Picture a Mississippi-born storyteller who unearths secrets from the past with a scientist’s precision and a novelist’s flair—meet Mary Anna Evans! Known for her gripping Faye Longchamp archaeological mystery series, Evans blends history, suspense, and a touch of Southern charm. With a background in physics and engineering, she crafts tales that dig deep into America’s roots, captivating readers with every clue.
Evans’s unique blend of scholarly rigor and storytelling magic has earned her awards like the Mississippi Author Award and a loyal fanbase. Whether she’s exploring WWII espionage or forgotten plantations, her novels invite you to solve mysteries alongside strong, curious heroines. Ready to discover her world? Let’s dive in!
The Making of Mary Anna Evans
Born on December 2, 1961, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Mary Anna Evans grew up surrounded by books, devouring works by Jane Austen and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her love for storytelling sparked early, with her first short story penned in high school. But writing wasn’t her only passion—Evans excelled in science, earning a Bachelor’s in Engineering Physics from Murray State University and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mississippi. Her master’s thesis? A heady study on chemical reactions in combustors! After working as an environmental consultant and university administrator, she turned to fiction after her third child’s birth, channeling her diverse expertise into crafting meticulous mysteries.
Mary Anna Evans’s Unforgettable Stories
Evans’s signature Faye Longchamp series, starting with Artifacts (2003), follows a determined archaeologist uncovering secrets on Florida’s Joyeuse plantation. This debut, which won the Benjamin Franklin Award, weaves a 45-year-old murder mystery with historical intrigue, immersing readers in coastal landscapes. Effigies (2007), a Book Sense Notable Book, takes Faye to Mississippi’s Choctaw lands, exploring cultural heritage amid suspense. The Physicists’ Daughter (2022), a standalone historical thriller, introduces Justine Byrne, a WWII codebreaker drawing on Evans’s physics background to outsmart spies. Her latest, The Dark Library (2025), is a gothic suspense tale about a woman haunted by her father’s rare book collection.
Evans’s style is a masterclass in blending fact and fiction. Her novels brim with archaeological detail, historical context, and strong female leads who navigate danger with wit. Themes of heritage, identity, and resilience resonate, grounded in settings like New Orleans or rural New York. Critics praise her “richly textured, character-driven mysteries” for their depth and pace, making each book a page-turner with heart.
Why Mary Anna Evans Matters
Mary Anna Evans has carved a niche in the mystery genre by spotlighting archaeology and history through a female lens. Her Faye Longchamp series celebrates multicultural American stories, weaving African, Native, and European threads into narratives that educate as they entertain. Awards like the Oklahoma Book Award for Catacombs and the Mississippi Author Award reflect her impact. As a professor at the University of Oklahoma, she inspires new writers, proving STEM and storytelling can coexist. Evans’s work invites readers to explore the past with curiosity, leaving a legacy of empowered heroines and unforgettable tales.
- Born: December 2, 1961, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
- Key Works: Artifacts, Effigies, The Physicists’ Daughter, The Dark Library
- Awards: Mississippi Author Award, Benjamin Franklin Award, Oklahoma Book Award
- Fun Fact: She plays a 7.5-foot grand piano!
Snag Artifacts and dive into Mary Anna Evans’s thrilling world of archaeological mysteries!