more concentration to understand the world he builds within the story. I was enjoying this up until about the 50% mark when it got harder for me to focus on the story. This could very well be due to a busy season of my life. I would try it again in the future and could see this being more enjoyable the second time around.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ARC opportunity.

As with the other books by this author, it's important to just go into the book without knowing too much and just go along for the ride of the story. The author is a master at worldbuilding, I could picture everything in my head as I was reading.

The gist of the story is that there is a group of people living isolated on an island. A mysterious fog has covered the earth that kills everything it touches and the island is the last place where a group of over one hundred villagers live in peace with one another. They are governed by three elders and all of them have Abi, a voice in their heads that can hear their thoughts and communicate with them. When a murder occurs, the technology that holds the fog back has been removed. Their only hope of survival is to find out who is responsible in order to stop the fog again.

That is a very, very simple explanation of a complex, twisty book. There are so many different plot threads and ways the story is told that it definitely requires a bit of concentration to follow all of them. I listened to this book partially as an audiobook, and while the narration is good, the choice to use James Cameron Stewart as the narrator really puzzled me. The book is essentially told to the reader in Abi's first person voice, and Abi is referred to as a female. So having a male to narrate "her" is a strange choice.

Overall, I enjoyed this dystopian murder mystery. While not at all similar plot-wise, it did have the same feel as The Ferryman by Justin Cronin, a mysterious tale set in the future after an apocalyptic event. I really look forward to seeing what Turton comes up with next!

I think I would have liked this one better if I had read it instead of listening to it. I found it very difficult to follow.

The narrator did a great job, and the pace was great, it was just the content and the sheer number of characters that was hard to follow.

The book centers around a group of last remaining humans living on an island.

I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be magical realism or futuristic sci-fi technology. I also struggled to keep up with who the narrator was, and how all the characters were related to one another.

Overall, the story was fairly unique and interesting for the parts I could follow. I didn't hate it, I just personally struggled with the audio.

3.5⭐️ rounded up!

This book was tough for me to rate. There was a lot that I liked about it, and a bit I didn’t like about it, so I landed on 3.5.

I really love dystopian books and so this plot was a good fit for me. I found it intriguing, and I enjoyed the picture the author painted of the future world(even if it was not a good future 😳). There were plot twists that I thought were really clever, and I really loved the end. The last 2 minutes of the audiobook really enhanced the entire story.

However, I did find this book to be a bit difficult to follow. There are A LOT of characters with a lot of different relationships, and it was really difficult to keep everyone straight. I found myself having to piece the story together at times because I just couldn’t follow it all. I was confused for the first two thirds of the book because I could not figure out who the narrator was. There were certain aspects of this new world that I wish had been elaborated on a bit more, and some of the pacing was slow. The last quarter of the book felt like hot potato, and every single character felt like a suspect in this whodunnit.

The narrator did a good job, but I wish a female narrator had been chosen. It didn’t really make sense to me that a man was chosen to narrate this book!

Overall, this book was intriguing and entertaining. This was a highly anticipated release for me and I was a bit disappointed in the execution of this story, but I still enjoyed it, for the most part.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the gifted copy of this audiobook!

Agatha Christie takes on the apocalypse in this stark and moving tale of betrayal, love and hope!

Everything you could want in a murder mystery with added sci-fi elements, plus the future of the world at stake - it’s a twisty logic puzzle with complex characters and intrigue. I think you’ll love the simmering discontent, the high stakes and the big heart beating through it all.

I was only disappointed in the narration that, while not done badly, didn’t seem appropriate - a male voice used when all the main characters present as female. Missed the mark there.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Tantor audio for my copies. These opinions are my own.

