Simon Said

Forensic 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!

"Shaber charms us with her personable prof and her warm, vibrant portrait of small-town Southern life."

—New York Times Book Review

This year's winner of St. Martin's seventh annual Malice Domestic Contest for the Best First Traditional Mystery Novel is not just fun and games. When professor Simon Shaw works to get to the bottom of a 70-year-old murder mystery, he uncovers information someone would like to keep hidden for centuries to come. 224 pp.

Sarah R. Shaber lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she works in advertising and public relations. She is the winner of the 7th Annual St. Martin's Malice Domestic contest for the Best First Traditional Mystery.