Locked room mysteries in Trek lit?

Sho · December 14 2011, 04:36 AM

While cooking dinner I found myself idly wondering whether there had ever been an instance of the classic locked room mystery in Trek lit, thinking it could be good fun within the various rules of Trek sci/tech ... can anyone think of one?

Turtletrekker · December 14 2011, 06:29 AM

TNG: Contamination by John Vornholt.

SCE: Malefactorum by Terri Osborne.

Also, Ro's investigation in DS9: Lesser Evil may qualify, but the event she was investigating took place in the previous book, Cathedral.

JD · December 14 2011, 06:30 AM

I haven't read them yet, so I don't know if they're "locked room mysteries" but I do know that the TOS novel The Case of the Colonist's Corpse and the SCE novella Malefictorum are both murder mysteries.

lvsxy808 · December 14 2011, 09:10 AM

Yeah, Malefictorum is the one that came to mind for me too.

.

Lonemagpie · December 14 2011, 02:47 PM

Frankly I'd have thought the transporter would have killed the locked room mystery stone dead...

Christopher · December 14 2011, 03:55 PM

Lonemagpie wrote:

Frankly I'd have thought the transporter would have killed the locked room mystery stone dead...

Maybe in this context it should be the "shielded room mystery?"

Of course, it's been established that transporters leave traces, so all you have to do is run a tricorder over the scene and say "Nope, no sign anyone beamed in or out," and you've still got your mystery.

BrotherBenny · December 14 2011, 04:42 PM

The Changeling did it, in the crew quarters, with the candlestick.

Relayer1 · December 14 2011, 05:59 PM

Immortal Coil shapes up that way, but then rather disappointingly, isn't.

Cybersnark · December 14 2011, 06:46 PM

BrotherBenny wrote:

The Changeling did it, in the crew quarters, with the candlestick.

As the candlestick.

Lonemagpie · December 14 2011, 07:11 PM

BrotherBenny wrote:

The Changeling did it, in the crew quarters, with the candlestick.

Or, of course, the Changeling *was* the candlestick...

Guest12 · December 14 2011, 08:47 PM

I think "The Siege" by Peter David would qualify as one. And one of the two plots of "Vulcan's Glory" by D.C. Fontana might as well.

Mr. Laser Beam · December 14 2011, 09:03 PM

DS9 did a couple like this: "A Man Alone" (Ibudan's murder), and that one ep where the Vulcan goes crazy and shoots people with a gun that can beam bullets through walls.

Sho · December 15 2011, 12:49 PM

D'oh, I can't believe I forgot about "Malefictorium" - I actually read that one. I wish I had the database brain of various forum members

.

And true, the beginning of "Immortail Coil" with the lab incident fits the pattern as well, but the mystery is explained away rather unceremonously later as the plot moves on to bigger issues ...

"Contatmination" sounds like fun, I tend to enjoy the Worf/Troi pairing. I'll check out some of the other recommendations as well, thanks!

Therin of Andor · December 17 2011, 11:11 PM

Sho wrote:

the beginning of "Immortail Coil" with the lab incident fits the pattern as well, but the mystery is explained away rather unceremonously

I thought it a delicious twist that had me completely by surprise.

How about "A Hard Rain"? Not quite a locked holodeck story, because the Starfleet characters do enter and leave, but the mystery occurs in there, IIRC.
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/A_Hard_Rain

Nerys Myk · December 18 2011, 03:50 AM

BrotherBenny wrote:

The Changeling did it, in the crew quarters, with the candlestick.

I thought the Changeling was in the one with the fish, not the one with the candlestick.

December 14 2011, 04:36 AM	#1
Sho Fleet Captain Location: Berlin, Germany	Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? While cooking dinner I found myself idly wondering whether there had ever been an instance of the classic locked room mystery in Trek lit, thinking it could be good fun within the various rules of Trek sci/tech ... can anyone think of one?

December 14 2011, 06:29 AM	#2
Turtletrekker Vice Admiral Location: Tacoma, Washington	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? TNG: Contamination by John Vornholt. SCE: Malefactorum by Terri Osborne. Also, Ro's investigation in DS9: Lesser Evil may qualify, but the event she was investigating took place in the previous book, Cathedral. __________________ Coulson lives!

December 14 2011, 06:30 AM	#3
JD Admiral Location: Arizona, USA	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? I haven't read them yet, so I don't know if they're "locked room mysteries" but I do know that the TOS novel The Case of the Colonist's Corpse and the SCE novella Malefictorum are both murder mysteries. __________________ Over the course of many encounters and many years, I have successfully developed a standard operating procedure for dealing with big, nasty monsters. Run away. Me and Monty Python. Harry Dresden - Blood Rites (The Dresden Files #6)

December 14 2011, 09:10 AM	#4
lvsxy808 Rear Admiral Location: London	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? Yeah, Malefictorum is the one that came to mind for me too. . __________________ DS9-R fans! Want to know what happened after The Soul Key? Read Deep Space Nine, Season 10 All 22 eps also available here.

December 14 2011, 02:47 PM	#5
Lonemagpie Writer Location: Yorkshire	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? Frankly I'd have thought the transporter would have killed the locked room mystery stone dead... __________________ "I got two modes with people- Bite, and Avoid" Reading: Mystery Man (Colin Bateman) Blog- http://lonemagpie.livejournal.com

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

December 14 2011, 04:42 PM	#7
BrotherBenny Rear Admiral Location: BrotherBenny	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? The Changeling did it, in the crew quarters, with the candlestick. __________________ "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." - Henry David Thoreau My blog / My crime stories

December 14 2011, 05:59 PM	#8
Relayer1 Fleet Captain Location: The Black Country, England	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? Immortal Coil shapes up that way, but then rather disappointingly, isn't. __________________ Soon oh soon the light, Pass within and soothe this endless night, And wait here for you, Our reason to be here...

December 14 2011, 08:47 PM	#11
Guest12 Lieutenant Junior Grade Location: Syracuse, NY	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? I think "The Siege" by Peter David would qualify as one. And one of the two plots of "Vulcan's Glory" by D.C. Fontana might as well. __________________ "Kal-toh is to chess as chess is to tic-tac-toe." - Tuvok

December 14 2011, 09:03 PM	#12
Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Location: The visitor's bullpen	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? DS9 did a couple like this: "A Man Alone" (Ibudan's murder), and that one ep where the Vulcan goes crazy and shoots people with a gun that can beam bullets through walls. __________________ It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

December 15 2011, 12:49 PM	#13
Sho Fleet Captain Location: Berlin, Germany	Re: Locked room mysteries in Trek lit? D'oh, I can't believe I forgot about "Malefictorium" - I actually read that one. I wish I had the database brain of various forum members . And true, the beginning of "Immortail Coil" with the lab incident fits the pattern as well, but the mystery is explained away rather unceremonously later as the plot moves on to bigger issues ... "Contatmination" sounds like fun, I tend to enjoy the Worf/Troi pairing. I'll check out some of the other recommendations as well, thanks!