BookBrowse Reviews The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

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When a brutal murder in a postapocalyptic world triggers the failure of a security system, the last remaining humans have only 91 hours to solve the murder...or face the extinction of the human race.

The island is the only safe place left on Earth. Since a deadly fog overtook the planet, the vestiges of humanity have not only survived but worked together to create a picturesque existence under the oversight of the elders. These three, who were alive before the fog arrived, are the only ones with the scientific knowledge to keep the other 122 humans alive. When Niema, the head elder, is brutally murdered, the island's security system begins to fail. Prior to her death and fearing the likelihood of violence, Niema programmed the security system so that only the death of her murderer would stop the encroaching fog, for reasons that will later become clear. But Niema's death also triggered an island-wide memory wipe, making the case seemingly impossible to solve by anyone except one villager, Emory. Emory has always asked too many questions, a trait that, combined with her excellent observational skills, allows her to conduct an investigation that will reveal dark secrets with implications for the survival of the human race. Stuart Turton's The Last Murder at the End of the World is a twisted, ingenious mystery with a strong science fiction basis and a shocking ending.

The story's tension starts with the first sentence: "Is there no other way?" Readers are immediately aware that the stakes are high, with everything hinging on a plan—one that risks the total extinction of the human race—set into motion by Niema and a mysterious first-person narrator. Further increasing the tension are the pages at the beginning of every section indicating the number of hours until humanity's extinction and the short, snappy chapters that jump between different characters. These varied perspectives allow for greater understanding not only of each individual's personality but also their motives for killing Niema. New clues implicate different people, but since not even the murderer themself can remember exactly what happened, the mystery plays out until the story's final sentence.

One character knows exactly what happened, however: Abi. Abi is the story's narrator, the mysterious, omniscient intelligence who inhabits the mind of every islander. Abi's full nature is slowly revealed over the course of the story, showing exactly how she's connected to everyone's mind and revealing her ultimate purpose. Although she appears to care for each villager by answering their questions, giving them advice and keeping a record of their memories to be shared after death, Abi is also responsible for the memory wipe following Niema's murder, leading Emory in particular to question Abi's control. Although Abi observes and considers the villagers' feelings and desires, she will exert control over them if they attempt to violate her directives. Abi's narration provides an all-encompassing point of view, but her adherence to her directives firmly grounds this character in the realm of science fiction.

The story overall is a satisfying blend of genres. Many advanced technologies and futuristic developments based on the standards of the pre-apocalyptic society play important roles in the story. Some of these, such as Abi, are immediately obvious, while others are gradually introduced as the mystery unfolds. Turton uses the villagers' ignorance to introduce the tech and ideas to his readers; as such, the sci-fi elements aren't confusing or unbelievable. In fact, our present-day technology is working to develop several of the technologies seen in the novel, including devices that use artificial intelligence to produce images from brain waves (see Beyond the Book). These technologies are used or revealed almost exclusively in the process of solving Niema's murder, with each genre supporting the other without taking precedence. The mystery plot reads much like a Sherlock Holmes novel, with all the clues introduced in bits and pieces but with only the main detective—Emory—able to truly put everything together.

Much like his detective, Turton also poses several questions that, while not necessarily important to the plot, are interesting to consider and provide a bit more context for the elders and for Emory. How much can a person grow or evolve outside of what's expected of them? What things would you miss most after the end of the world as you've always known it? How would someone who lived prior to the apocalyptic event relate to those who were born or grew up after? And if you could remake the world, what would you change? As Emory discovers more of Niema's secrets, it becomes clear that the elder was especially motivated by that final question, setting into motion a plan to recreate the world as the best version she could imagine—even at the cost of the islanders' safety and her own life. These questions will also have readers wondering how far they'd be willing to go to do what they think is right.

Carefully constructed, clever and fast-paced, The Last Murder at the End of the World will be enjoyed by fans of sci-fi and murder mysteries alike.

This review first ran in the June 5, 2024 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.