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.
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