I've been enjoying Mur Lafferty's work for a while, ever since the absolutely brilliant Six Wakes. And with her "Mid-Solar Murders" series, Lafferty has proven a dab hand at blending two genres that are rather tricky to turn into gumbo - detective stories, and science fiction. But here we are, with the third entry in the series, Infinite Archive. And you know what, it's as fun and as thoughtful and as clever as the previous two instalments. It manages to write a compelling mystery inside of a world at once strange and familiar, surprising us without ever being, well, unfair. If you're an existing fan of the series, you know what you're walking into. Everyone else, well, it's a journey.
Speaking of journeys. Mallory Viridian remains our protagonist for this volume. A woman who, despite her best efforts, keeps turning up when people end up dead. And then keeps solving the murders that keep, for some reason, happening around her. Because the alternative is a trip to jail. But Mallory is living a quieter life now, on a space station far, far away from most people. And while she's a detective by necessity, she's an author by trade, writing fiction base don the murders that she solved. Which leads to the question - once the murders dry up, what can she write about? Fortunately, or unfortunately for Mallory, that question may well be answered. Her agent and a swarm of other people, regular human people who have a tendency to fall down dead around Mallory, are coming to visit her far, far away space station. As a murder mystery cruise. Her agent is ready to sell her on some other ideas - showing off science fiction and pitching cosy murders to a woman who lives, well, in space. It's a delightful shift in setting for Mallory - away from the exotically known corners of her own weird space station and its esoteric inhabitants. Now she's on a cruise ship, which also happens to be a space ship, trying to solve a murder which may, or may not, be very real indeed. The murder-cruise is a historical staple of the mystery genre, and this one evokes the best parts of Christie, from its strange crew and passengers, to the even odder ship, to the baffling going son. Why is it bigger on the inside than the outside? Why are half the crew (at least) hiding something? Exactly how much blood are we going to have to clean out of the carpet this time? It's a knowing wink to the genre, a kind, even loving one, and that sense of comfort mixes well with the more off-kilter sci-fi ideas.

Mallory remains an entertaining protagonist, as well. She's, well, complicated. Having people die around you all the time is probably enough to give anyone a complex. But Mallory is smart, kind and compassionate as well as having a razor's-edge intelligence, and, well, something of an undisclosed edge. But the Mallory of this book starts out trying to work out who she is, now that she's not immediately solving murders or writing books - looking toward a pathway of self-definition, even as the universe does its level best to both define her and throw enough problems into the mix that she doesn't have time to breathe, nevermind think. We've all had days like that, I think. Or weeks! Mallory Veridian lives it, and we live it with her. The fatigue, the irritation, the confusion, the moments of insight and clarity, the warmth of friendship returned. She's, yes, complicated, but if not always kind, always humane. And as ever, watching her delve into the depths of madness that is both an alien space station and...well, space-borne murder-mystery cruise, which I can't believe I typed with a straight face, well, its downright fun. Mallory isn't always sympathetic, but I sure can empathise with her and her struggles - and those of her friends and colleagues too. Mallory serves as the medium into their world, and she's thoroughly entertaining.

I don't want to dig into the plot overmuch, because the mechanics of it tick over quite nicely, and it has enough stakes, large and small, to keep you turning the page. To see who did what. And why. And how. There's a lot going on here, moving parts kept carefully on track until, well, in this metaphor they crash into each other and make a big tangle that Mallory has to come and unpick. But the story works, it's smart and well paced and it doesn't cheat - you can figure out what's going on with the same information Mallory has, give or take. It's clever and tense and has some observations about humanity and how we act in environments strange and familiar that bear thinking about. Anyway, in the end, this is a good time, and if you've been looking for a sci-fi murder-mystery piece, this will satisfy that itch. And if you're an existing fan, all the better - it's a fun read!

INFINITE ARCHIVE by Mur Lafferty is another murder mystery featuring Mallory Viridian. Set in space, with aliens and humans co-existing, this is the third in the series, after Station Eternity and Chaos Terminal. These novels should definitely be read in order especially because the first two are stronger than the latest installment. The pace here is a bit slower, although there are plenty of twists with a new sentient ship hosting a mystery fan convention while attempting to replicate the entire Internet. A new type of alien is introduced as well as past characters, some of whom actively try to help amateur sleuth Mallory solve the murder of her literary agent.