A dystopian, apocalyptic, science fiction book with a murder mystery? Immediately hooked! In this dystopian future, all of the world has been consumed by a fog that kills anything it touches except for an island sanctuary made up of villagers and 3 scientists. The villagers live peacefully and happily doing what they must to survive and thrive on the island listening to the scientists and to Abi, the artificial intelligence that "lives" in all the villager's heads. While there is still work to be done, sickness, and death, their island is a sort of utopia for all the villagers except for Emory, who isn't as content and satisfied as everyone else and seems to be the only villager who questions their world and the revered scientists. When one of the scientists is found murdered, a kill switch has been triggered that will stop their technology from keeping the deadly fog out. Abi notifies the remaining scientists that they have 92 hours to find the murderer and bring them to justice or else the world will end. Unfortunately, everyone's memories of the night have been wiped. Emory's questioning nature is what the scientists decide they need to uncover the mystery and to find the murderer.

I was a little confused at first listening to this audiobook because it is told in Abi's voice (which the description doesn't explain what Abi is) and until I was able to figure out that Abi was "all-knowing", I thought I was changing POV's very quickly- but once, I understood the premise and the rules of this world, I was quickly hooked. There were still some aspects of the story that left me with questions and I didn't feel were fully explained, so that's the only reason I knocked off a star. I wanted to fully understand the rules. I think this would make a great movie because I believe some of this story really could be aided with some visual support. There were things that were explained that I couldn't "see" which might be why they confused me. But again like I said in the first sentence, this is a dystopian science fiction murder mystery so it really hit all the check marks for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I was provided both an ebook and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I mainly listened to the audiobook version, however it was extremely helpful to have the ebook handy while reading this book as there are a lot of characters to keep track of as this story unfolds. I found myself referring to the print version often to keep track of relationships. The narrator was good for the most part, however he did a very high pitched voice for one of the female characters. It was almost whiny, which I didn't enjoy, the other characters were fine.

As for the plot, I found the first half of the book to be very engaging. We get the first major plot twist around the halfway point, then the remainder of the book seemed to drag after that major reveal. The plot is fairly convoluted as one of the main characters is found murdered, and an investigation ensues to find out what really happened. The investigation takes a round about approach to get to the bottom of what is going on, mainly because the inhabitants of the island can't remember what happened the night before. With only hours left to save everyone on the island before a deadly fog covers the island, Emory and Clara must solve the murder and uncover the secrets of the island itself.

This is a really hard book to review without giving spoilers. The twist in the middle of the book was great, then it went down hill for me from there. The murder investigation itself, was more procedural than suspenseful. If you have read Turton's previous books you will get that same high concept storytelling that takes a complex path to get to the end. The author often wants the reader to stay in the dark until the very end to prevent the reveal of whodunit, however I often found myself losing interest as I wasn't connected to the characters or the world. The concept of this dystopian, science fiction society was really interesting. As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the first half, but the author lost me in the second half as the investigation lacked action and thrilling moments to keep me engaged.

Thank you so much to Tantor Audio for the audiobook!

I really tried to get into this one but the narrator making all the different character's voices was such a huge distraction from the story. While the narrator's real voice was incredible and easy to listen to, the other voices sounded like animals or children and not adults and really pulled away from the story.

I will continue to read the book in print!

This book lived up to all my expectations. Immersive, twisty, emotional, intellectual, layered secrets, thought-provoking, eerie, & fully developed characters. A brilliant and flawless masterpiece.

A post-apocalyptic, dystopian world. A deadly fog has spread, & humanity has dwindled down to 125 people on a remote island sanctuary with strongholds in place to keep the fog at bay. The small society consists of 3 elders from before civilization's end, and 122 villagers from during and after it's end. Those born after do as the elders say without question. Afterall, the experiments being performed will save humanity. A few specifics-the villagers must apply to be parents, everyone has their place, & everyone born after the elders dies on their 60th birthday.

Alas, one of the beloved elders is murdered. Survival depends on solving the murder in 92 hours. No-one can remember the events of the murder, and anyone can be a suspect. Hence, a killer runs rampant. The one who is tasked to solve the murder is the least-liked and least helpful village member (according to the majority).

