FLOODGATES

FLOODGATES
Author: Mary Anna Evans
Copyright July 2009
Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN: 978-1-59058-591-7
Hardcover $24.95
256 pages
Fiction, Mystery

For a fictional novel to actually change your thinking and understanding about an event is definitely proof of exceptional writing. FLOODGATES does that through the intermingling of an actual event, Hurricane Katrina, with a murder and the historical information about controlling the flood waters around New Orleans.

Faye Longchamp is an archaeologist who is currently in a race with the reconstruction crews in New Orleans. While her crew is attempting to document and learn the real history, they discover a body that has been weighed down in the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina. There seems to be no logical reason for an old sewing machine on a body since obviously, the machine would sink if placed in the water. It is then obvious that someone was killed and the heavy objects were placed on top of the body to keep it from being easily discovered.

To make matters worse, the police identify the body as that of Shelly Broussard who was alive during the disaster and seen a few days afterwards. Shelly was concerned about her parents who she believed were in their house when the hurricane waters flooded the area and drowned in their attic. Who and what was Shelly questioning and investigating at the time of her death? Who felt threatened by the two lists that were discovered in Shelly’s pants wrapped in a waterproof protection?

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the back story including the history of the flood control systems in New Orleans. This aspect led to my understanding of the city and the disaster with Hurricane Katrina. The relationships of the characters and their internal motivations helped to truly understand the culture and the social issues confronting this city. Although many things have changed in time, many people have not. The characters seem to be real which makes this story along with the realism that gives this the feeling of a true story.

Mary Anna Evans studied physics and engineering while at college. Her knowledge and understanding is perfect for this well-written mystery combining the past with the present. She uniquely combines her expertise with a fictional story. Her previous novels are ARTIFACTS, RELICS, EFFIGIES, and FINDINGS all available from Poisoned Pen Press. FLOODWATERS is the fifth in the series of books with Faye Longchamp.

To combine the engineering feats of preventing New Orleans from flooding for the past three-hundred years with a fictional archeological mystery proves the brilliance of FLOODWATERS.



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By: Teri Davis July 21, 2009

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