The Last Murder at the End of the World

Stuart Turton’s first book is a locked-house mystery, his second is a locked boat, and now this newest novel is a locked island. Inspired by his experience working in the tech field, Stuart Turton said he wanted to write a story about some of the things we’ll be experiencing soon when it comes to advances in technology. The Last Murder at the End of the World is a speculative fiction murder mystery set on a small unnamed Greek island 90 years after the world has ended. The world was destroyed by a fog, however, the scientists on the island developed a technology that keeps the murderous mist at bay. There are 122 villagers and 3 scientists living in harmony on the island. Everyone has a job that matches their skill. One morning they wake to find one of the scientists murdered. The thing is, everyone’s memory is wiped as they sleep each night – so no one knows what happened the night before, not even the murderer. Somehow the security system keeping the fog away has failed and they have 107 hours to figure out the mystery before humanity’s complete extinction.

The nonlinear plot will create many questions that will be answered by the end of the story. The characters are well-developed with goals, motivation, strengths, flaws, external and internal conflict, backstory, and characteristics. The description, world-building, emotion, and atmosphere are top-notch. I enjoy Turton’s writing style with high readability and authentic dialogue. The point of view is unique and The Last Murder at the End of the World is a page-turner. I didn’t want to put it down. I had a great time reading this one!

Stuart Turton has created another genre-bending story that plays with perspective and tropes. The Last Murder at the End of the World is an imaginative and unusual science fiction crime novel about family, humanity, survival, the race against time, and the corruption of power.