Isolation

Faye Longchamp #9

by Mary Anna Evans

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp-Mantooth has dug herself a deep hole and she can't make her way out of it. As she struggles to recover from a shattering personal loss, she sees that everyone she loves is trying to reach out to her. If only she could reach back. Instead she's out digging holes all over her home, the Florida island of Joyeuse.

In their old plantation home, Joe Wolf Mantooth is surrounded by family―Faye, the wife he loves; their toddler son he adores; and his father, who hasn't gotten around to telling him how long he's been out of prison or how he got there―yet Joe has never felt so helpless or alone.

Then a close friend at the local marina is brutally murdered, the first in a string of crimes against women that rocks Micco County. Joe, desperate to help Faye, realizes she is in danger from both her inner demons and someone who has breached the island's isolation. Local law and environmental officials say they want to help, but to Faye and Joe they feel more like invaders. A struggling Faye reaches back over a century into her family's history for clues. And all the while, danger snakes further into their lives, threatening the people they love, their cherished home, even the very ground―some of it poisoned―beneath their feet.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Archaeology, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction

274 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

Mary Anna Evans is an award-winning author, a writing professor, and she holds degrees in physics and engineering, a background that, as it turns out, is ideal for writing her new book, The Physicists' Daughter. Set in WWII-era New Orleans, The Physicists' Daughter introduces Justine Byrne, whom Mary Anna describes as "a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker."

When Justine, the daughter of two physicists who taught her things girls weren't expected to know in 1944, realizes that her boss isn't telling her the truth about the work she does in her factory job, she draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home.

Her crime fiction has earned recognition that includes the Oklahoma Book Award, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards Gold Medal, the Mississippi Author Award, a spot on Voice of Young America’s (VOYA) list of “Adult Mysteries with Young Adult Appeal,” a writer’s residency from The Studios of Key West, the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Florida Historical Society’s Patrick D. Smith Florida Literature Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals.

In addition to writing crime fiction, she writes about crime fiction, as evidenced by the upcoming Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, which she coedited with J.D Bernthal.

For the incurably curious, Mary Anna’s first published work, her master’s thesis, was entitled A Modeling Study of the NH3-NO-O2 Reaction Under the Operating Conditions of a Fluidized Bed Combustor. Like her mysteries, it was a factually based page-turner but, no, it’s not available online.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAnnaEvan...

Twitter: @maryannaevans

Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/maryannaevans/

BookBub: @maryannaevans

Reviews

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confession, I wasn't sure I would finish this book. Actually, when I stopped listening to the audio version of the book had I decided to not finish it. The blurb made the book sound very intriguing, but I had a hard time getting into the story so I decided to put it aside. Then, I got an eARC of Undercurrents by Mary Anna Evans, which meant that I had now two more books after this one to read. So, I decided to give it one more chance. And this time did I found the book to be better. It could be I was just in the right mood when I started it or that the story got better towards the end. Could be both. All I know is that I ended up, enjoying the last half and now I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.

Isolation is the first book I read in this series and if you have read my lengthy explanation of my reading experience above then you know that I had some problems with the story. Perhaps it would have been better to read from the beginning. However, I do think, looking back to this book that the main characters (Faye Longchamp-Mantooth and her husband and father-in-law) were not hard to get the grips about, it was more that I found myself not completely captivated, but the story and remember who all the other characters were. It got better as the story progressed.

As for the story, I do love a historical angle to stories and I liked learning more about Faye ancestors. That is actually the thing I truly enjoyed about this book, how the impact of a deed done many years ago have an impact on Faye's life. I don't want to give away too much of the story, so I'm trying to be as vague as possible. I will just say that Faye is dealing with a lot, a personal loss and now problems with her estate. No to mention the killings...yup there is a killer loose...

It will be interesting to read the next book and see how I like that one!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good mystery novel! Even though it is #9 in the Faye Longchamp Mystery Series, I in no way felt lost not having read the previous eight books. In fact, the author did such an outstanding job with character development that I now want to read the adventures I missed. I immediately fell in love with the setting, a historical plantation home on Joyeuse Island (part of Florida) in the Gulf of Mexico. Then I fell in love with the Mantooth men, Joe and his father Sly. I loved their interactions, how they started the healing process of past wounds, and how much they are in tuned with nature. Joe's wife Faye was an interesting character also. She's a very intuitive archaeologist uncovering her past and dealing with grief at the same time. These three characters learned, grew, apologized, and solved the mystery together making for a very satisfying ending.
I received this book for free through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway.

[Cobwebs-Iced-Across-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: ISOLATION by Mary Anna Evans

ISOLATION enraptured me from the first paragraph and I couldn't set it aside till I finished. What an engrossing, intriguing, satisfying, read. ISOLATION is the first book for me in this series, and since it s #9, I've a lot of catching up to do.

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp-Mantooth lives on her native land, Joyeuse Island in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle. Faye' s great-great-grandmother, Cally Stanton, was a slave, later freed, an intensely strong female who held the homestead island together through the Civil War and a destructive 19th century hurricane. Cally' s history intertwines with Faye' s contemporary life throughout this novel, in a way that powerfully resonates for reader as well as fictional character. The denouement is hold-your-breath frightening, and the story is superbly written throughout.

[Tara Kable · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was my first book by this author, and it is the next in series of about 8 or 9...so anyone that knows me knows I HAVE to go back and read the rest. I cant stand to start at the end...lol...So, this one was good enough and kept me engaged enough to actually WANT to go back and read the rest...:)

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isolation is the 9th in Evans' Faye Longchamp series (of which I've read all but 2, I believe). Faye is a strong woman, living on an island off the Florida coast that is the heritage of her freed-slave ancestor. There is a large back story here, revealed through the novels, Faye's excavations and problem-solving skills. The mysteries become part of the package and I've enjoyed them all.

With Isolation, there is a new problem very intimate to Faye, yet also one that many women know and suffer and it adds an emotional depth to the story that I really appreciate. So she dug holes all around her island in her effort to cope.

Faye didn't know where to dig, because she didn't know
what she was trying to find. It would help if the voice
ever offered a less hazy rationale for ordering her out
of the house. All it said was "You can find the truth.
Don't let this island keep its secrets from you.

She and her family were dealing with their own problems when life was further horribly disrupted by the murder of a mainland neighbor. All was not right anywhere...with family, with the island, with friends and neighbors, and possibly with her ancestors.

I enjoyed this outing very much. Evans continues to develop her characters and to bring change to them all while also including elements of the archaeology and environmentalism that are dear to Faye's (and I suspect Evans') heart.

I do recommend this book and the series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the ninth book in the Faye Longchamp series. I thoroughly enjoy Faye and her family, I especially like hearing about her work and it seemed like there was less of that in this one. The book started out slowly as Faye was very depressed with the loss of her baby, it seemed like she and Joe might not survive this. The loss of her friend Liz complicated her feelings and when someone attempts to break into Emma's home she gets energized into helping to find the perpetrator. There is an interesting back story about Cally Stanton and a Union soldier and I hope we hear more about Cally in the future. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faye is not herself. Her spirit and energy are both gone as she tries to come to terms with a great loss. Joe’s efforts to help Faye fall flat. But as Faye is faced with the possibility of loosing her heritage on Joyeuse Island, she summons the courage to face her demons and works to solve several mysteries. I cannot express how much I love this series—the characters, the mysteries, the locations, and the writing. It sad that Mary Anna Evans has not received more recognition.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Archaeologist Faye Longchamp-Mantooth has dug herself a deep hole and she can't make her way out of it. As she struggles to recover from a shattering personal loss, she sees that everyone she loves is trying to reach out to her. If only she could reach back. Instead she's out digging holes all over her home, the Florida island of Joyeuse.

"In their old plantation home, Joe Wolf Mantooth is surrounded by family―Faye, the wife he loves; their toddler son he adores; and his father, who hasn't gotten around to telling him how long he's been out of prison or how he got there―yet Joe has never felt so helpless or alone.

