From Publishers Weekly
Forensic historian Simon Shaw, who made his debut in Simon Said, gets an unexpected and unwelcome opportunity to exercise his unique skills during a Thanksgiving vacation on Pearlie Beach--a small island off the North Carolina coast. Simon, a college history professor and winner of a Pulitzer Prize, is joined for the holiday by his friend David Morgan, an archeologist; romantic interest Julia McGloughlin, a police attorney; and the Cleggs--Marcus, who is Simon's colleague, his wife and three young daughters. When a dredger dislodges an old WWII diving suit, with an occupant, Simon and his friends are soon involved in a mystery that seems too old and too difficult to solve. Both the coastal waters and the denizens of Pearlie Beach hide their secrets well, and prizing them loose proves difficult and dangerous. Confederate gold, German U-boats, blockade runners, murders old and new all surface to play their part in this appealing cozy, which pleasingly mixes regional history and lore, a bit of romance and a soup on of suspense. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
A relaxing trip to North Carolina's fictional Pearlie Beach turns into much more for professor Simon Shaw when dredgers discover World War II-vintage skeleton. As a "forensic historian," Shaw helps to be carrying a collection of Confederate gold coins. Did the river-possibly a local navy frogman who disappeared-accidentally drown, or did the gold provide a motive for murder? At first reluctant to become involved, Shaw ends up researching and conjecturing, as in Simon Said. Recognizable life-at-Carolina beach scenes, folksy locals, and mild humor should endear this especially to regional audiences.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
