The Last Murder at the End of the World

By Stuart Turton

Book Overview

"A gripping tale that reads like a Sherlock Holmes novel set in a broken future...Turton is an exciting writer with a knack for strange tales that push the envelope, and this strange story of murder, survival, and the importance of memory might be his best work yet." --Gabino Iglesias for NPR

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.

Solve the murder to save what's left of the world.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. 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.

And the clock is ticking.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1728254655
• ISBN13: 9781728254654
• Release Date: May 2024
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Post apocalyptic sci-fi murder mystery

The Last Murder at the End of the World is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which a deadly fog has swept over the planet and killed most of its inhabitants, except for three scientists and 122 villagers who have taken shelter on an island refuge. When a beloved scientist is murdered, a dead man's switch is triggered which will result in the deadly fog engulfing the island in 91 hours. The story is told through multiple points of view, but focuses on Emery, one of the villagers who is tasked with solving the murder, which she must do in order to restore the security system and save the island's inhabitants. Her task is complicated because the security system has erased everyone's memory of the night of the murder. I really liked Emery's persistence, intelligence and drive to protect her family. The Last Murder at the End of the World is a gripping story that blends "locked room" mystery, dystopia, science fiction and suspense. Twists, turns and revelations made this book compulsively readable, the science fiction aspect adding chilling and fascinating elements. Turton's writing is immersive and vivid. A highly enjoyable layered murder mystery with some deeper themes.