A Lonely World Where the People Are Blue

A Galaxy, Alive, Book 1

By: Rey S. Morfin

Narrated by: Katie Ciurleo

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

A small-town mystery...on a galactic scale.

Syl Raynor knows that PI work amongst the stars is just as dull as it is on Terra: missing persons, cheating spouses, and conspiracy theories.

But when she's given one last case to determine whether she'll keep her job, Syl is catapulted into the middle of an intergalactic mystery with far-reaching consequences. On the remote planet of Z'h'ar, Syl will have to learn to be a real investigator if she's going to keep her job...and her life. Meanwhile, the diary of her missing sister burns a hole in her pocket.

Does Z'h'ar hold the key to decrypting it?

A Galaxy, Alive is the latest series from mystery writer Rey Morfin, author of Life at the End of the Road. You'll love A Galaxy, Alive if you like space operas, fantastical tales, and just a little sprinkling of humor.

©2020 Jack Howse (P)2020 Jack Howse

Interesting story!

Let me start by saying that this is not my normal genre. That being said, it was a really intriguing book that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. The narrator does an excellent job and the book is well written and engaging. The characters were well developed (one of my pet peeves if they aren't) and the story world was fantastic - in every way. If you like mysteries and you like sci fi, you will really love this book. I am looking forward to the next installment!

Old time style modern presentation

A delectable mystery written in an old time style. Listening to it takes you back to radio mysteries of old. Very well done. I liked the mystery that was written in this one, as it kept the listener interested right through. Starts with a private investigator telling how predictable her job seems to be. She says she is either trying to catch a cheating spouse or trying to find a person who maybe does not want to be found. Helping her mother pack and move homes, she finds her missing sister's diary. She wonders if that book might hold clues to her sister's strange disappearance. She starts to read it. The clues do come, but not always the way she expects. The story is focused on how these clues lead to discoveries of things she had forgotten as well as new clues to the mystery. A really good mystery, I would listen to it many times.

Missing Persons in Space

Syl Raynor is a struggling PI based on Terra (Earth), but traveling to other planets to find missing persons. When a new owner takes over the agency she works for, she is given one last chance to keep her job. Of course, the case she is given is one that is doomed to fail.

A side story to her search for the missing woman is the mystery of where her sister has gone. Maybe both mysteries can be solved when Syl visits Z'h'ar...or maybe, she will die there.

I enjoyed the book and the author did a good job with world building and character development. The narrator did a great job and added a lot to my enjoyment of the audiobook. If you enjoy sci-fi mixed with a little mystery, give this book a shot.

Space Mystery

On the whole, the story was fun, the characters interesting, the action ongoing; however, I couldn't quite get past that a nobody character from a small village could bring about such radical changes with one simple action. Katie Ciurleo does a good job with the narration. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

Fun SciFi Mystery with Great Narration

I had a lot of fun with this book. The narrator was a perfect match for the intrepid and quirky heroine, as well as her endearing sidekick, and all the other characters were voiced really well and narrated in an easy, smooth rhythm. As for the story itself, I found it to be a unique, interesting and humorous blend of sci-fi action and mystery. I fell in love with the main characters and really enjoyed following them from one mishap to another. After listening to this book, I plan to get the next one in audio format as well, as I believe, in this case, that version suited the story perfectly.

Worth Listening To

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I started listening to it. But I loved the narrator's voice and she made it easy to keep listening. I started getting a bit bored about midway through and set it aside for a while. When are came back to it, I must have been ready for it, as I finished it in a couple of hours.

The premise of the book is unique in that a private investigator whose case takes them to other planets/galaxies is definitely not the normal mystery story. It's well written with good character development and if you get the chance to read or listen, by all means go for it.

missing person case morphs into alien mystery

Given a last chance to keep her job as private investigator on an Earth normed out and crushed into sameness, female character with Brit accent goes off into space tracking down a missing person. She arrives on a planet with two main races and becomes as much a sociologist as curiosity to the aliens.
Story did seem like a debate at times between reasonable folks. Even the climax had an oh so reasonable tone.
The pace was moderate and the narrator did good job with protagonist. tidy little novelette.