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The Reinvented Detective:
Audio CD
First published December 12, 2023
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About the author
Cat Rambo
250 books581 followersF&SF writer Cat Rambo lives and writes in the Midwest. They have been shortlisted for an Endeavour Award, Locus Award, World Fantasy Award and most recently the Nebula Award. Their debut novel, BEASTS OF TABAT, appeared in 2015 from WordFire Press, the same year she co-edited AD ASTRA: THE SFWA 50TH ANNIVERSARY COOKBOOK. Their most recent book is DEVIL'S GUN (novel, Tor Macmillan). They are a former two-term President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and still volunteers with the organization.
They run the popular online writing school focused on fantasy and science fiction, the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. (academy.catrambo.com)
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They run the popular online writing school focused on fantasy and science fiction, the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. (academy.catrambo.com)
Sign up for Cat's newsletter at
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 22, 2024
A very good anthology! This collection is the second in a series and the theme is detectives and crime in either science fiction or speculative fiction settings. I really enjoyed this so much and will seek out the prior book to read and look forward to the next in the series.
I don't want to spoil the stories and as always with anthologies, what a reader likes varies. So I'll mention my favourites and of course you mileage may vary.
My Favourites:
The Best Justice Money Can Buy by C.C. Finlay - in a future where the wealthy can pay someone to do their time for them, one officer figures out a way to clear two criminals under one name. A great story.
The Gardener's Mystery: Notes From A Journal by Lisa Morten - in a future where people are genetically modified for their slot in society, a gardener seeks to exonerate of their employer of charges they went on a demeaning screed against lower caste members. Very good story that I figured out and broke my heart for the narrator a little.
Someone Else's Device by AnaMaria Curtis - a good story about the theft of a tech prototype device that can remove habits. I liked this one simply for the detective's blind spot and how it interacted with their other abilities but still allowed them to figure out the solution.
Coded Out by Frog and Esther Jones - in a future where dopamine hit administered through code directly into the brain is highly illegal and homicidal endeavour but also part of a monetized system which is always seeking more revenue an officer figures out a way to uncover it via the ultimate sacrifice. Very good story.
Murder at the Westminster Dino Show by Rosemary Claire Smith - Best in Show with toy dinosaurs, what else do you need? Great story.
The Unassembled Victims by Peter Clines - in which there are two classes of people and a detective duo (one from each group) solves a case of what is serial murder and theft of body parts. Good story.
Great Detective in A Box by Jennifer R Povey - in which a detective on Mars gets familiar with his new partner, an AI named MARPLE. Definitely a favourite.
Color Me Dead by E.J. Delaney
The Unremembered Paradox by Maurice Broaddus and Bethany K Warner - in which a detective in Quantum Investigations tries to correct the timeline. A very good story with a twist at the end.
Go Ask A.L.I.C.E. by Lyda Morehouse - I don't even know how to describe this one without spoiling so just know, I really enjoyed it.
Request to Vanish by Lauren Ring - A very good story. Won't spoil.
Dead Witness by Marie Bilodeau - fantastic story. I really loved the detective recitation of names in a quest to stave off the encroaching dimming of faculties.
To Every Seed Their Own Body by Guan Un - a very good story. I won't spoil but the culprit was masterful.
In the Shadow of the Great Days by Harry Turtledove - Excellent.
Gum5how by Carrie Harris - Excellent and a little heartbreaking as the victim of a murder is part of the sentence of the guilty.
The Remaining (perfectly good work, just not my favourites):
The Missing C: Police Report #1 by Jane Yolen
Ghosts by Seanan McGuire - nah.
Agents Provocateur by Lazarus Black - nope.
Overclocked Homes by Sara Day and Timm Pratt
Final Judgment by Jane Yolen
We Are All Ourselves Inside Our Skin by Sam Fleming
Inside, outside, Above, Below by Premee Mohamed
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy.
I don't want to spoil the stories and as always with anthologies, what a reader likes varies. So I'll mention my favourites and of course you mileage may vary.
