Infinite Archive
Author: Mur Lafferty
Reviewer: Sophia Rose
Rating: A
What I’m Talking About:
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.
My Rating: A Loved It
Sophia Rose
About the Book:
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. The Alexandria, a giant data ship that contains the entire Internet from Earth, docks outside of Eternity and offers access to the world wide web to anyone on board who’s interested.
Which is exactly when another killer decides to strike. When Mallory finds her book agent dead, she knows she has to work fast to find the murderer. What with alien influencers, a lonely living comprehensive Internet, and a deadly crime to solve, Mallory has her work cut out for her…
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Publisher: Tor
Series: Mid Solar Murders #3
Genre: Science Fiction Mystery
Format(s): paperback (352 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: NetGalley