Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Album of Dr. Moreau

This was a fun locked door mystery story that featured a boy band comprised of animal/human hybrids. I really liked the two police officers investigating the case and enjoyed trying to figure out who did it along with them. The story involved a little suspension of disbelief as to how the hybrids came to be (but the story's inspiration - The Island of Dr. Moreau had a similar issue) but I did not mind. I appreciated the boy band humor and the references to some pop culture and mystery novels. The ending was satisfying and the format of the book was clever. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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morgcxn's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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elliotvanz's review

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funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Within a few pages of picking this one up I remembered why I love Daryl Gregory so much. I really enjoy the way he puts words together to create interesting images, turns of phrase, and humor. And weirdness. Always weirdness. This little novella, about a boy band of animal human hybrids, is no exception. It's also a detective story, beat by beat, and it tells you so at the start. Gregory has set out to challenge the rules of detective fiction that TS Eliot posited in days of yore, and I don't want to spoil anything but I was amused by the results.

This book feels simultaneously formulaic and also exceedingly strange, and those two tensions work together to create something new. Mystery fans will likely see the signposts easily, but I wasn't looking for them so I enjoyed the reveals. The characters, sketched in as they are due to length, had distinct voices and made me smile. The pacing was perfect and the novella length flattered rather than hamstrung the story. This is a well constructed little bundle of words wherein Gregory is playing with tropes, and classics, and making them new again.

All in all this one was satisfying as a sci-fi fan and I would imagine would be even more so were I also a fan of detective fiction. Or boy bands for that matter. Regardless of your interests this one is self contained enough to amuse. Come for the bizarre conceit and stay for the throughly enjoyable writing.

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