Inferno, by Roger MacBride Allen

Interesting book in the same universe of Isaac Asimov "Robot/Foundation" novels. If you're a fan of The Good Doctor's, you may want to check this out.

The story continues where Allen left off in the first volume of his own Robot Trilogy, "Caliban". In the Spacer planet of Hades (or Inferno), a new breed of robots is introduced. The new sentient machines, dubbed New Law robots, obey a different set of laws intended to give them more freedom of action and thought than the original Three Laws. Whereas Asimov explored the social impact of the introduction of robots, Allen goes a bit further with the same theme conjecturing the changes that would be brought by robots that would be more than slaves to mankind.

Inferno is a planet in deep trouble and the advent of NL robots only adds another variable to a complex system of equations. With an ecosystem in imminent collapse, there is an increased need for labour. A reterraforming effort requires that many personal robots be reclaimed and added to the workforce. NL robots don't seem to work as well as Third Law robots, though, and many of them try to escape their duties and run away to join a community of their own. This introduces the new business of smuggling robots out of society or "rustbacking".

In the midst of this crisis, a high profile murder is committed and two robots, Prospero an NL and Caliban, a no-law robot, may be implicated. Sheriff Alvar Kresh is then faced with the task of solving the crime and in the process begins to unravel a conspiracy of great proportions.

Think of this a good murder mystery with a great science fiction setting. Perhaps it's not as grandiose as Asimov's Elijah Bayley novels, but then again, it is really hard to equal the Good Doctor. The story is peppered here and there with interesting philosophical dillemmas that are not necessarily pursued to the depth one would wish. The most intriguing material here lives in the background of the murder investigation, but still its presence is strong enough to provide great food for thought.