Murder by Memory
by Olivia Waite
DETAILS: Series: Dorothy Gentleman, #1 Publisher: Tordotcom Publication Date: March 18, 2025 Format: Hardcover Length: 100 pg. Read Date: March 26, 2026
What’s Murder by Memory About?
Dorothy Gentleman is a ship’s detective on a ship called Fairweather on a centuries-long voyage. After one of her lives ended, Dorothy asked not to be put into a new body, but for her data/personality to stay “on the shelf” for a bit. But she finds herself awakened in someone else’s body.
A security protocol revived her and put her in the nearest body in order to investigate a murder.
Dorothy sets out on a series of conversations/interviews over several cups of tea, to not only find out who the murderer was (that was actually pretty easy), but why the murder happened (that’s the tricky bit in this case).
Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?
I grabbed this from the library because I saw something about the sequel, Nobody’s Baby, and that sounded great. But I have developed an allergy to reading series out of order.
I kept at it because of the narrator’s voice, I was curious about the world, and it moved so fast that I really didn’t have a chance to think about dropping it (I wouldn’t have, I should stress, but I didn’t have the time).
What does this book tell us about humanity?
There’s a good deal to question about if who a person is can be reduced to software that can be uploaded and downloaded. This book isn’t the place for that—but I can’t help thinking of other books that made me ask the same question. This is sort of the sanitized version of Altered Carbon in that way—you just have to accept it unquestionably, or the book doesn’t work.
There’s a lot about grief, loss, inevitability of aging, and what betrayal and (a twisted version?) of love can drive a person to, here as well. But again, it feels like trying to dig deeper than this novella invites you to in order to ask this. It really just seems like it wants you to kick back and enjoy the ride uncritically. Just to have some fun.
And that’s 100% okay. It’s even welcome. It just makes finding something to write about difficult, you know?
So, what did I think about Murder by Memory?
The balance between worldbuilding, character, and the mystery seems off. Worldbuilding and explaining that world takes an inordinate amount of space. However…that’s not true; it’s key for this particular mystery to have the worldbuilding (the tech, the social structure, and behavior of the ship) explained.
I do think that the characters get swallowed up a bit in everything, and could be better fleshed out. The mystery itself was…fine, but your investment in the investigation hinges on learning about the ship and the technology behind the transfer of consciousness from one body to another.
That was enough for me—and enough for me to suggest that you give this a shot—but I hope for better in the next book.
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Krysta
I just finished this one! I think the world is intriguing, but the mystery is a bit weak. The narrator seems to lay it out pretty much step-by-step. There aren’t really multiple suspects or any red herrings.
HCNewton
Really hoping this is just to kick off the series and that book 2 is more satisfying on that front.
If not, I’ll cut bait on this series.