Simon Shaw is a young history professor at the fictional Raleigh small college, Kenan College (the Kenan family is a major benefactor to NC colleges-Kenan Stadium at UNC for example). A local archeological dig on the grounds of a historical house on campus produces the body of a girl shot in the head and the cops ask Dr. Shaw for help as he is the local expert on the house and family. quickly he figures out it is the remains of a daughter missing since the early 1920s.
What happens now is that Dr. Shaw becomes quite enthralled with trying to find out what happened and who was responsible. He digs through archives, manages to find a few people still alive who knew the missing girl and slowly manages to piece together what happened. All the while is dealing with his wife walking out on him, petty jealously within the history department, angry students, an ex-NC State football player detective, the police lawyer, 2 attempts on his life, and some interesting faculty friends that I wouldn't mind having as friends.
When a book is based in your back yard, you get caught up in the accuracy of the locale as a character and this was no exception. This gentle stroll through Raleigh and Kenan summer school was, to me, thoroughly engrossing, very witty, with characters I want to revisit (already ordered two more from the library). Shaber carefully brings the reader into the small world of this accidental detective that Simon Shaw becomes, much to his own chagrin.
After doing a little digging about the author, turns out she works in a Raleigh PR company and this book won an award for Best First Traditional Mystery. Never knew there was such a thing, but this short (just over 200 page in paperback) tale was everything it was advertised. Problem is, I am sure you will never find it in your library. the local Barnes and Noble bookstore didn't even carry her books, not in the mystery section or the North Carolina writers section. Their loss. If you want a copy, probably have to hit Amazon. buy it used, could probably get it for a couple bucks.
East Coast Don
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