Strangers by Mary Anna Evans

If archaeology mysteries interest you, have you tried Mary Anna Evans' books yet?  Strangers is the sixth in the series to feature Faye Longchamp.  Faye, who once only collected and sold artifacts from her Florida plantation home, has finished school, finished her Ph.D., and established a company with her husband.  But, anyone who has read about Faye knows it's easy to uncover murder on an archaeological dig.

Evans' latest mystery is timely.  She introduces Faye's new career, saying, "She and Joe had started their archaeological consulting business just in time for the economy to tank, taking with it the property development industry that fueled so much archaeological work."  So, they were very lucky to find a job in St. Augustine, excavating the rear garden at Dunkirk Manor, a B & B.   Unfortunately, Faye can do not much more than supervise, since she's seven-and-a-half months pregnant.  But, she can probe the early history of the house.

The story of Dunkirk Manor only goes back to the 1920's, but the house is already supposed to be haunted.  An ancestor of the present owner hosted Hollywood bigwigs and stars at parties at the house.  One party ended in the murder of a young actress, but no one was ever found guilty.  As Faye's team uncovers a swimming pool from that era, a local librarian is hoping they uncover traces of murder.  And, Faye herself makes a discovery of great importance,  the journal of a priest who arrived in St. Augustine along with the soldiers who founded the city.

But, it's the disappearance of another young woman that causes the greatest disturbance at the house.  When the owners' secretary disappears, leaving behind blood and a collection of priceless artifacts, a local police detective must rely on Faye's knowledge for help.  He just doesn't realize the danger she's in.  Even Joe, as protective as he is, has no idea what direction the danger will come from.

Two of these storylines are intertwined beautifully.  The current disappearance, along with the actress' murder ninety years earlier, work together for a disturbing story.  Unfortunately, the story of Father Domingo seems out of place.  I found myself jarred out of the story each time his diary entries appeared, and I waited, unsuccessfully, for a link to the rest of the story.  I'm sure I must have missed it, so I'm glad I'll have the change to see the author this week, and ask her about the connection. 

I may have missed one connection, but I always learn so much from Mary Anna Evans' Faye Longchamp mysteries.  Evans' skillfully uses archaeology as her own tool to tell us about forgotten history, and forgotten people.  At the same time, she gives us a couple we've learned to care about, Faye Longchamp-Mantooth, and her husband, Joe.  I hope they have a long history together in archaeological mysteries.

Mary Anna Evans' website is http://www.maryannaevans.com/

Strangers by Mary Anna Evans.  Poisoned Pen Press, ©2010. ISBN 9781590587423 (hardcover), 250p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - I requested my Advanced Reading Copy from the publisher, since I wanted to read and review it.