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A review by leandrathetbrzero
Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It brings me such joy to see this marked as the first in the new Dorothy Gentleman series, because I am already looking forward to Dorothy's next case!
At the opening of this novella, Dorothy awakens in an elevator during a magnetic storm on the HMS Fairweather...in someone else's body. Not to mention, there has been a murder on board this interstellar passenger liner making its way to a new Earth. AND someone has been purposely damaging memory books (literal backups of passengers' minds) in the Library. Are these events connected or separate crimes? It's a good thing that Dorothy happens to be one of the ship's detectives. Thus begins her hunt for answers...
I can definitely see why this sci-fi mystery genre blend was marketed as 'Miss Marple in space'. While Dorothy does share Marple's keen eye for human nature and a love of knitting, I would argue Dorothy is her own character and a modernized spinster sleuth in the best way possible. And I loved following her character's perspective. I also enjoyed the blending of science fiction with mystery, and I found the two intertwined nicely together. The technology, the spaceship setting, and the culture created from people living hundreds of years en route to a new version of Earth...all of it affected the crimes at hand. And I think that makes it a true genre BLEND.
My only complaint is that I wish the book were longer. Understandably, this is a novella, so sacrifices must be made when it comes to development and description. With that said, the ending did feel slightly rushed, and I would have liked more space on the page allocated to developing motive for the culprit. As that was lacking, and we had little time with all suspects, I am hesitant to call this plot a fair play mystery.
A fast-paced, easy-to-read palette cleanser for quozy (queer + cozy) mystery readers!
Actual Rating: 4.0 stars
Original Pub Date: 18 March 2025
Reading Format: ebook
Thank you NetGalley and Tor for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!
At the opening of this novella, Dorothy awakens in an elevator during a magnetic storm on the HMS Fairweather...in someone else's body. Not to mention, there has been a murder on board this interstellar passenger liner making its way to a new Earth. AND someone has been purposely damaging memory books (literal backups of passengers' minds) in the Library. Are these events connected or separate crimes? It's a good thing that Dorothy happens to be one of the ship's detectives. Thus begins her hunt for answers...
I can definitely see why this sci-fi mystery genre blend was marketed as 'Miss Marple in space'. While Dorothy does share Marple's keen eye for human nature and a love of knitting, I would argue Dorothy is her own character and a modernized spinster sleuth in the best way possible. And I loved following her character's perspective. I also enjoyed the blending of science fiction with mystery, and I found the two intertwined nicely together. The technology, the spaceship setting, and the culture created from people living hundreds of years en route to a new version of Earth...all of it affected the crimes at hand. And I think that makes it a true genre BLEND.
My only complaint is that I wish the book were longer. Understandably, this is a novella, so sacrifices must be made when it comes to development and description. With that said, the ending did feel slightly rushed, and I would have liked more space on the page allocated to developing motive for the culprit. As that was lacking, and we had little time with all suspects, I am hesitant to call this plot a fair play mystery.
A fast-paced, easy-to-read palette cleanser for quozy (queer + cozy) mystery readers!
Actual Rating: 4.0 stars
Original Pub Date: 18 March 2025
Reading Format: ebook
Thank you NetGalley and Tor for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!