Judy's Reviews > The Last Murder at the End of the World

Earlier I read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and found it to be unique so I picked this one up to see where his mind went this time.

Description:
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.

My Thoughts:
This had a an inventive plot with good world building. This is a post-apocalyptic world where a small group of people have isolated to a "safe" island haven where a deadly fog has overtaken the rest of the world and somehow they have held it at bay. This is a mystery with some devastating secrets known only to a few - the elders. The villagers do the manual day-to-day work on the island and follow the rules of the elders without question - mostly. There are a couple of the villagers who don't quite fit the mold. This is a fascinating story that will appeal to those who like sci-fi and fantasy.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy.