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Faye Longchamp #11
Undercurrents
"The Longchamp mysteries combine history and mystery in a gritty way that makes them feel different from most amateur-sleuth fare - dark-edged rather than cozy. Faye, too, is not your traditional amateur sleuth; she could just as easily anchor a gritty thriller series and give some of the giants in that genre a run for their money." --Booklist
In Undercurrents, the eleventh Faye Longchamp Mystery, Faye has traveled to Memphis, a city steeped in music, poverty, history, and the smoky tang of barbecue. She's there working alone to do an assessment of a site, welcome work for her small archaeological consulting firm.
When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can't make herself leave Kali, the woman's now orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She's not welcomed by the people in Kali's struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye.
When they confide rumors of other women beaten to death by a man so obsessed with burial that he places fresh flowers in their cold hands, Faye begs the police to widen the investigation to seek a serial killer. They refuse. Faye's gut is telling her that a monster is stalking Memphis, endangering the child she has come to love. If the police can't catch him, then she will have no choice but to try to find him herself.
In Undercurrents, the eleventh Faye Longchamp Mystery, Faye has traveled to Memphis, a city steeped in music, poverty, history, and the smoky tang of barbecue. She's there working alone to do an assessment of a site, welcome work for her small archaeological consulting firm.
When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can't make herself leave Kali, the woman's now orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She's not welcomed by the people in Kali's struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye.
When they confide rumors of other women beaten to death by a man so obsessed with burial that he places fresh flowers in their cold hands, Faye begs the police to widen the investigation to seek a serial killer. They refuse. Faye's gut is telling her that a monster is stalking Memphis, endangering the child she has come to love. If the police can't catch him, then she will have no choice but to try to find him herself.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2018
40 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Mary Anna Evans
36 books457 followersMary Anna Evans is an award-winning author, a writing professor, and she holds degrees in physics and engineering, a background that, as it turns out, is ideal for writing her new book, The Physicists' Daughter. Set in WWII-era New Orleans, The Physicists' Daughter introduces Justine Byrne, whom Mary Anna describes as "a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker."
When Justine, the daughter of two physicists who taught her things girls weren't expected to know in 1944, realizes that her boss isn't telling her the truth about the work she does in her factory job, she draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home.
Her crime fiction has earned recognition that includes the Oklahoma Book Award, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards Gold Medal, the Mississippi Author Award, a spot on Voice of Young America’s (VOYA) list of “Adult Mysteries with Young Adult Appeal,” a writer’s residency from The Studios of Key West, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Florida Historical Society’s Patrick D. Smith Florida Literature Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals.
In addition to writing crime fiction, she writes about crime fiction, as evidenced by the upcoming Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, which she coedited with J.D Bernthal.
For the incurably curious, Mary Anna’s first published work, her master’s thesis, was entitled A Modeling Study of the NH3-NO-O2 Reaction Under the Operating Conditions of a Fluidized Bed Combustor. Like her mysteries, it was a factually based page-turner but, no, it’s not available online.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAnnaEvan...
Twitter: @maryannaevans
Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/maryannaevans/
BookBub: @maryannaevans
When Justine, the daughter of two physicists who taught her things girls weren't expected to know in 1944, realizes that her boss isn't telling her the truth about the work she does in her factory job, she draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home.
Her crime fiction has earned recognition that includes the Oklahoma Book Award, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards Gold Medal, the Mississippi Author Award, a spot on Voice of Young America’s (VOYA) list of “Adult Mysteries with Young Adult Appeal,” a writer’s residency from The Studios of Key West, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Florida Historical Society’s Patrick D. Smith Florida Literature Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals.
In addition to writing crime fiction, she writes about crime fiction, as evidenced by the upcoming Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, which she coedited with J.D Bernthal.
For the incurably curious, Mary Anna’s first published work, her master’s thesis, was entitled A Modeling Study of the NH3-NO-O2 Reaction Under the Operating Conditions of a Fluidized Bed Combustor. Like her mysteries, it was a factually based page-turner but, no, it’s not available online.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAnnaEvan...
