I read 7 1/2 Deaths a long time ago now and I loved it! I was excited to pick up another book by Turton. It was good! I liked the dytopian, mystery feel of this book. Abi confused me a bit in the beginning but I quickly got used to it and enjoyed it.

On the island it is lovely and idyllic. The villagers are living in harmony with 3 scientists who are in charge. Outside the island, the world has been destroyed by a deadly fog. As long as no one leaves the safety and security of the island (and the scientists' rule), everything will be fine. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.
But one of the scientists is murdered and this triggers a lowering of the security system that keeps the fog from engulfing the island. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this e-arc.*

This is definitely a unique book, and if you've read books by Stuart Turton in the past that's probably not a surprise. This is also a multi-genre story- mystery, sci-fi, hints of cli-fi? It is a unique one with a few different perspectives thrown in along the way, and because of the way the story is structured I didn't find this one predictable at all. There is just enough explained in this book, but it doesn't waste time with any unnecessary world building or information. It's super readable, even if at times I felt like I wasn't exactly *getting* it.

I only realized what was going on (at least part of it) at the 40 percent mark- when there's a big reveal so no spoilers from me because other readers deserve that same aha moment. The world has ended in a black fog everywhere but the island and now even that is threatened when Niema dies. Emory, who questions everything, investigates- did Thea do it? Did Niema's son? What about Adil, who had been exiled for attacking her once before? And who is Abi? Emory's daughter Clara helps her on her quest for answers and they press on even after certain truths are revealed. The world building is interesting, as it's layered into the story and the twists are relevant. I found myself caught up in this and rooting for Emory. This one is so hard to review to keep the secrets and it's not going to be for everyone (I wouldn't have read it had I known some of them) but Turton made me care and that's what makes this interesting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

I’ve been a fan of Stuart Turton ever since I read 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, one of my absolute favorite books of all time! ❤️ And let me tell you, he did not disappoint this time around! 🙌

This is a post-apocalyptic murder mystery that keeps you guessing up until the end!! 🔍 The world building was excellent and I absolutely loved the Emory character! 🕵️‍♀️ This book definitely had me thinking about humanity and just how inhumane we can be! 💔

Definite proof of why Turton is a must-buy author for me!! This book right here! 🙌

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Stuart Turton for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I loved this mystery with the added sci-fi. This is a much different book than Evelyn Hardcastle, so if you have expectations that this one will be similar, it's not. There were moments in this book that I genuinely felt anxious and completely consumed by the story. This book proves just how vast Stuart Turton's talent is.

What a book! Stuart Turton really knows how to craft unique and interesting stories, and this might be my favorite of his so far. This will be an easy book to recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Murder at the End of the World suffered from misplaced expectations for me. I was expecting a dystopian murder mystery, but instead this book is more sci fi with murder mystery elements. This was my first Turton novel, so if I'd read some of his other work first, I may have had different expectations. I didn't dislike the book, but I also didn't love it.

I really liked the world that Turton wrote. It built on some common sci-fi themes and ideas, while still being different from other books I have read. I never knew quite what reveals would lie ahead. The pacing was also great. There was also something happening to keep me engaged, while still allowing for slower moments between characters. This is a balance that can be hard to strike and that I always appreciate.

Where I had some problems was with the narration style and characters. The story is told through the point of view of Abi, an AI who can control most of the equipment on the island and has access to the minds of everyone who lives there. This choice made me feel detached from the characters and events, as Abi is pretty emotionless. I also would forget it wasn't just an unnamed omniscient narrator, which made it jarring anytime Abi switched from narrating the events to first person narration.

3/5 stars

Recommend if you like:
-Unique sci-fi worlds
-Thematic sci-fi
-Genre mashups

This was an interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. There is a lot going on in this book to keep you guessing at what is really going on. It’s 90 years after some mysterious apocalypse, 122 people and 3 scientists trying to save what’s left of humanity. A closed room mystery on an island 90 years after the end of the world. It’s a fun book and some things you might figure out on your own and others you probably won’t. The story moves along quickly and nothing is as it seems.

Release May 21.

I at first took "At the End of the World" to be linear and chronological, as in "it's the end of the world as we know it [and I'm feeling fine]," so to discover it's a geographical reference is a little unsettling. However, it also is a chronological reference, as the 122 citizens plus 3 Scientists co-existing on an isolated rocky island, formerly [long, long ago] a naval base, are the entire remaining human population. The remainder were destroyed by a very mysterious nearly-world-encompassing Black Fog. Around the island the fog is kept at bay by sensor devices. One night, one of the Scientists is murdered, and the memories of all have been eradicated. So, the innocent can't know the identity of the killer; but neither can the killer.