Editor’s note: Will publish in newspapers in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, NC July 24 and weekend editions

July book roundup: Strange towns, dangerous allies, unlikely magic and … a new Reacher short story

By Tom Mayer, Tmayer@RN-T.com

This month’s fiction lineup offers something for every kind of summer reader — from high-octane thrillers and mystical fantasy to genre-defying romance and cozy speculative tales. Whether you’re chasing outlaws, getting lost in magical archives, checking into a supernatural inn or catching up with Reacher in between novels, these titles deliver imagination, suspense and emotional punch in equal measure.

But first, a bit of a cheat. Robert Dugoni’s recent Tracy Crosswhite dropped in late spring, but a final copy of the book took some time to make it to my desk. With the incredible output and range Dugoni has offered his readers in the past year (“A Killing on the Hill,” “Beyond Reasonable Doubt,” “Hold Strong” and “A Dead Draw”), and at least two more in the works for 2026 — Tracy Crosswhite and Keera Duggan series continuations — I’m going to dig a bit deeper into the author’s most recent novel before we get to the monthly list.

Dugoni’s latest and most sensitive offering, “A Dead Draw” (Thomas & Mercer), not only captures echoes of the 10 Tracy Crosswhite novels that have come before, but brings to a boil a storyline that has been percolating since the debut of “My Sister’s Grave” in 2014.
It’s also his most personal storyline to date, making the launch of this 11th full-length story featuring the high school chemistry teacher turned Seattle, Washington-homicide detective both a perfect launching pad for those new to the series, and a satisfying continuation of the narrative for long-time readers.

But it’s not Tracy that brings it home in this novel. That honor goes to a new character, Lydia “Lightning Strike” Johnson, an autistic sharpshooter who becomes the detective’s touchstone. Lydia is on the spectrum, but she’s got the potential to be self-sufficient. She’s also a double for Tracy’s younger sister, Sarah, whose disappearance and murder in that first release not only highjacked the trajectory of Tracy’s life, but continues to be a specter in her current role capturing killers.

And like Sarah, Lydia is a character over which Dugoni labored.

“I hope I captured her accurately,” the author writes in the novel’s acknowledgements. “I did a ton of research to get it right, then had two epiphanies when I met two individuals, one from my childhood and one I met fortuitously, who were clearly on the spectrum and told me so. It was fascinating to hear them tell me what they understood without any embarrassment or self-consciousness. I’ve tried to conduct by own life similarly, talking openly about my stroke (in 2016) and the anxiety that resulted from it. … I have a brother with Down syndrome and have a heightened awareness of characters in books who are different. My intent was to portray Lydia as an accomplished, high-functioning human being but one who must deal with something over which she has no control.”

Capturing that awareness in Lydia sharpens the storyline about a warrant gone bad that frees a man who is a suspect in at least two murders — a man who became a prison-disciple of Sarah’s killer, the murderer who Tracy actually helped free in the series’ debut.

Now, as that killer’s protégé, Erik Schmidt is fixated on revenging his mentor by recreating an elaborate showdown that will lure Tracy to her hometown of Cedar Grove, Washington — the place of Sarah’s murder and now the full-circle space where Tracy’s daughter, husband and friends are in fatal danger.

That’s an oversimplification, of course — as is the portrait here of Lydia — because the hazard of any Crosswhite review is overstepping the author’s intricate plotting and plundering into a spoiler or two. But also of course, the only way to absorb the full complexity of a Dugoni thriller is to begin with page 1, and “A Dead Draw” is a fine place to start.

Now, here’s a look at some of the most notable new releases on the shelves in July:

"Infinite Archive (The Midsolar Murders Book 3)" (Ace Trade Original) by Mur Lafferty: Amateur sleuth Mallory Viridian has earned her space sea legs aboard Station Eternity — but now a living, working version of Earth’s entire Internet is on its way, and there’s going to be a party, with Mallory as the guest speaker. As the massive data ship Metis docks for a murder mystery convention, Mallory’s agent is killed and now it’s up to her to untangle the whodunit amid alien etiquette and sentient tech. Ideal for fans of speculative fiction with a bit of a literary twist, this novel will captivate readers who enjoy flowing series relationship arcs (be sure to read the first two in the series).

