Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for this advance copy.

The cover of this one definitely drew me in, but I found the premise to be interesting and I was definitely hooked early on. The book opens with Mossa, an Investigator, looking into a strange disappearance. This search brings her back into contact with her old flame, Pleiti, who helps her to investigate. I love a good mystery, and that’s what kept me going through this quick read!

I really enjoyed the mystery, setting, characters, and the vibe, but the writing was difficult to follow at some points. Every so often there would be a sentence that seemed to leap multiple plot points ahead, and it was often confusing and prompted me to reread sentences quite a few times. I loved the way that different languages were woven in, but the overall flow of the novel was stilted at times and did not have a steady flow.

This was a pretty short read, but things got resolved quite cleanly and I did enjoy it quite a bit! I’ve had ups and downs with sci-fi, but this cozier take with an interesting mystery worked for me. For me, this is overall 3.5⭐️, rounded up to 4 everywhere except for StoryGraph.

The worldbuilding was interesting and unique—I could definitely read a full length novel set in this world. The characters were fine. I didn't feel particularly attached to either. of them. i enjoyed the hints toward their previous relationship, but I didn't completely buy that either of them had changed enough to make a relationship work in the present. My favorite thing about mystery novels is trying to work out what happened and who committed the crime. That was basically impossible in this one, at least for me, as I didn't know enough about the world to figure out what was really going on. That was disappointing but it was still an enjoyable read.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older is a cosy sci-fi detective story that takes place in a human colony on Jupiter. 
 
The story followed an investigator Mossa during her case about a missing man. The trail led her to Valdegeld university and she had to ask for assistance from her old friend Pleiti who worked there. They hadn't seen each other for a half of decade and it was interesting to follow their reunited and somewhat awkward dynamic.
 
The narration was from Pleiti's POV and it was an interesting author's choice I appreciated. We didn't know what genius thoughts went through Mossa's mind all the time, but instead, we received a lot of Pleiti's commentaries about Mossa's way of thinking.
 
What I loved about this book was the atmosphere. The sci-fi component didn't go into deep science nuances but created a perfect setting for the story. Malka Ann Older didn't overwhelm us with dry information but added a lot of details that created the mood of Jupiter with its fogs, winds, and colors. I enjoyed this aspect of the book and can’t imagine it being done in a better way.
 
The detective plot was also solid and it was interesting to follow our characters' investigation. There were different clues and twists and I liked how it came together in the end.
 
I liked Mossa and Pleiti, but, honestly, I wanted to have more time with them and their complex relationships to feel and understand them better. But it's the question of the book length - it's short. And in a given time I think we had enough of character dynamics. Also, the romantic part was a small and nice addition to the book.
 
Overall I don't have what to say about this book in a negative way or some points to improve. For its length, all details were created in a good way and left for the readers enough to be engaged and immersed in the story.
 
I'm grateful to Netgalley, the author of the story - Malka Ann Older, and the publisher Tordotcom for providing me with this free advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

What I loved most about this book was the concept! It felt like a classic mystery and I loved the idea of it being set on Jupiter with ex-girlfriends as a detective duo. Unfortunately, since the book was so short, a lot of the cool ideas and the characters weren’t as developed as I would have liked. It was hard to get invested in the plot because there was a lot I didn’t know.
I definitely got more used to it as the book went on, but the writing made it difficult for me as well. It felt very formal with lots of long wordy sentences. If you don’t mind that style of writing, you will like this book more!
2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

the premise is very intriguing, and i happened to like the lofty, impersonal writing style. however, i found the story a bit meandering (especially for a novella) and the characters lacking personality. still, i found it enjoyable overall, and i am interested in reading the author's other works.

Actual rating: 3.5

With a sapphic investigator and a society reliant on railcars, this reminded me a lot of P. Djèlí Clark's Dead Djinn Universe.

This novella follows two ex-girlfriends, an Investigator and a scholar, solving the case of an allegedly deceased man. Long after destroying Earth and Mars, humans have settled on Jupiter, inhabiting the planet on floating platforms connected by railcars.

It took me a bit to get into this because I wasn't a fan of the first person narrator's pretentious attitude at first, both through her personality and the writing style, but her character develops as the story goes on. The mystery element, while keeping me engaged, wasn't the strongest element of the story. For me this novella shines in the world-building. I haven't read a ton of sci-fi that takes place on Jupiter, so it felt very fresh for me.

While the mystery element does wrap up at the end, it also leaves a lot of questions about the aftermath of the events in the book. I would be interested in reading a sequel.

🪐the mimicking of known successes by malka older🪐

thank you to net galley for an ARC of this book, published march 7th 2023.