My Favourites:
The Best Justice Money Can Buy by C.C. Finlay - in a future where the wealthy can pay someone to do their time for them, one officer figures out a way to clear two criminals under one name. A great story.
The Gardener's Mystery: Notes From A Journal by Lisa Morten - in a future where people are genetically modified for their slot in society, a gardener seeks to exonerate of their employer of charges they went on a demeaning screed against lower caste members. Very good story that I figured out and broke my heart for the narrator a little.
Someone Else's Device by AnaMaria Curtis - a good story about the theft of a tech prototype device that can remove habits. I liked this one simply for the detective's blind spot and how it interacted with their other abilities but still allowed them to figure out the solution.
Coded Out by Frog and Esther Jones - in a future where dopamine hit administered through code directly into the brain is highly illegal and homicidal endeavour but also part of a monetized system which is always seeking more revenue an officer figures out a way to uncover it via the ultimate sacrifice. Very good story.
Murder at the Westminster Dino Show by Rosemary Claire Smith - Best in Show with toy dinosaurs, what else do you need? Great story.
The Unassembled Victims by Peter Clines - in which there are two classes of people and a detective duo (one from each group) solves a case of what is serial murder and theft of body parts. Good story.
Great Detective in A Box by Jennifer R Povey - in which a detective on Mars gets familiar with his new partner, an AI named MARPLE. Definitely a favourite.
Color Me Dead by E.J. Delaney
The Unremembered Paradox by Maurice Broaddus and Bethany K Warner - in which a detective in Quantum Investigations tries to correct the timeline. A very good story with a twist at the end.
Go Ask A.L.I.C.E. by Lyda Morehouse - I don't even know how to describe this one without spoiling so just know, I really enjoyed it.
Request to Vanish by Lauren Ring - A very good story. Won't spoil.
Dead Witness by Marie Bilodeau - fantastic story. I really loved the detective recitation of names in a quest to stave off the encroaching dimming of faculties.
To Every Seed Their Own Body by Guan Un - a very good story. I won't spoil but the culprit was masterful.
In the Shadow of the Great Days by Harry Turtledove - Excellent.
Gum5how by Carrie Harris - Excellent and a little heartbreaking as the victim of a murder is part of the sentence of the guilty.
The Remaining (perfectly good work, just not my favourites):
The Missing C: Police Report #1 by Jane Yolen
Ghosts by Seanan McGuire - nah.
Agents Provocateur by Lazarus Black - nope.
Overclocked Homes by Sara Day and Timm Pratt
Final Judgment by Jane Yolen
We Are All Ourselves Inside Our Skin by Sam Fleming
Inside, outside, Above, Below by Premee Mohamed
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy.
November 4, 2025
Stars: 2.5 out of 5
I honestly expected more of this anthology. I mean, stories about detectives set in the far future, solving cases using technologies we can only dream of? That's right up my alley! The cover is gorgeous as well, and contributed to my requesting this book from NetGalley. The contents were rather disappointing, though.
I think I liked maybe three stories out of the whole anthology.
Murder at the Westminster Dino Show by Rosemary Claire Smith was a fun short story that made me chuckle a couple of times. I mean, pocket-sized dinosaurs? Humanity would be crazy enough to fall for that trend. The downside of this story was that the protagonist wasn't particularly bright. Heck, it felt like her pet dinosaur brought her all the clues she needed.
In the Shadow of the Great Days by Harry Turtledove was also fun enough to read, even if it presented a rather bleak image of the future.
The Unassembled Victims by Peter Clines was the highlight of this anthology for me. It was well-crafted, and I loved the characters. It set up the tone and the world effortlessly. It made you care about what was happening. More importantly, both detectives were actually smart people who did some detecting. I wouldn't mind reading other stories set in this world, because there is so much to explore there.
The rest of the stories in this anthology fell rather blah to me. The biggest issue is that in many of them, there wasn't much detecting or unraveling of clues. I also either didn't connect with the protagonists or the writing styles. And I will admit that I don't particularly care for poetry. Some of the stories also felt half-baked, as if the author had a word count to meet and didn't particularly care about aspects like worldbuilding or characterization.
All in all, this is more of a miss for me, with one excellent story and two okay ones.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly expected more of this anthology. I mean, stories about detectives set in the far future, solving cases using technologies we can only dream of? That's right up my alley! The cover is gorgeous as well, and contributed to my requesting this book from NetGalley. The contents were rather disappointing, though.
I think I liked maybe three stories out of the whole anthology.
Murder at the Westminster Dino Show by Rosemary Claire Smith was a fun short story that made me chuckle a couple of times. I mean, pocket-sized dinosaurs? Humanity would be crazy enough to fall for that trend. The downside of this story was that the protagonist wasn't particularly bright. Heck, it felt like her pet dinosaur brought her all the clues she needed.
In the Shadow of the Great Days by Harry Turtledove was also fun enough to read, even if it presented a rather bleak image of the future.
The Unassembled Victims by Peter Clines was the highlight of this anthology for me. It was well-crafted, and I loved the characters. It set up the tone and the world effortlessly. It made you care about what was happening. More importantly, both detectives were actually smart people who did some detecting. I wouldn't mind reading other stories set in this world, because there is so much to explore there.
The rest of the stories in this anthology fell rather blah to me. The biggest issue is that in many of them, there wasn't much detecting or unraveling of clues. I also either didn't connect with the protagonists or the writing styles. And I will admit that I don't particularly care for poetry. Some of the stories also felt half-baked, as if the author had a word count to meet and didn't particularly care about aspects like worldbuilding or characterization.
All in all, this is more of a miss for me, with one excellent story and two okay ones.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Will come back to this review when I've finished my current read
September 6, 2024
REPORTS
Poem: That Missing C: Police Report #1 – Jane Yolen ***
The Best Justice Money Can Buy – C.C. Finlay ***
The Gardener’s Mystery: Notes from a Journal – Lisa Morton ***
Someone Else’s Device – AnaMaria Curtis ***
Coded Out – Frog and Esther Jones ****
Murder at the Westminster Dino Show – Rosemary Claire Smith ***
The Unassembled Victims – Peter Clines ***
ARTIFACTS
Poem: Ghosts – Seanan McGuire ****
Agents Provocateur – Lazarus Black ***
Great Detective in a Box – Jennifer R. Povey ****
Color Me Dead – E. J. Delaney ***
The Unremembered Paradox – Maurice Broaddus and Bethany K. Warner ****
Go Ask A.L.I.C.E. – Lyda Morehouse ***
Request to Vanish – Lauren Ring ***
Overclocked Holmes – Sarah Day and Tim Pratt ***
JUDGMENTS
Poem: Final Judgement – Jane Yolen ***
Dead Witness – Marie Bilodeau ***
We Are All Ourselves Inside Our Skins – Sam Fleming ****
Inside, Outside, Above, Below – Premee Mohamed ***
To Every Seed Their Own Body – Guan Un ****
In the Shadow of the Great Days – Harry Turtledove ****
Gum5hoe – Carrie Harris ****
Poem: That Missing C: Police Report #1 – Jane Yolen ***
The Best Justice Money Can Buy – C.C. Finlay ***
The Gardener’s Mystery: Notes from a Journal – Lisa Morton ***
Someone Else’s Device – AnaMaria Curtis ***
Coded Out – Frog and Esther Jones ****
Murder at the Westminster Dino Show – Rosemary Claire Smith ***
The Unassembled Victims – Peter Clines ***
ARTIFACTS
Poem: Ghosts – Seanan McGuire ****
Agents Provocateur – Lazarus Black ***
Great Detective in a Box – Jennifer R. Povey ****
Color Me Dead – E. J. Delaney ***
The Unremembered Paradox – Maurice Broaddus and Bethany K. Warner ****
Go Ask A.L.I.C.E. – Lyda Morehouse ***
Request to Vanish – Lauren Ring ***
Overclocked Holmes – Sarah Day and Tim Pratt ***
JUDGMENTS
Poem: Final Judgement – Jane Yolen ***
Dead Witness – Marie Bilodeau ***
We Are All Ourselves Inside Our Skins – Sam Fleming ****
Inside, Outside, Above, Below – Premee Mohamed ***
To Every Seed Their Own Body – Guan Un ****
In the Shadow of the Great Days – Harry Turtledove ****
Gum5hoe – Carrie Harris ****
May 4, 2024
