Catacombs

CATACOMBS

by Mary Anne Evans

 

Nomination: Dublin Longlist 2021

 

Date Read: May 12, 2022

 

Catacombs is a thriller in the Faye Longchamp series. I haven’t read any other novels by Evans so this was my first introduction to the series and her writing style. As a thriller, I wasn’t all that thrilled. I found Catacombs entertaining which is the exact reason I ventured into this, however, even during the most action-packed scenes, my reaction was always “meh.”

 

Catacombs is set in Oklahoma City where a bomb explodes at a historic hotel during an anthropology (?) conference. Attending this conference is none other than Faye Longchamp, who I suppose gets herself into all kinds of trouble considering this is number 12 in the series. The FBI immediately retains her as a consultant and away we go.

 

Beneath the historic Gershwin Hotel is an entire city that went three stories deep, once occupied by Chinese immigrants. It was said there were restaurants, casinos, graves, stores and living spaces in these catacombs. Not many people even know they are there, having long been abandoned. Faye is asked to consult on the age of some drawings on the catacomb walls that appear to have been created more recently than the others.

 

While the story itself was somewhat meh, I loved the factual history behind the catacombs and how they served as an insulated cultural center for immigrant Chinese who were no doubt feeling displaced and homesick. Hearing the descriptions of everyday life underground, how they managed to avoid being shut down by health inspectors, and the extent that they created a world for themselves in those catacombs is fascinating.

 

Because of the excellent research conducted by Evans, I give this one 3 stars.

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