The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton

 

When the Fog came, it killed everything in its path.  Plants, animals, humans, they all perished when covered by the Fog.  Except for one island.  On that island, owned by a scientist, shields were developed that repelled the Fog and kept it away and those on the island survived.  

Now there are one hundred and twenty-two villagers and three elders, or scientists.  It is a paradise where everyone lives and eats communally and there is no violence.  Abi is a type of computer which can track everyone's thinking and trains everyone to be kind above all.

That is, until this morning when the body of the main scientist the woman the villagers regard as a mother, is found dead.  She has been stabbed and hit on the head with something heavy, then the building in which she was found set on fire.  Who could have done such a thing?  The remaining scientists, her son and her best friend enlist a villager Emory, to solve the murder.  It must be done quickly because when she was killed, the shields came down and the Fog is approaching.  There are only ninety hours until it gets there and kills everyone and everything.  

I've read Stuart Turton's books before and I can't imagine what must go on in his head on a daily basis.  Each of his books are involved and full of twists.  The story is narrated by Abi, the computer like entity that knows what everyone is thinking and all the secrets of the island.  But is Abi a reliable narrator?  The secrets are slowly unearthed to reveal that the villagers have been living in a world of artifice and falsehoods and the tension mounts as Emory attempts to solve the murder.  This book is recommended for both mystery and science fiction readers.