Synopses & Reviews
Review
“Evans's fifth series mystery…reveals her skill in handling the details of a crime story enhanced by historical facts and scientific discussions on the physical properties of water. Along with further insights into Faye's personal life, the reader ends up with a thoroughly good mystery.” –Library Journal on Floodgates “Evans's fifth (Findings, 2008, etc.) is an exciting brew of mystery and romance with a touch of New Orleans charm.” –Kirkus on Floodgates STARRED REVIEW“Evans always incorporates detailed research that adds depth and authenticity to her mysteries, and she beautifully conjurs up the Micco County, FL, setting. This is a series that deserves more attention than it garners. Fans of archaeological mysteries by Lyn Hamilton, Sarah Andrews, and Aaron Elkins will enjoy.” –Library Journal on Findings
Synopsis
Faye Longchamp’s new archaeological firm has landed a project in St. Augustine, Florida. In four centuries, America’s oldest city has accumulated skeletons that should probably stay buried. Within a day of Faye’s arrival, a woman disappears, leaving behind blood, priceless artifacts, and a note asking for Faye's help. The detective hires Faye to find the artifacts’ origin. But the ghosts of the Ancient City are demanding masters, and Faye is also driven to uncover their secrets--until it becomes clear that what they seek is Faye herself. And her child...
Synopsis
Faye Longchamp and husband Joe Wolf Mantooth have founded an archaeological consulting firm - just in time for the economy to tank. But a meeting with a couple who run an elegant B&B in an historic home in St. Augustine, Florida, lands the firm's first big project. Within a day of their arrival at Dunkirk Manor, a lovely young employee disappears, leaving behind a sinister smear of blood in her car, a collection of priceless artifacts, and a note asking for Faye's help. Two days later, the missing woman's boyfriend is found floating in the Matanzas River, his throat slashed. The detective in charge of the case believes that the artifacts are key to the crime and hires Faye to track down their origin.
The artifacts Faye and Joe excavate at their work site date from every era of St. Augustine history, and the discovery of a buried cache of children's toys from the 1920s hits eight-months-pregnant Faye particularly hard. Dunkirk Manor seems haunted in a way that Faye can't explain.
Then a stunning discovery is made: the diary of a priest who left Spain in 1565 and was present at the city's birth. Faye is driven to translate the manuscript. In what could be an unfolding tale by the Brothers Grimm, Faye and Joe uncover some terrible secrets....
About the Author
Mary Anna Evans, award-winning author of the six Faye Longchamp mysteries, has degrees in physics and engineering, but her heart is in the past. Faye lives the exciting life of an archaeologist, and Mary Anna envies her a little. Her latest book, Strangers, is set in St. Augustine, where the ghosts of conquistadors, Native Americans, robber barons, and flappers roam. Her books have found an unexpected home in schools, and when she's not writing her novels, Mary Anna works with teachers to develop ways to use popular fiction to teach math and science and history to kids who are surprised to find out that those subjects are interesting. She is a co-writing a book on math literacy to be published in 2011.