Stuart Turton's "The Last Murder at the End of the World" is a riveting mystery that skillfully melds the genres of science fiction, suspense, and classic whodunit within the backdrop of an apocalyptic world. Set on an isolated island, Turton introduces a compelling cast of characters navigating a complex two-tier society, each harbouring their own motives and secrets.
Following the murder of one of the scientists, the protagonist, Emory (a female Columbo), whose life appears to have been leading to this moment, is tasked with solving the crime before the island is engulfed by a fog that has already killed everyone else on the planet.
Turton interweaves multiple timelines and perspectives, keeping readers in suspense until the final pages. Just when you believe you have deciphered the intricacies of the mystery, Turton introduces another twist that skillfully challenges and reshapes your understanding of the unfolding events.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!

I absolutely loved Turton's debut, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, however his follow up, The Devil and the Dark Water, was not for me and so I was hoping that this latest novel would be as enjoyable for me as his first. But unfortunately I could not get into this. I found it too hard to follow and subsequently felt like I was slugging through it and felt no desire to pick it back up each time I would put it down.

Well ... I'm not quite sure if this book is what I was expecting or not. It's fair to say that it is vastly different from The Devil and the Dark Water but I have to confess to not having read Seven Deaths so I can't comment in relation to that one. Although, saying that, it is not all that different in that Stuart Turton has served up a murder mystery so intriguing, with characters so diverse, and often secretive, that it is hard not to mistrust them all in turn, all in a setting so isolated that it serves as a grand scale ticking clock turned locked room mystery. One is historical, the other set in a very dystopian future, and Arent Hayes of Dark Water fame, and End of the World's hero, Emory, are absolutely chalk and cheese. But what they are faced with is a very finite amount of time in which to solve a very complex puzzle, in Emory's case with her life, and the lives of those she loves, very much on the line.

There is a kind if sci-fi vibe to this very high concept thriller. Emory, her family and her friends, live on the last inhabited island on earth, the rest of the world having been destroyed by a dark fog which carries a mysterious plague which devastated populations and species of all kinds. A small number of people managed to escape to the small Greek island, a former naval base, where scientists had been able to find a way to keep the danger of the fog at bay. Everything in the island seems idyllic, everyone living in perfect harmony. There are conditions, and every Islander must play their part in keeping the community safe and nourished, but they are all too happy to do that for the sake of their friends and family. Almost too good to be true, right?

Abso-fluffing-lutely. And from the very start of the book we get the feeling that something is afoot, that this perfect, if limited, existence is soon going to be under threat. I like the way in which the author slowly introduces all the key players to the reader, allowing them to establish who, if not immediately what, they are. Because, as we learn all too soon, nothing on this island is quite what it seems. Yes - they are kept safe from the fog, but at what cost. There are many secrets being kept, many half truths being told, and many unexplained happenings on a nightly basis which just add to the puzzling nature of this story. It kept me intrigued, wondering why inexplicable occurrences happened and why nobody every asked why. Nobody other than Emory.

I liked Emory. She is the one person on the island, other than the Elders, which a natural, insatiable, curiosity. It makes her almost an outcast amongst the peers, but all the more interesting to me as a reader. She is the island's Jane Marple in a community full of people who are just happy to go with the flow. When one of the Elders is murdered, it is Emory who is tasked with finding out the who and why of it, a task she is naturally suited to. She is tenacious, both brave and scared all at once. She is driven by a thirst for knowledge and a need for understanding, all of which masks a keen personal loss. Of all the characters we meet, she is the only one I felt I truly trusted, although that trust was pushed to the limits at times too.

The mystery, the murder of Elder Niema, adds a real feeling of jeopardy to the novel. It becomes a catalyst for the urgency that follows, that ticking clock situation that starts to drive and increase the pacing of the book. It is critical that Emory solves the murder in order to prevent the entire island being consumed by the flog, but at what cost. Efforts are hampered, the author using an interesting technique to ensure that witness testimony is sketchy, at best, entirely missing in most cases. The potential cost of recall is high, and the consequences quite sobering. But the more we learn, the more evident it is that nothing in this book should be taken at face value. There are questions that arise early in the book that are eventually answered in an eye-opening way, showing how easy it is to make assumptions, and that ignorance can easily distort the truth.

This is not your typical murder mystery, and yet, at its heart, it really is. You have your victim, your amatuer detective, and your finite list of suspects, but with a whole host of motives for murder that, unfortunately, none of them can actually recall. With misdirection rife, and the island itself containing more secrets than answers, it's a book that really drew me in and had me pondering with each new revelation. The second half of the book is definitely faster paced, but that slow build is actually vital to allow you to take it all in. It's maybe a little outside of my usual genre read, but one I really enjoyed and can heartily recommend to enjoy a true high concept thriller.

Absolutely fascinating dystopian world where a deadly fog has engulfed the earth, leaving only one tiny haven of civilisation alive. It’s on this island that our story takes place, following three scientists and the villagers who run the island - the descendants of the survivors of the fog. The three scientists are ageless, and they have worked tirelessly for decades and decades to find a way to destroy the fog. Meanwhile the villagers, who always die on the 60the birthdays, are the cogs that keep the village alive.

Then one scientist is found dead, and suddenly a string of events are taking place. In just 92 hours, the fog will reach the island and kill everyone exposed to it. Our protagonist, the enigmatic Emory, is charged with finding out who the murderer is, and only with that information can they even hope to survive what is coming.

I really enjoyed this novel! I’m so glad I had the chance to read it now, and I absolutely raced through it, intrigued by how everything would come together. I liked that through Emory, we discovered tidbits of information about the island, and shocking secrets are revealed gradually through the plot. I loved learning about this new world, and it was interesting to follow from all the perspectives - that of the three scientists, some from the villagers… it all came together so seamlessly. The plot was tense and the murder mystery was not really the main part of it. The mysteries of the island were so intricate and I definitely enjoyed learning about that more than in solving the murder with Emory. Emory and her family were great characters to follow - she’s charismatic and charming even where the villagers think the opposite!

A definite must-read, especially if you enjoyed Turton’s previous novels! ☺️

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Following the death of almost all the inhabitants of earth a few scientists and some simple villagers remain on an isolated island. They are protected from the deadly fog which has caused the end of civilisation but the death of one of the scientists triggers the release of a dead man’s switch and Emory, a villager, has to solve her murder in order to stop the deadly fog.
Emory has an fascination for the novels of Agatha Christie and the methods of Sherlock Holmes and therefore although this is science fiction it is also a suspense filled murder mystery. It is an interesting blend of the two genres and this works very well.
Emory is an interesting character who is unafraid to challenge the scientists who rule over her island. She alone is prepared to question their acts and to search relentlessly for the truth however difficult that truth may be. Her daughter, Clara, also rises to the challenges placed before her.
Narrating the story is an omnipresent artificial intelligence created by the scientists called Abi and she provides an interesting perspective on the story. It was an extremely interesting story with an unexpected ending and it was very well written indeed. It demonstrates the author’s skill and ability to surprise the reader. The novel is very different from Stuart Turton’s last novels both of which I loved.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars
This book put me into a reading slump. On paper I should’ve loved this, sci-fi, post apocalyptic world, thriller, murder mystery? Tick tick tick! But for some reason it missed the mark for me.
Firstly there were so many characters to keep track off and the different povs made it hard to follow the story.
Also, everytime you think there has been a reveal, another reveal just drops straight afterwards. It got to the point at the end where all the “twists” just kept getting bigger and bigger and I didn’t care? It felt like it was trying to do too much. If the story had been shorter with a character or two less, I think the reveals and twists would’ve been more satisfying.
Overall, I really loved the premise and the setting. But personally, I felt so bogged down by the many moving parts and the constant murderer reveals were too much. Slightly dissatisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury UK for providing me with an eARC of this copy.

Another fun ARC that @netgalley generously let me read before its release in late March. It follows an island of villagers living in a post-event world, where a man-made fog made up of carnivorous insects has killed most of humanity. The villagers are peaceful and community-minded, so who is it that killed one of their elders and allowed the barriers keeping them safe from the fog to be shut down?

Stuart Turton’s books are all so unique but what they all have in common is great story telling and very creative storylines, and this one is no different. This is definitely a murder mystery with a difference as the story is set in a dystopian future where there are a small number of people living on an Island as the rest of the World has been destroyed. As the murder is investigated the truth of the Island is also slowly revealed. I can’t comment any further as I really don’t want to spoil anything for future readers. But this is definitely a very clever story and recommend read.

I loved this one. It's a futuristic crime thriller and I was there on the island with them. There are lots of short chapters and I often had to read one more. And then another one. There are twists aplenty and you never see what's coming. You suspect everyone and you get a satisfying ending.

Now, where are Stuart Turton's other books?

Stuart Turton is an author I am always interested to read, and I note, looking back, that I also gave his previous two novels four stars. I am not quite sure why he is not a five-star author for me, but he is definitely a very original and imaginative writer.

We are in a dystopian world where a deadly fog has covered most of the Earth’s surface, leaving just a small island and half a mile of ocean safe. There are three elders on the island, plus a number of villagers and an AI presence that is in the thoughts of the islanders and can converse with them. Gradually, as the novel progresses, we learn more about how the inhabitants of the island live, housed on what was once a former naval base where scientists lived and worked. There are 122 people, as well as the three elders, who seem to – initially – have a fairly idyllic life. We also learn that the human race may be extinct within 91 hours…

It is hard to review this without giving spoilers, but it is a fascinating look at survival, control and a mixture of sci-fi and mystery which would be absolutely ideal for book groups, as there is so much to discuss and so many questions that this novel throws up. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗
—𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻 | 𝟰🌟

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘜𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯, 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
✨Science fiction mystery thriller
✨Dystopia
✨Exploration of humanity
✨Solve a murder to save the world

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀:
122 villagers and 3 scientists live in harmony. The villagers are content to work for the sake of each others survival whilst being utterly reverential towards the scientists, until the leading scientist is stabbed to death. Now, everybody’s memory has been wiped of the night of the murder, and the barrier which was keeping the flesh eating fog at bay is down. To save the world, Emory must solve the murder.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚.

This isn’t a 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘁, this one has many 𝗱𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘀 to consider, it’s an 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, and it’s a 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀 that gives the novel a new level of complexity to enjoy.

It took a little while to orientate myself to the narrator, called Abi, which seemed to be an omniscient presence that speaks to all the villagers and scientists and acts in the best interest of humanity. It was such an interesting position to take and even with this all-knowing narrator, I couldn’t have guessed the ending.

I think that’s my favourite part about Turton’s books, I become 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗱 and 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 throughout until it all makes 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 at the end.

Overall, this is 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 and an 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 and 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 world that shows the best and the worst of humanity.

𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆

Published 28 March. Having read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle I was expecting another unconventional thriller and I wasn't disappointed. We are in an unspecified time, but I believe that this is some way into the future and is almost post-apocalyptic as a strange fog, one which is inhabited by insects, has covered almost the whole planet and destroyed every living thing that it has come into contact with. There is a feeling that man in some way was responsible for the creation of the fog but this is my feeling. There is only one island that has escaped this fog but it is surrounded by it. Technology seems to be holding it at bay. There are only just over 100 people on the island and three 'elders' and this is where we get into a sci-fi vibe. The three elders are all over 100 years of age and are revered by the villagers. The village itself is peaceful, everyone lives together in harmony. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? There are odd things about life on this island - children are presented to parents by the elders as fully grown 8 year olds. Everyone has a sort of AI conscience in their heads - Abi - who basically runs there lives, talking to them, instructing them, preventing them from doing anything they shouldn't. There is also a curfew - at a certain time every night Abi sort of locks everything down and sends the villagers to sleep. Then there is a murder which has triggered a dead switch and suddenly the fog is creeping forward to destroy the island. Emory, one of the islanders is given the task of finding the murderer and obtain a confession, an act that will stop the fog and she has 92 hours only. A slight problem, Abi -our AI overseer - has wiped everyone's memories so everyone is a suspect. The story is told by Abi in the first person although it follows Emory in her quest to discover the truth. There is a lot of sci-fi elements to this but it certainly keeps you guessing and throws a few little curve-balls at you as well. I think I preferred Evelyn Hardcastle, but nevertheless, I had a good time in Abi's company.

Another genius murder mystery offering from Turton. This time set on a post-apocalyptic Greek island. Not just any old island though; this one houses an underground laboratory inside a volcano that used to be the groundbreaking business of multi-billionaire scientist Niema Mandripilias. Along with 2 other surviving scientists and 122 villagers, they all co-exist peacefully until one night a horrific murder occurs requiring Emory, a unique and annoyingly inquisitive villager to solve it before “the deadly fog” envelopes and kills them all.
Nothing I write here will do the book justice – it’s unique and brilliant and deserves to be read. Just like every one of Turton’s works. As I said – genius.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A post-apocalyptic tale involving a complicated and time-sensitive “who done it” on the last inhabited island on earth.

There is a bit of a “Lost” (for anyone who remembers the TV show) like quality to the story (maybe it’s the island & the fog 😉). It’s a fun read for nearly the whole book, wonderfully complicated, imaginative and sci-fi filled. With short chapters, I was gripped for the first 90%, enjoying the chase around the island as the clock ticked down.

It could be that I just finished another book which was so insightful on the dark sides of human nature (while not losing the narrative or plot or leaving one feeling depressed) that I was hoping for something similar. Perhaps that’s being unfair to a thriller. This book doesn’t paint a pretty picture of humanity and the writing style didn’t leave me with insight or character development to explain why humans so often mess up - only that they do and there is no hope for them on their own.

A 3.5 for being entertained for the majority of the book. In the end, I wanted a little bit more from the island I’d become quite invested in.

With many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC.

This is my favourite of Turton's 3 books. I thought the plotting was more consistent and the story wonderfully optimistic

For a thriller where nobody can remember the events that led to a murder and a ticking clock to the end of civilisation, you'd think this wouldn't be a slog to get through.

That's not the case.

I REALLY struggled with this one. I didn't really find any of the characters particularly likeable, which is not necessarily an issue with a thriller, but I think you were supposed to like the characters. I just felt completely indifferent about everyone.

I also think that the pool of suspects was too small, so I felt like we went in circles a little bit. It was a really interesting set-up, but something about it just fell flat for me and I found that I was bored most of the time and every time I put it down, I had no motivation to pick it up again.

Not necessarily a bad book, just not the book for me unfortunately.

This story was fascinating from the first page all the way through until the last. Stuart Turton’s unique take on a post-apocalyptic world is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up until the closing pages.
There are so many questions tied up in this intricately woven mystery. The island is peopled by a small village community who are (mostly) deferential to the elders. The elders are literally that: the oldest people on the island. They live much longer than the general population, who all die on their 60th birthday. Emory is the one villager who questions everything, and has since she was a child. She’s frowned upon by the others, who don’t wonder at all about the unexplained things that happen under their noses, and actively work to ignore anything that might stir up controversy, especially where the elders are concerned. However, following a catastrophic evening during which one of the elders is murdered, the lethal fog that’s been held back from the island has started to advance.
The islanders’ only chance of survival is to embrace Emory’s questioning nature, something even her own family have struggled to come to terms with, as she investigates the murder, desperate to find the answers that could halt the advance of the encroaching fog which threatens to wipe out humanity.
I got entangled in the threads of this story and thoroughly enjoyed it. I preferred it to The Seven Deaths… and I fully expect it to fly to the top of the bestseller lists.
💯 recommend.
Big thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for a chance to read the ARC.
The Last Murder at the End of the World publishes on 28 March, and I commend it to the House.🤗

Content warnings: Racism, Death, Gore, Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts, Terminal Illness, Blood, Medical Content, Loss of a loved One, Murder slavery, kidnapping

Representations: https://trello.com/c/fLqCcDwm/95-the-last-murder-at-the-end-of-the-world-by-stuart-turton

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Why are book synopsis' going the way of movie trailers where they seem to aim to reveal way too much about the thing it's trying to introduce/describe? I loved seven deaths of Evelyn hardcastle so I requested this book without reading the full description, just knowing it was a dystopian sci fi, and honestly that was a really good choice. I read the full description when I got near the end and was so shocked to just see how much got revealed in the description alone.

I honestly absolutely loved this book. Complex characters, fast paced story and intricate plot threads that slowly weave together. So many questions but answers are given at a good pace and I believe most if not all the questions did get an answer by the end - I can't think of anything major right now at least!

I loved the characters so much. They're all so complex and unique with so many goals and motives and ideas, it was just so delightful to read about these characters! I normally struggle quite a lot with remembering who was who, who was what name, etc but I actually never had that problem once throughout this whole book despite there being actually quite a lot of characters because of how unique to each other they were.

The plot was just so incredibly thick with mystery and questions, but it manages to handle all of that incredibly well. The world gets established in good time while still leaving a ton of mystery to drip through the rest of the book. The questions felt believable, so did the whole premise honestly - despite how apocalyptic sci-fi it is. The prologue sucked me in instantly and really set up the story perfectly.

I think the only negative about this is the same negative I had with 7 deaths - the ending. It's miles better than how 7 deaths handled it's ending imo but it's still very... I'm not even sure how to explain it. It feels a bit rushed, incredibly lore dumpy and it's just constant explanation monologues with a solution that feels a teeny bit underwhelming in my opinion. It is an answer that fits and makes sense, and the additional information that plays out during the ending is quite nice so it's better than 7 deaths in that regard. It's just.. not sure about it honestly. But also like 7 deaths, it really didn't change my overall opinion of the book that much because the rest of the book is just that good.

Suprisingly, there's also queer representation in this. A very nice sapphic relationship and in all honesty I think it was done very nicely. It's not something that's pointed out, it's just a normalised relationship and treated within the book as any other relationship. It is really nice when books have that. It's not a book that's heavy in romance though, if you dislike romance you'll be fine with it. There's people missing loved ones, relationships that get torn apart - so there's certainly conversations about relationships - but not really much romance at all.

I would strongly recommend this book if you enjoy mysteries. Absolutely perfect for a book club as well!

This probably means I should read Stuart's first book now as I've enjoyed everything else from him haha!!

This was such an interesting story with such detailed world building. There were a few gaps - but they felt intentional. The slightly immoral AI was a fascinating add, with the pacing of this story and reveals just right. Characters made you want to shake them by the shoulders and shout at them, and for me, that meant the author was doing their job. As for the fog? I still have so many unanswered questions, but I like that!


Near the end of the book there is a copy editing error. Sentence starts “Niema wanted to give us a future…..” but a character is named wrongly further along in the sentence.

A complicated dystopian murder mystery set some time in the future where the last of humanity live on a remote island. The story is complicated and pace too slow for me to truly engage as a reader. I persevered til the end and was satisfied with the ending. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.