While fulfilling her dream of becoming an archaeologist,
Faye Longchamp has been asked by Dr. Raleigh to run a
project in a remote area of Alabama. Her assignment and
responsibilities include uncovering the origins of a
mysterious group of people known as the Sujosa. This ethnic
group possesses Caucasian features along with dark brown
skin. However, it's not the physical features that's a
mystery, but the fact that the Sujosa have shown immunity
to many diseases, including AIDS.
Faye, along with her assistant, Joe Wolf Mantooth, arrive
at the site and are appalled at what awaits them. It's not
just the accident that nearly throws their car off the
road, but when they first see the dig site, the sloppy,
unprofessional approach that Dr. Raleigh has taken leaves
them both stunned. They know they have their work cut out
for them when it becomes apparent that there will be little
cooperation from the project leader, her assistants hired
from the community and a select few Sujosa. But Faye is
determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
At her first meeting with the project team, Faye meets
Carmen, who's conducting the oral histories, Laurel, the
education specialist, and dermatologist Dr. Brent Harbison.
Brent grew up in Alcaskaki where the Sujosa community is
located. He practices part of the week in Birmingham and
the rest of the time runs a clinic in Alcaskaki. His
features are very unusual with his tanned skin and his dark
hair streaked blonde. Faye and Brent strike up a friendship
that struggles to go further when Faye discovers he's
hiding behind his nationality and ethnic background.
Late one night, after a full day of interviews and an
evening out with Brent, Faye awakens to heat and smoke.
Faye and Laurel escape the women's bunkhouse, but Carmen is
not so lucky. The morning light reveals not only Carmen's
remains, but the absence of her metal briefcase containing
all of her interviews. The missing interviews cast a shadow
of suspicion over the community. Fortunately, Faye had
received copies from Carmen and begins reading them. She
soon discovers many interesting bits of information
pertaining to family quarrels, land feuds, personal
resentments and a feeling of distrust towards the project
and its people. When a teenager's body is found at the base
of a cell phone tower and other strange incidents occur, it
becomes apparent that someone doesn't want Faye to discover
any of the mysteries hidden in the dirt.
Although the project is not going as planned, instead of
becoming discouraged, Faye starts delving into the lives of
the Sujosa by studying the interviews and surveying the
properties. Are the answers in the ground or in the
interviews? Faye struggles to find the truth hoping it
won't destroy more lives or the community as a whole.
RELICS is a story about human nature and how people react
to change and intrusion from the outside. It also shows
what lengths people will go to keep their secrets. Evans
does a wonderful job of pulling you into the story and not
revealing any of the secrets until the end.
Erstwhile artifacts blackmarketeer Faye Longchamp lands the job as chief archaeologist for a rural development project and heads to the hills of Alabama, her studly Cherokee assistant, Joe, in tow. She's looking forward to a legitimate dig, and hopes to uncover the mystery of the Sujosa, an ethnic group of mysterious origins known for their aquamarine eyes and unusual resistance to disease. But the murder of one of the project team leads to a different sort of investigation, and Faye finds herself using her professional and personal skills to discover the murderer, and the long-buried secret of the Sujosa as well.
Mary Anna Evans, winner of the 2004 Ben Franklin Award and the Patrick D. Smith Florida Fiction Award, started Faye's sleuthing career in Artifacts, a novel rich in the history, archaeology, and landscape of Faye's family and Florida's west coast.
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