8+ A thoroughly entertaining collection of (mostly) near future detective-stories, exploring the way crime detection and the justice system might evolve the coming century or two - taking in account new developments in AI, virtual reality, new classes emerging and so on. Many of the futures described here, I would classify as 'dystopian' with ads and spam cluttering virtual reality spaces and privacy of less concern. But I'm talking about the setting, as the stories themselves are mostly fun - as in my opinion detective stories often are (the dopamine kick of finding out the resolution, thinking back on the clues you got on the way and feeling satisfied that it could not have ended another way). There was only one story where I guessed the ending halfway through. This serves to make the few stories with a sad ending ambiguous at best, as they still deliver the satisfaction of a 'closed case', as was the case with Lisa Morton's 'The Gardener's Mystery: Notes from a Journal'. And there are stories that are just fun in and of themselves, like 'Murder at the Westminster Dino Show' by Rosemary Claire Smith, that (as the title suggest) has little cloned dinosaurs in it that are bred just like dogs are now. I had a grin on my face the whole time reading this story.
The best stories were those in which the resolution of the case was at the same time the twist of a good SF-story, that is: it made me look in another way at the world (or the rules thereof) that were established in the story. The way the case closed revealed something about the nature of the detective and the world in which he/she operated. I found the second part ('Artifacts') contained the most of these kind of stories. Most had a cyberpunk feel. Like 'Agents provocateur' by Lazarus Black (another one of the decidedly fun stories). Color Me Dead by E.J. Delaney has the protagonist trying to solve a case in virtual reality in a 'text based adventure'-interface. A lot of humour in this one, while 'The Unremembered Paradox' is more psychological in nature, as a 'time cop' dives into his memories and finds out something shocking and sad about his past. 'Overclocked Holmes' by Sarah Day and Tim Pratt has one of the few AI's that wants to talk to humans finding out he has an adversary. 'To Every Seed Their Own Body' by Guan Un is the only space based story in here, with a murder case on a space ship leading to unexpected conclusions (and one that is genuinely sad). Harry Turtledove is present with 'In the Shadow of the Great Days', a post climate catastrophe-story where technology is reduced but what is left from earlier days still has an effect.
I won't talk about every story here, as it is more fun to check them out yourself! If you, like me, love both SF (with a focus on cyberspace and near future developments) and detective stories (both old school and hard boyled), this is a collection that will give you lots of enjoyment! Recommended.
The best stories were those in which the resolution of the case was at the same time the twist of a good SF-story, that is: it made me look in another way at the world (or the rules thereof) that were established in the story. The way the case closed revealed something about the nature of the detective and the world in which he/she operated. I found the second part ('Artifacts') contained the most of these kind of stories. Most had a cyberpunk feel. Like 'Agents provocateur' by Lazarus Black (another one of the decidedly fun stories). Color Me Dead by E.J. Delaney has the protagonist trying to solve a case in virtual reality in a 'text based adventure'-interface. A lot of humour in this one, while 'The Unremembered Paradox' is more psychological in nature, as a 'time cop' dives into his memories and finds out something shocking and sad about his past. 'Overclocked Holmes' by Sarah Day and Tim Pratt has one of the few AI's that wants to talk to humans finding out he has an adversary. 'To Every Seed Their Own Body' by Guan Un is the only space based story in here, with a murder case on a space ship leading to unexpected conclusions (and one that is genuinely sad). Harry Turtledove is present with 'In the Shadow of the Great Days', a post climate catastrophe-story where technology is reduced but what is left from earlier days still has an effect.
I won't talk about every story here, as it is more fun to check them out yourself! If you, like me, love both SF (with a focus on cyberspace and near future developments) and detective stories (both old school and hard boyled), this is a collection that will give you lots of enjoyment! Recommended.
