Findings by Mary Anna Evans

First Line: A good day at work typically left Faye Longchamp covered in sweat, rain, dust, dirt, or mud, depending on weather conditions.

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp can't believe her good fortune: she's being paid to excavate a site that once belonged to her family-- something she would've done for free. But all that good fortune turns to tragedy when the dear friend who's funding the dig is found murdered by intruders who left him to die amongst the remains of Faye's artifacts.

Even a grief-stricken Faye can see that something's not right about her friend's death. The safe in the house is untouched, and everything of any real value has been left behind. The only thing Faye can think of is that the intruders were aware of the existence of the fabulous emerald that Faye had found that evening. With the blessing of the local police, Faye begins to track down the history of the mysterious emerald. How is her work connected to her friend's death, and how long will it take for the killers to come for her?

For any crime fiction fan interested in archaeology, Mary Anna Evans' Faye Longchamp series is a treasure trove. Faye runs on too little sleep, so she's able to get dirty doing her job as well as to take time to investigate murders. A topic that's an important part of the story is the depredation of archaeological sites by illegal "pot hunters" who dig up (and ruin) sites, taking away anything of value to sell on eBay or to private buyers. Furthermore, Evans incorporates oral history, letters, diaries, and other things to bring the historical aspects of her books to life. In the case of Findings, readers can follow along on a treasure hunt that ties into the lives and letters of a married couple who lived during the Civil War. To make matters worse, the killers are doing their own research, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

There are so many layers in this book, but actually Findings is all about love-- Civil War era Jedediah and Viola, Faye's friend Douglass and his wife Emma, police chief Mike and his wife Magda.... Love touches Faye, too, and she has some soul searching to do while she's not doing research or dodging killers. Will she choose life in Atlanta with Ross, or staying at Joyeuse with Joe? If you've read previous books in the series, you'll probably have a choice, but if you're new to these characters, you won't feel lost.

Love, treasure, history, and murder set on islands off the coast of Florida. In the hands of Mary Anna Evans, it's a slice of magic.

Findings by Mary Anna Evans

ISBN: 9781590586235

Poisoned Pen Press © 2008

Paperback, 265 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #4 Faye Longchamp mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 

Effigies by Mary Anna Evans

Title: Effigies
Author: Mary Anna Evans
ISBN: 9781590584545, Poisoned Pen Press, 2007
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, #3 Faye Longchamp mystery
Rating: B+
Source: purchased at The Poisoned Pen

First Line: Faye Longchamp had work to do, but it would wait.

From her ramshackle ancestral home on an island off the coast of Florida, Faye Longchamp and her assistant Joe Wolf Mantooth have traveled to Mississippi to help excavate a site near the sacred mound where tradition says the Choctaw Nation was born. Carroll Calhoun refuses to allow the archaeologists on his farm to investigate an even larger mound, and they are disappointed, but Calhoun breaks their hearts when he tries to bulldoze the ancient site into oblivion. When the farmer later turns up dead, Faye finds herself trying to find the killer before Joe Wolf Mantooth is thrown in jail.

I love mysteries laced with a strong dose of archaeology, and in my opinion, Evans' series featuring Faye Longchamp is the best of the bunch. She's got a fine cast of characters; she uses her settings to advantage; and she always seems able to include more history and archaeology into her stories than many other writers. Effigies is no exception. Ever since I visited Cahokia as a child, I've been fascinated with the Mound Builders. Evans added to my knowledge in an entertaining way. She also threw me right in the middle of the heat and humidity of Mississippi amongst rednecks, scholars, law enforcement, the Choctaw and handed me a mystery to sort out. The only weakness in the whole thing was the identity of the bad guy. I figured it out early on, but I didn't much care because I still had to deduce the Why. Well, that and the fact that I was enjoying playing around in the dirt with Faye again.

If you're in the mood for mysteries with interesting, multi-faceted characters, an excellent sense of place, and a good dose of history and archaeology, you can't go wrong with Mary Anna Evans' series. Go ahead. Pick up a trowel and work in a trench with Faye. You'll be glad you did.