Sometimes, a book surprises you in the best way. This was one of those. Thanks are due to @bookriot for pointing me to it. This is speculative cozy, which I wouldn't have thought was a thing, but it totally works.

Mossa is a high-ranking investigator in a human colony on one of Jupiter's moons. She is tasked with finding out what happened to an academic who apparently stepped off a travel platform in the outer reaches of the settlement. Was it a suicide, or is there something else going on?

In the course of her investigation, the decidedly neuro-atypical Mossa needs to enlist the help of her ex, Pleiti. Pleiti is a scholar of Earth, part of the study to see if humanity can learn from the best of what it did, in order to avoid the worst, if a return to Earth is possible. She, of course, ends up as Mossa's Watson.

The writing here is beautiful. The cozy mystery structure allows for asking some big questions. Who decides what is worth keeping in an attempt to resurrect an Earth-style world? Who holds power? Mossa and Pleiti drew me in utterly. Pleiti's helpless longing for Mossa is brilliantly conveyed, and you can't help but ache with her.

5 quiet, lovely stars for this well-crafted story. It comes out March 7. Thanks to @netgalley
for the e-arc.

This book was a delightful little read. Set in a future where humanity settled on Jupiter after earth has become inhospitable due to human actions, it follows Mossa(the Holmes analogue) an investigator and Pleiti(the Watson analogue and narrator) who is an academic researching Earth's ecology before it became inhospitable as part of a grand project to one day return to earth. The central mystery involves one of Pleiti's colleague's apparent suicide by jumping off of a remote platform into the depths of the gas giant.

I enjoyed both the characters and their careful interactions around one another, both being unsure about where they stand with each other due to their former relationship. Mossa despite sharing some similarities with Holmes, isn't quite as cold as dismissive, but rather more absorbed with her job and not very vocal about her feelings. Due to this, the resulting relationship is dependent as much on the quiet moments along with any open affection.

The mystery was interesting, though not something the readers can solve by themselves due to the lack of familiarity with the setting and characters outside of Pleiti and Mossa.

The setting is also wonderful in itself, with fascinating depictions of life in Jupiter wrapped in familiar blanket of academia. It's cozy with hints of melancholia etched into it. The setting, how it came to be, and attitudes of it's inhabitants towards it are also deeply intertwined with how the the story plays out.

All in all, a charming and quick read that anyone interested in a cozy and atmospheric mystery or science fiction will enjoy. I look forward to reading further installments in the series.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older is part sci-fi eco story, part mystery, and part romance. Long after Earth's ecosystem has collapsed, humanity lives on concentric rings on the gas planet Giant, with Scholars who study Earth's past in hopes of restoring it. When a man goes missing, an Investigator and her Scholar ex work together to unravel a sinister plot.

I think this book is only somewhat successful, and that's because I spent a lot of time in the first half confused by the physical geography of Giant, which is actually crucial to the plot. I just couldn't picture it in my mind, and when details were mentioned, they distracted me from the plot.

But beyond that, I found this a fascinating view of post-Earth society, an intriguing mystery, and a light second chance romance. I also enjoyed the fact that we aren't viewing the mystery through Investigator Mossa's eyes - instead this is a first person POV from Scholar Pleiti.

I do wish the romance between Mossa and Pleiti had a bit more development. They obviously have a deep history, and I loved the hints throughout the story of Mossa's feelings and insecurities.

Rating: 3.5/5

I loved the setting of this work. Jupiter is such an under-utilized setting in sci-fi which made the setting in this inherently a bit unique and very cool. This was a solid Holmesian mystery--the twists and turns kept me on my toes and guessing. The romance between the two main characters was also well-done and believable. Overall, a really fun setting for a well-plotted mystery--so well done and fleshed out for how short it is. I can't wait for more by this author (maybe even more in this cool world!)

This book promised a cozy Holmesian mystery and sapphic romance set on Jupiter. Which sounds like a tall order, especially for a book this short, but it delivered on every count. The mystery had enough twists and turns to keep the characters (and reader) busy without becoming excessively convoluted, the investigators were sharp detectives possessed of distinct personal foils and an enduring soft spot for one another, and the Jupiter setting was interesting and memorable. Best of all, none of the story's three major elements - the mystery plot, the romance between the characters, or the science fictional setting - dominated the others.