🌟🌟🌟.5

as soon as I heard about a cosy, sapphic sherlock holmes-esque murder mystery set on Jupiter I just had to request a copy on netgalley, but unfortunately I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped I would. the worldbuilding was wonderful - earth has become inhabitable so a world of platforms connected by railways around jupiter is created, its the perfect setting for a sci-fi murder mystery. and the idea for the story sounded great: a dark academia novel in which someone either steps off or is pushed into the planet and killed and our two sapphic MCs work together to find out who did it and why, but it could've been done better. the dialogue felt really awkward and formal which made it difficult to like or care about the characters or the plot, but there are quite a few 5🌟 reviews so I'm potentially just disappointed by this book because I was hoping for something that made me feel how becky chambers's work makes me feel and it doesn't do that, but it is an interesting, queer short read.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CnJ3FueLt3z/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I often find the blurb of a book to be a bit too lofty in its description. Either by being purely conceptual and not representative of the true themes of a book or just simply not living up to titles that might be mentioned. This blurb promises a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance, set on Jupiter. I am pleased to report this book delivers. The world building was brilliant! I was deeply invested in learning all I could about life on Jupiter. I found the concept of civilization settling in suspension of a planet’s atmosphere to be super fascinating. With much of the description being left to the world building means the characters and immersion scene by scene can feel paper thin at times. The prose, told in first person, keeps you at a distance from Mossa and Pleiti. I would’ve liked more descriptions of character movement (many instances of the word gestured.. gestured how?) and facial expressions, as well as introspective thought. Overall a lovely novella that I would be interested to see expanded into a sequel.

A mystery set on a future human colony on Jupiter with a heavy dollop of sapphic romance? Yes, please, and thank you! While I felt some of the pacing was a bit off in the middle, overall, this totally delivered and I particularly appreciated the themes around climate change that it interrogates. I'd love for there to be more stories in this world

This is a 4.5 star book for me (I always round half stars down, though it almost hurts to do so for this book). Overall, I enjoyed this book, though I had a few minor quibbles. Read on for my thoughts.

The writing
The blurb and the prologue left me expecting (and wanting) more of Mossa's point of view, and getting only Pleiti's perspective was jarring at first. I initially had a little trouble connecting to her voice, as I didn't find it 100% believable, but I think that may have been due to a matter of taste/expectations on my part. Once I kept reading, I appreciated the narration more, as the word choice and phrasing serves a lot to establish both Pleiti's personality and the environment she lives in.
My only other minor gripe is that the text is sometimes very dialogue heavy, to the point where I am not completely sure what the characters are doing. There was one instance in which Pleiti mentions her tears stopping, and I had to read back a bit to scour the text for any mention she'd started to cry — I couldn't find any explicit description of her doing so.

The world
The world building was one of my favorite parts of this book. I appreciated that the setting combined gaslamp and high tech elements in a way that felt both innovative and believable. I tend to permit a lot of hand-waving when it comes to the scientific feasibility of sci-fi settings, so people who crave harder science in their reading might want to take my opinion here with a grain of salt. The stand out to me was the richly depicted academic environment at Valdegeld, and the newly invented disciplines there. I wish there had been more academic politics in the book, but I might be biased because I'm in academia. Given the stated goal of the researchers, and Gianter society at large, I was easily able to appreciate what was at stake for Pleiti and Mossa, and therefore I think the world building and the amount of detail served the story well.

The characters/the romance
I loved both Pleiti and Mossa. In fact, I kind of wish I had gotten more of Mossa's point of view. That isn't to say I didn't like Pleiti — she is precious and deserves to be protected at all costs — but I was so intrigued by Mossa that I wanted to know what was going on in her head.
At any rate, I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold. It was a good slow burn, not agonizingly slow, but not rushed. I liked their chemistry, and I was rooting for them to get (back) together almost from the get go. I do think their romance arc wrapped up a little too neatly at the end, but I appreciate that a deeper dive into their past issues/their resolution of them would have been detrimental to both the pace and the tone of this story.

The plot
I didn't find the big twist at the end to be too out of left field, but I wish the culprit's involvement (and the scope thereof) had been foreshadowed more beforehand. Generally, when I read mysteries, I like those that provide a whole new set of "Aha!" moments upon a reread — I like seeing how all the pieces of information fit together once I know the ending. This book didn't quite do that for me, but I did appreciate the pace at which information was revealed. The narrative kept just enough information unknown to make me want to find out more without hiding so much as to confuse me.
The ending was satisfying, but it left a lot of loose threads hanging in a way that almost begs for a sequel. As this is a cozy SF mystery, I would expect a sequel, and should there be one, I will definitely read it.

I've never thought that blending mystery with outer space would go well, but The Mimicking of Known Successes did just that. It was fun to read about the dynamic between Mossa and Pleiti. It was fun, cozy, and the perfect length.

8 Compelling Sci-Fi and Fantasy Murder Mysteries to Curl Up With

Murder mysteries carry a unique yet familiar set of tropes and archetypes; cracking the spine on one is like opening a board game of Clue. There are locked rooms stalked by inspectors and suspects, unexpected murder weapons and devious red herrings, missing memories, and sympathetic motives. But while that genre has its beloved classics rooted in contemporary realism, more and more sci-fi and fantasy authors have turned to this formula and framework—to continue the metaphor, like a special-edition Clue with fun new speculative trappings.

