A deadly fog has wiped out humanity and the only survivors are stuck on an island. They're made up of scientists and villagers who are doing their best to survive. Everybody is living in harmony and there is no violence. Until one of the scientists is killed, which causes a string of events that ends with the removal of the island's defence system. The next morning everyone wakes with their memory gone and a sudden awareness that the fog is slowly closing in on them. The only way to get the defences back up is to solve the murder. It's up to one villager, Emory, and her daughter to follow the clues and find the killer. But, in a village where violence doesn't occur, who could have done the deed? Will they be able to unmask them in time?

This is an unusual book but I really enjoyed reading it. It's part murder mystery and part post-apocalyptic science fiction. You have to follow the clues of the murder as you learn more about the world following the fall of mankind. Going into this book, I was more interested in the murder mystery elements than the science fiction. However, I think the world-building was pretty successful. You don't find out everything about life before the fog or what happened in the months that followed. However, you get to know enough about it to create a picture in your head. I think it's very well-written and doesn't fall into the same traps that a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction tends to.

Emory is an interesting protagonist and I think she made an excellent detective. She stands out from the other villagers because of her search for answers. Everyone else blindly follows the Elders, the only three people who remember what life was like before. The villagers take their word for everything and follow every command. All except Emory who doesn't quite trust everything around her. She's such a strong and determined woman. It's wonderful watching her piece everything together and then react to the secrets of the island. Her daughter, Clara, is a great assistant who shows intelligence and the same strength as her mother.

This book does a great job of creating nuanced characters. Something that sounds odd when the majority of them just blindly follow their leaders. This book really explores the complexity of good and evil. It shows how blurred the lines can be and how difficult it is to tell. The more that Emory and Clara learn about life before the fog shows just how different life was. The more they learn about the past, the more they want to try and move away from it. What happens to the balance on the island when they discover the secrets that the Elders have been keeping hidden from the villagers? What will happen to the island when they discover the secrets the Elders have been keeping from each other?

I did really enjoy this story and think the writing is lovely. However, I do have to say that I was left a little disappointed by the ending. Was it satisfactory? Not really. It all seemed quite obvious to me. Of course, that might just be because I read so much crime fiction and can see the signs. Still, I was hoping for something a bit more from this. Especially having spent so long getting to the reveal. As great as the writing was, I did feel like the book was dragging a little as it went along. It's one of those books where the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. Still, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery and/or post-apocalyptic societies. There's a lot to enjoy here.