"Tricks of Fortune (A Play the Fool Mysteries Book 2)" (Bantam Trade Paperback Original) by Lina Chern: Tarot card reader extraordinaire Katie True gets embroiled in another local murder when her best friend becomes the prime suspect. When a beloved veteran police officer is found dead, Katie discovers tangled relationships and hidden truths that her cards and instincts must decipher. Perfect for readers of contemporary mysteries featuring fun, smart female leads — especially those who like their crime with a touch of cultural nuance and spry wit.

"Welcome to Cottonmouth" (Blackstone) by Jay S. Bell: What does the US government do with expired spies and special operators? It ships them to a small East Texas town where everything runs, sort of, peacefully — until a pair of women on the run from a ruthless criminal shatters the uneasy serenity. But doing the right thing for the pair might shatter the secrecy vital to Cottonmouth, Texas, and de facto mayor Devlin Mahoney has to make the choice. For fans of Slow Horses with an American twist.

"Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology Book 1)" (Ace Trade) by Maggie Rapier: Aboard a mythical isle quest, “Soulgazer” is rendered in prose readers will want to highlight line by line. Born with a penchant for volatile magic, Saoirse wants nothing more than to be without the curse that has plagued her since childhood. Facing an unwanted and forced marriage proposal, Saoirse seeks out a pirate who can help her get rid of the magic … but first she’ll have to use it for his own purposes. A quest, and an unlikely proposal of its own, ensues. Rapier is a debut author from Alabama and her first literary foray is tailored for those who crave both magic and romance, and high concept fantasy grounded in a human connection.

"The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy (The Dearly Beloathed Duology Book 1)" (Ace) by Brigitte Knightley: In this slow burn enemies to lovers fantasy romantasy, an assassin’s sickness forces him to rely on a healer from an enemy faction — and loyalties, plus affections, are tested. Their forced cooperation soon leads to mutual dependence, unexpected attraction and an uneasy truce with far-reaching consequences. Ideal for romance readers who love brainy protagonists, simmering tension, and meta literary hijinks. Not suitable for readers concerned with graphic violence and medical content including fictional, life-threatening diseases affecting adults and children.

"American Mythology" (Doubleday) by Giano Cromley: A bizarre group consisting of a pseudo-scientist, a filmmaker and the two, total, membership of the Basic Bigfoot Society embarks on a quest to find the creature, confronting nature’s mysteries and the human heart in equal measure. Along the journey, myth and reality weave together as secrets and the lure of the unknown collide in the wilderness. For those who want a character driven drama with friendship and a love for nature at its core.

"Bat Out of Hell" (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns: A book of thriller stories inspired by Meat Loaf’s debut album, this anthology features a brand new Jack Reacher story and thrilling mysteries from top authors, including Andrew Child, Rick Bleiweiss, Heather Graham, Don Bruns, John Gilstrap, Dave Bruns, C.J. Kudlacz and Charles Todd — in a nonstop, engrossing mystery seesaw. At the top of that list is Child’s offering: When Reacher stops in a dying desert town, he’s drawn into a fight against entrenched criminal elements with no safe escape. This anthology is the fourth in Bruns’ Music and Murder Mystery Series. A must read for thriller devotees and long time fans of the Reacher series — especially those craving tight plots and righteous action.

"A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping" (Berkley Trade) by Sangu Mandanna: A whimsical, heartwarming tale follows a witch with no powers who is helping to run a peculiar inn for quirky beings. Enter a magical historian giving her a second chance at power, community and purpose. As Sera juggles enchanted guests and hidden pasts, she discovers that true magic lies in the bonds, and family, she rebuilds. Perfect for readers who want low stakes fantasy with heart, humor and a magical touch.

"Love You to Death" (Random House) by Christina Dotson: Kayla and Zorie have made a habit of slipping into weddings they weren’t invited to — usually to make off with the cash and gifts. But when the only two Black women show up at an antebellum-themed ceremony in the Deep South, the odds are stacked against them from the start. What was supposed to be their final, low-risk score quickly spirals into chaos, and they’re soon caught in a media frenzy as the infamous “Wedding Crasher Killers.” For Kayla — stuck in a dead-end housekeeping job and still picking up the pieces after a reckless teenage mistake — this runaway road trip becomes a reckoning with her past, her future and her friendship with Zorie, whose secrets run deeper than Kayla ever imagined. A fierce, fast-paced thriller for readers drawn to dark friendship tales and twisted crime capers.

