Review - Murder on Donut Station by SI Clarke

Murder on Donut Station

by SI Clarke

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Volume 1 of Lore & Order in Space

Tags: Mystery Science Fiction

Posted in Book Reviews on 1 November, 2026

Pete is driving along a deserted stretch of Canadian highway one night when he sees what appears to be a stranded motorist on the side of the road. Pete stops to help, only the “car” turns out to be a space ship, the motorist an alien, who needs help with his dying human friend. Thirty years later, Pete is semi-retired from the Galactic Union police force and looking for a business opportunity he can buy. Then, his husband Kevin calls about a murder on Donut Station. One of employees of the station has already been convicted of the killing, but Kevin is sure she is innocent and wants Pete’s help proving it.

This book launches a new science fiction-mystery series set in the Starship Teapot universe. You could read this story without having read the prior series, but you’ll have a much better idea of who the minor characters are and the diverse universe they live in if you’ve read the other books.

The story is told entirely from Pete’s point of view. Most of the action is in the “present” day but there are some flashbacks giving us insight into his life before leaving Earth and the journey of self-discovery he had to go through to free himself from the toxic beliefs he was raised with. There was a lot to unpack. It feels like we don’t get the full story of Pete and Kevin’s relationship, but the skills Kevin uses to help Pete investigate the crime means he’ll probably be back in future books.

There are quite a few secondary characters, at least some of whom will probably play roles in future stories, in addition to Kevin. The robot accused of the murder, Lore, would seem to be significant to the series. They are one of the employees of Donut Station, who will be familiar if you’ve read the Starship Teapot series.

“Murder on Donut Station” is available from Smashwords or visit Bookshop.org to purchase from an independent bookstore.