The Last Murder at The End of The World by Stuart Turton πΆππ
First things first, this edition is basically art. The edges, the maps, the cover. All stunning ππ Props to the design team.
The Last Murder at The End of the World is a high-concept who dunnit set on an island surrounded by a man eating fog. After a scientist - one of the island's so-called elders - is found dead, triggering the lowering of the island's defences, the inhabitants have just 107 hours to solve her murder before the fog arrives and wipes humanity out for good.
As much as I loved the dystopian science-fiction spin on the classic murder mystery format, I think it may have been a touch too ambitious and sprawling. It took me a while to understand the world the novel was set in and how the island came to be, and I still had so many questions.
Also - and potential spoiler warning - this book really takes the idea of an omnipresent, omniscient narrator and not only runs with it, but sprints and then vaults with it. Having a narrator who knows what has happened and what is likely to happen and who can interact with the other characters lowered the stakes for me. Everything seemed predetermined and more like a game - a bit like a large scale escape room - so, despite the ticking clock, it lacked a sense of urgency.
I don't think it helped that a lot of the characters felt quite samey. They were also all so nice, and as much as I would welcome a world full of peace-loving, self-sacrificing, selfless individuals, it doesn't make the most interesting backdrop for a novel. The characters who most interested me, and who had the most depth, weren't that prominent, and their backstories were only hinted at rather than explored. This might be more a reflection on me and my personal tastes rather than the writing.
This sounds more negative than I meant it to. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was fun and entertaining as well as being easy to read. The premise was unusual, and I admire the author's imagination and creativity as regards the world building and setting. Additionally, the story unfolds at a good pace. However, I just think it was lacking a little in terms of characterisation.