Sample link: https://admin-newyork1.bloxcms.com/northwestgeorgianews.com/tncms/admin/action/main/preview/site/rome/opinion/columns/july-book-roundup-strange-towns-dangerous-allies-unlikely-magic-and-a-new-reacher-short-story/article_d8543c69-3457-4396-83f9-5a5a992741da.html

2.5/5 stars

While I always enjoy a return to Station Eternity, I was a little disappointed with the most recent installment in the Midsolar Murders series. After rating books one and two five stars this one fell off a little, suffering from uneven pacing and a little too much pop culture.

My main qualm with Infinite Archive is that the plot really doesn't pick up until over 60% through the novel. For a series mainly focused on murder mysteries, I would have liked to spend more time reading about one. Thus, with so little time to spend on the murder, Mallory's deductions felt almost too quick to keep up with and the wrap-up rushed and confusing.

Additionally, there was a lot of pop culture mentioned due to Metis hosting physical manifestations of the internet. While Lafferty's exploration of the limitless possibilities that come with that was entertaining, so much time was spent on the fan fic parts of the internet that this book itself felt like fan fiction! That's fine if intentional, it's just not what I expected/wanted after the first two excellent novels.

Despite this (probably overly) critical review, I always enjoy spending time with Mallory Viridian and her friends. I hope Lafferty knows that she can write about the crew doing literally anything and still maintain a base of enthusiastic readers! While there was not nearly enough of our favorite grumpy ex-ambassador, the new characters picked up in Infinite Archive will make a great addition to the group.

P.S. Zesty Yaboi is the best possible addition to this series and I would kill to read Pruned.

The third book in Lafferty's Midsolar Murders series introduces several new sentient spaceships as well as a disastrous first contact scenario instigated by the true chaos maker Queen Tina. Like the others in the series it's a fast-paced joyride through space with Mallory Veridian sleuthing at lightspeed. This time the mystery involves Mobius, a young sentient spaceship, a newborn baby Gneiss, a mysterious new alien that looks like a tentacle cat, and a mystery convention cruise arriving by way of another mysterious sentient spaceship, all heading towards Station Eternity. Like others in the series Lafferty includes a lot of humor, nostalgia and geek culture.

Infinite Archive is the latest installment in the Midsolar Murders series, and it takes us back to the sentient spaceships housing mystery author and murder magnet Mallory and her cohort, both human and alien. This is not the kind of series you can just jump into, because there is so much world-building that you need to understand in order to understand the plot. I actually thought at one point that if I wasn't so deeply obsessed with these characters, the plot might not have been enough to hold my attention, but since I am obsessed, it was. As usual, the dialogue and interactions are witty and fun, and the characters and their relationships are top tier. I also loved Mallory's new baby ship, that is a thing that brings me joy. Also, without giving anything away, the ending was God Tier™, so I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Bottom Line: Amazing characters and humorous and heartfelt interactions made this one another win!

For this third venture involving very alien aliens, a few quirky humans, near-future space, and unavoidable murder, Mur Lafferty confounds reluctant sleuth, Mallory Viridian with the disastrous adventures that accompany Queen Tina, the raising of a sentient baby ship, a mystery writers‘ convention, and a mysterious unusual ship come to the station.

Infinite Archives is the third of a series of sci-fi mysteries that are closely connected and must be read in order for the personal growth and relationship arcs flowing through the books.

Mallory has come to terms with her connection with the hivemind, Sundry aliens and how that connection has dragged her into the locations where murder is likely to happen and she’s been making friends and connections for the first time living as one of the few human citizens aboard a sentient space station, Eternity. Lately, she’s been learning how to utilize the Sundry capabilities better, “parent“ a baby sentient ship, and hide her crush on her best friend, Zan, who is seeing the station’s earth ambassador.

But, the few months of peace is shattered when she learns chaotic Tina is inbound with a secret surprise she wants to share, a mysterious alien archive ship bringing a mystery writers‘ convention from earth is also on approach, and her agent wants her to write a new genre- fiction mysteries because sales are down- oh, and by the way, he’s coming with the mystery ship and he’s signed her up as the keynote speaker.

Mallory has avoided large swaths of humans to keep murders from happening and here a whole shipload was coming. Murder is bound to happen and it does amongst other confusing and chaotic events.

