Nobody’s Baby

Nobody’s Baby is the second book in the Dorothy Gentleman sci-fi mystery series by Olivia Waite. When a baby is dropped off on her nephew’s doorstep, Detective Gentleman has many questions to answer. First off, where did the baby come from? Since none of the ten thousand passengers should be able to reproduce, and none of the retromats can print a baby, tracking down biological parents seems like a logical first step. When they find the mother, however, it turns out she’d died of a stroke three days ago. So who dropped the baby off on Ruthie’s doorstep?

HMS Fairweather is a luxurious interstellar mind-ship, where all passengers have artificial immortality for their “centuries-long journey across the stars.” In the process of providing new bodies for the ten thousand adults, “bodies had been carefully treated to prevent conception and reproduction so the population would remain stable” until their destination.

Nobody’s Baby brings more depth to this world, with insight into ship laws and the way laws will change once the Fairweather reaches humanity’s new home. It also has a lovely touch of sapphic romance between Detective Gentleman and a woman she met on a previous case, as seen in the first book.

The writing is delightful and the characters are all complex and memorable. This universe is rich with unique details, such as each passenger bringing one heirloom item for future generations. It makes you wonder; if you could only bring one item with you on transit to a new planet, what would you choose?

Detective Gentleman is a delightful sci-fi mystery series with endless possibilities, and the third novella, The Double Dorothy, hits bookstores March 9, 2027. I can’t wait to read it!

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Visit the author’s website and follow her on Instagram or on Bluesky. You can also subscribe to her charming mostly monthly newsletter: The Oliviary

Nobody’s Baby cover illustration: Marcos Chin
Nobody’s Baby cover design: Shreya Gupta
Nobody’s Baby interior art © Adobe Stock

Advance Reading Copy provided by Tordotcom via NetGalley at my request.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Audiobook narrated by Blair Baker.

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Check out my review of the previous novella, Murder by Memory.