#74 The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard

The setting of the Xuya universe is a rich one and it gives another great story that can stand along for new readers. Space pirates, betrayals, and a marriage of convenience that might become much more.  Xích Si has been captured by pirates and there is a death penalty for anyone being a pirate or even being related to a pirate, so she knows she is dead to her family on her station. When the AI* ship Rice Fish offers her a marriage contract, she agrees knowing it will protect her. Rice Fish was recently widowed when her wife was killed during a battle but the circumstances look like it could have been a betrayal from one of the affiliated pirated bands.  Now to solve the mystery of the murder and keep the various pirate groups banded together against the two warring empires, Rice Fish must take a new spouse to use their skills to solve everything. 

 

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley

*I should say not an AI ship but a brain ship

#75 Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty Nine by Janet Evanovich

When you are 29 books deep into a series this isn’t the pace to start. Stephanie and Lulu show up to work to find Connie is missing.  Vinnie is out of town so the both of them need to run to office and find Connie.  It seems that Vinnie took a coin as collateral on a bail and someone wants it back.  The secondary plot is Morelli’s grandmother has skipped on her bond for an arson charge and of course no one wants to get her because she will give them the evil eye.

 

More stuff than usual blows up in this book and all the usual cast of characters and places are in the book.  It checks off all the things needed in a Plum story and gets the job done.  An entertaining book for fans of the series but not a deep or complex story, just a good fun romp with well loved friends.

 

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss