Artifacts
By Mary Anna Evans
ISBN: 1590580567
A 2003 release from
Poisoned Pen Press
A thriller with an angst-ridden, interesting female
protagonist.
The protagonist in this interesting novel, Faye Longchamp,
is a mixed-race single female who can usually pass in either camp, yet is
clearly uncomfortable in both. Moreover, neither camp is welcoming. Consequently,
Faye Longchamp, bright, ambitious, wary of entanglements, generally goes her
own way.
She’s technically a squatter, living in the ruins of her
ancestral home on a small island on the western coast of Florida, an area known as the panhandle. Title
to the land is in question and her situation constantly grows more desperate as
she tries to find the money to pay taxes and living expenses. She’s a pothunter
as well as an experienced and well-trained archeologist. These conflicting
elements of her life, as well as her personality and background, even more than
her racial composure, raise conflicts and a considerable amount of angst on an
almost daily basis. Then she unearths a body and two young interns on the
professional dig where she is working are murdered.
The deaths close down the site and leave Faye without a job
and therefore without income. Clever plotting takes the reader inside Faye’s
life, inside her family history and through a compelling history lesson. Archeology
is far more than the simple antiseptic study of old bones and former
generational trash. Author Evans infuses vibrant life to the history of the
region and the nation through the circumstances of one family. Her illumination
of the region and its special characteristics is excellent. The story lines
move with vitality and good pace.
Although there are a few to many coincidences in the plot
for some readers, the lively characters, unique and fascinating locale and the
competent writing carries us through
to a satisfactory conclusion.
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