The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti
by Malka Older

Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Posted February 21, 2023
Edits and Addenda on February 26, 2024 & June 25, 2025

1. The Mimicking of Known Successes
2. The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles
3. The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses

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This novella by Malka Older will be published in two weeks (March 7, 2023) but I received a digital review copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. There has already been a sequel announced for next year, but a collective name for the series has not yet been established. [EDIT: It has now, so I changed the URL for the page.] Mossa and Pleiti are two women living on different platforms constructed on rings circling Giant. It's actually Jupiter, at least according to Tor's synopsis, but I don't think it was ever stated as such in the story, but the moon Io is mentioned, so Jupiter it is. I highly recommend the book, but my review will be brief to avoid revealing too much.

One strength of the story is its appeal at different levels. You can revel in the scientific nature of the platforms and rings around Jupiter, along with the experiments being conducted by different scientists. Or, you might be intrigued with the basic mystery, or concentrate on the characters and their interactions, which includes a rekindled romance. Mossa and Pleiti were in a relationship at university, but Pleiti broke that off due to what she felt was Mossa's indifference and self-absorption. They went their separate ways, Pleiti becoming a Scholar researching the ways to reanimate animal and plant cultures and, hopefully, return them to a ravaged Earth to kickstart another evolutionary cycle. Mossa is an Investigator, clearly good at her job, respected and admired by her colleagues. The prologue is in third-person, introducing Mossa as she begins an investigation into a missing person, or it's possible it was a suicide or murder. The rest of the book is in first-person with Pleiti narrating. Mossa comes to her for help and advice since the missing person is a colleague of Pleiti's.

Another part of Tor's description is "a cozy Holmesian murder mystery." Even knowing that going in, I never once thought of Mossa as anything like Sherlock Holmes, nor that Pleiti was her Dr. Watson. Yes, Mossa is a thorough investigator, and a keen observer of people and events, but she doesn't elaborate her theories and deductions in minute detail as Holmes would. Instead, she keeps a lot of that to herself, which reminds Pleiti of how she kept her emotions to herself when they were together. One way it is a bit like Holmes is how the setting is described much like a gas-lamp mystery in fog shrouded London, but in this case the gas and fog is from Giant's atmosphere. The mystery is puzzling and intricate, with a few misdirections, but also some uncannily accurate deductions, including by Pleiti. The revelations might alter the course of her research, maybe accelerating the return to Earth.

The title references one avenue of that research, an attempt to recreate conditions as they were during Earth's early evolutionary history. The prospect of that happening is remote if not impossible, so they should not try to mimic it, but rather alter their approach based on the current condition of the planet. Mossa and Pleiti should also not try to mimic their earlier relationship, but base the new one on their more mature (hopefully) emotional states. I wish them luck, and am very interested in following their journey in the next adventure..

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Posted February 26, 2024
Mossa and Pleiti's relationship has continued, but it has been hampered by the restraints of both of their jobs. Pleiti's research continues, and she tutors others, while Mossa's investigations keep her from visiting Pleiti as often as she would like. Enough so that Pleiti worries their relationship will head in the same direction as before. That changes when Mossa's work again revolves around missing persons at Pleiti's university. Her initial case applied to just one person, but closer examination of school records reveals at least nineteen missing over the past year. Some may have struck off on their own for another school, another job, or just a holiday, without revealing their plans to anyone. There don't seem to be connections between the missing. Some were students, or teachers, but from different departments, others were staff employees. The only connection Mossa has found is that her initial focus reveals a possible girlfriend also missing.

Remember this has been described as Holmesian, but there are differences. In Doyle's stories Dr. Watson wrote of Sherlock's investigations, rarely being part of the mystery himself, except when Holmes would present his conjectures and prompt Watson to connect the dots. Pleiti tells us of her experiences, and her own conjectures and theories, mainly because Mossa goes off on her own several times, and keeps her ideas to herself. Even when they are together, Mossa waits a long time before revealing information. In this sense, Pleiti is the main investigator, taking the initiative to pursue suspicions, and most always heading in the right direction to discover the truth. Mossa only occasionally compliments Pleiti on the work, but she should be aware of how fragile Pleiti's feelings are about her. Pleiti wonders if she is just being used as a convenient in at the university. She needs to know if Mossa is serious about them, or if Mossa is going to remain aloof and distant. I am happy to say that does not seem to be the case by the end of this story. I hope there will be more. Please let there be more to their story.

If I interpreted the title correctly, the missing persons cases came about because of the difficulty of advancing within the university and the various research disciplines. Some felt constricted by that, seeing their research underfunded, or abandoned. Such obstacles were not just unnecessary, they were contrary to the stated goals of the research. Not hard to see how a few could not put up with those obstacles for long. Embezzlement of funds, and theft of equipment (even if the thieves were the ones who invented the equipment) would be noticed eventually. If only one of the perpetrators had not stooped to murder. Mossa could overlook some things, in fact it appears she will not reveal the whereabouts of the missing people. But murder? That she will not abide, and neither will Pleiti. This title was announced even before the first was published, but I don't think a third has been revealed yet. I am anxious to read about more of their adventures. Mossa and Pleiti make a good team, but only time will tell how good a couple they can be. Highly recommended..

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Posted June 25, 2025
In this third Mossa & Pleiti adventure, the situation in the beginning seems less dire than their previous cases. An old friend from school, whom Pleiti had not seen since then and does not initially recognize, comes to her for help concerning a cousin who lives and works on another platform. Petanj and Villette had always been very close, with Petanj now visiting her whenever time allowed. Villette has been victimized by rumors and threats concerning some of her experiments and inventions, which threatens her pending 'donship,' which I think is equivalent to tenure in our academic environment, or maybe like a doctoral dissertation. Pleiti goes to Mossa to ask for help, but Mossa is deep in depression, and possibly drug use. In any case, Mossa hardly responds at all, leaving Pleiti to decide for herself to go halfway around Giant to see if she can investigate Villette's predicament.

Almost immediately she regrets that decision, thinking she should have stayed and tried to figure out what Mossa's problem was. One of the possible meanings of the title is Pleiti's ungovernable impulses as regards to her and Mossa's relationship. She is compelled to be near Mossa, longs to be near her more often, but Mossa's insular nature is a barrier between them. Another possible meaning is what initiated the threats against Villette. What at first seems an inconsequential example of academic rivalry becomes more serious as time goes on. Vandalism of Villette's laboratory, along with possible attempts on her life, with other incidents leading Pleiti to think she might be the target. Pleiti forms her suspicions, and since she is not the investigator that Mossa is, relies on her own type of speculation; reading the papers of other researchers in an attempt to understand their personalities and psyche. She sends telegrams and letters to Mossa several times but gets no replies, and almost decides she can't handle the investigation, that she should return to her own platform. Then she discovers Mossa is already there investigating on her own, without any communication with Pleiti.

I have to admit I don't understand Mossa's motivations. If she cares for Pleiti she has a very weird way of showing it. Or is she the type who cannot maintain a relationship due to her insular nature, her obsession for investigating? We only learn a part of her reasoning, about her job at least, and maybe if she resolves that she can mend the relationship. Mossa often is stymied by the protocols of the Investigators, which keep her inquiries contained, not allowing her freedom to implement her own tactics. She also suspects the general public is reticent to bring matters to the attention of the Investigators, as witnessed by Petanj seeking help from Pleiti instead. The Investigators are a lot like the academic communities, unwilling to upset the status quo. Mossa proposes leaving her position to become a private investigator, and she wants Pleiti to write about their cases. Each book's prologue is in third-person, revealing what Mossa is doing, but the rest is in first-person with Pleiti the narrator. That leads to the assumption that the previous two books were not written until after this third case. I know there is at least one more book under contract, but I hope there will be many more than that.

What needs to happen is Mossa to acknowledge Pleiti's accomplishments, which almost happens here, even though she had difficulty articulating it. They had both settled on the prime suspect, the same person, but utilizing different methods. If Mossa could open herself to Pleiti, explain her thought processes, and adjust to Pleiti's alternate way of analyzing things, they could become a remarkable team. Even if that doesn't happen, I want them to become a remarkable couple. They both need each other. I don't think they can be whole without the other. I hope it is not too long before I can read of their next case. Recommended.

 

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