Twitter: @maryannaevans
Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/maryannaevans/
BookBub: @maryannaevans
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 15, 2018
This may be the best so far in an excellent series! In this episode, Faye has traveled to Memphis to work on a job commissioned by local government: she and her team are to clear unused city park land before it is developed for use as campgrounds and for other needs. Faye is hoping for evidence of a woolly mammoth(!) and more specifically, for evidence of a black CCC group that worked in this park in the 1930s. Instead, before her dig fully begins, she discovers a woman buried nearby. On this dig, her husband is home in Florida. It's just her and a local crew of students to manage the situation. In other words--it's Faye who must deal with the authorities, manage her team, etc.
Evans maintains a high level of tension throughout the book, interweaving the killer's thoughts with the narrative, keeping him anonymous but still very present. Also, Evans works the black community's issues with policing into her story in a very effective way. I feel that I have a better handle on some of the communication problems and issues of trust for having read this novel.
All in all, this is an excellent episode in what is a consistently good series. Evans frequently addresses what is happening in the world around her in her books, making them good and relevant.
Recommended. If you want to know Faye's background and how her husband, Joe, fits into the picture, you should begin earlier in the series. Otherwise, this reads well as a standalone.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Evans maintains a high level of tension throughout the book, interweaving the killer's thoughts with the narrative, keeping him anonymous but still very present. Also, Evans works the black community's issues with policing into her story in a very effective way. I feel that I have a better handle on some of the communication problems and issues of trust for having read this novel.
All in all, this is an excellent episode in what is a consistently good series. Evans frequently addresses what is happening in the world around her in her books, making them good and relevant.
Recommended. If you want to know Faye's background and how her husband, Joe, fits into the picture, you should begin earlier in the series. Otherwise, this reads well as a standalone.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
April 30, 2018
Undercurrents (Faye Longchamp #11) by Mary Anna Evans is a suspenseful murder mystery set in Memphis. Faye Longchamp-Mantooth is in a totally different cultural vibe as she prepares to lead a group of students in a project for the Sweetgum State Park just outside Memphis, TN. This project is to clear the way for a park expansion and the government has contracted Faye to make a cultural resource analysis because of the Civilian Conservation Corps campground and buildings which had been built in the 1930's by a group of the segregated African-American workers. This was a piece of history which needed to be documented before any excavations in the area could proceed. First, we will meet Kali, a little girl with a big attitude and a survivor's determination.
Early one morning, Faye happens upon a shocking sight, a fresh grave and the loosely turned soil is moving! Quickly she begins to excavate a young woman who has been beaten and left to die in a grave. Kali has seen too much. Faye has seen too much, or so the murderer thinks. A killer is watching!
I love these books. I wish Faye and I could be friends or I could be a part of her team.
This story seems to have a more human element of despair or sadness due to lives trapped in poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, and the high rate of crime. I live 2 hours from Memphis, and I would not want to go anywhere near some of the neighborhoods. I knew tourists who had family members killed walking down Beale Street in daylight many years ago. I could understand the conflicts Faye faces within a neighborhood and community which has citizens with enormous pride of place while they also struggle with the escalating crime on their streets.
A very well written mystery which also exposes the depth of suffering in high crime communities.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Early one morning, Faye happens upon a shocking sight, a fresh grave and the loosely turned soil is moving! Quickly she begins to excavate a young woman who has been beaten and left to die in a grave. Kali has seen too much. Faye has seen too much, or so the murderer thinks. A killer is watching!
I love these books. I wish Faye and I could be friends or I could be a part of her team.
This story seems to have a more human element of despair or sadness due to lives trapped in poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, and the high rate of crime. I live 2 hours from Memphis, and I would not want to go anywhere near some of the neighborhoods. I knew tourists who had family members killed walking down Beale Street in daylight many years ago. I could understand the conflicts Faye faces within a neighborhood and community which has citizens with enormous pride of place while they also struggle with the escalating crime on their streets.
