"From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution. 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 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. And the clock is ticking"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

On an isolated island where 122 villagers and three scientists live in peaceful harmony, one of the scientists is found brutally murdered, which triggers a security system, giving the islanders only 107 hours to solve the murder or be smothered by the fog that destroyed the planet. - (Baker & Taylor)

"A gripping tale that reads like a Sherlock Holmes novel set in a broken future...Turton is an exciting writer with a knack for strange tales that push the envelope, and this strange story of murder, survival, and the importance of memory might be his best work yet." —Gabino Iglesias for NPR

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.

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.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Defying easy classification, Turton's latest (after The Devil and the Dark Water, 2020) is a postapocalyptic sf/fantasy/murder mystery that's as imaginative as it is dazzling and mind-boggling. The world has ended in a black fog, killing everyone except for 200 souls, who now inhabit a remote island. The villagers, as they're known, live a basic life and work hard but are happy, cheerful, and loving. Ruled over by three elders and Abi, a sort of goddess who lives in their heads, the villagers have never known any other life. But when Niema, one of the elders, is brutally murdered, the islanders are left stunned and bewildered. One villager, Emory, who's always been rebellious, vows to find out who killed the much-loved Niema. Her quest leads her to discover dark and disturbing secrets, including the fact that the black fog which destroyed the world decades ago is creeping closer to the island and threatens to kill everyone there unless Emory can unravel the mystery of Niema's death. An extraordinary, thought-provoking book that will appeal to mystery and sf buffs and general-fiction fans looking for a unique and unforgettable read. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.

Library Journal Reviews

In this speculative mystery from the best-selling author of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, most of the world has been destroyed by a deadly fog—except one protected, idyllic island. A brutal stabbing changes that, and the fog is now coming, as residents race to solve the case. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Library Journal Reviews

As with previous works, Turton once again blends genres in his latest (after The Devil and the Dark Water), mixing a near-future, postapocalyptic setting with a murder mystery. A fog has destroyed the entire world and all the living beings on it—except for on one island off the coast of Greece. On this island, 122 villagers and three elders live a self-sustaining, peaceful existence. Their lives are tightly controlled, but they're happy and don't have any concerns with how things are run. All except for Emory, who questions everything and struggles to find her purpose in the colony. When she wakes one morning to the murder of one of the residents and the imminent collapse of the barrier that protects their island, Emory is suddenly pressed into the role of investigator—and perhaps the savior to all. VERDICT Turton has created a complex world and characters in a page-turner centered on what it means to be human and whether those qualities are worth preserving. There is very real suspense as the clock runs down on Emory's investigation, plus true emotional depth in the struggles she and her fellow survivors face.—Jane Jorgenson

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Turton (The Devil and the Dark Water) continues playing fast and loose with genre boundaries in this dazzling postapocalyptic thriller that blossoms into a race against time whodunit. A small island in the middle of the ocean has become the last refuge against the deadly, insect-filled fog that's been covering the globe for the past 90 years. The 122 villagers who live and work on the island rarely question their regulated way of life, the elder scientists who keep them safe, or the disembodied voice named Abi beamed into their heads to coax them to sleep each night when the curfew bell rings. When the violent death of a teacher named Niema triggers a 12-hour memory wipe on all of the island's residents, plus a fail-safe that will shut down the island's defenses in 38 hours unless her killer is identified, villager Emory, armed with a curiosity nearly all of her peers lack, sets out to investigate. In the process, she unravels distressing secrets about the origins and operations of her supposed paradise. Turton smartly fortifies his themes of freedom and control by utilizing Abi, a manipulative HAL 9000 figure, as a semi-omniscient narrator, and he drops in enough clues for mystery fans to stay half a step ahead of Emory's sleuthing without undercutting the impact of each reveal. This dystopian detective story fires on all cylinders. Agent: Harry Illingworth, DHH Literary. (May)