The Badger Game

**AWARD WINNER!! READER’S FAVORITE 2025 LITERARY CONTEST - FICTION - THRILLER- LEGAL GENRE**Murder.. Religion.. Sexual Abuse.. Politics.. Power.. This book has it all!!In 1960, as John F. Kennedy fights to become America’s first Catholic president, the Church scrambles to cover up a dark secret-the rampant sexual abuse of altar boys. Then, a gruesome discovery shatters the silence.Two young hunters stumble upon the mutilated, frozen corpse of Horace Badger, the dean of men at Reliance College. His face is partially eaten away, his body slashed as if by a butcher’s knife. What secrets were supposed to die with him?Charged with the brutal murder is Stosh Klewzewski, the violent leader of the Catholic White Knights. His defense falls to Paul Flaherty, Pennsylvania’s most formidable criminal attorney and the son of the state’s Chief Justice. Everyone assumes Flaherty is destined for political greatness-everyone except Flaherty himself.But this trial is bigger than one man’s fate. As shocking truths about the Church’s cover-up surface, powerful forces move to protect their own-because if Flaherty loses, the scandal could derail Kennedy’s election and shake the Catholic Church to its core.Is Klewzewski truly guilty, or is he just a pawn in a much larger game? And in the battle for justice, will the truth be buried along with the dead?The Badger Game is a gripping thriller that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.Multiple 5 star reviews on Reader’s Favorite!'This is a must-read for those who enjoy forensics, murder mysteries, and courtroom dramas'...by Angelique Papayannopoulos for Readers’ Favorite'Shabel’s adept storytelling and intricate plot twists kept me guessing until the very end, making it hard to put the book down. I would certainly recommend The Badger Game to fans of truly compelling mysteries looking for a talented crime author who always delivers'... K.C. Flynn for Readers’ Favorite'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'...Alma Boucher for Readers’ Favorite