A very well written mystery which also exposes the depth of suffering in high crime communities.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 24, 2019
Faye is starting a new dig away from home. Joe and the kids are back on the island while Faye and a team of five young workers are trying to set up their site so they can check out things before any construction begins. The first distraction Faye faces is that of a young girl who proceeds down the waterway every day obviously driven by some logical reason. She also sees her return in the evening.
Horribly, Faye discovers a semi-conscious woman in a lightly covered grave and this woman just happens to be the little girl’s mother. And so the mystery is focused on who the killer is and how many women he has killed in the neighboring states. I didn’t find it difficult to guess who the killer was and that smoothed the edges of suspenseful tension for me. I also missed the full presence of Joe in the story. However the novel offered an honest and unflinching view of racial tensions in the southern United States which, although they are heartbreaking, are still happening. 3.5 stars up to 4.
Horribly, Faye discovers a semi-conscious woman in a lightly covered grave and this woman just happens to be the little girl’s mother. And so the mystery is focused on who the killer is and how many women he has killed in the neighboring states. I didn’t find it difficult to guess who the killer was and that smoothed the edges of suspenseful tension for me. I also missed the full presence of Joe in the story. However the novel offered an honest and unflinching view of racial tensions in the southern United States which, although they are heartbreaking, are still happening. 3.5 stars up to 4.
July 25, 2022
As always a wonderful read. Faye is in Memphis, and get herself caught up in life of a young girl whose mother is killed. I hope this series never ends! And I love how the author adds some notes about the location and people in the book.
September 2, 2022
This one was a bit darker than other books in this series. There was not very much archeology, which I missed. However, I liked Kali and her family.
February 12, 2019
I have read the entire series. I appreciate how the author develops characters. They seem real to me, enough for me, in this book, to be annoyed at one of them for over-sharing on social media and texting, yet still feel that character to be one of us. Multidimensional.
I also appreciate that social issues of race and class are brought to light in this book as well as in a few of the other series books. I say “brought to light,” rather than “explored,” because these are immense issues and this is not mostly a book about that. The characters’ behavior is realistic to me considering those. However, the book could have stood a little more depth to explain the neighborhood’s relationship with law enforcement. I think other books in the series do go little bit deeper on the issues specific to them.
Evans did such a good job of conveying to me the idea of Neighborhood with a capital N. It’s like a family with every sort of relative, the good folk and bad actors are all included. The sense of neighborhood gets stronger and clearer as the book continues.
I am ranking this book one star lower than usual because the historical and archaeological elements are dropped. While the murder investigation has a climax, the dig does not.
I also appreciate that social issues of race and class are brought to light in this book as well as in a few of the other series books. I say “brought to light,” rather than “explored,” because these are immense issues and this is not mostly a book about that. The characters’ behavior is realistic to me considering those. However, the book could have stood a little more depth to explain the neighborhood’s relationship with law enforcement. I think other books in the series do go little bit deeper on the issues specific to them.
Evans did such a good job of conveying to me the idea of Neighborhood with a capital N. It’s like a family with every sort of relative, the good folk and bad actors are all included. The sense of neighborhood gets stronger and clearer as the book continues.
I am ranking this book one star lower than usual because the historical and archaeological elements are dropped. While the murder investigation has a climax, the dig does not.
April 16, 2018
Undercurrents is the eleventh book in the Faye Longchamp mystery series by author Mary Anna Evans. I have read many of the books in this series. They are all well written and extremely enjoyable to read.
Undercurrents is set in Memphis. Faye has been hired to do an archaeological survey of a campsite alongside a creek in Memphis. The location is central to the story. The poverty of the people in the neighbourhood and their desire to stay under the radar. Faye follows a young girl first into this area then finds a body buried alive there. The body is that of the mother of the young girl. Faye cannot leave it alone and sets out to find what she believes could be a serial killer.
