Stuart Turton’s latest novel takes us to the end of humanity at the brink of apocalypse. The only way to stop the apocalypse? Solve The Last Murder at the End of the World.
In the future, the world is destroyed by an unknown mist. It kills any living creature it touches. The only place where people are alive is on an idyllic island. The villagers live fully the idea of “being of service.” Each one has their place and talent, and it is put to good use. They are guided by a handful of Elders, people that lived before the fog. Their words are paramount. Then one day, their most revered Elder is murdered and the shield that keeps the fog from taking their island starts to fail. The villagers have 107 hours to solve the case, or they will all perish.
I will admit I was enamored by the world Turton creates. The first third of the book is about the place, the fog, and the people who live there. When the murder occurs, you know something is wrong with this world. The majority is just thrown at you. Was this a literary mistake? Maybe. But the point of the book was the mystery; Turton just got me too invested in the world.
The mystery itself is twisty and has plenty of red herrings. I did figure out who the killer was, but I couldn’t figure out the motive. This disappointed me but I read on. Turton blew me out of the water. The motive was beautiful and made a splendid circle for the story.
Names are important here. Some are on the nose such as Hephaestus (begging to be played by Alan Ritchson) while others are more obtuse. When you are done reading the book I would suggest looking up the names of the main players. They embody the person’s position or personality. Lots of research went into making the characters an extra-special part of the book.
I love that Turton goes back to something more sci-fi and otherworldly after Devil and The Dark Water. It’s Turton’s imagination that really gives these books their spark.
Publication Date: March 28
I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
Stars in Her Eye 