Murder by Memory

Centuries-old detective Dorothy Gentleman serves as the charming narrator for the ebullient first foray into speculative fiction from romance author Waite (the Feminine Pursuits series). In a far future universe in which people’s consciousnesses can be stored in memory books for easy regeneration into new bodies, Dorothy is the ship detective aboard the interstellar generationship HMS Fairweather. On the same day that passenger Janet Dodds is found dead, Dorothy’s memory book is erased. Fortunately, the ship has an automatic backup and pulls Dorothy into a body previously occupied by banker Gloria Vowell to preserve her consciousness. Suspecting that the death and the erasure are connected, Dorothy investigates. After determining Janet’s death to be a murder, she visits her genius nephew, Ruthie Talmadge, who reveals that he recently discovered how to erase a memory book—and that Gloria’s pockets contain the necessary items to do so. With more digging into Gloria’s life, Dorothy becomes suspicious that an even more elaborate crime is afoot. Waite perfectly blends futuristic technology and cozy mystery with lush descriptions and a twisty plot that delivers at every turn. Readers will be eager to hear more from Dorothy. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Mar.)