Customer Reviews

Effigies (Faye Longchamp Mysteries, No. 3)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've just finished the second reading of this third installment, which only happens with books I truly enjoy, and it was as entertaining as a the first. This is one of my favorite mystery series' because I get so caught up in the story that I don't spend a lot of time trying to think ahead of the author's vision and simply let the story unfold naturally. The characters are so thoroughly developed that I never find myself questioning their actions, as I often do with most mystery series. I don't feel that the protagonist or sidekick is ever doing something completely out of character; instead, I find myself understanding them more clearly, which is thoroughly refreshing.

Fay's honest objectivity and Joe's quiet strength and complete loyalty makes this duo irresistible and endearing, although it's obvious to everyone but herself that no one else will ever "get" Fay the way Joe does.

Mary Anna Evans, I admire your work - keep them coming!

The author's setting in Mississippi gives the reader an insight on the little known history of the Choctaw nation in the Mississippi region. Evans write a fast-past murder mystery while bringing in the racism, bigotry and prejudice still embedded in certain areas of the deep south. Her expertise in archeology makes the story a great combination of archeology, mystery, romance and the heroine a female sleuth with brains. I cannot compare her writing to Hillerman's because their styles are totally different. The only comparison with Hillerman's is that both write of Native Americans. Her characters come to life and I found it a
very enjoyable read. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

In this third mystery of this series, we are in the world of archeology with Faye Longchamp and her yummy sidekick Joe Wolf Mantooth. They have, once again, left their comfort zone of Joyeuse Island in north Florida to excavate a site for a company building a highway in Neshoba County, Mississippi. The site happens to be very close to Nanih Waiya, a mound considered sacred by the Choctaws. When the archeologists, one of them local to the area, see another `mound' across the street from where they are digging, they ask for permission to excavate it, as well. The owner, Carroll Calhoun, a local man of many years, runs them off the property and then tries to destroy the mound with a bulldozer. A community uprising ensues, with many different tensions causing it. The local sheriff is able to control the crowd and protect the mound until the laws are interpreted, but that didn't stop someone from deciding that Calhoun should die. When Joe and Faye find his body, throat slit, in a grove of marijuana plants, suspicions abound, especially on Joe because of his flint-knapping abilities. As Faye is trying to protect Joe from the outside world, she is trying to work on her assignment while also attempting to save a possible effigy, not to mention her own life and the lives of her friends. While it appears like there are many characters and stories to follow, the plot is sound, as well as the research that went into the story. There is definitely a lot of character development, and some of the descriptions make you want to go out and sift through the dirt with them.

Faye Longchamp is on another archeological dig with her faithful friend Joe Wolf Mantooth in tow. I don't know why Joe tags along after her, especially when Faye starts dating a slick political lobbyist. I guess following Faye is Joe's unfortunate lot in life.

The archeology team hasn't been on site for a day before they instigate a confrontation that alienates both the local farmers and the indigenous Choctaw. Later that confrontation results in murder. As in Evan's previous books, Joe tops the list of likely murder suspects.

The story revolves around a new road, a pot field, an Indian mound, a county fair, cultural disagreements, a recent murder, and an old hate crime. Mary Anna Evans had to do a lot of complicated plotting to mix all those diverse things into one cohesive storyline. I'm not altogether sure she succeeded. Several portions of the book lagged seriously as the author tried to introduce new elements into the story. The county fair was a complete waste of time as was Evan's rewriting of old Indian legend. These old stories require a lot of detail and atmosphere, both are absent in this emotionless retelling.

The greatest flaw in the book was that the killer was obvious very early on. Sometimes knowing who the killer is doesn't matter, but in this case knowing is fatal to the enjoyment of the book. Another serious flaw; Evans has never been on an actual dig. She has Faye doing things with a trowel that a backhoe would struggle to accomplish.

The reason for the questions at the book's end escaped me. It seemed almost as though the author was trying to pass fiction off as serious research.

First Line: Faye Longchamp had work to do, but it would wait.

From her ramshackle ancestral home on an island off the coast of Florida, Faye Longchamp and her assistant Joe Wolf Mantooth have traveled to Mississippi to help excavate a site near the sacred mound where tradition says the Choctaw Nation was born. Carroll Calhoun refuses to allow the archaeologists on his farm to investigate an even larger mound, and they are disappointed, but Calhoun breaks their hearts when he tries to bulldoze the ancient site into oblivion. When the farmer later turns up dead, Faye finds herself trying to find the killer before Joe Wolf Mantooth is thrown in jail.

