Self-dubbed Murderbot is the Security Unit (SecUnit) accompanying a group of scientists from Preservation Alliance exploring a planet. Murderbot has hacked his own governor module and no longer has to follow orders, but mostly does anyway, when it isn't watching downloaded media. But when another group on the planet goes incommunicado, the scientists and SecUnit go investigate and find that they've all been killed by (apparently) rogue SecUnits. Murderbot works with Dr. Mensah and the others to come up with a plan to figure out who their enemy is and how to stay safe.

At 150 pages, this is a swift read with tense pacing and a wry sense of humor.

See also: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Quotes

...you may have noticed that when I do manage to care, I'm a pessimist. (52)

One of the good things about scientist clients is that they're quick on the uptake. (91)

It's wrong to thing of a construct as half bot, half human. It makes it sound like the halves are discrete, like the bot half should want to obey orders and do its job and the human half should want to protect itself and get the hell out of here. As opposed to the reality, which was that I was one whole confused entity, with no idea what I wanted to do. (102)

...this was another way all the thrillers and adventures I'd watched or read were finally starting to come in handy. (109)

This was what I was supposed to want. This was what everything had always told me I was supposed to want. (147) ( )

I love murderbot so much I cried trying to tell someone how much I love murderbot.

Well worthwhile!

A short read, unfortunately, as I am a prolific reader, but highly entertaining! So much so I overode my budget limit to get the next one (I usually have to keep myself in the under $5 range)!
This is first story in set, so while I gigged it a star for a couple plot errors near the end, I expect the next ones will be even better.
( )

Another recommended by the same friend.

Murderbot. Short but sweet. And I love that he calls himself Murderbot, but can't be bothered to actually "murder" because he is too in love with his shows. ( )

Clever fish-out-of-water tale about a construct that's both robot and human and neither. It calls itself Murderbot and it mostly wants to be left alone to do its job to the least of its abilities. But it and its human clients are put into a situation that force both to reexamine their ideas of humanity and duty. A well-told locked-room mystery that's over all to quickly. ( )