Arcane Adversaries (Simon Pearce Mysteries, #4) by Jess Faraday

Arcane Adversaries (Simon Pearce Mysteries, #4) Reviews

• 
  Lisa

  I have loved this series and wished it was longer.
  I enjoyed Simons adventures both as a policeman and as a lover and I liked the ending to the series.
• 
  Sasha Ambroz

  Beautiful ending to the series. On top of everything this is a masterclass of fast and believeable detective writing.
• 
  nisie draws

  it had a happy ending I did not expect!!! I loved it! Simon honey please don't fuck it up again!!!
• 
  hedgehog

  2.5* stars. I'm glad Simon got what he wanted in his personal life, but we spent almost zero actual page time with Cal and most of what we did see was them being shitty to each other? And I'm not a fan of the "this very first person is obviously my True Love, all evidence to the contrary, because First" trope. Sometimes when you break up with someone it's because their ass is no good, and that's okay!!! The Theo breakup felt super forced.
  
  Overall, though, not a bad way to spend the afternoon. This is the only one out of the four that I filed under m/m instead of queer lit; aside from the last I would say the stories follow the historical mystery genre formula over romance conventions, albeit with a gay protagonist. (I kind of hated rewarding the author with the obvious cash cow tactic of charging $2.99 per two stories when they need to be read all in one sitting. $12 for what is essentially one ebook is ridiculous. But also in these trying times I hope the author gets a roll of toilet paper out of my fraction of her sales, so whatever.) I'm not much of a mystery reader, but the cases mostly played out in a satisfying way, albeit with a dash of brilliant detective has a theory out of nowhere.
  
  I did think the narrative voice sounded pretty much exactly like Ira's from
  The Affair of the Porcelain Dog, and that one is undoubtedly the better buy for the money and more tightly plotted as a result of being a single novel, so I would rec those books over these short stories, for anyone looking to get into this author.
• 
  Laks

  The Finale!
  
  Well...so, we get two more episodes from the exciting life of Simon Pearce, Detective extraordinaire. The mysteries are all good and solved in a methodical manner.
  
  But regarding Simon's personal life...
  ( spoilers ahead )
  
  He was having a peaceful life in Cornwall with Theo when another letter from Callum, his old lover is enough to shatter all that. I was appalled to see him once again resigning and running away from yet another post ! He is a most conscientious officer, but his emotions are given a ruling position here. His first love has too much a strong hold on him! Callum on the other hand , I find to be too callous with Simon. I believe Simon could have made a good life with Theo. But the author chose another direction, I guess.
  
  A really good series set in historical UK.
• 
  Rissa

  3.5 really but I am going to round up because the mysteries were good and it was the last book.
  
  I don't know how I feel with how everything played out with Simon & Theo/Simon & Cal. I thought I would be happy but I don't know.
  
  Plus, I feel like Simon just keeps throwing good jobs at good places away. It actually feels like he's letting so many people down. Oh well.
  
  
• 
  Misty

  To be perfectly honest I'm not a fan of short stories but I've got to say that this reads like much longer books each and every time. The writing is wonderful, imaginative and descriptive enough to give us a perfect sense of time and place, as usual!
• 
  Bo

  Wonderful Again & Again & Again
  
  This is the final installment of two short novellas and they are part of a series I gobbled up instantly. Simon Pearce is a perfectly drawn closeted Victorian who is an almost accidental constable but in truth a remarkably prescient and sensible detective.
  
  Rather than go into the details of this one, I will simply recommend that you get each one of them in order and experience one of the most charming, cheeky and in the end, cherishing characters you are quite likely to have come across in the late 1800 Victorian era. Cheers!