The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories


Book Description

A treasure trove of nine locked room mysteries from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Gigi Pandian, all set in the Jaya Jones world. Appearing here for the first time, novelette The Cambodian Curse: When an ancient and supposedly cursed Cambodian sculpture disappears from an impenetrable museum, and the carving’s owner is killed by an invisible assailant while a witness is a few feet away, historian Jaya Jones and her old nemesis Henry North team up to solve the baffling crime. Stories included: “The Cambodian Curse,” “The Hindi Houdini,” “The Haunted Room,” “The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn,” “The Curse of Cloud Castle,” “Tempest in a Teapot,” “A Dark and Stormy Light,” “The Shadow of the River,” plus bonus novella "Fool’s Gold". With an Introduction from New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King addressing why we love locked rooms, and a Foreword from impossible crime mystery historian Douglas G. Greene, teasing out the tradition of John Dickson Carr that Pandian is following. This collection is filled with ingenious stories of magic, mystery, and history.




Cambodia's Curse


Book Description

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist describes how Cambodia emerged from the harrowing years when a quarter of its population perished under the Khmer Rouge. A generation after genocide, Cambodia seemed on the surface to have overcome its history -- the streets of Phnom Penh were paved; skyscrapers dotted the skyline. But under this façe lies a country still haunted by its years of terror. Although the international community tried to rebuild Cambodia and introduce democracy in the 1990s, in the country remained in the grip of a venal government. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joel Brinkley learned that almost a half of Cambodians who lived through the Khmer Rouge era suffered from P.T.S.D. -- and had passed their trauma to the next generation. His extensive close-up reporting in Cambodia's Curse illuminates the country, its people, and the deep historical roots of its modern-day behavior.




Golden Bones


Book Description

While the United States battled the Communists of North Vietnam in the 1960s and '70s, the neighbouring country of Cambodia was attacked from within by dictator Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge imprisoned, enslaved, and murdered the educated and intellectual members of the population, resulting in the harrowing "killing fields"–rice paddies where the harvest yielded nothing but millions of skulls. Young Sichan Siv–a target since he was a university graduate–was told by his mother to run and "never give up hope!" Captured and put to work in a slave labor camp, Siv knew it was only a matter of time before he would be worked to death–or killed. With a daring escape from a logging truck and a desperate run for freedom through the jungle, including falling into a dreaded pungi pit, Siv finally came upon a colorfully dressed farmer who said, "Welcome to Thailand." He spent months teaching English in a refugee camp in Thailand while regaining his strength, eventually Siv was allowed entry into the United States. Upon his arrival in the U.S., Siv kept striving. Eventually rising to become a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Siv returned with great trepidation to the killing fields of Cambodia in 1992 as a senior representative of the U.S. government. It was an emotionally overwhelming visit.




The Masquerading Magician


Book Description

The second book in the Anthony Award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series by USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian. When alchemist Zoe Faust gives herself a rare night out to attend a classic magic show that reminds her of her youth, she realizes the stage magicians are much more than they seem. A murder at the theater leads back to a string of unsolved robberies and murders in Portland’s past, and a mystery far more personal than Zoe and Dorian the gargoyle ever imagined. Can Zoe solve a mystery from Portland’s past and unlock an ancient alchemy book’s secrets soon enough to save her best friend from being trapped in stone forever? Includes recipes! "People who enjoy character driven stories with mystery, magic, supernatural creatures, and historical intrigue will greatly enjoy this inventive, well-written tale." —Portland Book Review




The Alchemist of Riddle and Ruin


Book Description

A riddle, a game, and a clue in the garden. Don’t miss the page-turning sixth book in the award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series, perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and urban fantasy. When Zoe Faust sees the ghost of a murdered young woman, is it really a spirit—or a flesh and blood woman who stopped aging because she’s a fellow alchemist? Sixteen years ago, high school student Ridley Price discovered a secret she planned to reveal through a party game—but someone killed her first. The baffling crime was never solved. Zoe’s friend Heather has always wondered: which of the seven guests at the party killed Ridley? When the newly-appeared ghost turns dangerous, threatening people they love, Zoe teams up with her gargoyle roommate Dorian to unmask the supposed specter.




Quicksand


Book Description

A thousand-year-old secret room. A sultan’s stolen treasure. A missing French priest. And an invitation to Paris to rekindle an old flame... Historian Jaya Jones finds herself on the wrong side of the law during an art heist at the Louvre. To redeem herself, she follows clues from an illuminated manuscript that lead from the cobblestone streets of Paris to the quicksand-surrounded fortress of Mont Saint-Michel. With the help of enigmatic Lane Peters and a 90-year-old stage magician, Jaya delves into France's colonial past in India to clear her name and catch a killer.




