A Gargoyle's Guide to Murder - A Review

 Review

A GARGOYLE'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Gigi Pandian
The Ninth Accidental Alchemist Mystery 

 

What should be a quick stop to check on a book before embarking on a European vacation turns out to be anything but. When Zoe Faust finds Non Degenera Alchemia missing from the British Library she's only mildly concerned. The book's ties to Notre Dame have been severed so it should no longer pose a danger. Still, when the brusque librarian declares it a poisoned book, Zoe tracks it down to Oxford. There she finds the book decaying, but it's not just a book being ravaged by time. Something else is afoot, as Dorian would say. In fact, after both Dorian, the living gargoyle, and Max Liu, her fiancé, arrive they find a man murdered, facedown in that very tome. Combined with the murder Dorian saw, although there was no evidence of a crime, stolen books, and a spooky night at a country manor house party, everything leads back to that book of backward alchemy. Will Zoe, Max, and Dorian be able to get to the heart of the matter before someone else dies?

 

Having a gargoyle best friend tagging along on a romantic trip for a newly engaged couple is not exactly what Zoe envisioned, but it certainly worked out for the best. I absolutely love Dorian and he is at his finest in this ninth Accidental Alchemist Mystery. I enjoy the alternate chapters showing the current book he's writing; in this case A Gargoyle's Guide to Murder. Dorian gives readers facts and tips about impossible crimes, gargoyles, and much more, including his thoughts to the current mystery. Dorian is witty, clever, and a darn fine cook. I wish he could make me a meal, or at least some snacks. 

 

Apart from Dorian, I really appreciate how Zoe and Max work together. I also loved Barney and enjoyed disliking Barnabas. It was a complex mystery made more complicated by backward alchemy. I found Non Degenera Alchemia absolutely fascinating. Not just the book itself and what it was becoming, but what it was doing as it died.

 

Intricate plotting, charming characters, and an incredible sense of place make A GARGOYLE'S GUIDE TO MURDER a delightful mystery that's both thrilling, funny, and ultimately heartwarming.