Undercurrents is a great addition to this series. The author Evans does a lot of research and I really felt like I was in Memphis during the summer. I have to admit that I just love the cover of this book. The bag of dirt also looks like a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Depends how you look at it. Impressive.
I highly recommend Undercurrents by Mary Anna Evans. I would read the whole series though if I were a mystery fan!
Undercurrents is set in Memphis. Faye has been hired to do an archaeological survey of a campsite alongside a creek in Memphis. The location is central to the story. The poverty of the people in the neighbourhood and their desire to stay under the radar. Faye follows a young girl first into this area then finds a body buried alive there. The body is that of the mother of the young girl. Faye cannot leave it alone and sets out to find what she believes could be a serial killer.
Undercurrents is a great addition to this series. The author Evans does a lot of research and I really felt like I was in Memphis during the summer. I have to admit that I just love the cover of this book. The bag of dirt also looks like a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Depends how you look at it. Impressive.
I highly recommend Undercurrents by Mary Anna Evans. I would read the whole series though if I were a mystery fan!
March 22, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in for an honest review and here it is! The best thing about this book was its protagonist. I love female characters who are smart and strong and I felt as though Faye was a perfect protagonist for me. She wasn't a damsel in distress, she didn't need someone else to come and save her, which is a theme I have been coming across a lot. That was my favorite part of the story. The plot itself was quite interesting and the story unfolds gradually as we discover more and more about the killer. Faye is working in Memphis on an assignment when she comes across a woman who was buried alive. From the get-go, Faye seemed like the kind of character young girls look up to and she does play that role in Kali's life. I don't have a lot of background with this series but Faye never seemed to do things out of character. I love characters I can respect and Faye, despite being small, demanded respect, which is something I can relate to. This was my first Mary Anna Evans book and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
October 5, 2018
This is more of a 3.5. I enjoyed this book very much, but I have a bone to pick with this latest book about Faye Longchamp-Mantooth, everyone’s favorite archaeologist. (See what I did there?)
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a long list of favorite series. Wonderful writers such as Ms. Evans create people and places we love to return to again and again.
Then, for some unfathomable reason, they write an entry where the setting is changed and characters are omitted. Such is the case here. Instead of Joyeuse Island we are sent to Memphis, with a totally out-of-place visit to The Peabody Hotel, despite the mention made of Faye’s tight budget.
And where is Joe? And Michael? Magda?
Despite this, everything else is top notch. Good story, good characters. Detective McDaniel is great. I pictured him as Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards.
But please, take me back to Joyeuse Island, Ms. Evans. Soon.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a long list of favorite series. Wonderful writers such as Ms. Evans create people and places we love to return to again and again.
Then, for some unfathomable reason, they write an entry where the setting is changed and characters are omitted. Such is the case here. Instead of Joyeuse Island we are sent to Memphis, with a totally out-of-place visit to The Peabody Hotel, despite the mention made of Faye’s tight budget.
And where is Joe? And Michael? Magda?
Despite this, everything else is top notch. Good story, good characters. Detective McDaniel is great. I pictured him as Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards.
But please, take me back to Joyeuse Island, Ms. Evans. Soon.
June 23, 2018
This is a very good, well-written book, with a compelling mystery that makes it hard to put down. However, personally, I find the subject of that mystery disturbing: a serial killer who preys on young women. Instead of the historical element usually included in the series, the reader is forced into the killer's mind in brief chapters from his point of view, something I highly dislike. Your mileage may vary, but you have been warned.
