Sanguine Solutions (Simon Pearce Mysteries, #3) by Jess Faraday

Sanguine Solutions (Simon Pearce Mysteries, #3) Reviews

• 
  Daniel

  First story: 1.5 stars.
  Second story: 3.75 stars.
  
  And we come to the volume which nearly derails my journey through this little series.
  
  I'm not going to get super detailed, but I hated the first story in this volume. Or more accurately I hated Simon in the first story in this volume. Curiously, in terms of the crime being investigated in that story, it felt like it had more potential complexity and could be more of an event than most of the other crimes we've seen Simon investigate, but Faraday didn't really deliver on that potential and seemingly discarded it in a rather detached manner when it's time was up.
  
  Furthermore, when the second story starts, it's some months later and we immediately learn that Simon has finally met the criminologist Dr Bell he's idolized from the beginning of the series and investigated a crime in which she was involved all off page! Which really should give us some clue what aspects of her story Faraday is interested in.
  
  As unsatisfying as that was, I think readers expecting more of a romance arc will be doubly disappointed in these stories for spoilery reasons. What we have instead is perhaps more realistic behavior from our main character, but behavior which I really did not like in the case of the first story.
  
  Simon, in the first story here, not only makes mindblowingly bad decisions in his professional capacity, but is a complete piece of shit toward his friends, a violent asshole, and apparently spectacularly incurious about others which seems a very odd trait for a character who is supposedly a good investigator. And he doesn't make up for any of it, just runs away in the end.
  
  That story caused me to think about two different things. First, I'm not sure I ever really liked Simon. I think I was giving him a bit of a free ride on pure gay identification and he's always been a bit of a jackass. I was also willing to cut him a lot of slack in places where I felt he should have questioned more or shown more interest due to the whole gay cop in Victorian times thing. But the cop part is very prominent here, in all the worst ways.
  
  The second thing is the whole perils of first person again. I've said before, I think a lot of writers choose first person because it feels easier to write, but if you don't realize that feeling is an illusion, or forget it for a moment, you will fail, because with first person the author takes on the responsibility to make explicit explanations for things which might be inferred by the reader in third.
  
  Perhaps we're meant to read Simon's bad behavior in the first story here as a reflection of his mental state in consequence of the ending of the previous volume. In third person I might just assume that providing it were sufficiently out of character from previous volumes and it's not explicitly contradicted. In first, with the absence of any clues in the introspection to suggest that, (it need not be explicit, self-delusion can imply much) that conclusion is not reached.
  
  Likewise, I don't know that Faraday intends Simon to come off as self-absorbed and incurious about others, but if I'm inside his head and he fails to ask the questions, then I just assume they are unasked, where I might infer they were eating away at him if were I merely looking on from outside. And this is perhaps even more of a trap because allowing the character to dwell on some of these questions to the degree the reader might in their place may potentially derail the story if they are not ultimately relevant to the plot.
  
  I let the book sit for over a week before continuing on with the second story, which is more in line with the prior volumes in being a bit underwhelming as a mystery, and basically the Simon show, where Simon is more forgivable than the previous story. I have to say I was expecting a twist that didn't come though and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
  
  A generous 3 stars overall, for the potential of the first even if unrealized, and for mostly getting back on track in the second.
• 
  Maygirl7

  Go, Simon, go!
  
  I appreciate the growth of Simon as a character. This series keeps getting better.
• 
  Sasha Ambroz

  It's a rarity when series become better with new books, not worse. The third book is the best so far, Simon is so relatable and the detective part is so engaging.
• 
  Lisa

  Simon has relocated to Cornwall in these 2 short stories and has finally meet Dr Bell.
  He is now a detective sergeant and is looking after a small Cornish village as his beat.
  He is also back in touch with Cal...
• 
  Rissa

  3.5...because I think I do genuinely like Simon but man, I DID NOT LIKE HIM AT ALL in that first story.
  
  Like, it was all, hmmm, what bad decisions can I make? And let me make it all?
  
  The second story was better but still left a bitter taste in my mouth for some reason. That ending was definitely thought provoking.
  
  There's one more book in the series, I feel I need to read it asap, lol.
• 
  nisie draws

  Simon you're such a hot mess but I respect you.
• 
  Laks

  Another Simon Pearce mystery !!
  
  This just keep getting better and better. I love books like this - historicals, murder mysteries and dashing stoic hero with a romance in the background. A perfect recipe for me. I love Simon Pearce; his methodical mind along with all the imperfections. Poor Simon. Sorry to see how unlucky he is in love matters. Hopefully next book will show him happy.
• 
  Bo

  Wonderful Again & Again
  
  This is the third 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!