Rituals

Description

"A suspenseful crime story with just a hint of something otherworldly." --Booklist Faye Longchamp doesn't believe in ghosts, but she's an archaeologist--dead people are her life. While working in Rosebower, a rural New York town founded by Spiritualists, Faye is surrounded by people who talk to the dead on a regular basis. So when influential Spiritualist Tilda Armistead invites Faye and her daughter to commune with the dead, she can't say no. An hour after Tilda's crystal ball shows Faye things no rational mind can explain, Tilda is dead. The evidence says someone trapped Tilda in a small room, nailing its one door shut before setting her house afire. There is no possible way for her to have escaped the blaze, let alone drive for miles before finding Faye and dying in her arms. Yet Tilda did. How? And why? Anywhere else, these people would be dismissed as crazy. But in Rosebower, "normal" is relative. As Faye watches psychics and charlatans jockey for power, Tilda's sister, Myrna, is slowly dying. Will Rosebower reveal its secrets before more goes up in flames?

Mary Anna Evans is the author of the Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries, which have received recognition including the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Mississippi Author Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals. She is an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches fiction and nonfiction writing. Check out her website, enewsletter, facebook author page, and twitter. Winner of the 2018 Sisters in Crime (SinC) Academic Research Grant

""A well-plotted and enjoyable mystery.""--Kirkus Reviews ""Evans pulls all the pieces nicely together in the end.""--Publishers Weekly ""A suspenseful crime story with just a hint of something otherworldly.""--Booklist "In her delightfully erudite seventh (Strangers, 2010, etc.), Faye continues to weave archaeological tidbits and interesting people into soundly plotted mysteries." --Kirkus review of Plunder "The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico provides the backdrop for Evans's engaging, character-driven seventh mystery featuring archeologist Faye Longchamp (after 2010's Strangers)." --Publishers Weekly review of Plunder ""Details of archaeology, pirate lore, and voodoo complement the strong, sympathetic characters, especially Amande, and the appealing portrait of Faye's family life.""--Booklist review of Plunder ""Evans's excellent series (Floodgates, 2008, etc.) continues to combine solid mysteries and satisfying historical detail.""--Kirkus review of Strangers ""Evans has written a fascinating tale linking the history of New Orleans' levee system to the present and weaving into the story aspects of the city's widely diverse cultures. Voodoo, Native American spirituality, greed, and corruption all play roles in what is easily the best installment yet in a too-little-known series.""--Booklist starred review of Floodgates ""Evans's fifth (Findings, 2008, etc.) is an exciting brew of mystery and romance with a touch of New Orleans charm.""--Kirkus review of Floodgates