From Publishers Weekly
In Shaber's fourth intriguing Simon Shaw whodunit (after 2003's
The Fugitive King), the mild-mannered professor at Kenan College in Raleigh, N.C., has earned a reputation as a "forensic historian," that is, an expert in solving long-ago crimes. When a friend's goddaughter, Helen Williams, tells him that she may be the reincarnation of a woman who murdered her child a century earlier, Simon is ready to dismiss Helen's claim as nonsense. A cursory inquiry reveals nothing, and he thinks he's off the hook. After a curious incident changes his mind, Simon becomes engrossed in a methodical and thorough investigation that not only will put him and Helen in danger but also will heat up a cold case to the boiling point. The reincarnation debate between believers and skeptics, epitomized in epigraphs that head each chapter, adds to the suspense. Credible characters, smooth and natural dialogue, charming descriptions of Raleigh at Christmastime and a creative solution to the mystery all lift this well above the cozy average.
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Product Description
The media has dubbed University of North Carolina history professor Simon Shaw a 'forensic historian' for his success at investigating murders that occurred over the last century. In The Bug Funeral, Simon investigates a killing at a Raleigh orphanage at the turn of the twentieth century. Professor Shaw is faced with a case that can destroy his reputation as a scholar if word should get out. A friend asks him to help his goddaughter, a young woman plagued by the belief that in a past life she committed infanticide. Shaw reluctantly tries to help her discover a rational basis for her disturbing 'memories.' If he fails to explain them rationally, the erstwhile 'forensic historian' is in danger of being ridi-culed all over the campus and beyond.
