Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite Narrator: Blair Baker
Series: Dorothy Gentleman #1
Published by Macmillan Audio on March 18, 2025
Source: Library
Genres: Mystery, Science Fiction
Length: 2 hrs 21 mins
Pages: 103
Format: Audiobook
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Becky Chambers meets Miss Marple in this sci-fi ode to the cozy mystery, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.
A mind is a terrible thing to erase...
Welcome to the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty's most luxurious interstellar passenger liner! Room and board are included, new bodies are graciously provided upon request, and should you desire a rest between lifetimes, your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the Library, shielded from every danger.
Near the topmost deck of an interstellar generation ship, Dorothy Gentleman wakes up in a body that isn't hers—just as someone else is found murdered. As one of the ship's detectives, Dorothy usually delights in unraveling the schemes on board the Fairweather, but when she finds that someone is not only killing bodies but purposefully deleting minds from the Library, she realizes something even more sinister is afoot.
Dorothy suspects her misfortune is partly the fault of her feckless nephew Ruthie who, despite his brilliance as a programmer, leaves chaos in his cheerful wake. Or perhaps the sultry yarn store proprietor—and ex-girlfriend of the body Dorothy is currently inhabiting—knows more than she's letting on. Whatever it is, Dorothy intends to solve this case. Because someone has done the impossible and found a way to make murder on the Fairweather a very permanent state indeed. A mastermind may be at work—and if so, they've had three hundred years to perfect their schemes...
Murder by Memory is trying to be Miss Marple but as a professional detective in space. While it doesn’t quite deliver on that promise, it is enjoyable. I wish the story was a little longer. At only 100 pages, we get to know the world and the characters, but not as well as I would like. Dorothy Gentleman is a good character and I found the way the generational shipped worked interesting. The sci fi is pretty light, not heavy on technical jargon. The mystery was well done and I appreciate that it tied into the science fiction aspects of the book.
About Olivia Waite
Olivia Waite writes queer historical romance, fantasy, science fiction, and essays. She is the romance fiction columnist for the New York Times Book Review. Her work has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, and the Washington State Book Award.
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