"A fascinating look at contemporary archaeology but also a twisted story of greed and its effects." ― Dallas Morning News Faye Longchamp, back in school to pursue her dream of becoming an archaeologist, has been asked to run a project for which she is barely qualified, under the direction of a man who doesn't seem to like her much. Her to uncover the origins of a mysterious ethnic group. The Sujosa have lived in Alabama's most remote hills for centuries and have shown impressive immunity to many diseases...including AIDS. Late one night, Faye awakes to find the house in flames. She saves herself and one of her housemates. But her friend Carmen, the project historian, never had a chance. Within days, an 18-year-old boy jumps from a cell phone tower that, when completed, would connect the outside world to the Sujosa community. Are these events somehow related?
Mary 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.
I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first in the series. It's so nice to discover a well written mystery series that already has a number of books published. This is just the type of mystery I like, not too gritty, not too cozy, but somewhere in the middle.
It is a shame that Mary Anna Evans is not better known. So I will do my part to spread the word about this series. Mary Anna Evans’ writing flows so naturally, and her descriptions place the reader in realism. She has done the research, and I have learned about places and issues new to me. This, the second book with Faye Longchamp as the protagonist is located in Alabama rather than Florida, which is where Faye lives. This means that there is an entirely new set of characters that are well developed. But, Joe, her devoted Cherokee assistant is with her, and again protects Faye. This is such a great series, I can’t wait to get to the next book.
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book two of thirteen
I started this series in 2021
Faye Longchamp is coming to Alabama to do some work. Shortly after arriving there is a fire in the ladies house. One lady is dead. Accident or murder? The local police are investigating along with Faye and friends. Their investigation leads to the truth an arrest. The team continues the archaeological investigation leading to a number of discoveries.
I would recommend this series and author to readers of fantasy world 🌎 adventure mystery novels 🚲🚪 2024 🌆🍜
Relics is the 2nd book in the Faye Longchamp series. Faye has a assignment or a job to travel to Alabama to do an archeology study on the Sujosa people who live in this remote area. They have been found to have immunity to Aids and some other diseases. No one knows where the Sujosa people came from They have a distinctive look with their turquoise colored eyes and a light streak in their hair on the back of their head.
Faye arrives from her Pan Handle island home in Florida to the remote area. . With her is her assistant Joe who is a native American with complete loyalty to her. He watches over her. There is also a team of academics who are assigned to this project. Soon after she arrives, the building where she is sleeping burns up. A co-worker dies in the fire. Faye barely makes it out with taking out an injured co-worker with her. The fire appears to be arson.
Soon another death occurs. It looks like secrets are being guarded. Mary Anna Evans (the author) can really write a tight well plotted mystery that is an original mystery. I did not know who the murderer was until the end. This is a very good series that I will continue with. If you like a well written plotted mystery with an archeology subplot, you should like this series.
I read that Mary Anna Evans has been compared to Tony Hillerman. I have never read a Tony Hillerman book so I don't know if I agree or not. While I was reading the book, Faye Longchamp reminded me somewhat of Anna Pigeon. They have different vocations but they are small strong independent women who take on whatever is needed. They go to different locations in their series also.
In the second entry in the Faye Longchamp archeological mystery series, Relics, Faye has secured a legitimate job, with the help of one of her champions, as an archeologist with a rural development project in Alabama. Her friend, Joe Wolf Mantooth, will be her assistant. So, Faye and Joe head out from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the hills of Alabama.
The object of their work will be to investigate and, hopefully, discover the mysterious origins of an ethnic group called the Sujosa. The Sujosa are known for their unique aquamarine-colored eyes and for their formidable resistance to disease. Once there, however, their work is interrupted by the murder of one of the project's team members. Once again, Faye finds herself thrust into the role of an investigator of murder as well as of archeological finds.
My sense of this book as well as the first one is that the writer has done her work of researching the archaeological world as well as the actual setting of her stories. Her descriptions are crisp and easily imagined. One can "see" the Alabama hills as well as the culture of the people who live there. It is a very insular culture comprised of a group of mixed-race people. Faye and Joe must be able to relate to these people in order to discover the information needed to complete their mission of learning the origins of the Sujosa.
In reading about this series, I saw a couple of places where Faye Longchamp was compared to Nevada Barr's character, ranger Anna Pigeon, one of my favorites in all the realm of mysteries. It's a high bar but, yes, I can see how Mary Anna Evans might have been inspired by Nevada Barr.
Speaking of which, isn't it about time we had another Anna Pigeon mystery?
We rejoin Faye Longchamp several months after the first book in the series concluded. She is well on her way to an advanced archaeology degree, and her mentor, Magda, sends her to be the site archaeologist for a project studying a small community of people who are of an unknown racial descent in the hills of Alabama. Once there, she finds the community less than willing to be studied and the project poorly managed, which is quite enough of a challenge...but when her new friend and project colleague is killed in a house fire, and both Faye and the fire chief suspect foul play, her job turns from just challenging to downright dangerous.
I cannot get over how much I love this heroine. I stumbled over the first book almost completely by accident, and I'm just flat crazy for Faye. The baddy in this book left me guessing up to the reveal - I had considered the person, but I had 2 or 3 other suspects in mind too and hadn't been able to settle on one, so it was nice not to have guessed it way in advance. The books unfold carefully, they are aware of social justice issues, and they are well researched. They are competently written, too. But the best part is and always will be the character of Faye. I think it's that she's self-sufficient, introverted but feisty when needed, smart, Southern, and a TOTAL NERD that makes me love her. I am not an academic, and I've never really wanted to be one, but that doesn't mean I don't love that quiet dorkiness in other people because I totally do. To be that plus brave and smart and resourceful? Faye is who I want to be.
This story resonated with me in many ways; a vividly described setting, characters that I would love to meet and converse with about science, archaeology and history plus taut suspense. The characters I recall from the first book show strength and growth leaving me ready for the next book very soon.
This is the second installment of the Faye Longchamp series. While admittedly darker than the first, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending actually surprised me. I guessed wrong about who was behind the misdeeds in the story, which made the book all the more impressive to me.
Excellent mystery with rich characters and surprises. I love books that are deep with characters and that I cannot figure out until near the end. This series is full of them.
"Instead of digging up the dead, archaeologist Faye Lonbgchamp's new job will give her the chance to help the living. Though she's heading the group set to uncover the mysteries of the Sujosa people, Faye and assistant Joe Wolf Mantooth discover they aren't welcome at the settlement in rural Alabama. Especially after a suspicious fire claims the life of the team's oral historian.
"Did Dr.Carmen Martinez stumble onto something the the Sujosa's origins worth killing for? With the skills she's honed as an archaeologist and on the black market, Faye digs through the clues: compromised digs, new money and long-buried secrets. When another death rocks the community, she must unearth the truth before the killer lays to rest one last victim -- Faye herself." ~~back cover
Very interesting plot basis: a community of people whose origins are unknown but who obviously are not indigenous nor white. Add to that a pettifogging little bandy rooster in charge of the whole operation, and the difficulties multiply like wildfire. And almost stirs up a romantic interest ... or two, in the bargain. Almost.
I found that I want to like this series. It just felt like there wasn't enough dynamic action and felt more like the telling of the solution you get in a scooby doo episode. I want to feel the reveal as a discovery and not a summation. I am not sure if I am going to the next in the series. I will have to think on it for a while. If anyone has read this series and has some insights, I would love to hear them.
RELICS (Amateur Sleuth-Alabama-Cont) – G Evans, Mary Anna – 2nd in series Poisoned Pen Press, 2005- Hardcover Faye Longchamp is an archeology student who has traveled, with her friend and assistant Joe, to the hills of Alabama. She is there to lead a team research the history of the Sujosa, a small group with immunity to AIDS. When a fire, Faye suspects to be arson, kills one of the researchers and a young man falls to his death from a high tower, Faye is determined to find our who has something to hide and what it is. *** This was an enjoyable book on many levels-- archaeologically, sociologically, and historically. The characters are interesting, particularly Joe and Miss Dovey, of whom I'd like to have read more. I enjoyed reading the "interviews," but felt they bogged down the story and felt the interaction between the characters suffered for it. The ending was well done with an obvious, but not wall-banging, opening for a subsequent book.
This gets four stars just for including a map at the front!
I enjoyed this second investigation with Faye and Joe. It seemed a bit of a jump for Joe to become an assistant on this project when he appeared to be so solitary in book one. But a bit of Joe is good where ever you find him.
This is a closed community, so it is no surprise that their secrets are hard to uncover.
Instead of digging on federal land, Faye is working at the university dig in the back country.
She is appalled that the Professor has made such a mess of the initial dig before her arrival, and determines that the help is less than trained.
When a fire kills one of the team, Faye can't help but investigate further.
I received a free copy of this book from the author at Left Coast Crime in Phoenix.
Faye Longchamp and Joe Wolf Mantooth head to unfamiliar territory to fill in for Magda, since she is not medically able to fulfill her obligation in Alabama.
Faye is disturbed when her housemate dies in a fire that almost claims Faye's life as well. She works directly with the fire department to determine the cause of the fire and who might be involved in setting it.
Twists and turns are thrown in as a tenacious Faye continues the research her co-worker had begun with the people with detailed interviews. This was a good mystery!
10/26/05 #190 TITLE/AUTHOR: Relics by Mary Anna Evans RATING: 4/B GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery, 2005, 294 pgs COMMENTS: 2nd in the Faye Longchamp series. Faye travels from the Florida panhandle to Alabama on an archaelogical assignment--to discover the origins of a mysterious ethnic group of people called the Sujosa.
