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There are currently 19 member reviews
for Findings
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Kathy (Corona CA)
Hidden Jewels
Findings is a delightful, "cozy" mystery story with the hero and heroine being an archaeologist and her best friend a Native American. Who knew archeology could be such a dangerous profession? Not having read any of the author’s previous books I did not know the characters or some of the references to previous happenings. The heroine, Faye, has gotten herself into many dangerous situations, but being highly resourceful, is able to extricate herself – just in time! This book was an interesting blend of history and mystery – the underlying theme is the mystery of relationships and what lengths people will go to, both for the positive relationships and those where greed and malice are key elements. This is nice mystery to read and now that I am familiar with the author will pick up her previous books.
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Kristen (Lowell MA)
Treasure hunting
This book is a treasure in itself. I am not someone who normally finds history interesting but the way history is presented as a way of solving a mystery captured my interest. I think this book would appeal to those who enjoy solving mysteries, both history lovers and non history lovers alike.
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Beth (Savannah GA)
An Enjoyable Read
I liked this book a lot. I enjoyed the descriptions of the island setting, of the house called Joyeuse, and of the "pot hunters" who seem to be the bane of serious archaeologists. I liked the Confederate history interwoven with the present-day mystery. I liked the people, too. Faye is a likable heroine with interesting friends who, thankfully, are there to protect her from a host of enemies who seem to be out to get her.
Even though the book can stand alone, I'd still recommend reading the first three before picking this one up, because I think the plot development in the earlier books will make the events in this fourth book more meaningful to the reader. The mystery was plenty challenging for me, too. I read everything from cozies to hard-boiled, and I didn't figure out who the "bad guys" were until close to the end. I'm delighted to have learned about Mary Anna Evans and look forward to reading the rest of her series.
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Deborah (Seattle WA)
Good book, if a little slow-paced
If you're looking for a fast-paced story with lots of action, this book is not for you. I'm not sure I would have finished the book if I hadn't been reviewing it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. The characters were interesting and unusual, as was the location for the novel - a rural area in Florida that has a lot of history behind it. I would recommend this to people looking for a well-written mystery who also might be interested in learning a little something about archeology and American history.
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Roni (Pittsburgh PA)
A pleasant read
Findings is the fourth in the Faye Longchamp mystery series. The book can stand alone as I had not read the prior books. The main character, Faye is an archaeologist who lives on Joyeuse Island off the Florida panhandle. Faye traced her house back to an ancestor, a freed slave named Cally who had lived in the house.
Faye has a constant companion/protector named Joe Wolf Mantooth. Joe is a Native American of the Creek Tribe. The author establishes Joe and Ross Donnelly, an Atlanta attorney, as competing love interests in Faye’s life.
Much of the story revolves around a buried emerald necklace. Murders connected to Faye’s work as an archaeologist occur. Faye and Joe work together to solve the murders. This puts their lives in danger. The book was light reading and included Civil War history. I did want to finish the book but with lots of foreshadowing it was not hard to figure out the ending. It was a pleasant read.
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Anna (Auburn AL)
A Great Find
Findings is the first book by Mary Anna Evans that I have read but it won't be the last. It is a fast-paced mystery with a likable, if somewhat unconventional, heroine who happens to be a graduate student in archeology. My only complaints are two that are shared by many "popular" mysteries: The secondary characters tend to be rather one-dimensional, and the ending is a bit predictable. In spite of these shortcomings, I still enjoyed the book very much.
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Catherine (Nashua NH)
Good Beach book
Here you have all the ingredients for a good book to read on vacations: an island full of artifacts, the pot hunters, the Confederacy's gold, the determined archaeologist. Not a Pulitzer prize just a nice read.
