Solve Murders at the End of the World

If you knew the world was coming to an end, how would you spend your final years, months, days? That might sound like a dreary thing to think of, but it’s a great setting for a murder mystery. First, there’s a societal breakdown, which is prime for creating an atmosphere of crime. It also opens the door for a lot of philosophical questions about community, society, humans, how we live, death, all of which add more layers. Below are three authors who took the idea of a world coming to an end — or a viscount convinced it is — and threw in a murder mystery. Murder at the End of the World by Akane Araki, Jesse Kirkwood (Translator) A meteor is set to hit the Earth and cease life. This has created a massive breakdown of society, and in Japan, many people have fled the country or decided to take their own lives, as Haru’s father has. But Haru has decided to continue her time left on earth as she normally would and is taking driving lessons in order to get her driver’s license. When Haru and her instructor Isagawa come upon a murder victim, Isagawa — who, it turns out, is a former police officer — immediately takes action to solve the murder. Haru is along for the ride, and the two wildly...