Mur Lafferty has impressed me from the first book with her clever, imaginative take on near-future sci-fi aliens and world of life on an alien space station. The humans are as quirky as the aliens and the murder adventure has as many twists and turns as I could love. In this case, the suspects and motives are a handful of authors and book world people treated badly by the greedy, desperate victim, but the ’how‘ is as cleverly worked as the rest. Besides the murder, there is a mysterious ship, and Tina’s surprise that has big ramifications to really add some excitement all around.

I loved seeing this more confident and willing Mallory who has finally accepted her life and uses her skills and her connections with a broadening group of unique friends to help her solve the crimes.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, Mallory’s reclusive and sometimes cranky personality is still there, but she’s taken Zan’s advice and become less closed off. Mallory has gone so far as to admit to herself that she’s into Zan and has to watch him show interest in someone else who seems all that Mallory is not.

Incidentally, the nod and wink to fandoms and fanfiction though set in the future left me highly amused.

All in all, this was a sensational, entertaining, and satisfying third entry in a series that I have come to highly anticipate as a top-read of my year. Those who enjoy their murder mysteries set among aliens in space should most definitely jet propel the Mid Solar Murders into the TBR pile.

This was a little sillier than the other books in the series. But that’s ok! I laughed a number of times at it and this isn’t a genre known for being genuinely funny very often! Much of the humor revolves around one of the live ships collecting a snapshot of all the data currently on the internet up to the day it collected it. Then the live ship created rooms within itself to represent different categories of the collected data like a Star Trek holodeck gone wrong. I looked to see if there was a book four listed on Goodreads but I’ll have to settle to just mark the author as one to follow. Really cute if you want some light reading.

Thanks for the free book , @MightyMur2 and @AceBooksPub. #BerkleyPartner #Berkley #BerkleyBookstagram

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Infinite Archive (The Midsolar Murders, Book 3) by Mur Lafferty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352
Genre: Sci-Fi Mystery
Release Date: July 1, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Mallory Viridian is a murder mystery writer who lives on a space station. And, for some reason, murders tend to happen when she’s around, which she has turned into a career by writing about them. This is the third book in the series, which I have not previously read, so without knowing how or why, I just accepted this premise and forged on. In this book, a fancy new sentient ship named Metis is visiting and hosting a mystery convention onboard. At its core, this is a murder mystery but it’s set in space, which is what really did it for me. We have sentient spaceships (including an adorable baby ship and a ship that embodies the entire Internet), a murder (of course), oh, and a cuddly alien that resembles an ugly cat.

Seeing how I just dove right into the third book of this series, I was a little confused at first, but it was so captivating, I just sat back and enjoyed it. I loved the creative setting of the space station and the Internet ship. The fanfic world was particularly delightful. The characters were all different and interesting. I’m excited to go back and start this series from the beginning.

I don't know that any sequel in this series has yet met the the sheer brilliance and exuberance of the original "escape your murder attracting curse by running away to an alien space station" plot of Station Eternity, but the continued entries in the Midsolar Murders series certainly give all they've got. This one took a long time for any crime to occur, for a mystery novel, but there were other mysteries and lots of space adventures to tide one over.

I received this book as an ARC, and there were several slightly sloppy continuity issues, where it seemed like events were rearranged and then references weren't updated. Nothing super major, but I was flipping back and forth in confusion enough times to note it. I hope and expect these things (like, what and when are Mobius's first words?) will be fixed prior to publication!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Things continue to develop in the Midsolar Murders series. The characters and world had a good foundation laid in the first book Station Eternity which is where Mallory and Xan and several aliens live. The station itself is sentient, bonded now with Mrs. Brown. In the next installment, we learn about the Sundry and hive minds, and Tina becomes a queen.

Infinite Archive has the discovery of an ancient ship, Metis, by a human and it develops; it becomes the ship for a murder mystery trip to Station Eternity. Mallory's agent wants her to write a different kind of books. He wants Mallory to give a keynote speech to the convention attendees.

Mallory does not want to give a keynote or write a different kind of books. She is now the "mama" to a new sentient ship Mobius. Mobius is a baby. Initially, they have no way to communicate until he is big enough to get his own hive mind. Throughout the story he learns and grows. The hivemind is hard for Mallory with her insect allergy. Mobius is adored by Stephanie and the other ships, including Metis. He takes on a mission for Metis when he gets separated from Mallory.

