The Last Murder at the End of the World

A Novel

De: Stuart Turton

Narrado por: James Cameron Stewart

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 ninety-two 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.

©2024 Stuart Turton (P)2024 Tantor

Great murder mystery

This is a sci-fi murder mystery that, with every new piece of evidence, shifts the characters' and the readers' understanding of all that has preceded it. It is artfully woven together and the narrator does a great job of nailing every character.

They always start so great…

This is tough. It’s the third Stuart Turton book I’ve read and I have had the same reaction to all three. (I’ve both read and listened to them): the stories are super creative and captivating from the start, and suck you in for the first third of the book. The second third of the book is a bit of a plateau/you start to predict what’s going to happen. The last third of the book is somewhat of a let down, and over all these books go on waaay too long. The endings are never quite as interesting as the beginning.

Another amazing mystery by Turton.

I love the way he tells a story. The character feel like people you know and the setting is dynamic.

Interesting but prejudiced

Good and entertaining story with discouraging utopian prejudice that disappoints too often. So close to being better

Confusing narration

The narrator should be female. I had to ask a friend, who had read the paperback, for clarification a few chapters in.

Interesting plot

Distracting , overdone vocals. Most of the time I adapt to the narrator’s reading…this one. It so much.

Lofty ambitions, middle ground results

This story tries to do a lot and covers some interesting topics, but ultimately crumbles a bit under the weight of all it tries to achieve. The plot twists eventually felt like random turns rather than intertwined events. As a fan of his other books, I was left a bit underwhelmed, but will probably listen to the next one (even though the female character voices are pretty tough to hang in with).

Strange, but Interesting

I bought this book because I really loved "The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" This book had the same twisty intrigue and was interesting enough to keep me going until the end, but I wasn't quite as involved as I was with the first book. I was interested in the futuristic/post apocalyptic nature of the world, and probably would have been engrossed if it had been a series that investigated the island life and leading circumstances first, and then had culminated with the murder mystery.

Turton’s work is unconventional and brilliant

This book is some of the best modern literature I’ve had the opportunity to listen to. I would call this science fiction, but in the way post-apocalyptic literature is science fiction. It follows Lewis’s principle that good science fiction must have a plot that is only possible given the sci-fi setting. I don’t want to give anything away, as the discovery is what makes this novel tick. I would just urge any listener to stick it out past the first 10 chapters or so, as this one takes a bit of world building before it starts building up its steam. Also, if you’ve read Turton’s other works, there are some delightful callbacks to his other two novels. Enjoy!

Another twisty tale

Another great story from such a super imagination. The voices from the narrator will take you back to some of the characters in Evelyn Hardcastle’s Blackheath. Such fun.