Murder at the End of the World - by Akane Araki Paperback

Book Synopsis

From Japan's most exciting new crime writer Akane Araki, this thrillingly funny, high-concept murder mystery follows a young woman and her driving instructor as they face a compelling moral dilemma: should they work to stop a serial killer before the end of the world?

A meteor is on a collision course with Earth. The entire human race has 3 months to live. Uncontrollable panic has set in across the globe, but 23-year-old Haru is still determined to finally get her driver's license.

When Haru and her ex-cop driving instructor Isagawa open their car trunk one day to find the corpse of a murder victim inside, they feel duty-bound to investigate. Together, they set off on a road trip through the crumbling landcape around them to hunt for the killer. As more bodies start appearing, more questions surge. Why would a serial killer begin work 3 months before the end of the world? And does justice lose its meaning with humanity on the brink of extinction?

Quirky, fast-paced, and packed full of surprising heart, Murder at the End of the World will delight fans of Stuart Turton's audacious plots and the humorous, life-affirming bent of dystopian favorites like Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead.

About the Author

Jesse Kirkwood is a literary translator working from Japanese into English. The recipient of the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize, his translations include The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa, The Noh Mask Murder by Akimitsu Takagi and She Walks at Night by Seishi Yokomizo, all available from Pushkin Vertigo.