Tina, ever the narcissist toddler, brings an alien, and the subspecies of Sundry called the Cuckoos who caused all the trouble in the last book. She wants to give the alien a chance since they are not the ones who committed crimes, they are just the ancestors of those who did, living on her prison planet.

The writers for the convention discover while talking to Mallory and each other that the agent is cheating them. Then the agent turns up dead and the mystery begins. There is lots of fun and danger as they find out what the alien can do, how Metis has been controlled, Mobius' mission, and Tina wants to help. Tina is trouble but she makes me laugh.

The storyline while dangerous was very fun and interesting. I enjoyed the growth of the characters and learning a lot more about the hivemind, sentient ships and aliens.

Mallory with the support of Xan and then Mobius, sorts out the murderer and captures them. Mobius really grew and that was fun to watch. Xan's brother, Phineas, was more of a distraction than a help. I can't wait to read more about Mallory's adventures on Station Eternity and her baby ship, Mobius.

Mur Lafferty’s newest addition to the Midsolar Murders is just as quirky and fun as the first two. Baby sentient ship! (Maybe my favorite part) LARPing! Annoying literary agents! Murder mystery convention!

Mallory is pretty unhappy when she finds out a murder mystery writer’s convention is coming to the space station she lives on. She came to Station Eternity to get away from humans, because murders follow her wherever she goes. And now a whole con’s worth of people are coming her way? Spectacular. Just great. But her annoying agent has signed her up as the keynote speaker and she can’t seem to find a way out of it.

I loved it for the quirky characters and the fun plot. I don’t think it reached the same highs as the first two books but it’s still a really solid little cozy mystery series. If you like your cozy mysteries with unique settings, or your light sci-fi settings with a cozy plot, then it’s a great pick.

And the cats! THE CATS.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review! It was a great time, as always.

The third in Lafferty’s Midsolar Murder series starring Mallory Viridian — one of the few human inhabitants of a sentient space station. Human murders tend to occur when Mallory is around (the reason explained in book one or two), which is why she made such an extreme relocation. Turns out that Mal is very good at *solving* the murders that occur and that provides a nice story to show off the fantastically quirky world Lafferty has created teeming with creative alien cultures, sentient mechanisms, and the “fun” everyone has trying to get along.

Each book adds more to the world — while I would recommend reading books one and two first, the author does a decent job of giving you the info you might need if you don’t. In this installment, a one-of-a-kind ship is making its way to the station with massive holodeck like capabilities and the physical embodiment of the entire Internet (including fan fiction sites — this is important!). And it is carrying … a mystery fan convention. What could go wrong?

I like Lafferty’s world building — more focus on alien cultures than alien tech which I find much more interesting. The mystery is a nice excuse to roam around meeting strange beings. I really like the bonding between sentient ships and stations with (often human) hosts. Plenty of action, but not the super stressful kind. Lots of fun to read — I always look forward to the next one, and I’m happy to say that she writes quickly!

Infinite Archive, by Mur Lafferty, is the third installment in the author's The Midsolar Murders series. This novel follows amateur sleuth Mallory Viridian as she navigates a sentient space station, a mystery convention, and the arrival of a ship carrying the entire Internet from Earth, along with a fresh murder to solve. Mallory, a reluctant detective with a knack for stumbling into murders, has settled into life on the sentient space station Eternity, where she’s one of the few human residents among a diverse array of alien species.

After a quiet few months, uncharacteristically devoid of homicides so that she can help raise baby Mobius, a sentient starship, Mallory is bored, a stark contrast to her past, where death seemed to follow her like a shadow. Her tranquility is disrupted when the Metis, a massive data ship carrying Earth’s entire Internet, docks at Eternity, bringing with it a mystery fan convention called Marple’s Tea Party. To her dismay, Mallory’s literary agent, Aaron Rose, is aboard and has volunteered her as the keynote speaker and a participant in a live-action role-playing (LARP) mystery game.

The arrival of thousands of humans, coupled with Mallory’s history of attracting murder, sets the stage for chaos. Sure enough, when Aaron is found dead, and another author dies soon thereafter, Mallory must race against time to solve the crime. Complicating matters are a strange new alien species with unclear motives, the sentient and powerful data ship Metis, and the emotional complexities of characters like the Gneiss queen Tina, who desires to be punched in the throat.

