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If you could be in the market for a Sapphic Holmesian sci-fi mystery, I can wholeheartedly recommend this to you. A man goes missing from a remote part of the human colonies on Jupiter, and Investigator Mossa follows his trail to the university of Valdegeld -- and Mossa's former girlfriend, Pleiti, a scholar of Earth's pre-collapse ecosystems.
For a novella it's quite slow-paced -- much like Conan Doyle's own stories -- but the descriptions of living on a giant ball of gas, the storms, and the rather steampunk modes of transport, are extremely atmospheric and evocative. The characterisation and subtle, slow-burn relationship totally worked for me, though I think some reviewers got impatient, hence a rather low average rating. Ignore that. This is a sci-fi gem.
For a novella it's quite slow-paced -- much like Conan Doyle's own stories -- but the descriptions of living on a giant ball of gas, the storms, and the rather steampunk modes of transport, are extremely atmospheric and evocative. The characterisation and subtle, slow-burn relationship totally worked for me, though I think some reviewers got impatient, hence a rather low average rating. Ignore that. This is a sci-fi gem.
Ray’s just a thirtysomething graphic designer with a broken heart who doesn’t much like his life right now. Because to be fair, discovering a corpse while you're having your bedroom carpet refitted, is going to ruin anyone's day. Though it's only slightly worse than repeatedly running into the (hot, sexy, apologetic) man who your ex lied to & cheated with! (No cheating IN story, though.)
If you enjoy mildly neurotic narrators, this will work for you (if not, avoid!) I personally enjoyed the inside of Ray's head, which is funny, fairly honest, and extremely British. Some reviewers were unhappy about stuff hinted at but not followed up on, which is true, it did need a gentle edit in places to neaten the plot up, but overall, I was having a good enough time not to mind.
I also really like the premise of "murder happened, the police will look into it, kthxbai". It's a great backdrop for a romance, without any romance-ignoring running about after clues and unlikely heroics! It's very slice-of-life (if your life has ever included being talked about as a potential serial killer.)
Tip for non-British readers: google what a 'conservatory' is before you start, so your reading pleasure isn't interrupted for research, and YES they are quite common and a big deal here in the UK.
If you enjoy mildly neurotic narrators, this will work for you (if not, avoid!) I personally enjoyed the inside of Ray's head, which is funny, fairly honest, and extremely British. Some reviewers were unhappy about stuff hinted at but not followed up on, which is true, it did need a gentle edit in places to neaten the plot up, but overall, I was having a good enough time not to mind.
I also really like the premise of "murder happened, the police will look into it, kthxbai". It's a great backdrop for a romance, without any romance-ignoring running about after clues and unlikely heroics! It's very slice-of-life (if your life has ever included being talked about as a potential serial killer.)
Tip for non-British readers: google what a 'conservatory' is before you start, so your reading pleasure isn't interrupted for research, and YES they are quite common and a big deal here in the UK.