Review: Quicksand by Gigi Pandian

Published March 10,  2015
 by Henery Press

Synopsis from the publisher:

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.

There are several times over the course of the story that Jaya and her companions would have felt like they were standing in quicksand with no way to escape and that they would soon be over their heads literally or figuratively. It's a wonderful mystery that takes place across France from Paris to Nantes to Mont Saint- Michel. While there may be lulls in the action, they are natural and remind you that someone cannot run on adrenaline 24/7. The lulls do not last long. The pace of the story is generally quick. The slowest part is when Jaya is trying to make up her mind whether to go to Paris or not. The main characters are well developed. The secondary characters have enough to them to show that they are important to the plot, but are not necessarily built up in-depth. The ending is action packed and surprising. The 90-year-old stage magician is an awesome character. Age doesn't slow him down a bit.

In the afterword, the author explains where she got the idea for the mystery. She also details which parts are historically accurate and which are imagined. Even this makes for interesting reading. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a well-written mystery with characters that are fun to read about.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Teaser Tuesday - Quicksand by Gigi Pandian

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Add caption

"Let me save you from the quicksand, Jones. I risked stealing from the  Louvre so that you'd be safe. Please, let me handle this." 
~ Lane speaking to Jaya at 45% through on my Kindle

Quicksand is the 3rd book in the Jaya Jones series put out by Henery Press. It was released March 10, 2015.

Plot synopsis from Goodreads.com:
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. 

What's your teaser this week? Please leave it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #61 - Quicksand by Gigi Pandian

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Quicksand by Gigi Pandian. This is the third Jaya Jones mystery from Henery Press. It's due to come out March 10, 2015. 

The Jaya Jones mysteries are a little bit historical, but also part Indiana Jones-ish. She has a mystery to solve in the present day, but it is always affected by some sort of history that is often crucial to her solving the mystery. This mystery takes place in France. Settings include places like The Louvre and Mont Saint-Michel.

From the publisher: 

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.

I am looking forward to it because I enjoyed the first two Jaya Jones mysteries. And because I like the Indiana Jones-ish quality to these mysteries.

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday? Tell me in the comments or share a link. I look forward to hearing from you!