Rituals

Then an hour after her crystal ball shows Faye things no rational mind can explain, Tilda is dead. The evidence says that someone trapped Tilda in a small room, nailing its one door shut before setting her house afire. There is no possible way for her to have escaped the blaze, let alone drive for miles before finding Faye and dying in her arms. Yet Tilda did. How? And why?

It seems Rosebower is full of people who had reason to kill Tilda. Tildas estranged daughter is the heir to the Armistead fortune. That daughters husband is a stage magician with a long history of making things vanish. Against Tildas wishes, a rich developer would like to turn Rosebower into a Disneyland with real ghosts. And then there is the famed root doctor whose mysterious herbal potions are anywhere else, these people would be dismissed as crazy. In Rosebower, “normal“ is relative. As Faye watches the psychics and charlatans jockey for power, Tildas sister, Myrna, is slowly dying. Will Rosebower reveal its secrets before more goes up in flames?

""Evans pulls all the pieces nicely together in the end.""--Publishers Weekly

""A suspenseful crime story with just a hint of something otherworldly.""--Booklist

“In her delightfully erudite seventh (Strangers, 2010, etc.), Faye continues to weave archaeological tidbits and interesting people into soundly plotted mysteries.” --Kirkus review of Plunder

“The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico provides the backdrop for Evanss engaging, character-driven seventh mystery featuring archeologist Faye Longchamp (after 2010s Strangers).” --Publishers Weekly review of Plunder

""Details of archaeology, pirate lore, and voodoo complement the strong, sympathetic characters, especially Amande, and the appealing portrait of Fayes family life.""--Booklist review of Plunder

""Evanss excellent series (Floodgates, 2008, etc.) continues to combine solid mysteries and satisfying historical detail.""--Kirkus review of Strangers

""Evans has written a fascinating tale linking the history of New Orleans' levee system to the present and weaving into the story aspects of the city's widely diverse cultures. Voodoo, Native American spirituality, greed, and corruption all play roles in what is easily the best installment yet in a too-little-known series.""--Booklist starred review of Floodgates

""Evans's fifth (Findings, 2008, etc.) is an exciting brew of mystery and romance with a touch of New Orleans charm.""--Kirkus review of Floodgates

A suspenseful crime story with just a hint of something otherworldly. --Booklist

Faye Longchamp doesn't believe in ghosts, but she's an archaeologist--dead people are her life. While working in Rosebower, a rural New York town founded by Spiritualists, Faye is surrounded by people who talk to the dead on a regular basis. So when influential Spiritualist Tilda Armistead invites Faye and her daughter to commune with the dead, she can't say no. An hour after Tilda's crystal ball shows Faye things no rational mind can explain, Tilda is dead. The evidence says someone trapped Tilda in a small room, nailing its one door shut before setting her house afire. There is no possible way for her to have escaped the blaze, let alone drive for miles before finding Faye and dying in her arms. Yet Tilda did. How? And why?

Anywhere else, these people would be dismissed as crazy. But in Rosebower, normal is relative. As Faye watches psychics and charlatans jockey for power, Tilda's sister, Myrna, is slowly dying. Will Rosebower reveal its secrets before more goes up in flames?

www.maryannaevans.com