A good second in the series in that it both rewards readers of the first book with robust and consistent character development of the main players from book one plus delivers an intriguing and entertaining story. The tale flows well keeping the reader on their toes seeking to indetify who is on the level and may not be all they appear to be. Found the story both entertaining and believable.
You know when you get a craving and you find just what you want? And you can't get enough? I think that is what I feel like with this series. I love history and mystery. And a book that can teach me something always leaves me thrilled. Faye Longchamp is strong, intelligent, and a woman that is not to be reckoned with. I love a good strong heroine. Yay!
This is my second book I have read by this author. I am very impressed with her writing. The characters are fully fleshed out and likeable (or not) according to their personalities. The plot is easily followed through all its twists and turns. She managed to fool me completely, again with whom the killer actually was. I highly recommend this author and this series, especially, so far.
I enjoyed this second book in this series. There is a well developed story line, and the characters of Faye Longchamp and her Cherokee assistant Joe are more fleshed out, here. I will continue this series.
Not only was this a great involved mystery, Mary Anna's style is c!ean and crisp enough to be accessible by readers of most ages. A wonderful book and series for fledgling archeologists.
What a terrific series. The two unassuming main characters, Faye and Joe are basically loners who are plunked down among a divergent group of people due to her career as an archaeologist (Joe is her assistant). They are a couple of smart people, but in different ways. Joe has some maturing experiences, which are handled nicely. Some of the people they are around are openly hostile to Faye though they don't have the guts to be hostile to Joe because he is an imposing figure. While Joe and Faye are best friends it's clear that they haven't quite figured out how they feel about each other. They are both interesting characters, and since they are both attractive people, other people are definitely interested in them. The archaeology aspects are intereting to me, and this story also involved genetics. A team of scientists are trying to discover the origins of a distinct group of people in rural Alabama. The murder mystery is tautly written and interesting right up to the final reveal. Looking forward to the next installment. What is up with that cover art? Why is there a scared white girl on it? This doesn't tally with one person in this book.
A friend introduced me to this series a year or so ago, and I enjoyed the first book enough to read this one. Even though this book took them from their familiar surroundings in Florida to a settlement in Alabama, I learned more about Faye and her friend Joe, and I like them even more now.
Although she is fascinated by the project – discovering the origins of the Sujosa, a mysterious ethnic group – she has misgivings almost from the very first day. Determined to carry out her part of the project – and to learn the cause of the fire that took a life – she persists. There were a lot of red herrings in this story, although I had suspicions about one character almost from their first appearance. That suspicion was not misplaced, but there were a lot of other people involved and a lot going on that I wasn’t able to figure out until it was revealed in the book. The motive made absolute sense, but I’m still not sure I agree with the way things were handled at the end.
I have most of the rest of the books from this series in my Audible library and am eager to listen to the next book, which takes Faye and Joe to Mississippi to investigate the origin of a Native American people.
Solid 4. This was a free Audible listen that got me through the workday. It definitely does read like it was written in the very early 2000s, and I'm not sold on the foreshadowed romance between Faye and Joe (and yeah, I read the synopses of the later books and saw that they married and, ok, I get it, but I'm still a little weired out by the age gap...). Other than that, though. I'm not a reader of cozies, and while this series might not strictly be considered that genre, it was a lot cozier than what I normally go for. I liked it, though, because it had depth and it had some great, well-researched world building. The ethnic group the author created was believable because the author put the time in to study similar groups. The archeology was well-written, and the pottery subplot was very realistic, too. The mystery was solid and the solution was not what I was expecting, even though it was set up nicely. I liked the secondary characters, and the Appalachian setting was interesting.
This is a neat follow-up to the first book in the series. When this begins, Faye is back in school and goes north to Alabama on a field work project. The cultural and historical settings are really quite interesting. Even though the Sujosa (among whom she is working) are actually a fictional group, the verisimilitude is awesome. And I'm definitely going to keep this series in my TBR list.
Also, just aside, a couple of basically inconsequential observations... The book seems to contain zero typographical errors; at least I didn't spot any. So that was really great.
Faye Longchamp is my new best friend. I love her chosen career of archeology, the frienships she develops and the mysteries that seem to find her. This time she is a part of a dig in Alabama looking at artifacts from the "Sujosa" ethnic group. Unfortunately on her first night there a new friend dies when their house burns down. Then a young man in the area falls from a cell tower. Faye senses that the two deaths are related -- and just might be murder. The suspects range from folks who are a part of Faye's crew to members of the Sujosa to others living in the community. Lucky for Faye she has allies in her old friend Joe and the fire marshall, Adam.
These books are a puzzlement for me. I listened to the audiobook and although I like the narrator, I do not believe her as this character. The race elements seem forced to me and I do not feel any resonance with this WOC. Something is off for me with her and the themes of both book 1 and this second book of exploiting POC as if they were simply subjects of experiments. Since this was a fact for many POC, I find it jarring that Faye would participate in this. My gut reaction to this series is that I do not understand Faye and most of the time I don’t much like her. I do not know if I would give another book in this series a chance.