Review: Murder in Mind by Majanka Verstraete

This is a novel by Majanka Verstraete and published by Kyanite Publishing.

 

I received this as an advanced reader copy. So, my version may vary slightly from yours. Find out more about this story and where to purchase this novel here: https://kyanitepublishing.com/product/murder-in-mind/

 

If there was a way to tell if someone had criminal tendencies well before they ever committed a crime, would you be okay with locking that person up? If someone is likely to become a criminal, does that mean they WILL become one no matter what?

 

It's an interesting thought and the central theme in this thought-provoking science fiction novel. There is no hiding the influence of George Orwell's '1984' on this story since the author even quotes the book in a place or two. 

Rey, the protagonist of this novel, is a compelling character and I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. Her journey is one that carries you along with a need to know what happened in the past and what will happen when they do find the monster that killed her parents. Her interactions and the relationships that she develops with the other characters in the book are believable—especially the issues between her and her sister. 

 

I found the worldbuilding done for this novel to be interesting and it made me think hard about the role that technology plays in our lives. As well as ask the question, if AI becomes a real thing, will computers have feelings? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It's fascinating to ponder on such things.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It drew me in quickly and kept me in the story until the end. The ending only left me wanting for a second book, but the conclusion was believable and satisfying for the story arc in question. 

There was only one small thing that threw me off a bit. I felt there may have been a bit of inconsistency in the story. It was nothing that greatly affects the plot or the enjoyability of the story, but small things that made me stop and go 'hmmm'. Of course, these issues may have been fixed in the published copy because, as I mentioned above, mine was an ARC that specifically stated that it was an uncorrected proof. 

 

I would highly recommend this book no matter what because the story was wonderful and it did pull me in—which is what a story is supposed to do.