April 7, 2018
Undercurrents (Faye Longchamp Series Book 11)
by Mary Anna Evans
Wonderful read, fraught with danger and mystery, heart-thumping action, meticulous detail, and vivid imagery. Evans's character is back, this time working on her own in Memphis, Tennessee, with a team heretofore unknown to her, many miles away from her Florida home on Joyeuse Island. Arriving a few days earlier than her team, she scouts out their dig site, getting ready for the arrival of the team of students who will help her in this State of Tennessee funded job. Located near a creek, she notes a young girl who follows the creek bed every day, returning late in the afternoon. Curious as to why such a young child is roaming free from morning through the late afternoon, Faye follows her and meets the child, Kali. One early morning, while she is working at the site, she hears a strange noise just up the steep bank from where she is. It sounds like a human in distress, but there are no words. She quickly climbs up and discovers a flat area, with a freshly disturbed area. When a human hand pops up from the disturbed soil, Faye is quickly on her knees attempting to dig up a young woman who has been beaten and buried alive.
Sir Walter Scott once wrote Oh! what a tangled web we weave/When first we practise to deceive! The story that grows out of Faye's friendship with the child Kali and her discovery of the buried woman is just such a tangled web. The reader will meet several characters, from Kali, her great uncle, Sylvia the candy lady, McDaniel the police detective, and Jeremiah, Faye's PhD associate, to the rough living Linton and Mayfield, the school teacher who helps provide food for the underprivileged children in his school, the local Minister, and the local students hired to work Faye's project. One of them put the woman in the ground. Can Faye find out who in time to save Kali, who witnessed the attack, and herself?
Plotting was excellent, as was the pacing and flow. The editing and proofing were also excellent. The only thing that broke this reader's tie to the book was the need for sleep. All the issues are resolved to a satisfactory degree in the end, and there is no cliffhanger ending. Perfection.
I enjoyed seeing Faye on an adventure of her own. I enjoy her adventures with her husband, Joe, but it is also interesting to see how her mind works, and how determined she is to find the truth, even when her own life is in mortal danger. This was an enjoyable read that was over all too soon, leaving me anxiously awaiting the publication of book #12.
by Mary Anna Evans
Wonderful read, fraught with danger and mystery, heart-thumping action, meticulous detail, and vivid imagery. Evans's character is back, this time working on her own in Memphis, Tennessee, with a team heretofore unknown to her, many miles away from her Florida home on Joyeuse Island. Arriving a few days earlier than her team, she scouts out their dig site, getting ready for the arrival of the team of students who will help her in this State of Tennessee funded job. Located near a creek, she notes a young girl who follows the creek bed every day, returning late in the afternoon. Curious as to why such a young child is roaming free from morning through the late afternoon, Faye follows her and meets the child, Kali. One early morning, while she is working at the site, she hears a strange noise just up the steep bank from where she is. It sounds like a human in distress, but there are no words. She quickly climbs up and discovers a flat area, with a freshly disturbed area. When a human hand pops up from the disturbed soil, Faye is quickly on her knees attempting to dig up a young woman who has been beaten and buried alive.
Sir Walter Scott once wrote Oh! what a tangled web we weave/When first we practise to deceive! The story that grows out of Faye's friendship with the child Kali and her discovery of the buried woman is just such a tangled web. The reader will meet several characters, from Kali, her great uncle, Sylvia the candy lady, McDaniel the police detective, and Jeremiah, Faye's PhD associate, to the rough living Linton and Mayfield, the school teacher who helps provide food for the underprivileged children in his school, the local Minister, and the local students hired to work Faye's project. One of them put the woman in the ground. Can Faye find out who in time to save Kali, who witnessed the attack, and herself?
Plotting was excellent, as was the pacing and flow. The editing and proofing were also excellent. The only thing that broke this reader's tie to the book was the need for sleep. All the issues are resolved to a satisfactory degree in the end, and there is no cliffhanger ending. Perfection.
I enjoyed seeing Faye on an adventure of her own. I enjoy her adventures with her husband, Joe, but it is also interesting to see how her mind works, and how determined she is to find the truth, even when her own life is in mortal danger. This was an enjoyable read that was over all too soon, leaving me anxiously awaiting the publication of book #12.