Read
February 14, 2024favorites:
Color Me Dead by E.J. Delaney
Overclocked Holmes by Sarah Day and Tim Pratt
Inside, Outside, Above, Below by Premee Mohamed
Color Me Dead by E.J. Delaney
Overclocked Holmes by Sarah Day and Tim Pratt
Inside, Outside, Above, Below by Premee Mohamed
January 25, 2024
"The Reinvented Detective" edited by Jennifer Brozek and Cat Rambo is an highly enjoyable collection of 22 science fiction detective/crime stories.
Although I did like all of the stories, mini-reviews of my favorites include:
- "The Best Justice that Money can buy" by C.C. Finlay -- How can justice be realized in a future where money can literally purchase justice?
- "Coded Out" by Frog and Esther Jones -- How powerful or even dangerous is a ubiquitous networked computer system with VR headsets that can directly modify brain chemicals?
- "Agents Provocateur" by Lazarus Black -- A freelance detective saves the day with unexpected help from AI Holo sapiens personal assistants.
- "Great Detective in a Box" by Jennifer R. Povey -- An AI demonstrates her ability and makes a friend while assisting with a murder investigation on Mars.
- "Color Me Dead" by E. J. Delaney -- A private detective solves a murder mystery in a virtual reality via a text adventure interface with some guidance from a cooperative AI.
- "Overclocked Holmes" by Sarah Day and Tim Pratt -- A quantum computer based genuine artificial consciousness pairs up with a human to solve crime.
- "Inside, Outside, Above, Below" by Premee Mohamed -- A leet rogue hacker teams up with an FBI agent to save humanity from another hacker in a dystopian future Vancouver.
- "To Every Seed Their Own Body" by Guan Un -- Murder investigation and the future of the crew on an interstellar spaceship.
- "In the Shadow of the Great Days" by Harry Turtledove -- A doctor investigates an unusual death in a post apocalyptic Boston hundreds of years from now.
I recommend this to fans of either science fiction or detective stories. I STRONGLY recommend this to readers that are fans of both genres.
I thank the publisher, editors, and authors for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this collection.
Although I did like all of the stories, mini-reviews of my favorites include:
- "The Best Justice that Money can buy" by C.C. Finlay -- How can justice be realized in a future where money can literally purchase justice?
- "Coded Out" by Frog and Esther Jones -- How powerful or even dangerous is a ubiquitous networked computer system with VR headsets that can directly modify brain chemicals?
- "Agents Provocateur" by Lazarus Black -- A freelance detective saves the day with unexpected help from AI Holo sapiens personal assistants.
- "Great Detective in a Box" by Jennifer R. Povey -- An AI demonstrates her ability and makes a friend while assisting with a murder investigation on Mars.
- "Color Me Dead" by E. J. Delaney -- A private detective solves a murder mystery in a virtual reality via a text adventure interface with some guidance from a cooperative AI.
- "Overclocked Holmes" by Sarah Day and Tim Pratt -- A quantum computer based genuine artificial consciousness pairs up with a human to solve crime.
- "Inside, Outside, Above, Below" by Premee Mohamed -- A leet rogue hacker teams up with an FBI agent to save humanity from another hacker in a dystopian future Vancouver.
- "To Every Seed Their Own Body" by Guan Un -- Murder investigation and the future of the crew on an interstellar spaceship.
- "In the Shadow of the Great Days" by Harry Turtledove -- A doctor investigates an unusual death in a post apocalyptic Boston hundreds of years from now.
I recommend this to fans of either science fiction or detective stories. I STRONGLY recommend this to readers that are fans of both genres.
I thank the publisher, editors, and authors for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this collection.
June 30, 2025
The Reinvented Detective is a vibrant anthology that reimagines the detective genre through a sci-fi lens—cybernetic sleuths, AI sidekicks, virtual crime scenes—and often lands in exhilarating ways. Curated by Cat Rambo and Jennifer Brozek, the collection leans into speculative justice and what it means to solve a crime when minds and laws evolve alongside tech .