The main character is wildly clever & tenacious. The narrator, Abby (ABI?), is an omniscient & comforting, ever-present voice inside each villagers’ head. Her purpose is to protect humanity at all costs. Part murder mystery, part scurry for survival story. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, I was presented with new information that changed my mind. And oh, what a perfect & satisfying ending.

Pertaining to the audio recording: There were a few times when I chuckled to myself because the narrators’ voice made me think of Mrs. Doubtfire, specifically when they called out “Hewie!”. But regardless, the narrator did an outstanding job of giving life to all characters. Narration was lively, with great flow & pacing. As audiobooks go, this was a pleasure to listen to & I highly recommend.
Thank you @recordedbooks for providing this book via @netgalley for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

#thelastmurderattheendoftheworld #stuartthurton #netgalley #bookstagram #whodunnit #mysterybooks #contemporaryfantasy #bookcomingsoon #audiobooklover

Thank you NetGalley,

I enjoyed the book but I wasn’t wowed by it. This is my first book from this author. Since I was listen to the audiobook I had a hard time following along with all the characters. There were some interesting characters but no one that stuck out to me. I also wasn’t impressed with the ending.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is my first book by this author, and I honestly found it a bit confusing on audio. I think it might have been better in written form because I had to listen to the first chapters about 3 times before I slightly understood what was going on. I also struggled to understand what some of the names were because of the narrator’s British accent (and that’s mostly on me I think). But this is a book that you have to listen and pay close attention to for the first 50% or so. I prefer to listen to audiobooks and do activities that I don’t need to think about so that I can pay attention, but this book required me to not do anything else.

I think the story overall is interesting, but because I struggled to understand it for a huge chunk of the story it was hard to be interested. This also caused me to not feel attached to any of the characters. It’s also more sci-fi than I imagined and I thought this would be *mostly* thriller.

I don’t think I can recommend this based on my struggles, but if somebody is interested I would recommend the physical/ebook version.

This book was definitely not made for me. I am not a huge futurific, science fiction, reader. I struggled to connect with the book and found it to be boring at times. All that said, if you are a big fan of futuristic books, definitely pick this up! The details of this book were incredible. The creativity was honestly hard to imagine at times. It was complex, it was out of the box, it was different. However, if future scenarios, especially those that have to do with science and technology are not your thing, you may want to skip this one. If you love the creativity involved in how the world will look, this is absolutely a book for you!

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I am all about dystopian reads. Love them! This one however, did not work for me. At 47% in I'm throwing in the towel. I feel like the story is all over the place and hard to connect with. Also, not a fan of the audiobook narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC in Exchange ge for my honest opinion.

I was super excited to read The Last Murder at the End of the World. The description of this book sounded so interesting and thought-proving. However, for me it did not live up to the hype. I felt like Turton did not use the idea of the plot to its fullest, and the way he wrote made the story complicated. It seemed congested with words instead of letting the plot explain itself. I also think the narrator was a little boring.

The Last Murder At the End of the World
By Stuart Turton
4⭐️/5⭐️
Release date: May 21, 2024

In The Last Murder at the End of the World, we are taken to an post-apocalyptic world where deadly fog has taken over the Earth and the last safe zone is an island with 122 villagers and 3 Elders. The island has been a peaceful place that many generations have called home until one day one of the elders is murdered and the villagers realize their memories of the last 12 hours have been wiped. Now the fog is slowly moving closer and they have 92 hours to figure out who the murder is or else the fog threatens to overtake their island home.

The Last Murder at the End of the World was a really captivating read. He created this island world that feels like you’re actually there living and working with the villagers. You’re introduced to a fair amount of characters and listening to the audiobook, at times I tended to mix up two of them but that small bit aside the characters were very well written and very flushed out. Emery, our main character is tasked with solving the murder which will stop the fog from taking over the island. They also have an AI system named Abi who can hear everyone’s thoughts and actions. Abi is basically narrating the story and speaks in first person, which was a little confusing at first. The pacing of the book was very nice, using the amount of hours left until the fog overtakes the island as a driving force moving the story forward. Overall I really enjoyed the audio version of this book and will definitely be checking out more books by Turton.

