Academic Body

Shirley S. Allen
Mainly Murder Press (2010)
ISBN 9780982589915
Reviewed by Marcy Blesy for Reader Views (03/10)


“Academic Body” by Shirley S. Allen is the fictional story of Paul Godwin, a college professor in Maine who has taken the route of teaching after health problems curtailed his previous theater work.  His wife Lenore is not thrilled with the idea of becoming a professor’s wife in their new sleepy Maine community.  Her relationship with Paul could be in jeopardy.  A cast of college professors fill the small Weaver College, each with his or her own quirks.  The dean of the college, Blakesly Todd, is an unpopular man, disliked by most.  He keeps files on his staff and uses threats of blackmail to get what he wants.  When he ends up dead, the list of suspects grows.  Professor Godwin attempts to solve the case, though he himself is a suspect.  He struggles to find the murderer without losing his or Lenore’s life in the process.           

“Academic Body” is a solid murder mystery.  There is a wide cast of characters whose lives weave together in such a way that any number of possibilities exists as to who could be the murderer of Dean Todd.  There are womanizers, drug dealers, jilted wives, and even some secrets.  The writing is smooth, and the plot flows nicely from one moment to the next.  The editing is also good.

“Academic Body” is a quick mystery to entertain on a trip or to curl up with on a rainy day. There is not a lot of intense drama, though, and it’s not one of those mysteries that stays with you, and you ponder about for days when you are finished.  But while reading for a few hours, you are transported to a world filled with the dynamics of a small town college.  So, enjoy the book and the relaxing time you will have reading it.  

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