October 29, 2018
As always, this is a beautifully crafted novel. Mary Anna Evans is an exemplary writer, especially in how she develops her characters so true to life you swear they were sitting next to you. She also does a great job creating the setting for her stories, this time including the city of Memphis, and provides a realistic portrayal of some of the problems and subtleties of racial and economic divides that occur in today’s society.
Readers need to be aware this is not a "cozy" mystery. There is violence and one particularly horrific scene, plus a child in danger, which I never like to read about. That being said this story does keep you on the edge of your seat and involved in solving the mystery, with plenty of possible suspects. Interspersed among the regular chapters are ones where you read the inner dialogue of the unknown murderer. These are chillingly evil and nasty.
Many mysteries set in present time generally make good use of cell phone technology but in this book I would almost include it as a separate character. While individuals on scene and beyond are necessary, the cell phone provides enormous help in solving the crime. This is a realistic look at how cell phone are used these days as mini computers. There is one scene where the main character, Faye, is following someone through a stream. Her ability to keep her cell phone, and nothing else, dry is very true to form for most of us.
The person helping Faye solve the crime on the other end of the cell phone is good at "sussing" out people and has Faye pegged. "I'm not surprised to hear that you do archeology. You sound like someone who takes a scientific approach. You also sound like a seeker. Seekers are always busy." My thanks for the author creating this "seeker" named Faye and allowing us along as she seeks truth, both in the past and in the present.
Readers need to be aware this is not a "cozy" mystery. There is violence and one particularly horrific scene, plus a child in danger, which I never like to read about. That being said this story does keep you on the edge of your seat and involved in solving the mystery, with plenty of possible suspects. Interspersed among the regular chapters are ones where you read the inner dialogue of the unknown murderer. These are chillingly evil and nasty.
Many mysteries set in present time generally make good use of cell phone technology but in this book I would almost include it as a separate character. While individuals on scene and beyond are necessary, the cell phone provides enormous help in solving the crime. This is a realistic look at how cell phone are used these days as mini computers. There is one scene where the main character, Faye, is following someone through a stream. Her ability to keep her cell phone, and nothing else, dry is very true to form for most of us.
The person helping Faye solve the crime on the other end of the cell phone is good at "sussing" out people and has Faye pegged. "I'm not surprised to hear that you do archeology. You sound like someone who takes a scientific approach. You also sound like a seeker. Seekers are always busy." My thanks for the author creating this "seeker" named Faye and allowing us along as she seeks truth, both in the past and in the present.
April 7, 2022
"In Undercurrents, the eleventh Faye Longchamp Mystery, Faye has traveled to Memphis, a city steeped in music, poverty, history, and the smoky tang of barbecue. She's there working alone to do an assessment of a site, welcome work for her small archaeological consulting firm.
"When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can't make herself leave Kali, the woman's now-orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She's not welcomed by the people in Kali's struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye.
"When they confide rumors of other women beaten to death by a man so obsessed with burial that he places fresh flowers in their cold hands, Faye begs the police to widen the investigation to seek a serial killer. They refuse.
"Faye's gut is telling her that a monster is stalking Memphis, endangering the child she has come to love. If the police can't catch him, then she will have no choice to to try to find him herself."
~~front & back flaps
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I had all the previous ones, but I was caught up in the plot almost immediately. A plethora of likely suspects, and Faye entangled in the morass of tiny clues and spurts of information from Kali -- all slowly leading her to narrow down the cast of suspects and to dive into research to find similar crimes. A vicious, frightening ending as usual, only modified by knowing there are two books remaining in the series.
"When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can't make herself leave Kali, the woman's now-orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She's not welcomed by the people in Kali's struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye.
"When they confide rumors of other women beaten to death by a man so obsessed with burial that he places fresh flowers in their cold hands, Faye begs the police to widen the investigation to seek a serial killer. They refuse.
"Faye's gut is telling her that a monster is stalking Memphis, endangering the child she has come to love. If the police can't catch him, then she will have no choice to to try to find him herself."
