Catacombs (Faye Longchamp, #12)

by Mary Anna Evans

What secrets lie deep beneath the surface?
A deafening explosion rocks a historic Oklahoma City hotel, sending archaeologist Faye Longchamp-Mantooth crashing to the marble floor of the lobby. She's unhurt but shaken—after all, any time something blows up in Oklahoma City, the first word on everyone's lips is the same: bomb.
Faye is in town for a conference celebrating indigenous arts, but is soon distracted by the aftermath of the explosion, which cracks open the old hotel's floor to reveal subterranean chambers that had housed Chinese immigrants a century before. Faye is fascinated by the tunnels, which are a time capsule back to the early 20th century—but when the bodies of three children are discovered deep beneath the city, her sense of discovery turns to one of dread…

• ISBN10: 1464211337
• ISBN13: 9781464211331
• Publish Date: 13 August 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Poisoned Pen Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Catacombs is the 12th book in the Faye Longchamp mystery series by Mary Anna Evans. Due out 13th Aug 2019 from Poisoned Pen, it's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

I read this book as a standalone without being familiar with the author or series. I had no trouble following the narrative or keeping the characters clear in my mind. There's enough backstory included that it gave me a powerful desire to hunt down the back catalog, without spoiling the earlier stories for me.

This is a procedural mystery featuring an archaeologist who is also a consultant for law enforcement. I like it that Faye is sharply intelligent and focused and the author allows her to be competent on her own terms. I also like it that she's a person of color and the author doesn't feel the need to shout it from the rooftops (I actually had to dig around pretty thoroughly to check that fact).

This book drew me in immediately with an explosion in the hotel which is the site of an academic conference on indigenous people in America. For fans of FBI type thrillers which are realistic enough to be believable, this one is a winner. The plot is fairly intricate, with several disparate parallel plot threads which are woven together well. The denouement is exciting and skillfully revealed.

Four stars. Well done. I'm looking forward to the next book. I've also acquired the first book in the series which has drawn me in from the first page. The author's a wizard with dramatic tension.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.