| Title | : | A Study in Spectres (Simon Pearce Mysteries, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 93 |
| Publication | : | First published October 7, 2019 |
Constable Pearce keeps his head down, his eyes open, and his private life private.
A Study in Spectres (Simon Pearce Mysteries, #1) Reviews
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Two short stories comprise this short volume, each documenting a mystery investigated by Constable Simon Pearce of Scotland Yard, circa 1887. It looks as though the series continues with a similar structure.
A heads-up for those looking for Romance™ -- this is historical fiction + mystery with a gay MC, so don't go in expecting a love interest and an HEA in the first book of the series. I consider that a plus, and in fact it's what convinced me to give it a try. YMMV.
Simon Pearce is devoted to his career, and considers himself fortunate to have risen from abject poverty to his current position. His longing for justice for the powerless puts him occasionally at odds with the powers-that-be, but he's clever and adaptable and knows not to push his luck too far. As a man with socially-unacceptable desires, he believes life will never offer him an opportunity for love or companionship. But the reader can see his yearning peeking through:One hears, of course, about 'friends' taking rooms together, sometimes for a lifetime, and wonders.
I'm open to reading further: the stories were interesting enough, the MC engaging enough, the writing good enough. In other words, I wasn't wowed, but neither was I disappointed. Even over the course of two stories I could see Pearce evolve in response to his experiences, which bodes well for future installments. If the rest of the series is simply more-of-same I would be disappointed, but it looks like it has the potential to deepen as it goes along. -
This book contains the first 2 of 8 short stories that make up the arc for Simon Pearce, a Constable in Scotland Yard in the 1880s. Simon is a modern man, with a bent for science and evidence, and a disdain for superstition. He's also a gay man, although he has to hide that deeply, in this era when it's enough to get a man sent to prison, just on the suspicion.
In this volume, Simon tackles two cases, both of which challenge his ability to think logically and pursue evidence. He's hampered by the laziness and greed of his superiors and some fellow coppers, many of whom want to close cases as easily as possible, without regard to the actual facts. The actual mysteries are fairly simple, but presented with a feel for the era, a wry humor, and a sense of a man ahead of his times, trying to do a better job than circumstances allow.
The series does develop romance, and eventually an HEA, at the end of 4 volumes, but this one has just the smallest beginning to that arc. Simon thinks occasionally about hearing of two men who live together, in a hidden long-term relationship. But his only experiences have been rapid and dangerous fumbles with anonymous partners, usually paid for their trouble, in the dark streets of London. Meeting someone he actually would want to talk to as well as sleep with will take a sea-change in how he sees his life.
I enjoyed this series, although I think you do need the full set to feel satisfied with where Simon ends up. The historical detail felt vivid and well-researched, and I came to really like Simon. Recommended for readers who enjoy the historical, and a touch of simple mystery, as well as the romance. -
I really liked this. It's two short stories which I didn't realise on starting, although one continues immediately after the other it's a separate case.
There's a great sense of the time and characters. Pearce is pragmatic character, smart and honourable, without being a genius. I liked him. Hope he gets to meet Bell.
There's two mysteries, no deep investigating because they're short stories, just enough for you to wish it was a longer story!
Continuing on. -
I have been neglecting Jess Faraday. Sometimes my self imposed rule about not reading two similar books in a row, combined with tsundoku and out-of-sight-out-of-mind tendencies results in my ignoring a large amount of works by authors I love.
Faraday got back on the radar due to the release of a new story about Ira Adler, star of my absolute favoritiest
The Affair of the Porcelain Dog. I can't read that though, because I haven't read the 3rd Ira Adler book yet, despite having been out for years. (In it the action moved to the US, which I find vaguely off-putting. I also have this thing where previews and blurbs for series I love make the next episode sound absolutely horrid, so I put it off, but inevitably love it when I do get around to it.) (Obviously another thing I have is for parentheticals.) Logic would dictate that I therefore pick up said 3rd Ira Adler book, so naturally I started this instead.
This pair of stories follows Simon Pearce, a police constable who often annoys his superiors by solving cases they couldn't be bothered with. They've got a Sherlock Holmes sort of flavor without really portraying Simon as some kind of Holmes copy, at least so far. I enjoyed the Dr. Bell references, as well as the clever twist with the veteran in the first one. I expect there are plenty more references somebody who's read Holmes more recently than I would pick up on as well. While I didn't love these as much as the Ira Adler stuff, these two stories were basically the perfect length for before-bed reading, and I'm planning to continue the series.
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Engaging series about Scotland Yard detective who doesn't believe in ghosts but trusts forensics instead. Perfect series if you try to catch up with your goodreads challenge in the end of the year.
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Interesting but not too interesting or too demanding. Perfect for the zeitgeist.
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Rep: gay mc
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A great little historical forensic read from one of my auto-buy authors; am looking forward to the next few installments now.
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A set of 2 short stories featuring PC Simon Pearce, a policeman in 1880s London.
I enjoyed the stories but I am thinking a full length novel would be great too. -
When I bought these and started reading, I didn't realise they were a collection of short stories all centering around a central character. Because of this, the action sort of starts in the middle somewhere instead of us really learning more about the main character first which also means I don't ever feel invested in what's happening or the outcome. This is an attempt at mimicking Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes collection (I mean, it's obvious from the title of this book) but at least those started with
A Study in Scarlet which is longer and serves as the introduction to Holmes, Watson, and their London. Faraday doesn't quite pull it off here and I never really got sucked into the two stories featured in this first book. Besides that, however, they are written fairly well with good descriptions and characterisation. I feel the second story is much more memorable but, again like Sherlock Holmes, they both had a sense of the paranormal until the mystery is ultimately solved by our clever hero. I will try to continue on with this series but the first installment leaves a bit to be desired. -
A historical mystery
Loved the dark setting of old London and the coppers of Scotland yard. A collection of two short mysteries, solved by the intelligent Simon Pearce. The mysteries are all easily solved , but the scientific deduction behind that is what's entertaining. There is also a small thread of romance, but not highlighted in this book.
A good series to enjoy. -
Lovely gem of a book set in late 19th century London introducing the reader to the world of Simon Pearce. The first book contains two short cases that Simon solves with his wits and curiosity, which is a feat in itself, since he is just simple copper.
Very enjoyable read. -
3.75 stars
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New author for me, yay!!! I like Simon! I love the mysteries, super interesting and intriguing.
Can't wait to read the rest - I saw there are three more books in the series! :) -
delightful~
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Vividly told stories with interesting characters and plots. Although Simon is gay, there's no HEA in these two stories. Maybe in the future?
An absorbing world, full of compelling detail. A very good read. -
A delight to read!
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This is a short book that contains two short stories. I liked them, but didn't love them, maybe because they were so short? Jess Faraday's writing is gorgeous as usual.
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Quick but highly enjoyable reads. Light and entertaining.