As for the "cozy" descriptor - well, for a mystery novel it's supposed to mean amateur sleuthing with no on-page violence, which wasn't completely accurate. But in any other situation it means tea and scones and heated blankets on blustery days, which not only feature in the story but would make a great accompaniment to it. A great read for a rainy afternoon, or a sunny one.

I loved this! This was a cosy-ish, sci-fi, Holmes-esque murder mystery, with a sweet revisting of the romance the two MC's shared,

As far as the mystery is concerned, there were lots of twists and unexpected moments - and I am always pleasantly surprised when there's a genuine "AHA!" moment at the end. As this is such a short read, I was genuinely taken aback by how much could be fit into so few pages. This did make the pacing feel a little odd in the middle - feeling both rapid at some points and slow at others. While this did leave a few side elements feeling as though they could have been fleshed out more, I've seen indications that this is due to be a series and feel as though that leaves plenty of potential further space for development and more exploration of this world.

Saying that, overall the world building was wonderful for such a short book. This was an imaginative take of life on a Gas Giant, which while described as hostile also managed to invoke thoughts of cosiness and familiarity. There are references to the destruction of Earth which does add a bleak undertone to some points, but this is commentary of climate change I feel is almost required in a story set on a refuge planet.

I adored, and I mean truly adored the character building of the two main characters and the exploration of their relationship. Mossa and Pleiti make an excellent team, and the development of their new relationship felt relaxed, easy and unforced.

I would recommend this to almost anyone. It covers so many different areas of interest and combines my favourite genres into one without feeling like any plot lines are being left by the wayside. If you read the description and you're interested - pick it up! You won't regret it.

4 Stars.

Galley copy received from NetGalley, thanks for the read and I don't believe it has influenced my review.

I'd give this book 3.5, and look forward to the next book in the series - I would expect that one to grow the character more, after the great scene setting in this book.

I liked the world building, although am confused as the building methods in the gas giant atmosphere - are there metal rings going around the entire planet? How much metal would that take?

It's the coziest mystery novel set on a gas giant that I've ever read!

The concept of this book is super unique! I loved the setting of Mars. However, I found the writing a bit off putting? Maybe it was too formal for me, so I couldn’t really connect with the characters. Overall, mixed feeling, but I would still recommend for scifi fans who like a short read! Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

"The Mimicking of Known Successes" was a struggle for me. The writing, particularly the dialogue and romance sections, were stilted and unnatural. The pacing is slow for a sci-fi and cozy mystery story. It was less than two hundred pages, but it felt long.

Based on the description, I expected this book to be one of my favorites of the year. I enjoyed the setting, idea of the platforms, and cli-fi aspects. Other than that, it was a slow plot with stiff, underdeveloped characters.

This really had potential! The style just wasn't my cup of tea. I love a good run-on sentence and/or list as much as the next guy, but it was too much of that for the sake of making a statement rather than saving those particularly long sentences for moments that felt more appropriate. Love the concept, not super in love with the execution.

Argentinean literary critic Ricardo Piglia described, in one of his many essays, his personal theory of short fiction: every plot contains two plots. This is most evident in the detective genre, where the protagonist's tale (the investigation) is about unveiling an earlier tale (the crime). So reading detective fiction (and, according to Piglia, all fiction) is a dual task: to follow the protagonist's thought process is to simultaneously discover the two stories contained in the text.

By that standard, Malka Older's new novella The Mimicking of Known Successes is twice as ambitious as the typical detective mystery. Set in a network of metallic platforms where future humankind clings to survival among the clouds of Jupiter, it presents, instead of two, four stories to unveil: an investigation on the sudden disappearance of a university professor, the scholarly endeavor to reconstruct the last years of life on Earth, a rekindling romance between our detective and an old flame, and the project to bring homo sapiens back to a livable ecosystem. Once put on the page, these four stories become four mysteries that drive the reader's curiosity: What happened to the missing professor? What made humans leave Earth? Why did the two lovers break up years ago? And how can catastrophic historical failures be repaired without causing more damage? Upon reading it, one can intuit that the biggest structural challenge of this book must have been to write it in such a way that pursuing each separate question leads to answers for all the others.

To give proper praise to the way Older weaves these questions around a unifying theme, it's necessary to spoil at least part of the answer. This is a story about the dangers of misplaced nostalgia and the need to learn new forms of compatibility. Here Older resorts to a helpful literary device by which the larger conflict mirrors the inner conflict; that is, the civilizational question about the compatibility between human beings and their environment is explored in parallel with the personal question about the compatibility between the protagonist and her former lover. And for both conflicts the resolution is the same: you need to stop wishing things could return to the way they used to be. A totally new compatibility is possible if you're willing to adapt.

This is the meaning contained in the book's title: there's little to be gained from just repeating what worked before, because when the circumstances no longer allow that outcome, you become stuck. And Older reinforces that theme with her faithful, but not subservient, homage to Sherlock Holmes. The narrative style is clearly inspired by Watson's observations of Holmes's work, but doesn't try to replicate it. The floating colonies built in Jupiter are prone to atmospheric disturbances that make radio waves unreliable. So this is a cold and foggy world of scarves, coats, and cozy fireplaces, where people have to rely on telegrams and travel by railway between isolated structures because there's no solid ground. The result is a book that evokes the flavor of Victorian detective novels, but doesn't share their worldview—a happy synergy of genre, aesthetic and setting.

It is remarkable to find such complexity in so brief a wordcount. Although the plot flows with effortless readability, it rests on an intricate scaffolding that enables all the literary elements to bolster one another's strengths. The intriguing backstory emerges in hints scattered through the blend of colloquial and erudite prose, a sign that this civilization has lost continuity with Earth culture; the first-person narrator laments the impossibility of pairing recovered accounts of life on Earth with their physical referents; the core argument about the pitfalls of yearning for a lost past resonates with the narrator's characterization, the villain's masterplan, and the contemporary reader's circumstances. Like the platforms linked by railways, all the parts of the story are meticulously interconnected. The Mimicking of Known Successes is not only a potent environmental and political parable, but a major achievement in storytelling technique.



Nerd Coefficient: 9/10.

The Mimicking of Known Successes is a sapphic sci-fi murder mystery set on Jupiter with a bit of Western flair. The two main characters are women with a similar vibe to Sherlock and Watson, but with more overt romantic tension and neurodivergence. The writing style took me a bit to get into, but I ended up quite enjoying this.

The world-building is pretty cool- how might a human colony on a gas planet like Jupiter function? Well, everything is built suspended in the air and the weather patterns are specific to the gas giant. At the same time, this is a rather cozy story with investigator Mossa and academic Pleiti investigating a mysterious death and its connections to the university. I won't spoil anything but I am pleased to see this is intended to be the start of a series. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I was initially drawn to this book based on the premise (sapphic detectives in space?? investigating a crime at a zoo?? incredible) and I wish the writing had followed through. I was most excited for the dynamic between the two main characters, but I felt that the connection between them was told to me rather than shown, and Mossa's characterization especially felt inconsistent. The plot never really seemed to reach a compelling level, and I simply wasn't invested, which is a shame. The world-building definitely had potential, and I think the author could have had more fun with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book sold me on its conceit, and I think that is it. I adored the general world-building, especially the concept of utilising Jupiter's rings as a way to settle the planet after the ecological collapse on Earth. I also really enjoyed the conversations on re-inhabiting Earth, and the philosophy and ethics involved.

However, I feel the narrative choices undermine a story that could become really interesting. I realise the book is written as a sort of homage to the original detective story, especially Sherlock Holmes, but I can't help but be struck by how the technological future of humanity and 19th-century language doesn't mix well, how unrealistic it feels, and as a result, how it makes the narrative harder to access.

As an extension of the writing style itself, I find who the point of view character is, is somewhat flawed as well. Pleiti is the Dr Watson to Mossa's Sherlock Holmes, but I'm not sold on their relationship, and as consequence, instead of working as a framing device, it ends up keeping the reader at arms-length - hindering any real engagement with the narrative. The framing device ends up feeling ineffective and left me feeling like I was engaging with the story behind a sound-proof glass. It became tiresome after a while, especially because the time that should be spent dedicated to the mystery and investigation (if you're emulating a Sherlock Holmes novel), instead was spent on Pleiti's feelings towards and thoughts on Mossa, and her resulting spiralling.

This book was one of my most anticipated releases for 2023, and I can't help but feel a little disappointed it didn't live up to its potential for me.

Malka Older's new book is a delightful combination of science fiction and mystery. The narrator, Pleiti, is sort of a Dr Watson to the investigator Mossa's updating of Sherlock Holmes. Pleiti and Mossa used to be a romantic (lesbian) couple, but they broke up a good while ago. Pleiti is now a professor, while Mossa is a detective, who calls on Pleiti's help with her latest case. What seems to be either a murder or a suicide turns out to be a conspiracy that may (literally) have world-shattering consequences.

Which brings me to the science-fiction aspect of the book. We are hundreds of years in the future; human beings have so hideously destroyed their native ecosystems as to have rendered Earth uninhabitable, not only for human beings but for nearly all forms of life. In a throwaway, we are told that human beings also tried colonizing Mars, but ruined everything there as well (so much for fools like Elon Musk). Now human beings are reduced to living exclusively (and relatively precariously) on orbiting platforms that surround the planet Jupiter (presumably; the planet itself is only referred to within the novel as Giant; it is a gas giant with lots of moons). As predominantly a science fiction reader, I was especially drawn to Older's world-building, which is superb -- both detailed, and thoughtful and convincing in how it is set up.

The lifestyle of human beings on their orbital platforms is not entirely penurious, but it is not particularly luxurious either. At the university where she is a professor, Pleiti is one of many researchers concerned with finding out as much about Earth's pre-disaster ecosystem as possible, in order to allow it to be re-established at some future point, so that human beings could move back there. Widespread genetic libraries have been preserved, and various animals and plant have been brought back into existence.

But in the meantime -- and it is a meantime that has already lasted for hundreds of years -- human beings are confined to the platforms. Their lifestyle there is not particularly high-tech; in many respects it seems rather Victorian. The platforms are filtered and heated, but not entirely closed off from the environment of the planet; remember that gas giants have fuzzy boundaries, with gaseous envelopes that extend quite far out. The people have sufficient oxygen to breathe, but they are not entirely shielded from the planet's gases, and the storms that roll through them. There is also a strong sense of finitude, of limited space (something that we do not particularly feel on Earth, which is one reason we have been so recklessly destroying it).

I am trying to say this in a way that avoids spoilers, but by the end of the novel the crime plot and the world-building come together in a very satisfying way. Mossa an Pleiti must face the question of what blend of reparation and innovation is possible, if human beings are to have a less constrained future. We have to work on the basis of what functioned well in the past, but the novel also suggests that "the mimicking of known successes" may be too cautious and conservative a way to proceed. You can't really go home again, and no precise replication of the past is possible.

The novel, therefore, gives us the pleasing combination of a crime discovered, and a relationship tentatively repaired or restored; but at the same time, it remains philosophically open, because it does not resolve the ecological crisis with which we are actually faced in the present, and which has been utterly ruinous by the time of the novel's future. In giving us a retrospective look at a catastrophe that is still in our future (and hopefully still capable of being mitigated), the novel does what science fiction at its best always does: it displaces temporality in such a way that we get a new perspective on actual technical and social problems, and at the same time presents its situation in ways that are reflected in particular characters, and hence remains experientially graspable, in ways that more scientific or social-scientific discourses all too often are not.

While I did not remember what this book was about by the time I got around to reading it, I can see why I requested this. It is described as 'a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance.' That premise did call out to me, though in the end, I can't say that I was invested in it. The story was fine, but because of the short length, there was a lot of context or narrative missing that I needed.

For example, it is already known that this is a sapphic romance, but we don't get to know Mossa and Pleiti enough, both as individuals and as a couple, so I didn't end up caring about them. I also wished that the sci-fi elements were a little less subtle. They are there, undoubtedly, but not as complex as I would have liked.

Overall, the story was fine, but not really memorable and I know that I probably won't be reaching for the next installment. This just wasn't for me though, but I can see this appealing to fans of maybe Becky Chambers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor, for giving me the opportunity to review this in advance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early! As always, I am such a fan of tordotcom’s novellas, and Mimicking of Known Successes did not disappoint! In a tight 176 pages, this book fits in not only a rousing mystery and adventure, but a second chance romance as well. And it does it with grace and without forcing it. Each of the characters were complex and watching their character development, especially as romance blossomed once more, was wonderful. In addition, setting the mystery on another planet years in humanity’s future sheds additional light on how humanity got there in the first place and served as a commentary for how we live now.
I know that I will keep my eye on Older’s works from now on!

