Kiln People by David Brin

 

Kiln People is a mystery that takes place in a supposed future where people can make copies of themselves to do things for them.  A copy is made by taking an artificial body that is like a blank tape and loading at least as much of your mind into it as it will require for the tasks it will carry out.  The title "Kiln People" refers to the fact the blank bodies have a clay aspect, so the machine used to animate the bodies was called a "kiln".  The blank bodies come in different types with varying capabilities.  The animation process only lasts a day, after which the artificial body starts deteriorating.

 

Most of the economy's labor is carried out by artificial workers with only enough minds to do their work.  At the end of the day they have an irresistible urge to go like the proverbial lemming into recycling vats.

 

Those copies designed to carry out tasks that involve experiencing events, remembering facts and the like have an urge to return to the original human so it can download its memories.

 

It is technically possible to make copies of other people if you have their consciousness stored somehow.  But that is a violation of copyright laws if you don't have their permission.

 

There are a small number of copies who decide they don't want to spend their short lives doing someone else's drudgery and go off to choose their own way to spend the time.

 

Albert Morris is a private eye who uses these copies to do most of his footwork.  He is investigating illegal copying of a celebrity.

 

But things lead into a more convoluted case and dangerous opponent.  His investigations even lead him to the company that makes the kilns and bodies, where one of the partners has been killed.

 

Along the way we are introduced to various aspects of a seriously altered society.  The lives of people who have copies do their chores, a church for copies, the different perspectives of various copies of a person, using copies to do dangerous sports (so the original person can experience the thrill without real risk to the original), resolving international disputes using sports-arena wars with artificial soldiers, etc.

 

There are some implausible "science" elements, but good as an SF mystery.  Also some food for thought.

 

This book won a John W. Campbell award.