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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
A new take on the classic murder mystery. Basically read in one sitting.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Stuart Turton's The Last Murder at the End of the World was a pretty fun read, particularly as I didn't stop to think about it too hard (otherwise the gaps would've shown a bit more, I'm pretty sure). It's basically setting up a closed-circle mystery and trying to keep the stakes high, even when really it's all made a bit too obvious, by wiping everyone's memory of the last 12 hours and introducing a strict deadline: even the murderer doesn't know they committed the crime, and everybody's going to die if they're not found and proven.
It's all very obvious when you look at the elements individually, but because it rattles along quickly, adding new bits of evidence (including of course plentiful red herrings) and raising the personal stakes for the character who acts as the detective, that isn't too much of a problem.
I liked Emory and Clara, but felt like other than them (and a little bit Seth, especially toward the end), everyone else seemed a bit bland, especially since Thea was so unlikeable in her dismissal of the obvious personhood of the villagers.
Mostly, it seems like a writer having a lot of fun with writing a futuristic mystery that has a lot of classical elements, and I enjoyed that. Some of it feels a bit goofy/like a total plot device, but overall I enjoyed it. Definitely not for any hard SF purists, though.
It's all very obvious when you look at the elements individually, but because it rattles along quickly, adding new bits of evidence (including of course plentiful red herrings) and raising the personal stakes for the character who acts as the detective, that isn't too much of a problem.
I liked Emory and Clara, but felt like other than them (and a little bit Seth, especially toward the end), everyone else seemed a bit bland, especially since Thea was so unlikeable in her dismissal of the obvious personhood of the villagers.
Mostly, it seems like a writer having a lot of fun with writing a futuristic mystery that has a lot of classical elements, and I enjoyed that. Some of it feels a bit goofy/like a total plot device, but overall I enjoyed it. Definitely not for any hard SF purists, though.
mysterious
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
I always love the concepts of Turton's work, but I also usually end up feeling like they don't quite hit the mark and this is the same! It's frustrating to have an omniscient AI narrator who knows everything but just won't tell you about it (lmao)
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some really interesting concepts, especially considering the rise of AI. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and something about the authors writing style didn’t work for me.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes