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I was so blown away by the cleverness and originality of Stuart Turton’s mystery The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle that I eagerly picked up an advanced readers copy of this new one. (I was underwhelmed by his sophomore effort, The Devil and the Dark Water, but hope springs eternal.) And I was not disappointed with The Last Murder at the End of the World.
Sometime in the future, most of the earth has been taken over by some kind of fog that killed everyone. A few survivors gathered on an island where some scientists had been able to create a small barrier against the fog, and now just over a hundred villagers live a simple, peaceful existence. They farm and fish and take care of each other, led by three scientists they respect as “elders.”
Life is good, and the villagers are content. Then one night, the beloved scientist who spends all her time with them is found stabbed to death. Because of a series of fail-safes the woman had put in place, her death has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island that holds off the fog. If someone can’t solve the murder within a few days, the fog will kill everyone.
Complicating matters is that everyone’s memories from that night were wiped, so they must piece together clues about what they forgot to solve the murder.
One villager has always been more curious than the others, and particularly close to the murdered scientist. She takes on the role of investigator.
I can’t say a lot more; in short, the story has a lot more going on than seems apparent at first glance. Each little revelation of important facts had me turning pages even more eagerly. It’s also interesting because the book’s setting on a remote island, its dystopian elements, and bigger-picture puzzle reminded me a lot of Justin Cronin’s recent The Ferryman, which I also really enjoyed. They’re quite different once you get past the initial similarities, however.
The Last Murder at the End of the World is another one of those books I wish I could read again and get to discover with all the satisfaction of the first time, just as I did with 7 ½ Deaths. I may prefer that one a touch more, but all in all, this left me feeling glad Turton had another unusual mystery in him. Even better, this is clean reading.
Rated: Mild. Profanity includes a few uses of mild language. Violence occurs in a number of places throughout, with some deaths and injuries by various means, including uses of knives and other similar instruments, as well as beating. There are some brief descriptions of bloody injuries.
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*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
