What do you think?
Rate this book
Professor Simon Shaw #5
Shell Game
Professor Simon Shaw, Pulitzer Prize winner and sometime sleuth, encounters his oldest corpse yet: Uwharrie Man, who died fourteen thousand years ago on the banks of Badin Lake in North Carolina. But Uwharrie Man isn't the murder victim in Simon's latest case. That victim is Simon's closest friend, archaeologist David Morgan. Simon is convinced that David died because he came between factions struggling for control of Uwharrie Man's bones---the Lumbee Indian Nation, who want to rebury the skeleton, and the archaeologists, who want to study and display it.
Tension escalates as the Lumbee insist that Uwharrie Man is Native American, while the archaeologists suspect he was Caucasian and push for the opportunity to investigate further. Simon's colleague in detection, police sergeant Otis Gates, disagrees with Simon's theory about David's death, straining their friendship to its limits and leaving Simon to hunt for the killer alone.
Adding to Simon's burdens, he has been chosen to be the executor of David's will and must deal with Morgan's difficult sister, who is Gates's prime suspect. Throughout, Simon single-mindedly pursues his friend's killer, whose identity shocks everyone, Simon most of all.
Shell Game is Shaber's best entry yet in a solid and always delightful academic cozy series.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 6, 2007
About the author
Sarah R. Shaber
20 books172 followersSarah Shaber is an award-winning mystery author from North Carolina. Her WWII historical mystery series begins with LOUISE'S WAR. It features young widow Louise Pearlie, a government girl who works for the Office of Strategic Services, the United States’ first spy agency.
Shaber is also the author of the Professor Simon Shaw mysteries, BLOOD TEST, and editor of TAR HEEL DEAD. Her first book, SIMON SAID, won the St. Martin’s Press/Malice Domestic Award for best first traditional mystery. She is the Bouchercon15 (World Mystery Conference, 2015) Local Guest of Honor. Her home bookstore is Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. www.facebook.com/LouisePearlie
Shaber is also the author of the Professor Simon Shaw mysteries, BLOOD TEST, and editor of TAR HEEL DEAD. Her first book, SIMON SAID, won the St. Martin’s Press/Malice Domestic Award for best first traditional mystery. She is the Bouchercon15 (World Mystery Conference, 2015) Local Guest of Honor. Her home bookstore is Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. www.facebook.com/LouisePearlie
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 20, 2013
My giving Shell Game by Sarah R Shaber five--count 'em--five stars will come as no surprise. This is the fifth in her "Simon Shaw" mystery series and I've give all 5 FIVE star reviews.
I've enjoyed each mystery by this forensic historian, but this time the murder is a recent one and a shock. Dr. Shaw works at trying to find out who killed his friend and why.
This happens as his romance which has threaded through the first four mysteries comes to an end. Will Dr Shaw find love?
Well, whatever happens to his heart, we know he will solve the murder.
Again I find the spiritual search by Dr. Shaw (who is half Jewish-half Baptist) interesting. I believe it's in this book that he ponders the idea of grace that his Baptist aunt believes. The idea of being forgiven for one's sins without any effort to do good bothers him. I smiled to myself because of course it would bother his Jewish side.
Moses received the LAW and the children of Israel were commanded to follow it. After several thousand years, something like that can become ingrained. However, I also think that most humans prefer to work for their salvation. We like to think that we are able to do it ourselves. Personally I'm grateful not to be expected to do it myself. :-)
Anyway that's my response to Simon Shaw, PhD, and really good amateur sleuth. I'll miss you, Dr. Shaw!
I've enjoyed each mystery by this forensic historian, but this time the murder is a recent one and a shock. Dr. Shaw works at trying to find out who killed his friend and why.
This happens as his romance which has threaded through the first four mysteries comes to an end. Will Dr Shaw find love?
Well, whatever happens to his heart, we know he will solve the murder.
Again I find the spiritual search by Dr. Shaw (who is half Jewish-half Baptist) interesting. I believe it's in this book that he ponders the idea of grace that his Baptist aunt believes. The idea of being forgiven for one's sins without any effort to do good bothers him. I smiled to myself because of course it would bother his Jewish side.
Moses received the LAW and the children of Israel were commanded to follow it. After several thousand years, something like that can become ingrained. However, I also think that most humans prefer to work for their salvation. We like to think that we are able to do it ourselves. Personally I'm grateful not to be expected to do it myself. :-)
Anyway that's my response to Simon Shaw, PhD, and really good amateur sleuth. I'll miss you, Dr. Shaw!
February 23, 2021
When Simon Shaw’s best friend is murdered, Simon believes that it involves a dispute between archeologists who want to study an ancient skeleton and Native Americans who want to rebury the bones out of respect for an ancestor. Simon’s friend had the deciding vote on the committee posed to make the decision. Simon gets no support on his theory from anyone but pursues his suspicions on his own with surprising and dangerous results. Along the way the reader learns something about the history of North Carolina and it’s native population as well as the archaeological theories that can cause such passionate differences of opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and actually wished the book had been longer in order to prolong the pleasure of reading it.
June 18, 2014
I was going through all parts of Simon's adventures in 'correct order' and this one was different in a very positive way - more of a thriller and a really good mystery - those were great to read.
Main character is still developing and we are finally rid of his moody outbursts of depression (only occasional headaches). He is presented as much more stable, intelligent persona with likable character. I also loved his attitude towards Julia - finally!
Of course I was sooo sorry to hear that his best friend was killed, but somewhere around the middle of the book, I realized that together with Simon I'm going into the next step of grief. Excellent writing Ms Shaber!
As it was the last installment so far, I deeply hope that there will be some more in the future - too much is still unsaid.
Main character is still developing and we are finally rid of his moody outbursts of depression (only occasional headaches). He is presented as much more stable, intelligent persona with likable character. I also loved his attitude towards Julia - finally!
Of course I was sooo sorry to hear that his best friend was killed, but somewhere around the middle of the book, I realized that together with Simon I'm going into the next step of grief. Excellent writing Ms Shaber!
As it was the last installment so far, I deeply hope that there will be some more in the future - too much is still unsaid.
September 20, 2017
Book Description
North Carolina professor and forensic historian Simon Shaw is stunned to find the bludgeoned body of his close friend, archaeologist David Morgan, slumped over his computer. Moreover, Shaw is convinced his colleague's death is linked to a 14,000-year-old Indian skeleton, a momentous discovery embroiled in a raging controversy. Morgan's vote would have decided the bones' fate; either to be buried according to the demands of the local Native Americans, or studied as potentially the greatest prehistoric archaeological find in North America. As the executor of Morgan's estate, Shaw attempts to connect the dots of the victim's missing--or stolen--notes, files and crucial artifacts. Though warned off the case by the police, he probes the darker reaches of a friend's life, and his own emotional vulnerabilities, to reveal the surprising identity of a killer more than willing to murder again.
My Review
This is the last book in the series. I have enjoyed all the books and hope in the future there will be more to come. I found them to be very entertaining reads and I'm very fond of the character of Simon Shaw who is a history professor at the local college and has a knack for solving murders. There is a lot of historical content in all the books which really adds to the stories. It's best to read these books in order as each books builds upon the last one. I would highly recommend this series to those who like historical mysteries.
North Carolina professor and forensic historian Simon Shaw is stunned to find the bludgeoned body of his close friend, archaeologist David Morgan, slumped over his computer. Moreover, Shaw is convinced his colleague's death is linked to a 14,000-year-old Indian skeleton, a momentous discovery embroiled in a raging controversy. Morgan's vote would have decided the bones' fate; either to be buried according to the demands of the local Native Americans, or studied as potentially the greatest prehistoric archaeological find in North America. As the executor of Morgan's estate, Shaw attempts to connect the dots of the victim's missing--or stolen--notes, files and crucial artifacts. Though warned off the case by the police, he probes the darker reaches of a friend's life, and his own emotional vulnerabilities, to reveal the surprising identity of a killer more than willing to murder again.
My Review
This is the last book in the series. I have enjoyed all the books and hope in the future there will be more to come. I found them to be very entertaining reads and I'm very fond of the character of Simon Shaw who is a history professor at the local college and has a knack for solving murders. There is a lot of historical content in all the books which really adds to the stories. It's best to read these books in order as each books builds upon the last one. I would highly recommend this series to those who like historical mysteries.
August 15, 2023
Professor Simon Shaw is shocked to discover that his friend, David Morgan, has been bludgeoned to death. Simon is convinced that David's death is linked to his serving on a commission about a 14,000 year-old skeleton that some members want to study and some want to be re-buried in a Lumbee graveyard. As Morgan's executor Simon takes on the task of discovering what happened to his friend and almost ends up perishing like his friend. How he discovers the killer makes for a great story.
November 8, 2017
Just plain good series
Just finished the last book in this series.I can say I totally enjoyed all of them.Interesting stories...well written...who couldn't like Simon.Recommend to anyone .
Just finished the last book in this series.I can say I totally enjoyed all of them.Interesting stories...well written...who couldn't like Simon.Recommend to anyone .
November 3, 2018
The Professor Shaw mysteries are excellent and I wish there were more in the series.
February 10, 2019
Easy cozy. Popular name, SHELL GAME. 91 listings here.
December 28, 2022
Quick read with lots of misleads. Certain parts easily could've been drawn out with more details but I'm not mad they weren't!
Read
December 1, 2013Professor Simon Shaw, Pulitzer Prize winner and sometime sleuth, encounters his oldest corpse yet: Uwharrie Man, who died fourteen thousand years ago on the banks of Badin Lake in North Carolina. But Uwharrie Man isn't the murder victim in Simon's latest case. That victim is Simon's closest friend, archaeologist David Morgan. Simon is convinced that David died because he came between factions struggling for control of Uwharrie Man's bones---the Lumbee Indian Nation, who want to rebury the skeleton, and the archaeologists, who want to study and display it.
Tension escalates as the Lumbee insist that Uwharrie Man is Native American, while the archaeologists suspect he was Caucasian and push for the opportunity to investigate further. Simon's colleague in detection, police sergeant Otis Gates, disagrees with Simon's theory about David's death, straining their friendship to its limits and leaving Simon to hunt for the killer alone.
Adding to Simon's burdens, he has been chosen to be the executor of David's will and must deal with Morgan's difficult sister, who is Gates's prime suspect. Throughout, Simon single-mindedly pursues his friend's killer, whose identity shocks everyone, Simon most of all.
Shell Game is Shaber's best entry yet in a solid and always delightful academic cozy series.
The murderer is the young woman who faked the discovery and who was the assistant to the famous archeologist.
Tension escalates as the Lumbee insist that Uwharrie Man is Native American, while the archaeologists suspect he was Caucasian and push for the opportunity to investigate further. Simon's colleague in detection, police sergeant Otis Gates, disagrees with Simon's theory about David's death, straining their friendship to its limits and leaving Simon to hunt for the killer alone.
Adding to Simon's burdens, he has been chosen to be the executor of David's will and must deal with Morgan's difficult sister, who is Gates's prime suspect. Throughout, Simon single-mindedly pursues his friend's killer, whose identity shocks everyone, Simon most of all.
Shell Game is Shaber's best entry yet in a solid and always delightful academic cozy series.
The murderer is the young woman who faked the discovery and who was the assistant to the famous archeologist.
March 7, 2013
There comes a time in every series where the coziness wears off and the tropes become tiresome. I might be about at this point with Simon Shaw. On its own, the story is interesting, so I gave it a four-star rating as soon as I'd finished. But rather than anxiously awaiting the next in the series, five days later I find myself thinking it is unfortunate he has to have a new love interest every book. I mean really, I'm not reading cozy mysteries to follow the libidinous ramblings of a short thirty-something.
December 27, 2018
Simon Shaw's good friend, David Morgan, is killed and Simon is his executor. Reeling from loss, the Prof digs around to find out why he was really killed. He thinks it has to do with his vote on a committee who is figuring out what to do with some old bones that were dug up recently. Can he figure it out before he becomes more of an alcoholic of dies of sugar shock with all the Coke he drinks?
The history of these books is interesting, but Prof. Shaw bugs me. He makes some really bad decisions with his personal life and health. I don't think I'll be reading any more of him.
The history of these books is interesting, but Prof. Shaw bugs me. He makes some really bad decisions with his personal life and health. I don't think I'll be reading any more of him.
Read
November 18, 2016People who gave this book 3 and four star ratings must not have been reading the same book I finally gave up on, around page 65 or so. It promised a mystery, but mainly dealt with settling an estate, long involved discussions of the dead guy's messy house, and the apparent go-to method for stress management by adults in modern fiction: booze, and lots of it. I imagine there was finally some sort of murder investigation, but I had no interest in waiting for it. Dull characters, mundane crime, and uninteresting setting.
September 24, 2008
Another excellent entry in the author's mystery series featuring Simon Shaw, a history professor at a small college in Raleigh, NC. Shaw's expertise in regional history gets him involved with some interesting murder investigations, usually with very old corpses. In this story, his good friend is murdered while researching the 14000-year-old Uwharrie Man. A quick read, yet complex enough to be engaging.
November 13, 2010
Her plot stayed tight and Simon stayed flawed, but on target to find out the murderer of his friend and why he was murdered. I forced myself to put the book down so I can get up the next morning for work. The ending was a surprise. I loved the book but was sad to see old friends leave. In fact, it makes me wonder if this is the last Simon Shaw mystery to be written since loose ends were were taken care of so to speak. That would really be sad.
December 11, 2011
I thought that the writing was mediocre, but the mystery was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. I wish that the star rating had one between 'didn't like' and 'liked.' I can't say that I didn't like the book, but 'liked' seems almost too strong. It was 'okay.' It is highly unlikely that I will read any other books by this author.
February 2, 2013
This is the second Simon Shaw mystery I have read. Until this series, I did not realize that there was a whole Genre of mysteries called "cozy" mysteries. Looks like I actually enjoy "cozy" mysteries and I especially like that these books are set in North Carolina. It is kind of nice to read a murder mystery book without a ridiculous amount of blood, gore and sex.
April 13, 2013
This how dun it comes with the twist. It is complicated by a 14,000 year old skeleton and the fight for control of the remains. Simon Shaw, a forensic historian and professor finds himself in the middle of murder, academic politics and a complicated on again off again sort-of romance. A book for mystery buffs everywhere.
November 22, 2016
Shell Game Review
I loved the book as much as I did all the other Simon Shaw Mysteries. The characters were so believable and fantastic. I could not put it down until the end. I am awaiting the next Simon Shaw mystery. I am hoping for a serious love interest. He is so loveable.
I loved the book as much as I did all the other Simon Shaw Mysteries. The characters were so believable and fantastic. I could not put it down until the end. I am awaiting the next Simon Shaw mystery. I am hoping for a serious love interest. He is so loveable.
January 25, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, partly because of the North Carolina setting. I also liked the developing cast of characters and the storyline, which held my interest through to the end.I think I've read all of the books in this series now, and I hope it's not the last one!
May 24, 2014
Like Sarah Shaber's cozy mysteries, especially with a great sense of place here in NC, particularly when she includes special landmarks just down the street in downtown Raleigh. Her sharp mind for the twists and turns that the story line goes keep me guessing til the last few pages.
May 1, 2016
Fascinating yarn
I didn't catch onto the plot until it was obvious to anyone which is the hallmark of a good thriller. Well written. Just the thing for restful reading during a camping trip which is what I'm doing now.
I didn't catch onto the plot until it was obvious to anyone which is the hallmark of a good thriller. Well written. Just the thing for restful reading during a camping trip which is what I'm doing now.
June 21, 2016
More please
These books have been a pleasure to read. Each book has a mystery with historical aspects and Simon who is like Colombo and Indiana Jones combined. Can't wait for the next
These books have been a pleasure to read. Each book has a mystery with historical aspects and Simon who is like Colombo and Indiana Jones combined. Can't wait for the next
August 28, 2016
A mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Unlike the first 4 Simon Shaw mysteries, the central murder takes place in the present so the "twist" I like so much is not there. (In Simon Shaw #1 through #4, he solves murders than happened before he was born.)
March 28, 2007
Good murder mystery set in North Carolina with a History professor as the detective. Interesting information on prehistoric North Carolina archaeology.
February 14, 2010
Not a bad book, picked up at a thrift store, Prof Shaw's friend is murdered and Shaw as executor tries to help solve the murder.
November 25, 2010
Nice mystery - not enough action to keep me enthralled
February 8, 2012
Disappointing.
June 8, 2012
Fantastic reading!!!
July 9, 2013
Don't want to write any spoilers. Good mystery but several layers of sadness. Hoping for a #6. I do think this has been the best written Simon Shaw yet. Shaber just keeps getting better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews