ARTIFACTS

Faye, an archaeology student, lives alone on her family’s crumbling plantation hidden on the Florida coastline, unable to afford running water or electricity. To stay in school and pay rising property taxes, she digs up illegal artifacts to sell on the black market. Cassandra Campbell draws listeners into this mystery with soft, modulated tones that set a steady pace. When Faye’s illegal digs unearth a woman’s shattered skull, Campbell renders her dilemma with genuine anxiety as turning it over to the authorities could land her in jail for excavating in a national wildlife refuge. Particulars of field notebooks, specimen cleaning, and excavation grid layouts are delivered in even tones with precise detail and authenticity. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2012]