The Last Murder at the End of the World walked into my life in the most dangerous way a book can: it caught my eye in a bookstore.
First came the cover. Then the title. Then I noticed Stuart Turton’s name, and suddenly I was picking it up to read the description. I had already loved The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water, so adding another Turton to my shelves wasn’t exactly a difficult decision.
But I had expectations.
I wanted the immersive atmosphere, tangled mysteries, and mind-bending storytelling I’d come to associate with Turton’s books. What I didn’t expect was a science fiction mystery that would ask surprisingly big questions about humanity, purpose, community, and what it means to be alive.
The Last Murder at the End of the World was exactly the kind of book I was hoping it would be, and I still think it is far more underhyped than it deserves to be.
*Spoilers will be hidden and labelled so you can choose to read or skip.
Hype Meter
Goodreads: 3.67 | StoryGraph: 3.75
My Take: Way Under Hyped!!
Judge The Last Murder at the End of the World By Its Cover
The Last Murder At The End of the World screamed at me as I walked around a bookstore table. First the colors, then the title, then the author…a quick glance at the description and this was an immediate yes!
What did I expect? Well, you never can tell with Stuart Turton exactly, but usually an immersive trip with a mind-blowing twist. The cover is invitingly pretty with an ominous air.
Color Story
Bookended by deep blues of sea and sky is a rainbow of sunset hues is so pretty and calm; it creates a visual tension with the gritty, distressed white typography and the content of the title.
Typography Notes
The Last Murder at the End of the World appears spread across most of the front cover in thick, blocky sans-serif type. The words are shiny and textured as broken pieces put back together.
The type interplays with elements of the illustration, ducking behind the lighthouse and skirting right to make room for the row boat. Even though it isn’t centered, the effect is still balanced and appealing to look at.
Stuart Turton’s name calls out in the same font, but at a smaller scale by being cast in the brightest yellow from the illustration. The prominence hints at the author’s appeal to the book’s audience.
Genre Signals
The gritty texture and bold type let the title do most of the work in identifying The Last Murder at the End of the World as a thriller.
You’d maybe not guess it as a Science Fiction or Mystery from the design, but the callout quote “Mind-bending and genre-blending.” -A. J. Finn helps.
Hidden Details
The details that matter on the cover aren’t exactly hidden. Story elements are exposed in the setting illustration of the cover-lighthouse, row boat, and cable car.
Mood Check
The cover of The Last Murder at the End of the World suggests turbulence beneath a calm surface. Tension.
Beyond the Dust Jacket
The paperback edition has beautiful sprayed edges that mimic the front cover. You could easily display this volume pages out at still identify the book (is this a new game we are playing?).
Other exciting features include a map of the island, a list of the main characters, and a book club question guide.
Periodic section pages are counting down the hours to the extinction of humanity- in case you needed to up the suspense a notch.
Chapters have lovely numbers surrounded by swashes and italicized first lines- a prettiness that is unexpected in a sci-fi mystery thriller, but still fitting with the other design elements in the book.
Did the design affect whether I bought the book?
The design is responsible for my noticing the book, and yes, it was also a factor in my purchase decision.
Story Snapshot
In Short
A murder mystery set on an isolated island where villagers must solve a scientist’s killing before a deadly fog engulfs them all.
From the Publisher
“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.
Lines I Highlighted
The greatest achievements have always brought the greatest risk…Start your countdown, Abi. In four days, we’re either going to change the world or die trying.
Characters I Followed Into Battle
Emory is a villager who doesn’t quite fit. She’s tried absolutely every job on the island without anything sticking – mostly because she asks too many questions. Her unquenchable curiosity seems a hindrance until one of the island’s elders turns up dead and no one can remember anything from the night before. She is tasked with unraveling the mystery before the consequences of the elder’s death doom them all.
Lines I Highlighted
This is what I’m good at. Let me be of service.
Writing Style Notes
The writing is largely in third person, but one character, Abi, is in first person. Abi is the voice in everyone’s head. If you are already curious, get the book.
Like the best mysteries, clues are dropped throughout the story, but you’d have to be pretty sharp to lock it all up before it’s revealed.
Lines I Highlighted
I’m alive. I have value. We all have value.
Themes Living Rent-Free In My Head
- What does it mean to be human?
- Can humanity ever truly live in peace?
- The value of all life
- How a sense of purpose impacts a person’s life
- Isolation vs community
Lines I Highlighted
Purpose is something that must be given, or it will be endlessly sought.
What Landed For Me
What Worked:
- Expertly crafted, imaginative world-building
- Nuanced relationships
- Tangled threads of mystery
What Didn’t Fully Click:
No notes.
Overall:
Excellent.
Lines I Highlighted
She was afraid. Powerful people usually are. They have the most to lose.
Intentional Reading Reflection
Choosing to read The Last Murder at the End of the World was a no-brainer for me. I thoroughly enjoyed both of Stuart Turton’s other books, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and Devil and the Dark Water. So after I bought the book, I had been looking for a spot in my reading challenge to slot it in. (See reading debris for more details).
I got myself pretty hyped up for this read and was so hopeful that it’d live up to my expectations- it did.
The Last Murder at the End of the World is a fairly complex and layered story that rewards close reading. Pick it up when you have the mental bandwidth to give it your attention. It will make you think, and maybe challenge you.
Lines I Highlighted
This is how you save the world, Emory. One failure at a time, but always in the right direction.
Cover Promise Rating
Did the cover make promises the story actually kept?
The cover of The Last Murder at the End of the World didn’t make a lot of promises, but it didn’t lead me astray either. I think it did exactly what it was meant to do.
Final Verdict
Read if you like:
- Stuart Turton’s writing style
- Mind-bending twists
- Science fiction mysteries
- Whodunnit capers with high stakes
- Sherlock Holmes stories
- The Tainted Cup series
Skip if you dislike:
- Complicated setups that require you to pay attention
- Post-apocalyptic utopian settings
Reading Debris
Don’t trust AI with your reading prompt fulfillment selections. I pulled the Playing Card Reading Challenge prompt: Read a book with a dual timeline. I asked ChatGPT to tell me which books in my TBR had this feature, and The Last Murder at the End of the World was on the list. I was hesitant, so I asked Google. It said that yes, it was a dual timeline story because much of the story was told in flashbacks. I found the explanation acceptable to meet my criteria and began. Alas, the assessment was not correct. The Last Murder at the End of the World is not a dual timeline story; it is highly linear, and no other time beyond the present is explored much.
Instead, read The Last Murder at the End of the World to fulfill prompts such as:
Your Turn
Stuart Turton has written three wildly different novels. How do you feel about authors who jump genres?
May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.
Happy Reading!
Incriminating or not? You decide...
“Evidence” lined, 120-page, paperback journal.
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