Standout contributions from authors like C.C. Finlay (“The Best Justice Money Can Buy”), Peter Clines (“The Unassembled Victims”), and Premee Mohamed (“Inside, Outside, Above, Below”) exemplify the anthology’s strengths: tightly plotted, high-concept stories with vivid stakes and ethical ambiguity . Clines’s locked-room storyline hums with tension, and Finlay’s critique of a pay-to-prosecute system is smart, unsettling world-building folded into suspense.
That said, the collection’s breadth is both boon and burden. With over 20 entries—spanning poems, virtual-reality whodunnits, post-apocalyptic noir, and dinosaur-based mysteries—some narrative threads feel underdeveloped. The middle section in particular loses momentum before the final stories revive the sparkle .
Thematically, the anthology shines when it plays with the social implications of futuristic crime: AI accountability, augmented bodies, caste-like genetic hierarchies. Here, detective tropes become vehicles for larger questions about power, identity, and justice in rapidly shifting systems .
If there’s critique, it’s inconsistency: for every clever twist, a story dips into cliché or skimps on character depth. But the variety keeps the reader engaged, and even the less polished entries contribute to the tone and thematic tapestry.
Ultimately, The Reinvented Detective delivers a thrilling cross-section of sci-fi detective fiction. It’s clever, occasionally uneven, but packed with high-concept ideas and genre-bending flair. Fans of futuristic mysteries—especially those who like their moral questions wrapped in tech—will find this anthology both entertaining and thought-provoking. If you’re ready for detective work in the age of AI and body mods, this is your next read.
Standout contributions from authors like C.C. Finlay (“The Best Justice Money Can Buy”), Peter Clines (“The Unassembled Victims”), and Premee Mohamed (“Inside, Outside, Above, Below”) exemplify the anthology’s strengths: tightly plotted, high-concept stories with vivid stakes and ethical ambiguity . Clines’s locked-room storyline hums with tension, and Finlay’s critique of a pay-to-prosecute system is smart, unsettling world-building folded into suspense.
That said, the collection’s breadth is both boon and burden. With over 20 entries—spanning poems, virtual-reality whodunnits, post-apocalyptic noir, and dinosaur-based mysteries—some narrative threads feel underdeveloped. The middle section in particular loses momentum before the final stories revive the sparkle .
Thematically, the anthology shines when it plays with the social implications of futuristic crime: AI accountability, augmented bodies, caste-like genetic hierarchies. Here, detective tropes become vehicles for larger questions about power, identity, and justice in rapidly shifting systems .
If there’s critique, it’s inconsistency: for every clever twist, a story dips into cliché or skimps on character depth. But the variety keeps the reader engaged, and even the less polished entries contribute to the tone and thematic tapestry.
Ultimately, The Reinvented Detective delivers a thrilling cross-section of sci-fi detective fiction. It’s clever, occasionally uneven, but packed with high-concept ideas and genre-bending flair. Fans of futuristic mysteries—especially those who like their moral questions wrapped in tech—will find this anthology both entertaining and thought-provoking. If you’re ready for detective work in the age of AI and body mods, this is your next read.
April 21, 2024
This was a very interesting and fresh anthology with a lot of very fun stories. Editors Cat Rambo and Jennifer Brozek have skillfully curated a group of stories that play on or subvert a wide range of both classic science fiction themes and classic detective story genres. We've got world weary noir detectives, cyberpunk cops, AI Miss Marple, and gene spliced amateur detectives reckoning with generation ships, miniature dinosaurs, augmented humans, virtual reality, and just a whole lot of murders. Overall a wildly imaginative anthology.
As with any anthology there were some ups and downs. The book started off extremely strong, but got a little bogged down in the middle with a few stories that didn't work for me, before revving back up for a very strong finish. I'll definitely be checking out future books in this series and will be on the lookout for other works by many of the contributors.
Highlights for me:
- To Every Seed Their Own Body by Guan Un
- The Unassembled Ones by Peter Cline
- The Best Justice Money Can Buy by C.C. Finley
- Someone Else's Device by AnaMarie Curtis
- Coded Out by Frog and Ester Jones
- The Gardener's Mystery: Notes from a Journal by Lisa Morton
- Gum5hoe by Carrie Harris
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for review!
