Quick Review: THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Stuart Turton (Raven)

TurtonS-LastMurderAtTheEndOfTheWorldUKHCSolve the murder to save what’s left of the world.

Outside the island there is the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 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 they learn 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…

Like many readers, I have very much enjoyed Turton’s twisty mysteries — The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water. I was a little late to the author’s work, but when I received this for review, I didn’t wait. It’s another twisty and engaging novel, and I enjoyed it. Continue reading

Upcoming: THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Stuart Turton (Raven Books / Sourcebooks)

TurtonS-LastMurderAtTheEndOfTheWorldUKHCThe cover and details for Stuart Turton‘s next novel, The Last Murder at the End of the World were released a few days ago, and I for one am very much looking forward to reading it! Not only is the cover eye-catching,* but the synopsis also grabbed my attention:

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

Outside the island there is nothing: the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 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 they learn 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…

I really enjoyed Turton’s previous novels — The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and, especially, The Devil and the Dark Water — and I have very high hopes for this new book. I’ll be reading it as soon as I can.

Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World is due to be published by Bloomsbury’s Raven Books imprint in the UK (March 28th, 2024), and Sourcebooks Landmark in North America (May 21st, 2024).

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* I couldn’t find any information about who the artist is: anyone know?

Upcoming: LIGHTSEEKERS by Femi Kayode (Mulholland/Raven)

KayodeF-LightseekersUSI’m always on the look-out for a new thriller author to follow, and Femi Kayode‘s debut Lightseekers caught my eye. I like stories where an outsider is thrust into a situation or country/world in which they have no or little experience. I luckily already have a review copy of the novel, and hope to read it very soon. Here’s the synopsis:

A respected Nigerian psychologist travels to a remote southern border town to uncover the truth about the murder of three university students.

When Dr. Philip Taiwo is called on by a powerful Nigerian politician to investigate the public torture and murder of three university students in Port Harcourt, he has no idea that he’s about to be enveloped by a perilous case that is far from cold.

KayodeF-LightseekersUKPhilip is not a detective. He’s an investigative psychologist, an academic more interested in figuring out the why of a crime than actually solving it. But when he steps off the plane and into the dizzying frenzy of the provincial airport, he soon realizes that the mob-driven murder of the Okriki Three isn’t as straight forward as he thought. With the help of his loyal and streetwise personal driver, Chika, Philip must work against those actively conspiring against him to parse together the truth of what happened to these students.

A thrilling and atmospheric mystery, and an unforgettable portrait of the contemporary Nigerian sociopolitical landscape, Lightseekers is a wrenching novel tackling the porousness between the first and third worlds, the enduring strength of tribalism and homeland identity, and the human need for connection in the face of isolation.

Femi Kayode’s Lightseekers is due to be published by Mulholland Books in North America (March 2nd) and Raven Books in the UK (February 4th).

Follow the Author: Goodreads