The Last Murder at the End of the World
by Stuart Turton
Pub Date: May 21, 2024
SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers |
Sci Fi & Fantasy
DESCRIPTION/SYNOPSIS:
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 92 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.
REVIEW:
The Last Murder at the End of the World presents a world full of contradictions: far enough in the future that human lifespans can extend to hundreds of years, but the last three elders live among peaceful island villagers surviving in a crude society subsisting on fishing and farming. The only real sign of advanced technology is Abi, the artificial intelligence that speaks and listens directly within their minds. These villagers (unlike the comparatively ancient elders) all die peacefully and willingly at the age of 60 after having been born, seemingly at the advanced age of 8.
A deadly fog has covered most of the planet with the sole exception of this island, a last refuge for humanity with its small community. The fog is held at bay by an unseen barrier that ensures the villagers’ continued survival. Until one of the three elders is murdered, and the deadly fog begins to advance on the island. Per Abi, only the revelation, confession, and execution of the murderer will stop the fog and save everyone.
Emory, the one apparent misfit among the villagers is tasked with solving the murder. At this point, the story turns into a murder mystery, and the stakes couldn’t be higher: the very survival of the human race. Emory’s work is cut out for her, because on the night of the murder, everyone on the island was subjected to a memory wipe by Abi, at the instruction of the murder victim herself.
If you’re a fan of unreliable narrators, this is the book for you, because it is filled with them, either by way of the memory wipe or through the willful withholding of information. The ticking clock on the extinction of humanity is a cool suspense hook that could have been played up even more, though it factors heavily into the final moments of the story. When the ticking clock is most felt, the story is most effective.
At times it’s hard to relate to the unusual behavior of the villagers. For instance, Emory’s natural curiosity is anything but natural in the eyes of her docile peers. In general, they seem removed from the everyday expectations of human behavior. Meanwhile, the elders keep themselves at a distance, so the connection there is not as strong as it could have been either. Finally, everything seems filtered through Abi, along with Abi’s motives, which aren’t always clear, sometimes pointedly and purposefully so. But Turton sticks the landing in a startling and satisfying way, ending the tale on a simultaneously sober yet hopeful note.
Note: I received a free eGalley of Last Murder at the End of the World from Net Galley in consideration of an unbiased review.
This site is a member of the Amazon affiliate partnership program. As such, any sales resulting from links to Amazon products on these pages might generate a small commission for the site, which helps keep the proverbial lights on—but does not affect the price you pay at Amazon.
