“Harrow, one of Nightingale’s errandeers, is murdered in this off-world SF novelette. Harrow works for the Church of Foresight in the city of Nightingale on a distant planet. And now his protégé, Hap, is determined to find his killer.
“Hap lost his parents in a space accident, which marks him as star-crossed, or cursed with bad luck. Harrow was the only person who saw any value in him and trained him to be so much more than a drudge at the church.
“Initial clues take Hap to the Deltan community, the city’s star-crossed criminal element who lost their old city. Here, Hap discovers Harrow’s secret life and his obvious plans to include him. But the clues take him in a wide circle back to his own beginnings.
“This charming story was a pleasure to read as the mysteries hauled the reader ever deeper. The pace was good, as was Hap’s character development.”
https://tangentonline.com/print-bi-monthly/analog-january-february-2021/