Intriguing are the pervasive and fatal nature of the fog, and the intelligence which telepathically communes with all these remaining humans: Abi.

Such a good story! Like so, so good.
Fair warning. this novel spins wildly away from what I was expecting and it does have a very weird and sci-fi-esc vibe. If you can strap yourself in for a a semi-wild ride, then this one is for you.
The characters, especially Emory, are so well-written and I found myself unable to put this book down in a quest to make sure she, and the others, are "okay".
And don't even get me started on the ending (sans spoilers, I promise). I was so unsure of how it would end throughout the whole book, but I loved the conclusion when I finally got there!
I will say, while it was clearly written to be "futuristic" there were some parts that seems really unrealistic. A whole chapter towards the end had me thinking, "yeah, that doesn't seem realistic" - but, the plot has to advance that way for the ending to be a rock solid as it was.
Absolutely worth the read, and may even be better then his last story!

A new work of apocalyptic fiction from Stuart Turton. Ninety years ago, huge sinkholes began appearing in cities around the world and from those holes, a black fog emerges, filled with glowing insects that destroy everything they touch

Niema, the Nobel-Prize-winning chief scientist and owner of Blackheath Institute situated on a small Greek island, puts out a call for all survivors to join her on the island where a barrier she has created should keep the fog back. Humanity's last hope. Only a few hundred people manage to make it there.

Now, 90 years later, only three elders remain and they rule over a community of 122 villagers whose their lives are controlled by an artificial intelligence they know as Abi. 'Survival in the morning, service in the afternoon, and celebration in the evening is their routine.'

Now a murder has been committed, the first in 90 years, and because of that, the protective barrier is down and will remain down until the killer is found and executed. Emory, one of the villagers, has always been the curious one, the one to question everything, and so she takes it upon herself to investigate this crime and hopefully save the villagers.

Very inventive story. It's told by Abi who listens in on everyone's thoughts and does her best to guide what happens. But even she is controlled by Niema's rules. After the murder occurs, she is told to erase everyone's memories of what happened that night. So it's doubly hard for Emory to piece together the events from scattered clues and find the guilty party, hopefully before it's too late.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this exciting new novel. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

The hallmarks of a Stuart Turton novel include complex mysteries, heartfelt homages to the classic murder mystery detective, and sinister commentary on modern life.

The Last Murder… boasts all of these, but also is less confusing than his previous two books. The twists and turns are there and even with an extensive cast, I kept track of everything throughout.

This means I also had a good inkling of the ending, but I don’t mind that when the story is as rich and well-told as this.

Ambitious dystopian fiction with a complex mystery plot keeps the reader hooked.

At some point in the future, there's an island at the end of the world. Surrounding the land inhabited by 122 villagers and 3 scientists is a thick fog containing insects that destroyed everything within its path and the entire rest of the planet. Daily life on the island is simple and peaceful as the villagers work and sleep, performing any tasks delegated to them by the scientists whose leader is Neima. Every night they go to sleep promptly at curfew and exist only to provide service and self-sacrifice for their community.

Suddenly things fall apart when one of the scientists is found dead and their murder has caused the barrier holding back the fog to fail. Now on a tight deadline to solve the murder and prevent the fog from killing them all, a brave villager, Emory, who has always questioned everything about life on the island, is delegated to solve the mystery and prevent extinction of the inhabitants. The investigation is hampered by the fact that the security failsafe on the island has done a memory wipe and no one there can remember what they were doing the night before.

Even as the clock ticks and everyone seems to be running amok all over the island trying to figure out who did what to whom, the reader knows that somehow this is all going to be OK because otherwise this would be a really terrible story. The protagonist, Emory, is as courageous as expected and exhibits all the necessary smarts and talent to figure things out of course. So, in essence, this is a common enough plot with archetypes except that Emory and the villagers are different in a fundamental way to most heroes.

The reason this novel resonated with me is that it was quite a puzzle full of interesting twists and turns that kept me guessing. The island was full of technology that made the place and the events unique. The writing was excellent even though the big picture was quite complicated, and I had to reread some of it just to make sure I was following. The setting and the description of the island layout and buildings, etc. also made for a great backdrop to the story line. I kept thinking this would make a great movie.