As Mallory digs deeper, she uncovers a web of intrigue involving alien politics, technological anomalies, and her own tangled past. Station Eternity is a bustling, sentient hub populated by a colorful array of aliens, from the rock-like Gneiss to insectoid hiveminds. The introduction of Metis, described as the “physical embodiment of the Internet,” adds a fascinating layer to the setting. Mallory remains a compelling protagonist—flawed, self-doubting, yet fiercely loyal. Her struggle to trust her instincts, shaped by a history of being surrounded by death, adds depth to her character.

Supporting characters like Xan, bonded to the ship Infinity, and Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, Eternity’s tiny but formidable human host, are equally well-drawn. The Gneiss queen Tina, described as emotionally toddler-like, brings both humor and pathos. While it may not be the ideal entry point for newcomers and occasionally stumbles under the weight of its ambitious cast, its strengths—vivid world-building, relatable characters, and a clever mystery—far outweigh its flaws.

I wanted to read this book because of the cover, I love cats and thought this was so cute!

But I'm going to be honest, I was kind of a little disappointed with this.

We've got a sentient spaceship, mysteries, a murder mystery convention (is that like Crime Con?), and aliens. And those are all such cool and fun things!

This did have some really fun moments and I could definitely see this being successful as a tv show (maybe because it kind of reminds me of Based on a True Story a bit, at least the second season with the crime convention), but I wasn't super captivated by the story or the writing style. That can be such a problem for me, if you don't get me super invested at the start, it's really hard for me to become invested in the story at all.

It just needed a little more oomph to be my perfect cup of tea, but I really can see so many people loving this book and this series. Maybe I'll check out other books by this author, maybe that'll help.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

"Amateur sleuth Mallory Viridian has just about got her bearings aboard the space station she calls home, but now the physical embodiment of the Internet is on its way, and it's bringing murder with it.

Mallory Viridian has had a quiet few months. Even with the increased influx of humans visiting Station Eternity, she hasn't seen so much as a bar brawl. Used to people dying left and right around her, the lack of murders to solve has left her unexpectedly...bored.

But humanity's favorite way to waste time is on its way to her sector of the galaxy. A giant, one-of-a-kind data ship called Metis is bringing the entire Internet from Earth - as well as a mystery fan convention. On top of that, Mallory's literary agent is aboard, and he tells Mallory that she's the keynote speaker.

It's almost a relief when a killer decides to strike at the convention. When Mallory finds her agent dead, she knows she has to work fast to find the murderer. With a strange new alien with unknown motives, a ship with impossible abilities, a lonely living, comprehensive Internet, and a deadly crime to solve, Mallory has her work cut out for her...."

The most dangerous thing here isn't the killer, it's the Internet!

Mallory fled to space to escape the fact that murder seems to follow her around. She had a quiet period on the alien space station but now, as more humans venture into space and on to the station, murder rears its head yet again. Now, as a huge space ship containing all the Internet, as well as a murder mystery convention, approaches Station Eternity, Mallory is drawn in a real murder yet again.
This series is a cozy mystery series with a twist, set in space with lots of alien characters and sentient ships. The characters, even the aliens, are people I’d enjoy meeting in real life. While Mallory solves the murder we are left with several questions about the ship and some of the aliens that hopefully will be further addressed in the next installment. Overall I am really enjoying this series and recommend it highly

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for my review.

Mallory's life continues to be a bit of a mess. However, she's making progress toward communicating with the bug swarm, is raising a baby spaceship, and is dealing with a murder mystery convention coming to the spaceship.; her agent has volunteered her to be the keynote speaker at the convention once it docks with the space station; Tina, the extremely immature rock giant alien who is also ruling a prison planet is on the convention ship and bringing her own new alien into the mix. What could possibly go wrong?

I think if you liked the first two of these you will enjoy this one too...some series tend to decline in quality as they go on, but not this one. It has an interesting combination of weird space station/sentient ships and various strange aliens but then the plot is a pretty straightforward mystery (almost like a cozy in some ways) that feels like you could solve it yourself. This one has some cute Easter Eggs too and some music references I appreciated.

While I always enjoy getting to climb aboard Station Eternity and learn more about Lafferty's alien races, I found myself getting annoyed more frequently with our main characters this go around. So many times I exclaimed aloud at our main character's choices. She would either not remember an important detail, or not pay attention to people (or aliens) that had important information, or some other thing that would lead to a crisis or calamity that could have been avoided!
Overall though, 4 stars for world building and me being completely unable to solve the mystery before it was revealed.