In The Badger Game, Norman Shabel takes a period in time from 1944 to 1999 when the war was coming to an end, the world was changing, and so were the people in it. This murder mystery takes the reader on a tour of White supremacists and what happens behind the doors of a gentleman’s club. The attorneys both for the prosecution and defense try to outdo each other in how they conduct their case in and out of court, and they use any legal means possible to get the client either convicted or acquitted. The time frame shows how the Second World War was winding down, the mopping up of the mess made through fear and greed, and how it fits into the 1960s to 1999, a very good way to bring the story to an end. Of course, the very best thing besides the lawyers' games is that of the politicians both during and after the war, how they all promise the most amazing things but never deliver, and use the most unexpected people to advance their careers and the party ruling at the time.

The Badger Game by Norman Shabel is a fairly fast-moving story. The murder mystery opens the narrative and the journey starts on its meandering journey through the years until the very end when the reader will gasp in surprise at the end - it is unexpected and certainly not one that the reader would have imagined. This is a very good story that will hold one's attention from the very opening paragraph to the very last page. This book was a delight to read and it made me realize that I did not know about the deals that attorneys put into place to get their clients off the hook. I loved the ending as leaving the reader hanging was a very interesting twist to the plot. I enjoyed this excellent book and highly recommend it, especially to young adult readers. A wonderful murder mystery.

The Badger Game is a legal thriller by Norman Shabel. Hunters stumble over a frozen, mutilated corpse, soon identified as the dean of men at Reliance College – Horace Badger. But who could have wanted him dead, and why? Stosh Klewzewski heads up the Catholic White Knights, a violent order, and he is soon arrested for the murder. But, claiming innocence, he hires Paul Flaherty and Sam Waterman to help him. Is Klewzewski really innocent? Why would he have wanted Badger dead? Could the answer be found buried in the horrors of the war? Or is it something to do with the later Catholic church abuse scandals? One thing’s for sure: his attorney has his work cut out to get to the bottom of it.

The Badger Game is another of Norman Shabel’s Crime Mysteries, a courtroom drama with plenty of action and suspense. It is another compelling novel based on WWII and the Catholic church after the war, and it’s full of action with plenty of grit. The characters are wonderfully well-developed and become easy to relate to as you get to know more about them. This story combines the suspense of a murder mystery with the excitement and tension of a courtroom drama and you won’t guess the ending that will shock you to your very core. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest, and it deals sensitively with the abuse scandals that surrounded the Catholic church. A word of warning: this book may provide triggers for some readers. Overall, a good story with plenty of go in it.

The Badger Game is a crime and mystery thriller by Norman Shabel. Two hunters stumble upon a horrific crime scene. They discover Horace Badger, dean of Reliance College, dead and brutally mutilated. Stosh Klewzewski, a basketball star for Reliance and leader of the Catholic White Knights, is charged with murder. As a favor to Klewzewski's late father, with whom Flaherty served alongside during WWII, attorney Paul Flaherty and his law student Sam Waterman decide to take the case for the defense. Despite the extensive evidence pointing to the arrogant Stosh and his defense team having serious questions about the case, it appears there is a chance to prove his innocence. As a result of their investigation, the defense team uncovered a complicated tangle of lies, politics, abuse, and scandal that put prominent politicians and the Catholic Church at the forefront of multiple sexual abuse allegations.

Norman Shabel's work is innovative and will keep the reader captivated from start to finish. A gripping and suspenseful plot is delivered in a deft narrative. This novel has diverse and believable characters. The crime scenes and scandalous acts are vividly described, and the reader will feel the courtroom tension and be immersed in the possible reality of such a situation. There is no denying that things are not always what they seem at face value, and one almost empathizes with Stosh's mental state, whose past sickening wounds influenced his vicious actions. With the events falling into place, the reader will be astonished at the twist that unfolds in the end. The Badger Game is a positively engrossing read that will have you questioning the concepts of good and evil. There is also love, war, revenge, and justice at play throughout the story. This is a must-read for those who enjoy forensics, murder mysteries, and courtroom dramas.

In The Badger Game, a legal thriller by Norman Shabel, the Reliance College's dean of men, Horace Badger, had been killed viciously with a knife. The Catholic White Knights' leader, Stosh Klewzewski, was accused of his murder. Paul Flaherty, a criminal defense attorney from Pennsylvania, represented Klewzewski because he and Paul's father had both served in World War II. Even though Flaherty and Sam Waterman, his legal assistant, had doubts about Klewzewski's innocence, they still had to prove it. John Kennedy, a Catholic, had already been nominated for president by the time the trial started in 1959. When the abuse of altar boys was revealed during the trial, the Catholic Church made a desperate effort to conceal it for the sake of the Church and in case it jeopardized Kennedy's chances of winning the presidency.

Norman Shabel's The Badger Game is filled with legal drama, abuse, and the horrors of World War II, and the moments with the Catholic Church and the presidential nomination captured the spirit of the day. The primary characters had a good amount of depth and were authentic. The back stories of the friendships formed throughout WWII were fascinating. A significant part of this story comes from the bond between Flaherty and Sam Waterman, who sees Flaherty as a father figure. Shabel skillfully demonstrated his solid understanding of the operation of both criminal and civil judicial systems in the legal sections. From the first page until the startling conclusion, this is a compelling and intriguing book that was difficult to put down. I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a good murder mystery and courtroom drama.