I listened to the audiobook while also reading along with the e-book ARC provided by the publishers. I did not care for the narrator -- mostly because it was a male voice, and the main characters were primarily female and so it seemed totally out of place for the story. Plus, all the voices of the women sounded the same and done badly. I would think it wouldn't be that hard to get both a male and female narrator for an audio version of a book that would enhance the listening experience. I'm sort of new to the audiobook but I am finding more and more that the lack of dual (or more) voices creates an irritant. I finally put the audio aside and finished without it.

I wasn't sure if I would like this or not, but I totally did. I am looking forward to hearing what others think of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the digital advance reader's copy.

Turton manages to write the most unique mysteries with the most unique settings. I've enjoyed all three of his books.

In this one, humanity has been decimated by a deadly fog that has invaded the entire world.

There's only one small bastion left on an island that used to be a scientific research facility, where they were able to create a shield that held the fog at bay.

There are less than two hundred inhabitants left, but they are surviving, and, in some ways, thriving.

However, when one of the elders is found murdered, the secrets being held on that island may destroy humanity forever.

As those on the island uncover the secrets, so does the reader. Some of them you may figure out before the characters do, but many of them will change your whole perspective on the characters and the purpose of the island.

This is not only a good mystery, but a thoughtful look at artificial intelligence and what it means to be human. What makes a life worthwhile?

Definitely two thumbs up, and I'm looking forward to whatever Turton writes next.

*violence, although mostly off-page

This was such a unique book. I loved the premise of it, one island left in civilization with a few scientists and a bunch of villagers. One of the “elders” is killed, and the murder must be solved or they all die. I kept getting a bit confused keeping the characters straight early on in it, but overall really enjoyed.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I was really excited to get my hands on an ARC of this book as I really enjoyed The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and this one did not disappoint! Stuart Turton’s mind works in the most fascinating of ways. He writes mysteries in such a thoughtful, twisty, and intelligent way that you simply cannot guess how they conclude, and this novel is no different.

Set on an island where a group of people have managed to escape the fog that wiped out the rest of humanity, a murder takes place and the entire group’s lives depend on solving the mystery of whodunit. While this novel is largely thriller/mystery, there is a sci-fi component which added an interesting and unique twist to the story.

Secrets are revealed as you go, almost like peeling back the layers of an onion. It allows you to get to know the characters little by little and builds interest and investment in the story the whole way through. I think what elevated this novel even higher for me were the moments of reflection on humanity and the obvious parallels to our world today. It added depth to the characters and the story as a whole. A book that makes me stop and think about life is always just a step above the rest for me.

I’m not going to say much more as this is a journey you just have to experience for yourself, but I highly recommend you do.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future where a fog has covered the planet and nearly wiped out humanity, an isolated island persists ninety years after the fog arrived, occupied by a small village community who don't know the end of the world is about to reach them. Stuart Turton takes this concept and marries it with a murder investigation racing against the clock. As The Last Murder at the End of the World unravels, it becomes far more sci-fi than I'd expected, which makes for an interesting genre pairing and examination of scientific ethics and philosophies of humanity and life. To say any more would get too far into spoilers, but I found this mystery really interesting and fast-paced, though it took me a bit to adjust to the the AI and other elements revealed. I don't think the writing style itself was as strong as Turton's past books, but it still kept me captivated and was a fast read. This is definitely a unique mystery and I'm impressed with how Turton pulled the plot and ideas together.

This book, a sci-fi whodunit, is quite a good one.
Like a good pot boiler, there are lots of plot twists and the subtle sprinkling of clues. And, like other good science fiction, this novel explores the meaning of humanity in the face of dramatic technological advances.

The novel is set in a near future where most of humankind has been wiped out by a mysterious fog that has left untouched only a small island and the surviving remnants of humanity. Its central figure in the novel is an underestimated woman whose questioning mind has been an obstacle to finding her role in the island society. But it is that same questioning mind that thrusts her into the role of her life: the society's chief detective. What she uncovers along the way and what she learns about herself, and others makes for a great reading experience.

This review will be posted on May 21, 2024 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

I liked this, but not entirely because I'm not 100% the target audience for this dystopian, sci-fi, murder mystery. If you are, you'll probably have a more enjoyable experience. What slowed down my reading were the sheer number of questions (both logistical and about the dystopian future). Not quite understanding some of those elements just got in my way. #TheLastMurderAtTheEndOfTheWorld Rating: somewhere between 😐 / meh, it was ok AND 🙂 / liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on May 21, 2024. Thank you @bookmarked for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.