Artifact


Book Description

A Scottish legend that hides a secret. A treasure from India that vanished long ago. An unexpected package that ignites an adventure. History professor Jaya Jones is reeling from the news of a former flame's untimely death when she receives a mysterious parcel he’d sent from abroad. Inside is a cryptic plea for help, along with a jewel-encrusted artifact hinting at a treasure from India shrouded in a Scottish legend. As she starts to unravel the mystery, the unsettling discovery of her ransacked apartment makes it clear she's not the only one on the trail. From the iconic British Library in London to the rugged Highlands of Scotland, Jaya is pursued by a shadowy stalker as she seeks to both reveal a lost history and the identity of a murderer. Joining her in the race to decode the baffling clues are her quick-witted magician best friend, a disarmingly handsome art historian harboring his own secrets, and a charismatic archaeologist running for his life. Amidst the thrill of the chase, a troubling question arises—who among her companions might be the love of her life, and who is a cold-blooded killer? Can Jaya solve the puzzle in time to find the long-lost treasure and make it out of Scotland alive? Artifact is the first book in the USA Today bestselling and award-winning Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series. If you like lighthearted mysteries filled with fascinating history and a touch of romance, then you’ll love this twisty, globe-trotting caper. Buy Artifact to embark on the adventure today! "Fans of Elizabeth Peters will adore following along with Jaya Jones and a cast of quirky characters as they pursue a fabled treasure." -- "Juliet Blackwell, author of the Art Lover's Mystery series" "How wonderful to see a young, new writer who harks back to the Golden Age of mystery fiction. Artifact is witty, clever, and twisty... Do you like Agatha Christie? Elizabeth Peters? Then you're going to love Gigi Pandian." -- "Aaron Elkins, author of the Gideon Oliver series"




Hun Sen's Cambodia


Book Description

A fascinating analysis of the recent history of the beautiful but troubled Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia To many in the West, the name Cambodia still conjures up indelible images of destruction and death, the legacy of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and the terror it inflicted in its attempt to create a communist utopia in the 1970s. Sebastian Strangio, a journalist based in the capital city of Phnom Penh, now offers an eye-opening appraisal of modern-day Cambodia in the years following its emergence from bitter conflict and bloody upheaval. In the early 1990s, Cambodia became the focus of the UN's first great post-Cold War nation-building project, with billions in international aid rolling in to support the fledgling democracy. But since the UN-supervised elections in 1993, the nation has slipped steadily backward into neo-authoritarian rule under Prime Minister Hun Sen. Behind a mirage of democracy, ordinary people have few rights and corruption infuses virtually every facet of everyday life. In this lively and compelling study, the first of its kind, Strangio explores the present state of Cambodian society under Hun Sen's leadership, painting a vivid portrait of a nation struggling to reconcile the promise of peace and democracy with a violent and tumultuous past.




The Elusive Elixir


Book Description

The third book in the Anthony Award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series by USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian. An unsolved crime from 1942. A dangerous secret linked to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. And a woman threatening to expose alchemist Zoe Faust’s own secrets. Dorian Robert-Houdin, the three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle chef who fancies himself a modern-day Poirot, is slowly turning into stone. When he and Zoe Faust discover that a long-lost stone gargoyle with a connection to Dorian has reappeared in Europe, the stakes are even higher. From Paris, France, to Portland, Oregon, can centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust unlock the Elixir of Life a second time to save her best friend? Includes recipes! What reviewers are saying "Pandian's imaginative third Accidental Alchemist mystery will please those who like their cozies filled with magic." —Publishers Weekly "Pandian writes fun, light-hearted mysteries and is an expert at developing sympathetic characters, both major and minor." —Bustle "A quirky, incredible series. The characters are immensely unique and the writing is A+, so you won't want to miss a word." —Suspense Magazine "The unbelievable premise is no problem given the inventive powers of Pandian." —Kirkus Reviews “Pandian weaves a fascinating story and infuses history along with her recipes into a wonderful concoction that is sure to please!” –Seattle Mystery Bookshop




The Lost Gargoyle of Paris


Book Description

A trip to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. An art heist. And a locked-room mystery. Alchemist Zoe Faust and her impish gargoyle sidekick Dorian Robert-Houdin travel to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to investigate a mysterious discovery found in the wreckage of the tragic fire: a long-lost gargoyle illustration drawn by Victor Hugo himself. When the work of art is stolen under impossible circumstances, Dorian must use his “little gray cells”—not to mention his culinary skills—to solve the crime and discover the true origins of where he came from. Love armchair travel, Paris, and humorous mysteries? Don’t miss this Accidental Alchemist novella from USA Today bestselling and Anthony Award-winning author Gigi Pandian. Includes delicious vegan recipes! The Lost Gargoyle of Paris is an Accidental Alchemist Mystery novella and is less than half the length of the novels in the series. It stands alone, but if you want to read more about Zoe, Dorian, and their misfit friends back in Portland, Oregon, check out The Accidental Alchemist, The Masquerading Magician, The Elusive Elixir, and The Alchemist's Illusion.