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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun murder mystery with some interesting takes on what current tech & societal trends could become in the future.
A murder mystery set on a luxury space cruiser in the future. I loved this. I liked the two main characters and their relationship with each other, and there is a dog who is amazing. The integration of technology and traditional mystery solving was really well done.
Update 7.6.23: SHOCKED to see that this somehow nabbed a Hugo nom. I can only imagine Mary Robinette Kowal's name and the gorgeous cover are carrying it far beyond the merit of the actual text.
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2.5. As a retro-futuristic jaunt in space, this is fun. As a murder mystery, it's mediocre to poor. And as a Mary Robinette Kowal novel, it's a disappointment.
First and foremost, the plot is overburdened with WAY too much going on. There are too many characters, too many red herrings, too many clues, and too many loose ends that are not revisited or tied back in. Nothing is connected or answered until about the last 10% of the novel. Up until that point, questions and potential clues just keep piling up to a ridiculous degree with no payoff, which gets frustrating; there's a reason the typical murder mystery formula usually introduces a major discovery, subversion, or false answer around the 50%-75% mark of the story. In the end, a series of shocking and convenient revelations that mostly come out of nowhere explain how the murder was possible.
I appreciate that this is by a Jewish author and features prominent disability rep. However, this vision of the future, where billionaires still exist but everyone has funky hair and introduces themselves with their pronouns, is well-intentioned but... corny. The unfortunately (or astutely?) named main character, Tesla, is an unbearable woman who constantly takes advantage of her insane privilege to make life difficult for everyone around her and pats herself on the back for tipping servers well. I really tried to just roll with it and get lost in the fantasy of having the resources to take action when you're treated unfairly, but I couldn't bring myself to be on her side even when she was wronged. Tesla has the best lawyer in the universe and she's going to sue everyone. Tesla would like to speak to a manager. Tesla is filing a complaint that her accommodations while under investigation for a murder are not of equal or greater value to the accommodations she paid for. Maybe Tesla should have been the first murder victim.
The best I can say for this is that it was fun, good-hearted, and relatively light. Just don't get too bogged down in the details, because most of them don't matter anyways.
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2.5. As a retro-futuristic jaunt in space, this is fun. As a murder mystery, it's mediocre to poor. And as a Mary Robinette Kowal novel, it's a disappointment.
First and foremost, the plot is overburdened with WAY too much going on. There are too many characters, too many red herrings, too many clues, and too many loose ends that are not revisited or tied back in. Nothing is connected or answered until about the last 10% of the novel. Up until that point, questions and potential clues just keep piling up to a ridiculous degree with no payoff, which gets frustrating; there's a reason the typical murder mystery formula usually introduces a major discovery, subversion, or false answer around the 50%-75% mark of the story. In the end, a series of shocking and convenient revelations that mostly come out of nowhere explain how the murder was possible.
I appreciate that this is by a Jewish author and features prominent disability rep. However, this vision of the future, where billionaires still exist but everyone has funky hair and introduces themselves with their pronouns, is well-intentioned but... corny. The unfortunately (or astutely?) named main character, Tesla, is an unbearable woman who constantly takes advantage of her insane privilege to make life difficult for everyone around her and pats herself on the back for tipping servers well. I really tried to just roll with it and get lost in the fantasy of having the resources to take action when you're treated unfairly, but I couldn't bring myself to be on her side even when she was wronged. Tesla has the best lawyer in the universe and she's going to sue everyone. Tesla would like to speak to a manager. Tesla is filing a complaint that her accommodations while under investigation for a murder are not of equal or greater value to the accommodations she paid for. Maybe Tesla should have been the first murder victim.
The best I can say for this is that it was fun, good-hearted, and relatively light. Just don't get too bogged down in the details, because most of them don't matter anyways.
[3.5 stars rounded up]
This was a lot of fun! I love The Thin Man movies, so hearing this was a take on that series and Nick and Nora sold me pretty much instantly--plus I love a good closed circle mystery.
I thought the blend of science and mystery worked well here, though sometimes the future language reminded me a bit of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. I kept waiting for a good zetus lapetus.
I think what will really make or break this book for readers is how well they get along with the main character. I loved the fact that she was disabled and had a service dog for her PTSD. I thought that was handled well. I also liked the relationship between her and her new husband, though do wish we got to see a bit more of them interacting with each other to really believe in their relationship. It didn't really feel like Shal had much of a personality outside of being Tesla's husband and a retired detective. Also, her constant back and forth over her privilege got to me a little bit and did take me out of the story.
My favorite character, though, was her lawyer. Fantine was hilarious.
In all, the book definitely had some repetitive moments that could have just been cut out to make for a more trim story. It felt about 50 pages too long.
Overall, a fun space mystery! I hope this becomes a series, because I would definitely be interested in seeing these characters (mostly Gimlet, tbh) again.
This was a lot of fun! I love The Thin Man movies, so hearing this was a take on that series and Nick and Nora sold me pretty much instantly--plus I love a good closed circle mystery.
I thought the blend of science and mystery worked well here, though sometimes the future language reminded me a bit of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. I kept waiting for a good zetus lapetus.
I think what will really make or break this book for readers is how well they get along with the main character. I loved the fact that she was disabled and had a service dog for her PTSD. I thought that was handled well. I also liked the relationship between her and her new husband, though do wish we got to see a bit more of them interacting with each other to really believe in their relationship. It didn't really feel like Shal had much of a personality outside of being Tesla's husband and a retired detective. Also, her constant back and forth over her privilege got to me a little bit and did take me out of the story.
My favorite character, though, was her lawyer. Fantine was hilarious.
In all, the book definitely had some repetitive moments that could have just been cut out to make for a more trim story. It felt about 50 pages too long.
Overall, a fun space mystery! I hope this becomes a series, because I would definitely be interested in seeing these characters (mostly Gimlet, tbh) again.
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had such a good time reading this 💜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Chronic illness, Violence, Murder
Minor: Kidnapping
How was this a Hugo nominee? I'm appalled. I couldn't make myself finish it. The dialogue is awful. It reads like a trashy romance novel except with random bits of futuristic science thrown in.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a sci-fi mystery on a cruise ship headed to Mars. I loved the little touches that make this feel based in reality, like an increased time lag for phone calls as they get farther from Earth and variable gravity depending on where in the ship they are.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes