Book Review: Snipe Hunt

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Snipe Hunt     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Sarah R. Shaber
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Amateur Sleuth   Academic
Series: Professor Simon Shaw # 2
St. Martin’s, Mar 2000, $23.95, 288 pp.

Professor Simon Show is the youngest teacher with tenure at prestigious Keenan College, North Carolina. The Pulitzer Prize winning history professor has become a media darling dubbed the “Forensic Historian” after solving a decades old mystery. A few months of fame has Simon needing a vacation. So by Thanksgiving he escapes to Pearlie Beach, a Carolina Barrier Island, to relax with his friends.

A decades old body in a diving suit is found encrusted with brine and barnacles beneath the nearby waters. Someone stabbed to death the deceased, identified as an AWOL soldier Carl Chais. The victim was found holding a valuable cache of Confederate gold coins that leads to the conclusion that an undiscovered chest containing more must be nearby. Simon finds the case interesting and begins to investigate with the permission of the victim’s family. He will soon learn that curiosity endangers more than just the cat, as someone wants certain secrets to remain buried.

The protagonist of SNIPE HUNT is a redeeming individual with a heroic streak that compels him to do the right thing in spite of his own misgivings. Sarah Shaber surrounds this admirable character with strong writing highlighted by a perfectly paced story line. The captivating mystery with its introspective academic star leads to a fresh amateur sleuth tale that will make the author a sub-genre favorite.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner