Findings
A
Faye Longchamp Mystery
Mary Anna
Evans
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-483-X (159058483X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-483-5 (9781590584835)
Publication Date: July 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Faye Longchamp is overjoyed to be paid to do
archaeological work she would have done anyway—excavating a
site that was once her family’s. That joy ends abruptly when
intruders break into a dear friend’s house and leave him dead
among the scattered remains of Faye’s artifacts. But the open
wall safe is untouched, and choice artifacts are left in their cases.
There seems to be no motive at all for the vicious
crime…unless the thieves were aware of the fabulous emerald
he had been holding minutes before his death. But Faye had only
uncovered it that very evening, and she had told no one.
When his widow asks Faye to organize the relics left broken on the
floor, Faye realizes that something is actually missing—not
an emerald nor a valuable painting, but her field notes.
Faye seeks out the story behind the mysterious emerald. How was her
fieldwork connected to her friend’s death? The key to all her
questions must be buried in the field notes now held by the killers.
Now, it is only a matter of time before they come for Faye.
Review:
Archaeologist Faye Longchamp investigates a mystery dating back to the
Civil War on her own beloved island of Joyeuse in Findings, the
fourth book in this consistently outstanding series by Mary Anna Evans.
Faye is heartbroken when thieves break into the home of Douglass
Everett who dies after being beaten by two men. Douglass was more than
an employer; he was her friend, role model, and father figure. His
death is all the more puzzling since nothing of value was taken.
Ironically, the most valuable thing in his possession was something
that Faye had only just discovered, a large, beautifully cut emerald
that had been found, caked in mud, on Joyeuse. And it was found
undisturbed on his body. To Faye's surprise, her field notes are
missing but they would mean little to anyone else. Soon thereafter,
another friend, Wally, is stabbed and dies literally in Faye's lap. His
final words whispered to her, "Remember. Before.", make no sense to
her. Yet she's convinced the deaths of these two men in her life are
connected to the emerald she found on her island. Researching the gem
she uncovers a series of letters between Jedediah Bachelder and his
wife Viola, written during the years of the Civil War. And it cannot be
a coincidence that the area has seemingly been overrun with amateur
pothunters looking for relics from battles long ago. It isn't long
before Faye makes the connection and realizes that not only is her life
in danger, but also those closest to her.
Evans is a master at weaving history into her mysteries and creating
intricate yet credible plots that entice and delight even the most
jaded mystery readers. And with Findings
she adds another element to her stories: romance. The integration of
the love triangle between Faye, Joe, and Ross into the mystery isn't
totally successful, though; at times they seem to interfere with and
take away from the other, a case where the total is less than the sum
of the parts. Arguably the well crafted love story between Viola and Jedediah is far
more touching and a more integral part of the plot.
Still, as a mystery, Findings
is first rate. Much of the credit here is due to the depth of character
development and the subtle clues that Evans leaves in unexpected
places. While the solution to the whodunit aspect of the book will
undoubtedly surprise many readers, the resolution of the love triangle
is never in doubt.
As she has previously done, Evans offers additional background to her
book in an informative appendix titled a Guide for the Incurably Curious:
Teachers, Students and People Who Just Plain Like to Read.
Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing the ARC of Findings for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Artifacts
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), April 2003
ISBN-10: 1-59058-056-7 (1590580567)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-056-1 (9781590580561)
Relics
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), August 2005
ISBN-10: 1-59058-119-9 (1590581199)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-119-3 (9781590581193)
Effigies
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), January 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-342-6 (1590583426)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-342-5 (9781590583425)
Findings
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), July 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-483-X (159058483X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-483-5 (9781590584835)
Omnimystery keywords for Findings ...
Location(s) referenced: Tallahassee, Florida.