Oh, I LOVED this and need a whole series stat. I want to learn so much more about the HMS Fairweather, and all 10000 humans who have had 300 years together, starting over and over in new bodies. I neeeeeeeed more.

This should have been a full fledged book, I'd have happily spent time on that. This felt like a quick rushed writing sprint than anything else.

I received an advance copy of this novella via NetGalley.

Murder by Memory is a staunchly science fiction mystery; by that, I mean this is definitely for SF readers, as it has a twisty-turny plot that might lose trad mystery readers.

The HMS Fairweather is ship on a thousand-year journey to a new world. People’s essences are stored in a Library, and when their bodies wear out, they can be restored… usually. So when ship detective Dorothy Gentleman awakens in someone else’s body, she knows something went very wrong.

The mystery is fascinating and fast to read, the technology unique and fascinating. The end delivers twists I never would have seen coming. That said, I was left wondering about a significant aspect of humanity: faith, either in familiar Earth forms or in something new aligning with a shifted view on souls and eternity.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novella that is a mix of science fiction and mystery, with a bit of family drama.

For the longest time when I started reading books I was strictly a genre person. Mystery, fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, horror, the only regular fiction I read was what was assigned in school. Unless there was swords, lasers, detectives, knights or spies, I was uninterested. Gradually my taste changed, but it took a long while. My biggest joy was finding books that mixed my taste in stories. Science fiction with a bit of mystery, or mystery with a bit of science fiction. Two great tastes that go great together was my feeling. I guess I was not alone in liking this treat. Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite mixes a bit of classic mystery, family strife, love gone wrong, knitting, and a lot of future science.

Dorothy Gentlemen is used to being awoken to help solve a crime, but being awoken in a different body, younger than the one she remembered was a surprise. Also the fact that her computer Dorothy was used to talking to sounded almost drunk, and confused. Dorothy is a shipboard detective on the HMS Fairweather, the most splendid interstellar liner in the galaxy. The Fairweather has been in space for 307 years, and Dorothy has been very good at solving crimes that always arise when humans are close to each other, even on a luxury ship like the Fairweather. Magnetic storms have interfered with the ship's computer, leading to computer problems, and even worse problems, leading to Dorothy being returned from sleep in a new body. A new body that might have something to do with a body in a stateroom. And one that might lead to a lot of other crimes, some of them repeated over and over.

The story is short, but sets up the world quite well, a interstellar ship, but leaves a lot of mysteries for further stories. I do hope there are more for this was a very well plotted tale, with interesting ideas, and even better interesting characters. The book is a little Philip K. Dick mixed with Miss Marple. And of bit of Ann Rule serial killing. There is a lot to the science of how the passengers exist on the ship, including a library that stores the thoughts and memories of people, allowing them to live long lives. Even if they are murdered, they can be rebooted and placed in new bodies. The characters are different, and one would like to learn more about them. Again I hope there is more stories I like the idea, and want to know more. I look forward to reading more in this series and more by Olivia Waite.

This was a cozy sci-fi murder mystery with a protagonist who loves to knit. The whole concept of memories and being reborn was fascinating and I love the queer representation here. I do wish it was a bit longer. The mystery felt a little underwhelming to me but overall I enjoyed it.

Dorothy wakes up in a body that is not hers. The waking up is not unusual, she is a passenger on a space ship on a centuries long voyage, but normally people wake up in a newer version of their old body. People’s memories are kept downloaded in their “book” kept in the ships library and when one dies the memories are downloaded into a new version of that person’s body. But Dorothy was not ready to wake up, much less in someone else’s body, but she is a ship’s detective and there has been both a murder and, worse, books in the library have been destroyed so the dead woman cannot be revived. Dorothy must solve the murder while her nephew figures out how to keep more “book” from being destroyed in the future.
This is a really quick read - Kindle says a bit over an hour - so more than a short story but not quite a novella. The premise is interesting. A space ship from earth on its way to somewhere on a voyage already into its third century. Rather than people in cryo sleep a method of preserving memories and then reinstalling them into a new (cloned?) body when the old one wears out is standard, basically no one really dies. With more or less ten thousand residents the ship is a thriving civilization and the characters we do meet, Dorothy, her nephew Ruthie and his boyfriend/partner John, are all interesting people we want to know more about.
I really liked the whole premise of this story and fervently hope we will see more of Dorothy and the other passengers. Recommended

4.5 Stars

This was so much fun to read. Just a really great sci-fi mystery condensed into this little bite-sized package! It’s like the novella version of an amuse-bouche. Just enough to give you a little taste of the ecosystem on this generation ship, the new norms that come with this technology, and what we might be able to expect if this story expands into a series—which I really hope it does!

I would definitely classify this as a “cozy mystery,” in the sense that it’s somewhat lower stakes. It’s not very action-forward. It doesn’t have that sort of thriller intensity that you might expect from a traditional detective story. And that’s totally fine, because that’s not what the story is trying to be. There is still a central mystery. Dorothy is still gradually uncovering clues and finding different pieces of the puzzle to help solve the case. But there’s really not a sense of danger driving the story so much as a moral urgency to help protect the other passengers aboard this generation ship.

Again, I really enjoyed this overall. Dorothy kind of discovers a love interest/potential Watson to her Sherlock towards the end, which is what makes me hope that this will expand into a series. If you know how I feel about the Mossa & Pleiti series, you know I love some sapphic sleuths in space. So I hope this is not the last we see of Dorothy Gentleman!

Murder by Memory is a cozy mystery novella by Oliva Waite set on a generation spaceship. Unfortunately, despite the intriguing setting, this didn’t connect with me for a number of reasons: the brevity of the novella form seemed to work against the story, neither the mystery nor the solving of it was particularly compelling, and the novel was both a bit overly expository and too twee for me.

The HMS Fairweather has been journey through space for 300 years, carrying thousands of passengers whose minds are stored in the ship’s Library so when their bodies wear out or are damaged, their minds can simply be downloaded into a new body. Meanwhile, passengers are free to ply their trades, amass wealth, partake in their favorite hobbies, and down “memory cocktails” that can call up a summer storm or other such memory experiences. It’s all pretty idyllic. Until ship detective Dorothy Gentleman, who has been resting in the Library, wakes up in the body of one of the passengers and is informed by the slightly tipsy (due to a magnetic storm) Ship mind that there is a dead body. Even worse, through her investigation, Dorothy learns that several minds have been destroyed in the library, meaning murder has now become permanent.

As I said above, much of this story didn’t work for me. The brevity of the novella form didn't do the tale any favors as there simply wasn’t room to do much with the various aspects: the purpose of the generation ship or how it’s run, the characterization, the investigation and resolution of the murder.

As far as the ship goes, there’s little sense of the day-to-day existence, of the way being en route for centuries have affected people, why they left or where they’re going, how the ship is organized. What details we do get over-emphasized (for me) the “cozy” nature, with lots of time — relative the length — spent on yarn, clothes, tea, cocktails, etc. And the Ship mind’s intoxication was a bit too cutesy, though luckily, we didn’t spend too much time in that mode.

The murder itself, despite the loss of minds, never feels like the stakes are all that high, partly due to the tone throughout, partly due to the motivation, and partly due to the nature of the crime itself. Its resolution involves very little actual investigation and what we do get is very straightforward and expository, with characters telling other characters what’s needed or our first-person POV just telling us. And it all gets bogged down in finance and business details.

Finally, the characterization is thin throughout. Our main character lacks any strong sense of depth. There are a few hints of some potentially interesting backstory, but those get scant mention, and the “romance” angle brought in feels unearned, the sort of “insta-romance” I’m never a fan of. It just didn’t feel natural or true. Other characters fare even worse, serving their plot purpose but that’s about it.

Murder by Memory is pegged as the first of a potential series set on the ship and with the same detective character at the center. If you’re a huge cozy fan, you might have a more positive reaction, but unfortunately, I didn’t find enough here to convince me to read a second book in the series.

Loved this!! Even if it doesn’t seem like it’ll be up your alley, give it a try!! You’ll be pleasantly surprised :)

This was a cute, short, and fun read. A lovely mix of a mystery, but in a sci-fi setting. I read the whole thing in two sittings, but it still told a full and complete story. A nice cozy sci-fi story!

If you like this book you will like Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

Loved the idea of a cozy murder mystery set in space. That said, this one never quite came together for me. All of the parts were there, but they never quite gelled. There was an awful lot of worldbuilding for such a short novella, and while I enjoyed what we learned, I wanted more. The extra worldbuilding came at the expense of character development, and I felt like I didn't know many of our main players. The mystery had a satisfying conclusion for me (even if I didn't understand some of the money stuff, the economics were one part of the world that didn't get enough of an explanation for me). Overall, a solid 3 star book. I would recommend this to the correct reader, though I have to admit that I'm not sure who the correct reader is for this one.

Loved Waite's romance books and would be interested in reading more if she writes more in this world, though.

Delightful and intriguing! MURDER BY MEMORY is a cozy sci-fi murder mystery helmed by a no-nonsense sapphic detective. I loved the massive spaceship-holding-the-future-of-humanity setting and the breadth and constraints of the world that Waite starts building in this novella. Excited to read future books in the series! Thanks Tordotcom for the advanced copy.

This novella clearly works for a lot of readers, and I'm sure I'll find the right folks to recommend it to. For me, it was an interesting concept, but didn't give me quite enough context about the setting, the protagonist, or the mystery to really feel engaged.

