When I go into a primary market book store it is usually to browse the mystery section. Where books are concerned I have absolutely no will power. When I go into a used book store I am usually looking to fill out series of which I am missing volumes. In a primary market book store I often choose books because the title intrigues me, but for either reason I cannot keep my money in my pocket. This is the case with the book I just finished. It is called Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaber. It is the winner of the 7th annual St. Martin's Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Contest. That this book won an award is not surprising to me, but is not the reason I picked it. Like I said before, I liked the title. It is the first in what I expect to be a series of Simon Shaw mysteries.
Simon Shaw is a history professor at a small college in North Carolina. He wrote a book about the history of a local mansion that won a Pulitzer Prize and this event resulted in him being awarded tenure at the college. His wife, Tess, enjoyed the attention paid to Simon and secondarily to her due to the Pulitzer while Simon was happy to return to the basic anonymity of the small college town. Tess was unable to handle the small town life and left Simon for New York City.
Tess's leaving devastated Simon and he did not handle the emotional issues very well. This is a situation which I, personally, have had experience and was able to empathize with Simon's problems.
Because small towns and small colleges have very long grapevines, everyone was aware of Simon's problems and the fact that he was taking medication to control his depression. Most of us living in the '90s accept mental illness just as we would accept the common cold. It is a condition which can be treated successfully with medication and these people can return to normal life. But there are some who still see mental illness as a weakness and one of Simon's colleagues tries to use this against him due to professional jealousy. It had been Simon's deepest hope that only his closest friends would know of his condition and was embarassed at the thought of the story being told around the campus.
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