"Then a close friend at the local marina is brutally murdered, the first in a string of crimes against women that rocks Micco County. Joe, desperate to help Faye, realizes she is in danger from both her inner demons and someone who has breached the island's isolation. Local law and environmental officials say they want to help, but to Faye and Joe they feel more like invaders. A struggling Faye reaches back over a century into her family's history for clues. And all the while, danger snakes further into their lives, threatening the people they love, their cherished home, even the very ground―some of it poisoned―beneath their feet."
~~back cover

This one was a real page turner! Faye buried in grief so profound she's not even talking to Joe, Joe's long lost father showing up as though all those years of alienation hadn't happened ... and a predator killing off the women of Micco County, one by one. Oh, and the soil of Joyeuse Island contaminated with arsenic. And a historic mystery. As I said, a real page turner. All these crises do eventually get solved but there's a lot of grief and terror along the way.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some authors I know I can always count on to give me a good story, to take me away for just a few hours from the trials and tribulations of real life. They are the ones I always go back to when I feel the need for some familiarity, sort of like the old friend you haven't seen in a while but you suddenly have the urge to catch up. Mary Anna Evans is one of those authors for me and, once again, she brought a tale that engaged me from beginning to end.

This time, Faye is keeping to home ground, literally, while she mourns a loss and retreats into herself to try to cope, not always very well. Her digging is aimless although she does have some purpose in mind but her husband, Joe, sees only the reclusive sadness that is tearing her apart. His own grief is more in the background and he has found his own sort of distraction in his father, a man he doesn't like much. Out of desperation, Joe has been taking his father to the local marina just so he doesn't have to talk to him and it's on one of those visits that they find their friend Liz floating in the water.

Then Faye strikes something in one of those endless holes she's been digging and she and Joe soon find themselves surrounded by environmentalists and a lot of questions, especially since Faye's grandmother, Cally, might have had something to do with this potential disaster. Before Faye finds the answers she needs, another devastating loss could bring her to her knees.

My affinity with Faye is a little odd because we really have very little in common, only a love of history and my own very fleeting thought, years ago, of becoming an archaeologist. It's a testament to Ms. Evans' ability to craft a living, breathing character---and not just Faye---that I feel compelled to keep up with Faye's life and her ongoing search for her own family history. In Isolation, Ms. Evans created a plot that's unique and intriguing but it's the people who continue to call me back. There are no disappointments here except that I have to wait endlessly for the next book.

[Christine Zibas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this latest in the Faye Longchamp series, the archaeologist is adrift, following a devastating miscarriage. Her husband doesn't know how to help her, and it seems more than a little inconvenient that his father, an ex-con, has just come for a visit. Trying to stay out of her way, Faye's husband, son, and father-in-law have taken to having breakfast at a local cafe.

When the proprietess is found murdered one morning, it sets off a period of intense tension. Meanwhile, on her own island, Faye has discovered an environmental problem that's also shaken her. To top this off, two strangers in town doing research seem to think that they have uncovered an unseemly story about one of Faye's ancestors.

Who is responsible for the murder and why? When another local woman -- and soon, Faye herself -- come under threat, it's time for Faye to try and solve this mystery herself. The question is: Can Faye snap out of her grief and distraction long enough to deal with the crisis at hand? How will her father-in-law play into the events unfolding? And what does Faye's history have to do with any of this?

Author Mary Anna Evans creates a fascinating tale that brings the past and present together to answer these questions. That we get to see into the challenge and humanity of the end of the Civil War and slavery is just a bonus to the main storyline, which has plenty of twists and turns to keep readers going.

Evans has created realistic, likable, and not always predictable characters for this novel, and that, indeed, holds part of its charm. She enables her readers to see the many sides of individuals, as well as teach some lessons about how the past is uncovered, all the time keeping the mystery foremost in mind.


Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opens on a Murder, which of course is a mystery. Who done it? But then the mystery grows. It becomes two mysteries, who killed Liz Colton, and who is Oscar Croft. Then more questions and mysteries come to us out of the past. A past that reaches out to us from all the way back to the Civil War. As the questions mount and the answers seem even further away the heart break of a lost pregnancy and an equally lost father /son relationship come to the surface. The stories and mysteries and characters lives are so well drawn in this book that I could hardly put it down. Each mystery leads to a further mystery which may or may not be related. The truths that come out, like in life, don't always make things better. Truth is in its own way healing. It allows us to put a period to all the questions. I sometimes does not provide us with the out come we would like but it does give us an outcome. Oral history, family tradition and archaeology all come together to create an immersive novel that I would recommend to anyone fascinated by family and oral histories.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Faye Longchamp-Mantooth and I'm not sure if I will try and read another one. Maybe if I had read from the first book on I might have liked this book better but for me to spend 2 weeks trying to get through a book that is only 274 pages says I really didn't enjoy it much. Slow from the beginning, slow through the middle and only on the last few pages did it pick up. I didn't much care for the characters except maybe Sly. I received this from LibraryThing Members giveaway for an honest review.

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a series of mysteries whose heroine (Faye) is an archaeologist living on an isolated Island in Florida. Solving the murder of the owner of a nearby diner is the central driving force of the book. There is a subplot that involves illegal chemical dumping on her island as well as a man who is researching a Civil War era member of his family (soldier) who was held captive in the South he believes by one of Faye's family members. There are twists and turns but I found the motive of the eventual murderer pretty weak - thus not five stars.

[Esther Somorai · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Uncorrected Proof***
My daughter lent me this book to read, so glad she did.

I really enjoyed this well-written story that kept me turning the pages from cover to cover. An interesting, exciting read that has a lot going on, plus a host of characters to keep things lively.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Anna Evans’ ninth Faye Longchamp Mystery begins on a somber note. Not only is one of her best friends murdered, but Faye is mourning another loss. Late in her pregnancy, she lost the baby girl she was carrying and will never be able to have another.

Faye is distracted and absent even when in the same house as her family. She has isolated herself from her work, her husband Joe and even her toddler son Michael. As often happens, the loss of her loved one rekindled the desire to learn more about her ancestors. In Faye’s case, she is becoming obsessed with Cally Stanton, the former slave that was her great-great grandmother. Every morning Faye leaves her home to randomly dig holes around Joysuse, the private island that her family has lived on for decades. Cally actually lived in Joe and Faye’s home and Faye is convinced she can find more evidence of her ancestor’s slave days if she just keeps digging, both figuratively and literally.

Faye doesn’t notice much of the world around her until one of her friends ends up dead. Her visiting father-in-law, now out of jail, is looking pretty suspicious. Joe is highly distrustful of the man who left his family years ago, but Faye isn’t really convinced he could have brought harm to the people she cares about.

When Joe realizes Faye may be the next target of the murderer, he has to take action. Both to convince the Sheriff of the threat to his wife and to protect the woman he loves. Joysuse is the perfect place to isolate yourself from the world and your pain, but it can become a trap with a killer on the loose.

This series is as fresh as an island breeze and the plot is as turbulent as stormy seas – the perfect balance for an outstanding mystery. The suspect list is not long, but each of them has reasons that are absolutely believable to have done the crimes. Each time I was convinced I figured it out; the next chapter made me question my deductions. The end was perfect for a mystery lover like me. It was full of breakneck action-filled suspense until the moment the killer was revealed.

Faye Longchamp-Mantooth is one of my favorite fictional characters. She reacts like a real person would given the situations she finds herself in. Joe is her perfect mate; he is patient, loving and willing to give Faye the space she needs even though he is in mourning for his loss too. He is terrified he will lose Faye to the demons inside her or the killer.

Evans is a master at showing the feelings of her characters. More than once I sniffled at the kindness and patience Joe exhibited towards Faye. When he cooked dinner for his wife, after she had not been eating for way too long was one of the sweetest interactions I have ever read.

This is the second Faye Longchamp Mysteries I have read. I found both of them to be smart, engaging and captivating. It was easy to immerse myself in the story and lives of the characters. It is no surprise that Ms. Evans is an award winning author. She has multiple degrees, is a professor and musician. Lucky for me and all mystery buffs, she combines all of her research and knowledge to create fabulous works of fiction for us to enjoy.

Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Audio) The book begins steeped in a fog of grief that covers the island and everyone on it. Faye is spending her time digging pointless holes to find nothing of interest in an attempt to keep herself moving each day. Joe is struggling to reach Faye while not crowding her, and keeping himself moving each day. Into this mix is a sudden death, a hazardous waste spill and the appearance of strangers who are looking to dig into the history that may well upend Faye's carefully guarded family story. Will everything they have worked for be lost?

[Gail Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say the mystery -- who killed Liz, set off alarms at Emma's house, attacked Delia, spent time watching Emma's and Faye's homes, and generally disrupted life for Faye and Joe -- kept me guessing to the very end. And second and third mysteries - what happened to the Yankee soldier who disappeared after the Civil War and how did arsenic get on Joyeuse Island-- were pretty interesting, too. This is one of my favorite Faye Longchamp mysteries.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It took me a little while to get into the story. Overall I thought this was a pretty good thriller/mystery. This was the first book I have read from this author. I appreciate the authors nod to history and trying to keep things true to the historical record. The characters get a little overpowered near the end, but not as bad as some mysteries that include some action. I was able to suspend disbelief with no issues. I plan to check out more of the Faye Longchamp series.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Least favorite of the series so far.

Struggled to get through this one. The relationship issues are getting tedious at this point, and come across as forced. The motive for the murder is weak considering how intelligent the killer is, fairly certain they wouldn’t have gone to these extreme actions to accomplish what was wanted in the end. The previous novels, I would re-read, but not this one.

[Janet Balliet]

Faye & Joe have Joe's father Sly visiting. First Liz from the grill is shot & drowned. Then Emma's house is broken into. Finally the tour guide that brought Oscar to find out about his great, great grandfather, is attached. Faye tries to figure out who is behind all this. When the attacker is found on the island, it takes everything Faye & Joe can do to stop her. A fire starts & almost burns the house & the island. Faye lost her baby at 7 months.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another arresting addition to this excellent series--especially if you are a fan of history and archaeology of Louisiana-- In this one, Faye isn't the strong protagonist she usually proves to be: after a tragic miscarriage precludes her from any more children, she suffers crippling depression that almost keeps her from fighting villainous forces that threaten her home, her island, and her family.

[Lindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! We're back on Faye's island again. Unfortunately for those around Faye that means more death and mayhem, but I'll take it to enjoy the historic, island setting. A step up from the last few books in the series, in my opinion. Enjoyable read though I figured the ending out rather early in the book.

[Mary Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Anna Evans never disappoints. Poignant, sad in parts The main character is going through a difficult time and is having difficulty coming to terms with her current loss. The murder of a friend brings her back to reality and she rises to the occasion. She must move on and this is the beginning of that part fo her journey. I highly recommend it.

[VickiLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a sadness has touched the Longchamp/Mantooth home, mysteries emerge that help them recognize the value of family and friends. We meet Joe's father, Sly. Faye discovers environmental problems on the island that are eventually linked to one man's search for a missing ancestor. And, as expected, there's a murder.

[Kathleen Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read two or three of the books in this series and haven't been disappointed yet. I really enjoyed this one because there were several mysteries to follow and were laid out so well by the author that they never got confusing, nor do you get lost trying to figure out what clue belongs to what mystery.

I love the characters and the way they have been developed.

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found these books on the Audible Premium included list and haved loved them. Faye and Joe are such good characters, with flaws like any person---but they work together to solve their problems. The historial info included is always of interest to me. I love the mystery and the archeo;ogical aspects of each case as well.

[Lisa Emmerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this book should come with a warning, as it delves into the aftermath of a miscarriage and the depression that follows. Having said that I really enjoyed the book, a good mystery with a lot of characters to learn about. would probably be easier to follow If I had read more of the Faye Longchamp books :-)

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because we are back on Joyeuse Island, and we get to learn more about Cally Stanton. As much as I love all the locations that Faye travels to, I like it best when she is home and we get to read more of Cally's oral history.

[Reza Mahani · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is interesting and engaging (except for a few moments of suspension)!
I felt, however, that the book was missing something.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always with this series, I enjoy the characters and the overall progression but the resolution to the mystery is once again mediocre.