Floodgates

April 27, 2009
At the outset of Evans's engaging if somewhat thinly plotted fourth mystery to feature archeologist Faye Longchamp (after 2008's Findings
), Faye and her team are excavating a plantation site outside New Orleans, next to the battlefield where Andrew Jackson's army defeated the British in 1815. When students doing post-Katrina cleanup find the remains of what appears to be a drowning victim from the hurricane, a dumbbell resting atop the pelvis suggests foul play to Faye. The police ask Faye and her fiancé, Joe Wolf Mantooth, to assist in what becomes a murder investigation, the victim having been identified as a fellow archeologist, Shelly Broussard, who worked with rescue teams after the storm. Passages from a book about the Katrina disaster by a local author and extracts from the memoirs of a 19th-century military engineer provide insights and historical perspective. Faye's landlady, a part-time voodoo-mambo or priestess, adds spice.

Some books inflame the imagination, and others just pass the time pleasantly. FLOODGATES is one of the latter. This slow-burning mystery featuring archaeologist Faye Longchamp is often more educational than thrilling, with the murder of Shelly Broussard at times little more than a backdrop to explorations in civil engineering and archaeology. Cassandra Campbell's atmospheric reading keeps the listener engaged as she seamlessly alters her pace as she moves between historical extracts and modern-day events. Voodoo, attempted murder, and details of post-Katrina New Orleans also enrich the plot. Series fans will enjoy the development in Faye's relationship with her fiancé, Joe Wolf Mantooth. C.A.T. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine