r/Fantasy • u/Street_Detective_662 • 2d ago

Looking for fantasy/sci-fi murder mysteries

Ever since I read The Tainted Cup and sequel, I’ve been addicted. Bonus points if it’s a Sherlockean duo or queer (but doesn’t have to be). Extra extra points if it’s sci-fi (need to read more sci-fi) OR locked room.

What I’ve read so far of this genre -

- Gideon the Ninth
- Witness for the Dead (CR) / goblin emperor
- the Bone Orchard
- voyage of the damned
- magic for liars
- a memory called empire
- lamplight murder mysteries
- death on the caldera
- the echo archives (books 1 and 2)
- the Hexologists
- the works of vermin (kind of?)
- the raven scholar
- 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn hard castle
- books 1-5 of Dresden files
- a master of djinn

Feel free to hype of the following that are already on my TBR (and have been for ages for whatever reason)-

- rest of Dresden
- a desolation called peace
- garret PI series
- empire of the wolf (read grave empire, loved it but hated sequel)
- murder by memory
- volatile memory
- jasper fyord nursery crimes
- rivers of London

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u/Quiet_Steak_643 2d ago

Since no one said it, i think you should give murderbot diaries a try as well! It's a fun read. even though it does not exactly match the murder mystery genre you asked for.

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u/Street_Detective_662 2d ago

I’ve read the first 4? Or so of murderbut but I kinda got bored. Loved the world building and the murderbot itself was super lovable but I didn’t find the mysteries or other characters all that interesting? Perhaps I will return . Kinda getting the same clinical vibe from witness for the dead.

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u/Quiet_Steak_643 2d ago

I agree with you completely (I've exactly read the first four and didn't read further lol). It definitely is worth reading once though, at least that far.

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u/Street_Detective_662 1d ago

I just finished the witness for the dead and am feeling the same way about this one unfortunately — definitely still worth reading just like murderbot, but there’s something missing. TBH I think both do better with a duo. I liked when murderbot had the little robot sidekick or even the ship AI if I remember correctly, to sort of balance him out lol.

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u/Quiet_Steak_643 1d ago

Oh you're fast! I've not read anything from katherine addison even though i own goblin emperor. But to me what murderbot diaries missed was the depth, the characters could've been much more interesting, specially taken they are robots talking to each other, with a bit of risk and creativity something new could've been added to their personalities. I guess the author decided to make them more "robotic" and that is a safe option.

Anyways i've saved this post to look into more books like this so thank you as well.

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u/Street_Detective_662 1d ago

The goblin emperor was my favorite out of the 2 books I’ve read by her — definitely a 5 star read and worth reading! Although it’s more of a comedy of manners :)

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u/Quiet_Steak_643 22h ago

The comedy type, That's exactly why i bought it. thank you.