I love mysteries laced with a strong dose of archaeology, and in my opinion, Evans' series featuring Faye Longchamp is the best of the bunch. She's got a fine cast of characters; she uses her settings to advantage; and she always seems able to include more history and archaeology into her stories than many other writers. Effigies is no exception. Ever since I visited Cahokia as a child, I've been fascinated with the Mound Builders. Evans added to my knowledge in an entertaining way. She also threw me right in the middle of the heat and humidity of Mississippi amongst rednecks, scholars, law enforcement, the Choctaw and handed me a mystery to sort out. The only weakness in the whole thing was the identity of the bad guy. I figured it out early on, but I didn't much care because I still had to deduce the Why. Well, that and the fact that I was enjoying playing around in the dirt with Faye again.

If you're in the mood for mysteries with interesting, multi-faceted characters, an excellent sense of place, and a good dose of history and archaeology, you can't go wrong with Mary Anna Evans' series. Go ahead. Pick up a trowel and work in a trench with Faye. You'll be glad you did.

[Purchased at a local independent bookseller.]

Effigies is well written. It goes into a background of early American History that hasn't been researched and written up as much as it should have been. It does make one think and it just might be the way to get some of the younger people to think about their ancesters. I like archaeology so this is up my alley.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/06)

"Effigies" has it all. Mary Anna Evans manages to incorporate romance, archeological information, Native American history, and issues with racial prejudice in to her mystery. I loved reading this fiction novel. At the end of the book, the author has a section that discusses aspects of her story that are actually true. This made "Effigies" much more enjoyable because as she slips the well-researched information into her story, she also slips this knowledge into our minds.

The tale takes place in Mississippi. Faye and her friend Joe are excavating a Choctaw Indian site that sites near Naih Waiha which is a sacred mound. This mound sits on private property. The owner, Carroll Calhoun, is a farmer that does not want his land touched. He is afraid that he will lose the right to farm on his land if it is discovered how important this site actually is. This problem creates an interesting dilemma for the local people. The farmers want to support this farmer because they are also in danger of having to go through the same experience. The local Indians do not want the site disturbed at all. They see the archeologists as grave robbers. This creates an additional problem for one of the Choctaw Indians on the team. This matter becomes really serious when Calhoun tries to tear the mound down. He ends up getting murdered.

Before Calhoun's murder, a black politician steps forward to tell a story about an attempt that was made on his life when he was a young man in this town. He would like the people who attacked him to step forward, and to learn the identity of the man who helped rescue him. The question arises as to whether or not Calhoun was involved with this, and if his murder was related to this or to his attempted destruction of the mound. The plot thickens as certain people try to cover up the past.

"Effigies" is a story that should not be missed. I really enjoyed how well the characters are developed. It is really easy to visualize them. The descriptions of the surrounding area are vivid. I also enjoyed the Indian folklore stories that area put in between some of the chapters. It enriched my experience as a reader. I felt more in touch with the Choctaw tribe. The twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat guessing. This story is third in the Faye Longchamp archaeological series. It was the first one for me to read and now I cannot wait to go back and read her earlier stories.

Received book free of charge.

In Mississippi, archaeologist Faye Longchamp and her live-in lover Joe Wolf Mantooth lead a dig on sacred Choctaw property. Nearby is a better mound on the farm of Carroll Calhoun, who could not care less about someone else's heritage. When asked if an archeological dig could occur, Carroll says no and remarks he will bulldoze the mound before he allows the State to apply historical preservation rules and impound his property.

Nashoba County Sheriff Neely Rutland calms everyone down before a confrontation occurs. He agrees to obtain a legal opinion on the ownership and disposition of the mound. At the same time, former Congressman Lawrence Johnson Judd gives a talk about almost dying at the hands of a mob until some unknown person saved his life. Soon afterward, someone slashes Calhoun's throat and Judd is hospitalized from a near fatal drug overdose. Unable to mind her business and let Neely handle matters, Faye investigates but is unaware that she places Joe and herself in danger from a killer with motive entrenched in the county's past.

The archeology combined with Native-American lore enhances a fun romantic amateur sleuth thriller though why Faye needs to sleuth remains a question even with her work requiring plenty of clues gathering. The story line is action-packed even before the corpse is found as the audience will feel the enthusiasm of the team as they uncover their findings. The whodunit is delightfully disguised so that like the sheriff and the archeologist, readers will struggle to solve it. This is a superb murder mystery as the sum of the parts make for a fantastic whole.

Harriet Klausner