The Last Murder at the End of the World - by Stuart Turton Hardcover

About the Book

"From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution. Solve the murder to save what's left of the world. Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists. Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 92 hours, the fog will smother the island-and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer-and they don't even know it. And the clock is ticking"--

Book Synopsis

"A gripping tale that reads like a Sherlock Holmes novel set in a broken future...Turton is an exciting writer with a knack for strange tales that push the envelope, and this strange story of murder, survival, and the importance of memory might be his best work yet." --Gabino Iglesias for NPR

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.

Solve the murder to save what's left of the world.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island--and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer--and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking.

Review Quotes

GQ's Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

The New Scientist's Most Anticipated Books

Polygon's Most Anticipated Science Fiction Books Of 2024

Goodreads's Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

CrimeReads's Most Anticipated Speculative Crime Novels of 2024

Sunset Magazine's Books That Will Be On Everyone's Spring List

BBC News's Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

The Guardian's Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

The Observer's Best Crime & Thrillers Of The Month

The Sunday Times's Best Thrillers of the Month

The Independent's Best Books Of The Month

Glamour's Best Books, According to Literary Experts

"[A] dazzling postapocalyptic thriller that blossoms into a race against time whodunit...This dystopian detective story fires on all cylinders." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"A complex world and characters in a page-turner centered on what it means to be human and whether those qualities are worth preserving." -- Library Journal, STARRED review

"A fresh twist on dystopian fiction with its share of surprises." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A postapocalyptic sf/fantasy/murder mystery that's as imaginative as it is dazzling and mind-boggling...An extraordinary, thought-provoking book that will appeal to mystery and sf buffs and general-fiction fans looking for a unique and unforgettable read." -- Booklist, STARRED review

"A mind-bending, genre-blending, boy-that-ending mystery unlike any I've ever read...as though Agatha Christie and Stephen King had jointly rebooted Lost." -- A.J. Finn

"Stuart Turton's literary pyrotechnics are on full display in this magnificently sly novel. Part Holmesian deduction, part Shyamalan level twists--Turton somehow manages to reinvent both himself and the mystery genre with every book. An absolute blast." -- Benjamin Stevenson

"The Last Murder at the End of the World is wildly inventive. Stuart Turton is a unique talent." -- M. W. Craven

"A unique, intricate murder mystery absolutely full of heart, The Last Murder at the End of the World is a heartbreaking exploration of what it means to be human." -- Vikki Patis

"An extraordinary novel. Midsommar meets Station Eleven meets The Mist meets a fresh post-apocalyptic murder mystery. Audacious and utterly mind-blowing. Stu Turton is one of the most inventive writers working today." -- Will Dean

"Believe the hype about this book. I absolutely raced through. Such a great sharp little jigsaw of a sci-fi mystery." -- Alice Bell

"Even better than The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Turton's cemented his reputation as the king of the mind-blowing mystery." -- Gareth Rubin

"Set in a post-apocalyptic world, with a literal village full of incredible characters, this is an original take on the murder mystery and I loved it. Unique, thought-provoking but, above all, addictive." -- Louise Hare

"Stu Turton has done it again with The Last Murder at the End of the World, the mad, alchemy-embracing bastard. A murder-mystery wrapped in a sci-fi allegory, it's utterly gripping, constantly confounding and will be another monster hit." -- Adam Simcox

"Stu Turton has done it again. I finished The Last Murder at the End of the World last night and it might just be his barmiest, cleverest and creepiest mystery yet. Buckle up, because you've never read a whodunnit like this one." -- Tom Hindle

"Stu Turton is the master of intricately plotted, brilliantly imaginative murder mysteries. His latest delivers all that wonderful head-scratching complexity in a darkly drawn future world with a message about what makes us human at its heart. I loved it." -- C. J. Tudor