Nobody’s Baby, by Olivia Waite

March 9, 2026 Lark_Bookwyrm Book Reviews 3 ★★★★

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite
Series: Dorothy Gentleman #2
Published by Tordotcom on 3/10/2026
Genres: Mystery, Sci-Fi Mystery, Science Fiction
Pages: 144
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible
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four-stars

Also in this series: Murder by Memory
Also by this author: Murder by Memory

Becky Chambers meets Miss Marple in the second entry of this cozy sci-fi mystery series, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective

Welcome to the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty's most luxurious interstellar passenger liner! Room and board are included, new bodies are graciously provided upon request, and should you desire a rest between lifetimes, your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the Library, shielded from every danger.

A wild baby appears! Dorothy Gentleman, ship detective, is put to the test once again when an infant is mysteriously left on her nephew's doorstep. Fertility is supposed to be on pause during the Fairweather’s journey across the stars—but humans have a way of breaking any rule you set them. Who produced this child, and why did they then abandon him? And as her nephew and his partner get more and more attached, how can Dorothy prevent her colleague and rival detective, Leloup, a stickler for law and order, from classifying the baby as a stowaway or a piece of luggage?

Told through Dorothy’s delightfully shrewd POV, this novella series is an ode to the cozy mystery taken to the stars with a fresh new sci-fi take. Perfect for fans of the plot-twisty narratives of Dorothy Sayers and Ann Leckie, this well-paced story will leave readers captivated and hungry for the next installment.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Dorothy Gentleman is back, investigating the origins of a most unexpected baby

A gratifying sequel to last year’s Murder by Memory! The characters—first-person narrator and investigator Dorothy Gentleman, her nephew Ruthven, his partner John, and the AI starship Fairweather— continue to delight, as do the mystery and the worldbuilding. I particularly loved seeing Ruthie lose his heart to the unexpected baby. The mystery itself hinges on some intriguing concepts, and introduces several new characters. I felt the mystery plot wasn’t quite as strong as the puzzle in Murder by Memory, but the pacing is good and the need to know “who done it” kept me turning the pages. I inhaled the book in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the world and characters of the Fairweather. I’m already looking forward to the next book, and hope it won’t be long in coming!

Publication date: Nobody’s Baby will be published on March 10, 2026.

Challenges: COYER 2026: Out to Lunch Again; NetGalley & Edelweiss Challenge 2026;