Now, normally I avoid these kinds of books. Snobbish? Maybe. Too many preconceptions? Definitely. Why? Because this is my job laid out in fictional format. But somehow (Richard Derus's fault) I've found myself reading two bits of archaeo-fiction in the last two days. I don't watch Time Team (even though I've been on it - secret shame). I don't watch National Geographic or the History Channel (also for fear of a fleeting glance of my own mug) and the reason that I'm not at home avidly watching Zahi Hawass gesticulate in front of the pyramids, or Tony Robinson look confused in front of a trench with Mick Aston in it, is that sometimes it is nice just to have a day off and live in the present for a change. We all need time out... hairdressers probably don't come in from the salon and watch "Cutting it", doctors don't sit down and tune into ER, although I do know some teachers who watch Teachers but there is an exception to every rule.Having your career fictionalised and sensationalised in any format immediately sets all the sceptical alarm bells ringing and you find yourself being overly critical from the very first page. It is hard not to be. So with some trepidation I picked up Simon Said. And then heaved a sigh of relief when it became immediately clear that it's not really about archaeology at all, but about a young, below average height, just about average looking, moderately Jewish history Professor, Simon Shaw. Yes there is some archaeology in it but that is more incidental - a missing society heiress who vanished 70 years ago is unexpectedly uncovered in a shallow grave in the middle of an archaeological excavation. The police aren't too interested in taking on this sub zero cold case and so Prof Shaw takes it on.From this point onwards, aside from some mildly inaccurate attempts to define the differences between what exactly archaeologists and anthropologists do, there is only a limited amount of archaeology and the bulk of proceedings move out of the field and into the libraries of various schools and colleges in and around Raleigh, North Carolina. The plot was enough to keep me interested (but I'd already identified the murder weapon and likely murderer early on) so I kept going mainly to see if my historic research skills would be a match for those of Professor Simon Shaw. They were. I like to think that I beat him to the punch because he made so many pit stops for cans and bottles of Coke. As the book went on I found myself wondering if the guy actually produced carbonated piss, such was his intake of the gassy brown beverage.I was also vastly amused by the sub-plot of nefarious, competitive and scheming history professors, all battling it out to get tenure at the college. This is a fairly realistic representation of the inter departmental lunacy which is bred within the quiet halls of many an academic department. Do not be fooled people, academics are not mild mannered, tweed wearing drones. They are rabidly cannibalistic when it comes to promotional matters and would likely rip out your heart and eat it, if you were what stood between them and a full professorship. So this ticks all the boxes for a one day weekender or a beach read if you're looking for a bit of distraction. If you know anything about the Civil War or like North Carolina or "the South" in general then this element of the story will probably be the sparkler in your holiday read Pina Colada.
Tenured history professor Simon Shaw teaches at small, private Kenan College in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has published an award winning book , is newly divorced, and is fighting depression and anxiety. Dr. Shaw is also an expert on the history of Bloodworth House which is owned by the college and when one of his faculty friends unearths a body during an archeological dig in one of the outbuildings behind Bloodworth House, Shaw is called to the scene. He realizes that the body has probably been buried for over 70 years and he decides that he needs to find out what happened and why. There were several aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. First, I live a little more than an hour away from Raleigh and love the city. I particularly like books where I am familiar with the setting and reading this was like taking a trip down to Raleigh and visiting some of my favorite locations. Also, after working as a college instructor for over 30 years, the descriptions of college politics and the tensions that can exist among faculty members in a department over teaching schedules, committee appointments, office space, etc. were very familiar. However, a major disappointment was the end of the book. While the plot was building in an enjoyable way through the first 90% of the book, the ending seemed rushed and out of character with the rest of the plot. Even even with that, this was a very enjoyable read.
Do You like book Simon Said (2011)?
Winner of the Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery AwardForensic historian Simon Shaw likes his murders old and cold, and his first case fits the bill. An archeologist friend has found a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull under historic Bloodworth House, and Simon investigates with his usual doggedness until he discovers that the corpse is Anne Bloodworth, an heiress who disappeared in 1926. Shaw feels compelled to find out who killed her. But this turns out to be more than an academic exercise when someone who wants to hide past secrets tries to murder him.Simon finds out that the girls father killed her, probably accidentally. The person who tries to kill Simon, is a former student and relative of the Bloodworths who thinks the present family would lose their money if an ancestor is a murderer."Shaber charms us with her personable prof and her warm, vibrant portrait of small-town Southern life."
—Nancy
Not bad, not bad I can say. I'm patient when it comes to a good 'history' mystery, although here, it has also much to do with the university department of history, so even more fun. Simon is whining, moody little man, whom I would shake very well before using, and I just felt like shouting: "man, get yourself together and stop contemplating how everything sucks and that another headache is coming!" But still, I enjoyed the story altogether - very nicely written, although some will complain about its slow pace and length, probably. Five stars for complexity, however, I wish I could take away half for completely unnecessary part of tiny Simon's attempt at having sex, with all the juicy details, like panting and noises etc :) Sooo, unnatural and pushy romantic (let's call it that way) element which for me, could have been omitted - which I did, I skipped that part. I already bought the second part in the series :)
—JoAnn77PL
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.
—Bookwoman67
