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Gigi Pandian

Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. After being dragged around the world during her childhood, she tried to escape her fate when she left a PhD program for art school. But adventurous academics wouldnt stay out of her head. Thus was born the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series.

Gigis debut mystery novel, Artifact, was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a Best of 2012 Debut Novel by Suspense Magazine. The follow-up is Private Vishnu.

Awards: Agatha (2025), Anthony (2020), Lefty (2016) see all

Genres: Cozy Mystery

Series

Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery
   1. Artifact (2012)
   2. Pirate Vishnu (2014)
   3. Quicksand (2014)
   4. Michelangelo's Ghost (2016)
   5. The Ninja's Illusion (2017)
   The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn (2017)
   The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories (2018)
   6. The Glass Thief (2019)

Accidental Alchemist Mystery
   1. The Accidental Alchemist (2015)
   2. The Masquerading Magician (2016)
   3. The Elusive Elixir (2017)
   4. The Alchemist's Illusion (2019)
   The Lost Gargoyle of Paris (2020)
   5. The Alchemist of Fire and Fortune (2021)
   6. The Alchemist of Riddle and Ruin (2022)
   7. The Alchemist of Monsters and Mayhem (2023)
   8. The Alchemist of Brushstrokes and Brimstone (2024)
   9. A Gargoyle's Guide to Murder (2025)

Secret Staircase Mystery
   1. Under Lock & Skeleton Key (2022)
   The Christmas Caper (2022)
   2. The Raven Thief (2023)
   3. A Midnight Puzzle (2024)
   4. The Library Game (2025)

Collections

Other People's Baggage (2012) (with Kendel Lynn and Diane Vallere)

Books containing stories by Gigi Pandian

Double Crossing Van Dine (2025)
edited by
Donna Andrews, Greg Herren and Art Taylor

Mystery Most Humorous (2025)
(Malice Domestic, book 19)
edited by
Donna Andrews, John Gregory Betancourt, Michael Bracken and Carla Coupe

School of Hard Knox (2023)
edited by
Donna Andrews, Greg Herren and Art Taylor

More books

Awards

	2025 Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel : A Midnight Puzzle
	2020 Anthony Award for Best Paperback original : The Alchemist's Illusion
	2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story : The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn
	2016 Lefty Award for Best LCC Regional Mystery : The Accidental Alchemist
	2015 Lefty Awards: The Rose : Pirate Vishnu

Award nominations

	2026 Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (nominee) : The Library Game
	2024 Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (nominee) : The Raven Thief
	2024 Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel (nominee) : The Raven Thief
	2023 Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (nominee) : Under Lock & Skeleton Key
	2022 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story (nominee) : The Locked Room Library
	2022 Edgar Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : The Locked Room Library
	2022 Anthony Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : The Locked Room Library
	2022 Agatha Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : The Locked Room Library
	2019 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story (nominee) : The Cambodian Curse
	2017 Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (nominee) : Michelangelo's Ghost
	2014 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story (nominee) : The Hindi Houdini
	2014 Agatha Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : The Hindi Houdini

Gigi Pandian recommends

Stakeouts and Strollers (2026)
Rob Phillips
"Rob Phillips is a talented new voice in mystery fiction. You're sure to have fun tagging along with brand new San Francisco private investigator Charlie Shaw, who's in over his head but bringing us along for an entertaining ride."

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies (2026)
Jenny Elder Moke
"Filled with snark, suspense, and swoon, Jenny Elder Moke's latest is a perfect mix of mystery, romance, and friendship."

The Jig Is Up (2024)
(Irish Bed & Breakfast Mysteries, book 1)
Lisa Q Mathews
"What a delight to spend time with Kate Buckley and her quirky family and neighbors in the charming town of Shamrock, Mass., in this captivating Irish-themed cozy mystery series launch."

The General's Gold (2024)
(Turner and Mosley Files, book 1)
Bruce Robert Coffin and LynDee Walker
"A smart, page-turning treasure hunt across land, sea, and underground caves. Perfect for fans of Andrew Mayne's Underwater Investigation Unit thrillers."

Ill-Fated Fortune (2024)
(Magical Fortune Cookie, book 1)
Jennifer J Chow
"A magical new culinary cozy mystery series filled with family, friendship, and heart-and a pinch of real magic."

Three Card Murder (2023)
(Impossible Crimes, book 1)
J L Blackhurst
"Three deviously clever impossible crimes."

A Cryptic Clue (2023)
(Hunter and Clewe Mystery, book 1)
Victoria Gilbert
"A charming new series from the always-entertaining Victoria Gilbert! Librarian Jane Hunter is a force to be reckoned with, and I can't wait to see what mysteries she and her enigmatic boss Cameron Clewe investigate in the future."

Vinyl Resting Place (2022)
(Record Shop Mystery, book 1)
Olivia Blacke
"What fun! I loved tagging along with Juni Jessop as she navigated a love triangle, quirky family hijinx, and a mystery at the family record shop. A great start to a new cozy mystery series. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series."

Kismet (2022)
Amina Akhtar
"Amina Akhtar yet again brings her wickedly wicked style to this twisty thriller about a woman who's finally taken charge of her life - only to find dead bodies piling up around her in the wellness community where she's starting over. Kismet is a page-turner populated by eerie ravens and people who aren't what they seem in a perfectly unsettling desert setting."

Death and the Conjuror (2022)
(Joseph Spector, book 1)
Tom Mead
"This ingenious (and fair-play) locked-room mystery should win over a new generation of readers to this delightfully devious style of classic mystery."

Devil's Chew Toy (2022)
(Hayden & Friends, book 1)
Rob Osler
"Charming and diverse characters - both human and canine - fill the pages of Rob Osler's delightfully humorous cozy. What fun to spend time with endearing leading man Hayden and friends on a romp through Seattle."

Mango, Mambo, and Murder (2021)
(Caribbean Kitchen Mystery, book 1)
Raquel V Reyes
"A delicious culinary cozy that serves up both mouthwatering Caribbean food and a fun, family-centered mystery. I’m looking forward to food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith’s next adventure."

Arsenic and Adobo (2021)
(Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, book 1)
Mia P Manansala
"A stand-out cozy mystery full of heart, the importance of home, and tons of good food...Lila Macapagal is fun, fierce, and all about family."

Hollywood Homicide (2017)
(Detective By Day Mystery, book 1)
Kellye Garrett
"A terrific debut. Fresh, fun, filled with twists and turns, and kept me glued to the page. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Detective by Day mystery!"

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