Thank you to Netgally, Stuart Turton and Tantor Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I KNEW BETTER than to try this on audio but I did it anyway and I have major regrets.

I have the most difficult time following the majority of male narrators and I also get lost in the plot line of a lot of make believe worlds on audio. I so wish I had requested the E Book but here we are. I do think this would be really fun to physically read. Trying to solve a murder that saves the world sounds like a good time, yeah?! So my review is this: skip the audio and take the longer route to read and enjoy ☺️

4.5 / 5 stars

A fog has enveloped the entire world, except for one lonely island and its 125 inhabitants. And then the unthinkable happens: For the first time in the 90 years their society has been surviving together, one inhabitant has murdered another. Now the survivors must solve the mystery if they want to prevent the fog from swallowing their refuge.

When I told my husband that I was reading a dystopian novel with a weird society full of secrets that was now conducting a murder investigation, he said that the book sounded perfect for me. I can't argue! I am a total sucker for dystopias and I love a Golden Age detective novel.

I thought that the story worked fairly well. I got a little lost in the deductions and reasoning at points, but by the time I got through the epilogue, I felt that the story had been a satisfying one.

But! The novel hinges on my current pet peeve: Plot-convenient amnesia. I'm really sick of this trope and wish the author had found another way to present the story.

One final critique: The narrator of the audiobook has a beautiful baritone and his reading was always clear and easy to follow. He did excellent accent work to help differentiate the speakers. However. His female falsetto was not a strong point, and this book required quite a bit of female voices. I'm actually surprised they didn't opt for a female narrator.

My pet peeves aside, I definitely recommend this if you are a mystery lover or sci-fi reader looking for something that breaks the mold!

Review to be published to Goodreads and Instagram (@goodquietkitty) on May 21, 2024.

Ok so….I think my rating might be misleading.
I am giving this book an entire star just because it is such a different concept. I really appreciate authors who test boundaries and go for abstract plots. This book was unlike anything I’ve read, which is exactly what I said about 7 1/2 deaths. So Turton just has a way with the obscure, apparently.
I struggled with this book more then I want to admit. I can’t decide if it was the narrator or if the lulls in the story were just too deep for me to wake back up into the action. The end of the book kind of lost me as well. I feel like there was dizzying explanation that just lost me after a bit. But I did like the ending overall.
To summarize, I would recommend this. I would be prepared for something you really need to pay attention to when you read. Turton really makes you focus. His books are not mindless page turners. I think it’s worth it.
Thank you netgalley for the AAC!

I've been enjoying more murder mysteries lately and this was no exception. While everyone else on the last island in the world is content and accepting of life as it is, Emory thinks outside the box and her questions are often frowned upon. However, when the leader of the scientists and islanders is found dead, and the island barrier begins to go down, it's up to Emory to solve the case and her people. I felt the story did drag a little towards the end and the resolution could've come sooner. Overall it was a nice murder mystery with a little doomsday backdrop.

The Last Murder at the End of the World is a difficult book to review for me. I was provided an advanced copy of the audio version, which is how I "read" it. And I believe that it is one of those instances where I would have enjoyed the book more had I read it with my eyeballs instead. To be clear, the narrator is clearly a good actor. He just was not the right actor for this book in my opinion. Most of the characters were female, yet the narrator was a male with a rich, deep voice. Most all his female voices were done in a highly affected falsetto that made each one seem like an old lady and was jarring in its pitch.

The STORY of the book is what I am primarily basing my review on. It was a sort of dystopian mystery set in a fictional world in the future where the world has basically ended and only a few humans remain on an island. As the story unfolds, we learn about two separate classes of these people and how they view each other. A character important to everyone in both classes is killed in an apparent accident which sets off a series of events that will ultimately lead to a fog that will destroy all remaining human life. Several characters undertake an investigation into the death as they believe if they can solve the mystery around the death, they can stop the end of the world. Drama ensues.

It was a fun, sometimes even whimsical, story and a compelling mystery. It would also make a great movie.