Neve Maslakovic is the author of five novels. Her science fiction leans towards cozy, with plenty of mystery twists and humor. In her books, no place is safe from the criminal element — including an academic time-travel lab (the Incident series), a parallel universe (Regarding Ducks and Universes) and a Seattle of the future (All the Whys of Delilah's Demise). Neve's life journey has taken her from Belgrade, Serbia to a PhD at Stanford University's STAR Lab to her dream-come-true job as a writer. She lives with her husband, son, and high-spirited goldendoodle south of the Twin Cities. She's currently hard at work on a new series set in the 1980s. Find out more at nevemaslakovic.com

All the Whys of Delilah's Demise by Neve Maslakovic

Scottie's first year of adulthood is off to a rocky start. In the domed city of New Seattle, where personal brand is everything, she's struggling to make her mark. Life here revolves around the People List, a weekly ranking of social capital. At the top? The coveted number-one spot, held for years by Delilah, a charismatic stage actress and Scottie's boss. Outside of work, Scottie dreams of a forbidden romance, confiding only in Cece, her AI brain chip. But when she finally grabs the spotlight, it's for all the wrong reasons: Delilah plunges from her balcony, and Scottie is blamed for the deadly accident.

Convinced it was murder and that she's been framed, Scottie knows time is running out. The People List updates in six days. If she lands in last place, she'll face banishment to the frozen wasteland beyond the dome. To clear her name and escape exile, Scottie must solve Delilah's murder.

But unmasking a killer is a dangerous game. It could make her the hero of New Seattle—or the next to die.

CURATOR'S NOTE

All the Whys of Delilah's Demise by Neve Maslakovic explores a domed future Seattle through Scottie's investigation of a murder, examining both physical and social boundaries. The story explores both the confines of the dome and the limits of social capital in a confined society. – C. Gockel

 

REVIEWS

  • "Neve Maslakovic's story is a standout... Scottie's journey reaches into the reader's heart."

    – Midwest Book Review

  • "An interesting juxtaposition of lighthearted murder mystery and deadly dystopia. I don't know that I've read anything quite like it."

    – Julie Reeser, author of Beak, Full of Tongue and Terracotta Pomegranate

  • "Fun blend of sci-fi and a classic whodunnit mystery... I literally could not put it down."

    – A Series of Various Events
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

"So you're the person responsible for the death of the number one," the burly man in a security uniform tells me. "Have a seat."

A room with no windows, brightly lit by overhead lights. A metal table polished to a spotless shine and a pair of matching chairs. The man closes the door and takes the other chair. He gives the impression of never having cracked a smile in his life. He's the head of security in the Dome of New Seattle and his name is Bodi.

"Scott. Rank…" Bodi glances up at my halo—his ConnectChip displays it in his eye field—and continues. "…in the bottom thousand. You're here to tell your side of the story."

It's not an invitation but an order. I attempt to defuse the tension in the room by offering, "Scottie is fine."

Scott conjures up someone more put-together, taller and with no gap between their front teeth…and is more of a guy's name, which I'm not. The Birth Lab assigned it to me, same as Bodi's name was to him, though it's hard to believe that the large, grim man facing me was ever a gurgling infant. Above the significant eyebrows and the knobby nose is the halo my own chip, Cece, superimposes upon his person; the colors in the ring of gems add up to a respectable Top Thousand rank, meaning Bodi's liked well enough despite the gruff exterior.

"I'm going to stick with Scott. What are you, twenty?"

"Nineteen."

"And you've been with the Agency for how long?"

In a stark mismatch to my lackluster social skills, I'm an intern at the hub of town life—New Seattle's Social Agency, of all places. "Just under three months."

"And they assigned you to liaison with Delilah."

"Yes."

"A lot of responsibility for an intern," he observes. "When did you see her last?"

Delilah, gone. Impossible to comprehend. I'm having trouble processing what's happened, much less being blamed for her death. "Last night, at the anniversary celebration. What took place after…"

"The celebration," he repeats. "All right. Start at the beginning."

I shift in the chilly and uncomfortable chair. "Can I pace? I think better on my feet."

At his nod, I start a slow back-and-forth between two walls. "The beginning… I suppose it was yesterday morning. You see, I'd recently decided that I no longer wanted to be Scottie the No One. I wanted to be someone."