In the past five years especially, there has been a rise in SFF murder mysteries, stories set in secondary fantasy worlds or near-future cities or in the cold infinity of space (where, yes, someone can hear you scream and can try to solve what made you scream). Some of these SFF sleuths are detectives and inspectors by trade, conjuring up futuristic versions of Columbo and Sherlock Holmes. Others are amateur investigators (paging Jessica Fletcher and Phryne Fisher) thanks to their lucky proximity to an unreasonable, nearly comical amount of foul play and seemingly random deaths.

These eight engrossing mysteries entangle angels and demons, clones and hyper-insomniacs with some good old-fashioned murder. Whether you want to dip into a brisk whodunnit novella, or curl up for hours unraveling every clue and motive in a thicker volume, we have all the pieces for you to play.

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

In The Mimicking of Known Successes, Malka Older conjures the gaslight streets of Holmesian London on the gas-wreathed planet of Jupiter, better known as Giant to its inhabitants, descendants of the Earth refugees who fled their own ruined planet centuries before. Investigator Mossa, brilliant and inscrutable to the end, pursues the befuddling disappearance of a man who seemingly leapt off the side of the planet… or was he pushed? But a potential murder like this requires talking to people, which is not Mossa’s strong suit. And so she reunites with her ex-girlfriend, the Watson to her Sherlock, a scholar named Pleiti.

The duo’s unorthodox investigation takes them to the university of Valdegeld, the proud center of the colony’s knowledge of the home they left behind and have been trying to recreate on Giant, down to the ecosystem. Told mostly from Pleiti’s perspective, this novella augments the mystery beats with a personal meditation on whether you can ever (figuratively and physically) go home again.

This was delightful - I loved the Holmes/Watson dynamic between Mossa and Pleiti. The setting is cool and it’s the perfect length. It’s a cozy mystery set in space, what more can you ask for?

I’d like to thank Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Unfortunately I can’t give it a raving review. The blurb sounded good and I really wanted to like it, but sadly did not.

The characters were weak. There was nothing there to make me care about them. The world building was a bit better but I felt it was still lacking.

With the over use of overly long sentences filled with BIG words that all started to run together, I found myself simply skipping over most of this filler. Even skimming the book took me forever to get through this one. It was a real chore to say the least.

While the disappearance of the man from the station platform is nicely wrapped up, I still don’t know who murdered the other guy or why. Perhaps that was a point I skimmed over? Doesn’t matter much as I don’t think it progressed the story at all.

A cozy murder mystery with top-notch worldbuilding? Heck yes!

I didn't realize this was a novella when I first picked it up: I hoped it was going to be much longer. I was in awe of the worldbuilding, the way that mankind made itself a cozy life on "Giant" (once known as Jupiter) while waiting to prepare its way back to Earth. Everything was thought out: how we would deal with the shorter nday/night cycles, space issues, travel and transit... TBH I love everything about a highly functional train/railcar system in space.

The mystery itself was great, it made sense and was highly rewarding in the end.

If there's one thing I'm sad about, it's not getting more of Mossa and Pleiti. A lot of people loved them but I feel like there's still so much we don't know about them.

Hopefully this means we get more books?

I loved the world building in this book, the mystery, and the understated relationship of the two main characters!

I just reviewed The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older. #NetGalley

I kinda thought this was a debut novella...imagine my surprise that this is a Hugo-nominated author.

Okay, that's harsh.

This novella is a very queer murder-mystery with a heavy neo-noir dystopian steampunk feel. The concept is brilliant; the execution, not so much. The sentences were often ponderous, and the characters were razor-thin.

As an experimental piece in trying something new, it works well, but as for being published...I dunno. It felt unexplored and unfinished, not unusual in a novella-length piece that is trying to tackle this much: former-lovers-turned-reluctant-partners, academia, off-Earth dystopia, ecosystems, murder, a wealth of world-building and intrigue crammed into 176 pages that's filled with descriptions of gas and fog and wind instead of human connection.

Anywho, I did like the concept of human survival on Jupiter itself, instead of, say, one of its moons.

I feel like the title kinda sums up my feelings? And not in a good way.

This is one of the best books i read all year. Great characters. Lush world building. Cosy atmosphere. Lovely romance and an intriguing mystory. I don't need anything else. Recommend this to anyone who loved the monk and the robot series by Becky Chambers

Malka Older's The Mimicking of Known Successes is a fascinating addition to the SFF canon. I really enjoyed the readthrough, and hope for more from Older in the future!

I don't want to be mean, I really don't, but this book was tough to get through. It's a novella that took me a week to finish, and a mystery that I still didn't understand by the end.
The way that people speak in this book is so stilted and unnatural. They have no emotions and no personalities.
The world building in here is excellent, though. It's a society built on platforms in space, encircling earth, with a bunch of trains connecting it all. There's a lot of interesting ideas explored within that, but the characters made it basically unbearable. The definition of in one ear and out the other.
I should have dnf-d, but it's an arc so I stuck it out. Personally I want to give it 1 star, but I can see some merit for others.