Novella Review: Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery

Series: Book 1 of Dorothy Gentleman

Publisher: Tordotcom (March 18, 2025)

Length: 325 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I’d never read Olivia Waite before, but apparently she’s known for her romance writing. In Murder by Memory, she’s managed to successfully blend elements of a love story with a cozy mystery set on a generation ship—not genres you often see thrown together in the same mix. Still, while tackling it in novella form may have made this one a quick read, I think the shorter length probably hobbled its potential.

The story kicks off when Dorothy Gentleman, detective on starship H.M.S. Fairweather, wakes up unexpectedly in the middle of their centuries-long journey. In addition to thousands of passengers, the vessel is also carrying a vast digital archive, the “Library”, where their memories have been uploaded and stored in “books.” These books can be updated at any time, ready to be downloaded into a person’s new body that is provided once their old one dies.

When Dorothy awakens, however, she had not expected to be downloaded into a new body so soon, for she had chosen to shelve her memories for a few years. Not only that, but the new body she finds herself in is not her own, but a stranger’s named Gloria. The ship’s A.I. informs our protagonist that there has been a death on the ship, and someone has also been deleting memory archives from the Library. Along with the unusual circumstances she now finds herself in, these incidents are more than likely connected. To solve the murder and figure out why her memory book was erased—which has resulted her being in the wrong body—Dorothy must step into her detective shoes and investigate, using her skills and the element of surprise to her advantage.

Without a doubt, the greatest strength in Murder by Memory is the world-building. While the concept of effective immortality by uploading the consciousness and downloading it into new bodies isn’t new, I have never seen it used in a cozy setting like this. In fact, the stories I’ve read that are set on generation ships tend not to be very pleasant, weighed down by themes like scarcity and uncertainty. But the world Waite has created is perfectly copacetic. Which is why the idea of a murder, especially one like this, feels like such a big deal.

The mystery plot itself was also solid, but unfortunately, the constraints of the novella’s short length were noticeable. There was no room for the story to be anything but straightforward, making the investigation feel rushed and lacking in complexity. While we moved quickly from clue to clue, the absence of any intrigue left the resolution feeling a bit sudden and too easy. Likewise, Dorothy was an enjoyable protagonist, and there were certainly moments of humor reading about this older lady adjusting to a more youthful body, but the story’s brevity also meant that her development was somewhat sparse, and I barely registered any of the side characters.

Ultimately, Murder by Memory was a fun read, but despite some of its unique qualities, I doubt it will leave a lasting impression. That said, as the opening volume of a new series, I think it has potential. Over time, I can see future sequels building upon each other, fleshing out the world and bringing more depth to Dorothy’s character. And if these episodes will be as short and sweet as this one, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next book and hoping it expands on the foundations laid here.