Let's talk fiction versus reality. I love to write fun,
lighthearted adventure mysteries. But they also have deeper substance.
Each of my Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries involve cross-cultural
connections and are based in real history. I always include an
Author's Note in each of my books that explains what's real and what's
fiction -- but here's a spoiler: 99% of the history I mention is real. I
create fictional treasures -- but based on what we know about the
world, each of them could have been real.
But
you know what? Real history is messy. I'm sharing a few photos from my
research trip to Cambodia that illustrates that point.
Visiting
the iconic temples of Angkor Wat was as amazing as I imagined it would
be. But... at the same time, if you zoom back, you can see that I was
there with hundreds of other tourists. Not really a meditative spot to
greet the sun as we stood in front of the ancient temple.
And
below the majestic stone faces that adorn so many Cambodian temples,
bas-relief carvings tell the stories of the laborers who painstakingly
carried heavy sandstone chunks of stones and sanded them together to
make them fit into gigantic monuments.
Lastly,
the adventure of exploring ancient history can have a messy side. I
ventured beyond the standard tourist temples, and had a guide show me
around a temple currently around excavation. No smooth pathways like at
Angkor Wat, so at the end of the day, I tripped. That's my broken
ankle.
But in spite of those contrasting
experiences, I love exploring history and other cultures through travel.
And I hope you have fun with Jaya's latest adventure.
****************************************************************************
Review
THE GLASS THIEF by Gigi Pandian
The Sixth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery
The term is winding down and Jaya Jones should be concentrating on finishing the semester and trying to get tenure. But something gets in her way. Two somethings really. While two of her students create part of the distraction, a research project surrounding a letter indicating treasure in San Francisco, the main reason has to do with her favorite author. Rick Coronado hasn't written a novel in seven years, but he has the start of one and wants Jaya's opinion if he should continue. What Jaya finds is the story of a murderous ghost in Paris and a looted treasure from Cambodia. She also learns that the fiction is actually fact. Leaving San Francisco and her students behind Jaya is off to France to discover the truth behind the haunted mansion, a truth that will eventually lead her to the temples of Cambodia. In the end it's more than treasure she needs to find, it's a matter of life and death and the possible ruin of the man she loves.
More than a mystery, THE GLASS THIEF bridges the gap between the modern and ancient world while showing the importance of history. Each Jaya Jones novel enriches me by not only allowing me travel via my armchair, introducing me to other cultures, but providing great historical knowledge, teaching me things I never knew and urging me to do more research on my own. Gigi Pandian, like Jaya Jones, promotes a love of history and a desire to go out and learn even more.
In a novel that seamlessly blends history, world travel, romance, and humor we find that it's the characters who are providing the drive to action here. Love, greed and revenge all play a part as Jaya faces a turning point in her relationship with Lane.
There are a few mysteries within this sixth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery and the pivotal one happens to be a locked room mystery. Pandian is no stranger to this type of mystery, having utilized the form in several short stories. This particular story is enriched by all the details outside the locked room. Indeed, the locked room portion, though the crucial part of the mystery, happened in the past and so the story is not limited to a small setting and cast of characters, a wise move in a full length novel. There's also an added dash of the paranormal making the novel even more atmospheric. I mean, who can resist a haunted mansion in Paris at Christmastime? Indeed it's the combination of fact and fiction that keeps everyone on their toes.
THE GLASS THIEF is a character driven mystery filled with intrigue and a hauntingly good puzzle. Various characters come to understand each other, for better or worse, and we're left with a satisfying end and the promise of even more great adventures to come. I absolutely love Jaya and was grinning like a fool at the end of the book.
**************************************************************************
THE GLASS THIEF
A locked-room mystery at a Paris mansion. A supposed ghost haunting a French family who looted treasures from Cambodia. A reclusive thriller author writing a novel in honor of historian Jaya Jones—is it a work of fiction or a devious way to lure Jaya into solving the impossible crimes in Paris?
Library Journal’s starred review says: “Charming and eclectic characters populate this Indiana Jones-esque adventure, which comes highly recommended for fans of locked-room mysteries in the manner of Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple | Indiebound | Murder By The Book | Book Passage
Gigi Pandian is an USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning cozy mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries (adventure cozies) and the Accidental Alchemist mysteries (paranormal cozies including recipes).
Sign up for Gigi’s email newsletter to receive a free Jaya Jones novella and Accidental Alchemist recipe card downloads: http://gigipandian.com/newsletter/
More than a mystery, THE GLASS THIEF bridges the gap between the modern and ancient world while showing the importance of history. Each Jaya Jones novel enriches me by not only allowing me travel via my armchair, introducing me to other cultures, but providing great historical knowledge, teaching me things I never knew and urging me to do more research on my own. Gigi Pandian, like Jaya Jones, promotes a love of history and a desire to go out and learn even more.
In a novel that seamlessly blends history, world travel, romance, and humor we find that it's the characters who are providing the drive to action here. Love, greed and revenge all play a part as Jaya faces a turning point in her relationship with Lane.
There are a few mysteries within this sixth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery and the pivotal one happens to be a locked room mystery. Pandian is no stranger to this type of mystery, having utilized the form in several short stories. This particular story is enriched by all the details outside the locked room. Indeed, the locked room portion, though the crucial part of the mystery, happened in the past and so the story is not limited to a small setting and cast of characters, a wise move in a full length novel. There's also an added dash of the paranormal making the novel even more atmospheric. I mean, who can resist a haunted mansion in Paris at Christmastime? Indeed it's the combination of fact and fiction that keeps everyone on their toes.
THE GLASS THIEF is a character driven mystery filled with intrigue and a hauntingly good puzzle. Various characters come to understand each other, for better or worse, and we're left with a satisfying end and the promise of even more great adventures to come. I absolutely love Jaya and was grinning like a fool at the end of the book.
**************************************************************************
THE GLASS THIEF
A locked-room mystery at a Paris mansion. A supposed ghost haunting a French family who looted treasures from Cambodia. A reclusive thriller author writing a novel in honor of historian Jaya Jones—is it a work of fiction or a devious way to lure Jaya into solving the impossible crimes in Paris?
Library Journal’s starred review says: “Charming and eclectic characters populate this Indiana Jones-esque adventure, which comes highly recommended for fans of locked-room mysteries in the manner of Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters.”
Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple | Indiebound | Murder By The Book | Book Passage
Gigi Pandian is an USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning cozy mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries (adventure cozies) and the Accidental Alchemist mysteries (paranormal cozies including recipes).
Sign up for Gigi’s email newsletter to receive a free Jaya Jones novella and Accidental Alchemist recipe card downloads: http://gigipandian.com/newsletter/
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