As with any anthology there were some ups and downs. The book started off extremely strong, but got a little bogged down in the middle with a few stories that didn't work for me, before revving back up for a very strong finish. I'll definitely be checking out future books in this series and will be on the lookout for other works by many of the contributors.
Highlights for me:
- To Every Seed Their Own Body by Guan Un
- The Unassembled Ones by Peter Cline
- The Best Justice Money Can Buy by C.C. Finley
- Someone Else's Device by AnaMarie Curtis
- Coded Out by Frog and Ester Jones
- The Gardener's Mystery: Notes from a Journal by Lisa Morton
- Gum5hoe by Carrie Harris
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for review!
February 20, 2024
*I received an advanced digital copy for free and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily*
Hello Fellow Readers,
I love Anthologies but I've never really read one like this. The combination of mystery and science fiction works incredibly well and may now be one of my favorite genre mashes. This mixed with the detective trope made The Reinvented Detective a fun read. I also really enjoyed each story and loved to see each author's interpretation and reinvention of the trope. Now, not every story takes place in a time far away, but some are like our modern society with a little more advanced technology. I find these stories intriguing as I feel like it may be achieved. Of course, with that being said I did like when they really leaned into the science fiction aspect and you see the creativity start to really flow. While I did not have a favorite story there were ones that I wish would be expanded upon or even made into a book series.
Overall, a very entertaining anthology that I wouldn't mind getting more of.
Hello Fellow Readers,
I love Anthologies but I've never really read one like this. The combination of mystery and science fiction works incredibly well and may now be one of my favorite genre mashes. This mixed with the detective trope made The Reinvented Detective a fun read. I also really enjoyed each story and loved to see each author's interpretation and reinvention of the trope. Now, not every story takes place in a time far away, but some are like our modern society with a little more advanced technology. I find these stories intriguing as I feel like it may be achieved. Of course, with that being said I did like when they really leaned into the science fiction aspect and you see the creativity start to really flow. While I did not have a favorite story there were ones that I wish would be expanded upon or even made into a book series.
Overall, a very entertaining anthology that I wouldn't mind getting more of.
January 10, 2024
The Reinvented Detective is a great anthology of science fiction. The anthology features stories that examine scenarios in the future of crime and justice in a world of advanced technology and artificial intelligence. I found the stories diverse, imaginative, and engaging.
I was drawn to this title because I love science fiction and wonder what a world in the future would look like with advanced technology. The forward, written by Jennifer Brozek, serves as a great introduction. She discusses her childhood love of mysteries such as Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew, which also were also some of my favorite series.
The anthology is well structured, and well edited, and each story offers a unique perspective and style while maintaining tone and quality..
The Reinvented Detective is a must-read for fans of science fiction and mystery, as well as anyone curious about how technology will shape our society and morality in the years to come.
I was drawn to this title because I love science fiction and wonder what a world in the future would look like with advanced technology. The forward, written by Jennifer Brozek, serves as a great introduction. She discusses her childhood love of mysteries such as Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew, which also were also some of my favorite series.
The anthology is well structured, and well edited, and each story offers a unique perspective and style while maintaining tone and quality..
The Reinvented Detective is a must-read for fans of science fiction and mystery, as well as anyone curious about how technology will shape our society and morality in the years to come.
November 27, 2023
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
The Reinvented Detective is an anthology of Science Fiction that tells mystery/crime stories as they might occur/be investigated in the future. While they all pretty much include, if not entirely driven by, future technology, the stories range all over the place, from noir/hard boiled detective to action flick and lots in between. Though not all of the tales were in my wheelhouse, I did find that they were all pretty decent, with about half being very enjoyable. If I had to pick favorites, I would say Peter Cline's "The Unassembled Detective" and Marie Bilodeau's "Dead Witnesses" stood out the most to me.
