Far From the Light of Heaven

This character-driven locked-room murder mystery set in space is as intriguing as the title. Michelle "Shell" Campion is a young captain of the colony ship Ragtime. However, human captains helm spaceships in name only, as the ship's AI does all the work. After 10 years, she awakens from stasis, ready to deliver the thousand-plus colonists to the planet Bloodroot, and discovers that 32 people have been murdered and cut into tiny pieces. On top of that, Ragtime's AI isn't responding appropriately to her commands. Meanwhile, on Bloodroot, detective Fin has been declared off duty after a disaster on the job. When word reaches Bloodroot of Shell's little murder issue, Fin's superiors put him on the job. If he can figure out who the murderer is, he'll have his job back. However, Fin hates space, and he has depression. With aliens, androids, too-curious politicians, and a rogue AI, this new novel from Tade Thompson manages to be both a romp and a puzzle.