~~front & back flaps
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I had all the previous ones, but I was caught up in the plot almost immediately. A plethora of likely suspects, and Faye entangled in the morass of tiny clues and spurts of information from Kali -- all slowly leading her to narrow down the cast of suspects and to dive into research to find similar crimes. A vicious, frightening ending as usual, only modified by knowing there are two books remaining in the series.
October 31, 2022
I loved Undercurrents, the 11th book in the Faye Longchamp mysteries by Mary Anna Evans! Every book has been a treat, but this one is more gripping than ever. The characters are friends I am excited to reconnect with. This book is set in Memphis TN. I am looking forward to book 12!
BLURB:
In Undercurrents, the eleventh Faye Longchamp Mystery, Faye has traveled to Memphis, a city steeped in music, poverty, history, and the smoky tang of barbecue. She’s there working alone to do an assessment of a site, welcome work for her small archaeological consulting firm
When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can’t make herself leave Kali, the woman’s now orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She’s not welcomed by the people in Kali’s struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye.
BLURB:
In Undercurrents, the eleventh Faye Longchamp Mystery, Faye has traveled to Memphis, a city steeped in music, poverty, history, and the smoky tang of barbecue. She’s there working alone to do an assessment of a site, welcome work for her small archaeological consulting firm
When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can’t make herself leave Kali, the woman’s now orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She’s not welcomed by the people in Kali’s struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye.
March 11, 2025
Faye is Alone!
She has taken on a project in a sketchy part of Memphis while Joe is at home helping Amanda get ready for college and teaching the toddler Michael how to live in the woods. Faye has to train a bunch of under privileged teens how to do professional grade archeology work. Faye is doing an early morning site survey when she hears a strange sound and discovers a brutally beaten young woman buried alive! She has to keep her crew safe, deal with suspicious locals and convince the police that this isn't an isolated incident but part of a serial killer's regional pattern. In a nail biting ending it comes down to Faye and a young neighborhood girl fighting the killer hand to hand. Faye's long experience making do with whatever she can find proves that being alone puts her in good company!
She has taken on a project in a sketchy part of Memphis while Joe is at home helping Amanda get ready for college and teaching the toddler Michael how to live in the woods. Faye has to train a bunch of under privileged teens how to do professional grade archeology work. Faye is doing an early morning site survey when she hears a strange sound and discovers a brutally beaten young woman buried alive! She has to keep her crew safe, deal with suspicious locals and convince the police that this isn't an isolated incident but part of a serial killer's regional pattern. In a nail biting ending it comes down to Faye and a young neighborhood girl fighting the killer hand to hand. Faye's long experience making do with whatever she can find proves that being alone puts her in good company!
June 2, 2021
Faye has left Joe with the kids back in Florida and she is working with students and their cooordinator on a project in Memphis. She has a chance meeting with a young girl -- and even more chance happenning upon a buried woman on her jobsite. The woman dies -- and turns out to be the little girl's mom. Faye gets involved both as a confidant of the girl and as an advisor to the police. There are plenty of suspects -- and yet, even though we get a glimpse into the mind of the murderer throughout the book, I have to admit I was on the wrong person's trail for almost all of the book! Fun to learn a bit about Memphis. (I have visited there a few times, but not the locations mentioned in the book!) And a good mystery. Plus Joe shows up just in time. :-)
March 28, 2018
I had not read a Faye Longchamp novel for a long time and, thanks to Edelweiss, picked up right where I left off. Faye's a strong woman with an unusual background and career in archeology for what might be loosely termed a cozy. This time around she's found the body of a woman buried alive and that woman's small child, Kali. Faye certainly didn't expect this or that she would feel so fiercely protective of Kali. Of course the police aren't paying close enough attention, there's a serial killer out there, and Faye works to untangle all of it. It's not too twisty and it's well written. Try this if you're looking for a new protagonist.