The Reinvented Detective is an anthology of Science Fiction that tells mystery/crime stories as they might occur/be investigated in the future. While they all pretty much include, if not entirely driven by, future technology, the stories range all over the place, from noir/hard boiled detective to action flick and lots in between. Though not all of the tales were in my wheelhouse, I did find that they were all pretty decent, with about half being very enjoyable. If I had to pick favorites, I would say Peter Cline's "The Unassembled Detective" and Marie Bilodeau's "Dead Witnesses" stood out the most to me.
December 24, 2023
Take your classic detective story and twist it into a pretzel! Toss in AIs, augmented humans, a text-based murder mystery, talking mini-dino solving mysteries at a Best in Breed event. Now you are starting to get the concept of this title! The authors can play in multiple ways on the concept of the detective while putting their own spin on the various tropes associated with the detective story. There are partner stories, there are thrillers and the last story is very, very noir! The tome is a bit like a can of Pringles, you likely to read more than one!
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title!
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title!
December 7, 2023
This second strong anthology from Brozek and Rambo after The Reinvented Detective offers diverse and well written fantastical detective stories from a range of both well known and newer authors. Stories tend to be more near future than not and examine social and technological change through the lens of detective stories. Genres include post-apocalyptic, lots of AI-centric stories, and a space tale. Favorites included the Finlay, Clines, Broaddus and Warner, Day and Pratt, and Tutledove. Poetry by Jane Yolen and Seanan McGuire round out the well selected mix.
January 1, 2024
I love good short story collections, and I knew this was probably going to be good when I saw the list of contributors.
At first, I didn't think I was going to like this, because the first stories were depressing, such as the one where someone is stealing people's talents. But several stories were incredibly clever and some also brought out a sense of nostalgia. I definitely laughed a few times. I especially enjoyed the tiny dinosaurs and the Miss Marple AI.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.
At first, I didn't think I was going to like this, because the first stories were depressing, such as the one where someone is stealing people's talents. But several stories were incredibly clever and some also brought out a sense of nostalgia. I definitely laughed a few times. I especially enjoyed the tiny dinosaurs and the Miss Marple AI.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.
May 9, 2024
An excellent collection of sci-fi detective stories. I enjoyed all the stories in this anthology, which I feel hasn't been the case for many recent anthologies I've read --I'll have to look into their previous anthology, The Reinvented Heart. Several people have already summarized a number of the stories so I'll just agree that I wish a few particular stories were longer and found a few new (to me) authors I enjoyed. For those who prefer a specific type of sci-fi, many of these stories lean toward the AI/virtual reality type. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC
January 28, 2024
A fun collection of stories that push the genre just a bit in good, forward-looking ways. Standouts include THE BEST JUSTICE MONEY CAN BUY by C.C. Finlay, MURDER AT THE WESTMINSTER DINO SHOW by Rosemary Claire Smith, and GUM5HOE by Carrie Harris. I’ll be looking in the future for stories by Lyda Morehouse and Sarah Day and Tim Pratt.
April 15, 2024
A number of excellent authors, an anthology of short stories well plotted and well done.
I enjoyed it and it's strongly recommended
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I enjoyed it and it's strongly recommended
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
January 6, 2024
One of the most imaginative short story collections I’ve read in years. Each story combines a science fiction world with a mystery—most often a murder. Beautifully curated. Highly recommend!
June 22, 2024
Some good stories, some not so good. It’s all personal taste.
April 27, 2025
A varied collection of excellent science fiction detective stories. Great in pieces or all at once.
May 31, 2025
I received this DRC from NetGalley.
This was a really good collection of scifi detective mysteries. It is split up into three sections - Reports, Artifacts, and Judgements. I liked the first 2 sections more, but overall, the stories presented very different worlds really well, especially for being short, and came to satisfying conclusions. Since they were all by different authors, there was a lot of variation between stories, which kept it interesting.
This was a really good collection of scifi detective mysteries. It is split up into three sections - Reports, Artifacts, and Judgements. I liked the first 2 sections more, but overall, the stories presented very different worlds really well, especially for being short, and came to satisfying conclusions. Since they were all by different authors, there was a lot of variation between stories, which kept it interesting.
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