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A review by thenovelstitch
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Last Murder At the End of the World by Stuart Turton is another incredible work by this author. There was no way I thought he could top the 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and the Devil in the Dark Water but I think he's come close with this book.
After a devastating apocalyptic fog takes over the entire world, a small group of refugees on a Greek island survive by the help of three scientists known as the "elders". The elders and the small group of survivors have managed to survive for the last 90 years on this island by keeping the fog at bay until suddenly a death starts a chain reaction that begins to threaten the lives of everybody on the island. For one of the Islanders, Emory, this is an opportunity to not only solve a murder and save her people but to gain answers to some of her deeper questions about the elders, the island and what's beyond. Unfortunately, as Emory digs deeper into the island, secrets begin to emerge that may be more threatening than the fog that is now slowly creeping towards them from the sea.
The Last Murder At the End of the World is one part apocalyptic story, one part a narrative on AI and one part commentary on the way humans inevitably keep people "othered". I thought this was an incredible setting and story to explore all three of these themes through the lens of an apocalypse and a "locked island" backdrop. Even though these themes are prominent, the unraveling mystery at the center of the story is so fantastically plotted and tensioned that you don't necessarily feel like you're reading a book about the impact of technology on humans. Turton does a fantastic job leading the reader expertly through the story and as the reader you are just in the dark as Emory, who is tasked with figuring out what happened and what to do.
The only reason this book is a four out of five stars is because the ending of the book felt a little lack luster compared to the magnitude of the book up until the ending. I don't know what I was expecting or what I was hoping for, but I do know that it was for a little bit more than what we got.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys lock room type mysteries and who has enjoyed any of his previous books. I can't wait to read whatever he thinks up next.
After a devastating apocalyptic fog takes over the entire world, a small group of refugees on a Greek island survive by the help of three scientists known as the "elders". The elders and the small group of survivors have managed to survive for the last 90 years on this island by keeping the fog at bay until suddenly a death starts a chain reaction that begins to threaten the lives of everybody on the island. For one of the Islanders, Emory, this is an opportunity to not only solve a murder and save her people but to gain answers to some of her deeper questions about the elders, the island and what's beyond. Unfortunately, as Emory digs deeper into the island, secrets begin to emerge that may be more threatening than the fog that is now slowly creeping towards them from the sea.
The Last Murder At the End of the World is one part apocalyptic story, one part a narrative on AI and one part commentary on the way humans inevitably keep people "othered". I thought this was an incredible setting and story to explore all three of these themes through the lens of an apocalypse and a "locked island" backdrop. Even though these themes are prominent, the unraveling mystery at the center of the story is so fantastically plotted and tensioned that you don't necessarily feel like you're reading a book about the impact of technology on humans. Turton does a fantastic job leading the reader expertly through the story and as the reader you are just in the dark as Emory, who is tasked with figuring out what happened and what to do.
The only reason this book is a four out of five stars is because the ending of the book felt a little lack luster compared to the magnitude of the book up until the ending. I don't know what I was expecting or what I was hoping for, but I do know that it was for a little bit more than what we got.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys lock room type mysteries and who has enjoyed any of his previous books. I can't wait to read whatever he thinks up next.