Simon Said

Professor Simon Shaw has anything but a dull life. No sooner is he asked to advise on the finding of some remains at a historical site than someone is trying to kill him. Are the two related? You'll enjoy finding out. I agree with other reviewers that there are some plot weaknesses; in particular, a tenured professor would not face being fired because he was taking antidepressants, and someone denied tenure might stay to finish up a year but would not hang around hoping to be given another chance at it. But the rest of the academic politics described ring true! I also enjoyed the subtext of Simon and Julia overcoming their preconceptions of each other and will hope to see their relationship move forward. Am looking forward to reading the next one.

Very fun book, I read it in one day, couldn't put it down. Wonderful characters, I loved Simon, very real and human character. The supporting cast is also a lot of fun. Different characters in different jobs. Ms. Sharber really makes you root for Simon's love interest, Julia. I hope that we see a lot more of her in the next books. Ms. Sharber does a good job of hiding the villians and had me guessing up to the end. She has a great way of running two mysteries at once. One past and one present, then pulling them together very well. Can't wait to read her next book, Snipe Hunt. I only hope that Ms. Sharber starts at least writing one a year. One every three years will just not do!

As a long since escaped native of Raleigh (the scene of the crime), I was fully taken with Ms. Shaber's description of the older Raleigh area. I could feel the oppressive humidity in the air and walked the streets of Cameron Park with her. Although I guessed the identity of the "hard cases", I found this to be an entertaining and well-written first mystery. Can't wait for her next book.

I enjoyed the entire story line. The old murder mixed in with the current lives of the present day folks. I loved Simon, his interpretation of the south. And I also want to hear more about his developing relationship with Julia.

This book was well worth the 3 week wait for my reserved copy at the local library. How soon can we expect more of Simon's exploits? Mystery, humor, and a little romance + intelligence without ego.