This story was such a delight! It’s the queer, sci-fi, Sherlockian cozy mystery I didn’t know I needed. I really enjoyed how the two main characters’ personalities and quirks were slowly revealed as they investigated the mystery. The tension between them made it clear they had a last, and I really wanted them to address it. I loved the bits about the planet they were on and how they were trying to figure out how to heal and repopulate earth. I couldn’t stop reading this, and I can’t wait to read more books in this series.

A theory I’ve long held is that if you put the words “in space” after anything, it instantly becomes cooler. Try it. You’ll see that it works. But if you don’t believe me, then you can add The Mimicking of Known Successes to the list of evidence that supports this theory. This excellent novella is Malka Older’s take on “Sherlock Holmes in space,” and it‘s the coolest, most refreshing adaptation of a Holmesian mystery I’ve come across in absolutely ages.

The setting: Jupiter. The mystery: It’s up to Investigator Mossa to solve the disappearance of a man who seemingly jumped to his death from one of the many platforms which cover the planet.

Mossa makes a noble Sherlock. Cerebral, detached, focussed. She steps into the role of ‘deductive genius’ admirably. But it’s Pleiti, the Doctor Watson of this tale, who really shines.

Pleiti is vulnerable, relatable, capable, and always ready with a pot of tea just when it’s needed. She’s an academic, stagnating in the perpetual fog of Jupiter as she tries to determine the best ways to revive a dead Earth. She also happens to be Investigator Mossa’s ex. Their reuniting after years apart adds an extra dimension to the whole case, and the two of them together are every bit as dynamic as the classic pairing of Holmes and Watson.

In fact, ‘classic’ feels like the most appropriate word for this novella. It’s written in a style that could happily sit alongside a collection from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Intricate sentences laced with exquisite phrasing capture the charm and invention of the golden era. However, it doesn’t revert backwards in its scope or relevance, and it doesn’t shy away from issues we’re facing as a society right now. It’s cutting edge, and life on Jupiter has rarely been painted so clearly. The story succeeds as a rejuvenation of classic sensibilities that feel authentic, but also modern, in all the right ways. It’s familiar, comforting, and addictive to read. You’ll be hard-pressed not to devour it in one sitting.

As far as mysteries go, it’s a satisfying one. It easily rivals any detective book out there. The solution is concealed so cleverly that it’ll keep you guessing right up until the climax, but then seems obvious once revealed. It boasts plenty of those “of course” moments which almost make you picture Malka Older adjusting her deer stalker and saying “elementary, my dear reader” as she was writing it.

The pacing of the story feels natural, with no twists or character moments coming over as forced. It lingers on the world-building just enough to provide a staggering picture of Jupiter, but not so long that the story drags. The dialogue is snappy and fun. There’s a playfulness about the whole atmosphere of the book that’s joyful to read. Every page put a smile on my face, and it felt like a tonic to the dread and drudgery that so often accompanies a good mystery these days.

The novella is the perfect length for this likeable, finely balanced tale, which even manages to sneak in enough speculative elements to keep you thinking about it long after the final page. This isn’t a reinvention of Sherlock Holmes. Nor is it an homage. It’s a story with its own unique flavour, made from ingredients that you know you like. If Holmes and Watson style mysteries are a known success, then this is not a mimicking. It’s a revitalisation. And it’s absolutely glorious.

Oh, and it also happens to be in space. How cool is that!

Rating: Meh, 2 stars

This was a DNF at 56%, unfortunately

I thought this sounded perfect! A cozy mystery in space. Unfortunately I just could not get behind the writing style. Usually writing style doesn't bother me, but there were a couple things that didn't work for me.

The main thing was that this felt like it was written with everything being held at a distance, despite being first person. I felt like I didn't care about the characters at all because they were written with such emotional distance. Which is a shame because I think they were meant to be charming.

The other thing was the language and the way that the sentences were crafted. It felt like it was supposed to be evocative of a more classic style, but it just felt overwritten and slightly pretentious. There were unnecessarily obscure words for pretty common adjectives that just irritated me because I didn't have the characters to fall back on.

I am sad about this because I like the world, I like the concept, and I'm intrigued by the mystery. Unfortunately that's just not enough for me to keep going. I have read right around 100 pages, and it has taken me a week and a half to get that far, and I am avoiding picking it up. So all those things are pretty telling that this book is not for me.