Other than the fact that it happens on the planet Kassidor in 5959ad, this is a murder mystery and not a science fiction story. The different place and time means that the methods of solving the crime are far different and the people involved are far different. There is no police force. Murder is so rare that the society really has no mechanisms to deal with it. What mechanisms there are are geared toward finding the truth, but not guarding against danger.
The Temple of Karasis has many mechanisms for dealing with corruption within its ranks but they don't all work together. The Temple is so ancient and introspective that things can get extremely convoluted and an outsider can have a very difficult time penetrating the layers of secrecy and tradition. Add in changing loyalites, ancient family feuds and guilt at the highest levels and unravelling what really happened and why becomes quite a challenge.