July 26, 2018
Another page turner where the characters jump off the page and become your friends or your enemies. But, in Undercurrents, each page could bring a brand new emotion connected with the characters. It's always an adventure to travel with Faye as she discovers a new mystery while on a new dig. Undercurrents takes us to Memphis but spirals to locations while Faye tries to determine who to trust and who to fear. Finished this book in five sittings because I just couldn't stop reading after an hour or so. It was the perfect vacation book. It traveled with me to go-cart parks and hotels last week during a wonderful visit with our grandson. Now, time for #12, please.
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November 3, 2024Faye is in Memphis without her family for a project. While setting up before her crew arrives, she follows a young girl during her daily trip in the creek. Then early the next AM, Faye finds a woman buried alive. She digs her part way out & calls for help. The woman dies at the hospital. Faye learns she is the little girl's mother. Faye becomes frightened for herself, the child & her crew while trying to find clues about the murder. Joe can't stand Faye in danger & travels to Memphis, and arrives just in time to save a life!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2018
Another interesting addition to this wonderfully written series, this time set in Memphis.
Even before starting on her state contracted dig Faye stumbles upon the body of a woman buried alive and finds herself heading face first into an investigation of a possible serial killer. Woven throughout the story is the undertones of distrust between law enforcement and those of color. Can they put their difficulties aside and work together to bring a brutal killer to justice?
Even before starting on her state contracted dig Faye stumbles upon the body of a woman buried alive and finds herself heading face first into an investigation of a possible serial killer. Woven throughout the story is the undertones of distrust between law enforcement and those of color. Can they put their difficulties aside and work together to bring a brutal killer to justice?
May 10, 2018
Another great read from Mary Anna Evans
This author makes you care about her very human characters . I love the settings in the parameters of an archeological dig. The stories are unique and the I nearly always read them straight through to get to the resolution. Waiting patiently for a new book from her is impossible- write Mary Anna - I already finished this one!!!!!!
This author makes you care about her very human characters . I love the settings in the parameters of an archeological dig. The stories are unique and the I nearly always read them straight through to get to the resolution. Waiting patiently for a new book from her is impossible- write Mary Anna - I already finished this one!!!!!!
January 22, 2019
I have loved this series and Faye from the very start. This entry was set in my native Tennessee among landmarks and areas that I have visited many times. I think it made the book even more enjoyable for me, but do not mistake my nostalgia for giving it five stars. Well written and an excellent mystery. Already anticipating the next entry.
March 6, 2019
Faye Longchamp series, book #11. I don't care for books that are written from the perspective of serial killers. I prefer my murder mysteries to be cozy. I stopped listening to this one right at the beginning when the serial killer is watching his next victim with her kid and planning his attack. No thank you. I don't need to entertain a serial killer's thoughts of misogyny and violence.
September 24, 2025
I like this series, although this addition doesn't follow the pattern I really like about the series, because there isn't the copious detail of culture or anthropology or archaeology of the setting as in the others I have read. This one is more thriller, as the protagonist and the people she gathers face a villain--whom they have trouble identifying.
April 5, 2018
As always, a wonderful mystery full of the flavor of place and people, in this case, Memphis. Highly recommend this book, as well as the other 10 in the series.
May 14, 2018
C+. fiction, mystery, suspense, Memphis, series, (Faye Longchamp, #11)
November 5, 2020
I would read another in the series. Light story with some interesting facts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2020
Best yet.
Evans made Memphis come alive. Her characters were fleshed out beautifully. This series contains some of the best mysteries I have ever read.
Evans made Memphis come alive. Her characters were fleshed out beautifully. This series contains some of the best mysteries I have ever read.
February 14, 2021
The 11th book in the Faye Longchamp series. Faye travels to Memphis for her latest archaeological project. Interesting characters. Enjoyable.
June 24, 2021
This was the best of the Longchamp mysteries so far. Highly recommend for its subtle message.
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