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A review by bookwoman1967
Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaber
3.0
This is the first book I won in a Goodreads giveaway and I was looking forward to receiving it. Unfortunately my timing was off as it arrived at the end of a very busy school year, but once I got to it I was glad I’d requested it. I’d consider it an enjoyable start to a cozy/traditional mystery series.
The historical murder is appealing and the cold case aspect fascinating. The mystery in the present is believable, with just enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing without being overwhelming. The culprit’s motive was a tiny bit questionable, but as I said, still within the realm of possibility. I also enjoyed the setting in a small college in the modern south.
My one quibble is in the area of character development. The author does a lot of “telling rather than showing” in this regard, explaining the main character’s motivations and background rather than letting them appear naturally in the course of events. This might be because it’s the first novel in the series; it would be interesting to see if this changes as the series develops. I will say that author’s sense of humor was one of the things that appealed to me: “It was not my intent to drive around a residential neighborhood in a semiconscious state and hit a stone wall.”
Overall, a good, solid first effort in a promising mystery series.
The historical murder is appealing and the cold case aspect fascinating. The mystery in the present is believable, with just enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing without being overwhelming. The culprit’s motive was a tiny bit questionable, but as I said, still within the realm of possibility. I also enjoyed the setting in a small college in the modern south.
My one quibble is in the area of character development. The author does a lot of “telling rather than showing” in this regard, explaining the main character’s motivations and background rather than letting them appear naturally in the course of events. This might be because it’s the first novel in the series; it would be interesting to see if this changes as the series develops. I will say that author’s sense of humor was one of the things that appealed to me: “It was not my intent to drive around a residential neighborhood in a semiconscious state and hit a stone wall.”
Overall, a good, solid first effort in a promising mystery series.