Hellspark

Hellspark, Janet Kagan, Meisha Merlin Publishing, 1998

During a survey of the newly discovered planet of Lassti, one member of the survey team, named Oloitokitok, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. The team had found a native species, called sprookjes, that look like something like a blue heron that walks upright, and was trying to determine whether or not they were intelligent. A lot of people, especially the group that wants the planet for development, have a stake in the answer. Was one of the survey team, a group from several different planets, responsible? Was one of the sprookjes to blame?

Into all this comes Tocohl, a Hellspark trader. After being attacked during a religious festival on another planet, and going before a judge, she gets roped into going to Lassti to see if she can find an answer to both questions. She doesn't go out of her way to tell them that she isn't exactly a judge (the only people authorized to make such decisions). Anyway, she does her best to negotiate a cultural mine field, solve a murder, and decide what makes a species "intelligent".

This is an excellent novel. Kagan does a very good job with alien culture/sociology, it's a good mystery, and an all around interesting story. It may not be the easiest read in the world, but it is very much worth it.