Books like The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard

The Scattered Pearls Belt is a network of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by exiled scholars and powerful families, connected by living mindships that ferry people and freight across the stars. Within this fluid society, human and mindship avatars circulate through corridors and function rooms, and physical and virtual realities blend, allowing environments to adapt instantly to their occupants. The Shadow's Child, a former military vessel, now survives as a brewer of mind‑altering drugs for weary travelers. When the eccentric scholar Long‑Chau hires her to retrieve a corpse for scientific study, the task quickly turns sinister: the corpse has been murdered. Compelled by the mystery, Long‑Chau pulls The Shadow's Child into an investigation that uncovers the victim’s past and reveals connections to Long‑Chau’s own murky history. Together, they confront the hidden dangers that lurk in the void between the stars. The novel blends hard‑boiled mystery with speculative worldbuilding, exploring themes of identity, memory, and the moral complexities of a society where technology and humanity intertwine.

First publish date: 2018