The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles

September 1, 2023

In Hugo finalist Older's The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti must travel to the edge of the Jovian system to determine why 17 students and staff members have vanished unnoticed from Valdegeld University. Prepub Alert.

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Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2023

Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti are back, still haunted by the events of their first investigation while in the midst of another missing-persons case that is not at all what it appears to be. Statistically, too many university students have gone missing in the past year, which is the excuse that Mossa uses to inveigle her lover Pleiti into the case, both for her knowledge of the university and for her ability to see the evidence from a new perspective. It's a point of view that gives her partner the clues she needs to solve everything, even as the long journey around Jupiter gives them the time and space needed to figure out how to take their personal relationship forward. Their romance is heartwarming, and Mossa's observations on the human nature of those she investigates are as wry and witty as ever. VERDICT Readers of their first outing, The Mimicking of Known Successes, will be thrilled to have Mossa and Pleiti back on the case as it takes its surprisingly cozy mystery into this sci-fi setting and grounds it in an on-the-nose portrayal of academic politics in all of its delicious viciousness.--Marlene Harris

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 27, 2023
Older sets another Gaslamp mystery on the rings surrounding Jupiter in her cozy follow-up to The Mimicking of Known Successes. After their last adventure, the relationship between reconciled exes Mossa and Pleiti is more stable, if not set in stone. Now detective Mossa reaches out to academic Pleiti to assist her with another investigation: 17 people—students, teachers, and kitchen workers alike—have gone missing from Valdegeld, the university where Pleiti works. The search for answers as to why such an eclectic bunch has disappeared—and where they’ve gotten to—sends the duo from the halls of the university to night clubs and one of Jupiter’s moons, chasing a conspiracy. The stakes feel somewhat lower this time around and Older largely sets aside the interrogation of the genre that made book one such a standout. Still, her prose remains imminently readable and propulsive and the world feels as richly textured as ever. Readers looking for a quick, comforting mystery will be enjoy curling up with this.

Starred review from January 1, 2024
Pleiti and Mossa, the erudite heroines of Older's charming The Mimicking of Known Successes (2023), are back in another cozy sf mystery. Pleiti, a scholar on Giant, is still dealing with the aftermath of confronting a prominent university official when Mossa asks for her help in finding a missing person. Delighted to be of assistance, and for the opportunity to spend more time with Mossa, Pleiti agrees. Their investigation takes them to the planet's moon as well as more far-flung locales. Along the way, they face danger, romance, and, most important, what kind of snacks they will have for tea. The culture of Giant, or Jupiter, is gently teased out, including words from seemingly every language from Earth, lots of food, and references to manga that have been developed into operas. Though the conclusion is satisfying, the journey is the true draw. Pleiti's inner monologue is engaging and she makes an excellent foil for the practical-minded Mossa. Highly recommended for fans of Becky Chambers as well as adventurous cozy mystery readers.

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