FINDINGS

Cassandra Campbell does a fine job with this fourth installment in Evans's well-received mystery series featuring Faye Longchamp, a Florida archaeologist and amateur sleuth. In this book Faye's field notes about a mysterious emerald are stolen, and her mentor is murdered. Her efforts to solve the crime take her into Civil War research and into danger. Campbell voices diverse characters—from old black men and Southern white sheriffs to Faye's Native American boyfriend. Her take on Faye, biracial, young, and well educated, is imaginative, giving her a crisp tone in the presence of academics and a hint of rhythm when she's among black Baptists. Some of the book's detail could have moved faster with more variation in Faye’s narrative voice; otherwise, this is excellent entertainment. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]