This is a super adorable cozy mystery with a fun science fiction twist! Murder by Memory is a fun read and a fresh idea from Olivia Waite

A short but quick murder mystery novella, Murder by Memory is an exciting Science Fiction read. I liked how the idea of downloading consciousness into a body like a computer USB drive was utilized in this book. It made for an interesting approach to a murder mystery, especially when the body that the detective is operating is a suspect as well! A perfect weekend read all around. A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy murder mysteries with a sci-fi twist!

Murder by Memory was a quick and fun read, navigating the cozy mystery taking place aboard a royal passenger liner. Dorothy (main character) is a delightful narrator and detective, helping us navigate the twisty turns that the mystery takes as she seeks to figure out what exactly is going on. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a 10-chapter SF noir mystery with a tiny little budding romance subplot, and I loved every bit of it.

Dorothy is a detective on a sentient spaceship. Immortality has been achieved, as the residents of the ship can record their memories in "books" and are reborn after their deaths in new, healthy bodies. Except that as this book takes place, Dorothy has just been reborn in someone else's body - someone whose memory book has been erased, and who can no longer be reborn. Dorothy does what she does best and investigates the crime, meeting the victim's friends and colleagues, discovering clues and reestablishing her own relationships, and even encountering the femme fatale to her noir PI.

I loved the melding of noir detective novel and SF tropes! Even though this was short form fiction, every word was perfectly chosen and the ending was very satisfying. I'd love to read another book set on the ship ... perhaps a series of detective stories featuring Dorothy? This was great.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Waite's cozy, queer scifi mystery completely delivers on the Becky Chambers and the senior amateur sleuth vibes. The mystery is set on a fascinating ship. which is on a centuries-long interstellar voyage, where passengers' consciousness can be downloaded into fresh bodies whenever is needed. Our ship detective, Dorothy Gentleman, finds herself in a body that is most definitely not her own and awakes to investigate a murder that is mysterious connected to the body she is inhabiting. I found the scifi setting to be accessible and incredibly intriguing. The mystery is intricate and kept the pages turning. I also love that Waite's world is queer normative without making it a big deal. Dorothy is a delight as an investigator, and traveling the space lanes along beside her and laughing at her witty, wry humor is a blast. I can't wait to solve more mysteries along with her in this series.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Tor/Macmillan for an advanced reader's copy of the book.

Free ARC provided by Tor Publishing Group via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publishing March 18th, 2025.

I've been aware of Olivia Waite's sapphic historicals for a while now, but never quite got around to reading them. I was intrigued to see that her next novella was set to be a SF space mystery. In Murder by Memory, Dorothy Gentleman is a ship's detective for a generation ship on a thousand year voyage. She wakes when her memories are unexpectedly downloaded into the wrong body--a body that seems to be curiously entangled in a murder that's just been committed...

Murder by Memory strongly reminded me of Lafferty's Six Wakes by way of PG Wodehouse. It felt like a murder mystery starring one of the aunts from the Jeeves and Wooster books through Dorothy Gentleman's observations of her troublesome nephew Ruthie and his butleresque boyfriend John. Which is not to say that Dorothy isn't very much her own person and the star of the show, with her no-nonsense sensibility, her love of knitting, and her strong somatic memories of being an old and disabled lady not so long ago.

The mystery itself, concerning an unconvincing body and an attempt to erase people's memory from storage, is satisfyingly twisty. Due to the limited space of a novella, it's perhaps resolved a bit too quickly and easily, but hyper-competent detectives are fairly standard for the genre. It's clear that this is meant to be a series of novellas about Dorothy's exploits, including an ongoing sapphic romance that's just barely set up here, and I for one look forward to reading them.

A sharp and snappy mystery novella with a compelling protagonist set on a sentient AI generation ship. I very much look forward to the sequel, and I'll probably check out Waite's backlist as well.

I'm not usually one for comps but this one has some great ones: mix Mimicking of Known Success, Blighted Stars, and A Memory Called Empire, notch up the fun and add some cozy, and you have Murder by Memory. This is an excellent SF novella and cozy murder mystery.

Olivia Waite is known for her sapphic historical romances, but this is now my favorite of her books. She gives us just enough worldbuilding to familiarize us with her world, but not so much to bog down the 112 or so pages. Dorothy is a detective on a generations ship of ten thousand. At roughly year 300, they've each lived so many lives in recycled bodies but with memories preserved. Dorothy is awakened by the ship, in a body not one of her usual choosing, and she's ready to investigate a death. In the process, she uncovers something that runs much much deeper.

This book is successful because Waite pays attention to the right level of detail at the right time throughout the narrative, delivering an incredibly well balanced novella. We get some reflection on human nature along the way, too. I would like 15 more of these please!