Quicksand (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery) (Volume 3)
By: Gigi Pandian
Rating: 5 of 5
“Quicksand” is the third novel in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series. The third book is perhaps my favorite so far but then again, it may be that it is the most recent that I have enjoyed, too. The books are all very good. While you can read this book stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the entire series as you will enjoy the characters and understand the nuances best if you have the back history.
Lane Peters, Jaya’s illusive boyfriend, makes a strong comeback in the third book. He wasn’t quite as present in the second in the series and I even wondered if he was going to be phased out. That is certainly not the case – he’s back and he and Jaya work together to solve the treasure hunt mystery in this story – that of a long lost treasure of India.
In this story, the setting is mostly France, though it begins and ends in San Francisco which is the city where Jaya is a history professor. Less present in this story are Jaya’s other friends and acquaintances, Nadia, Tamarind, Sanjay, Miles, and Naveen. They are included which gives me hope that they will feature in future works.
The story is a regular roller-coaster of adventure, full of misunderstood clues, misdirection, and lots of fun and funny plot developments and dialog. Ms. Pandian has, for me, become a worthy successor to Elizabeth Peters in the realm of female sleuths who specialize in history. I am having so much fun reading the adventures of Jaya Jones that I can hardly wait for the next book to be released. It is quite interesting to read the author’s notes to understand how much of the story is based on actual historic events, and in this case, on a personal account of an historic event. In addition to reading a fun mystery, I have received very interesting history lessons at the same time.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Henery Press, via Netgalley
“Quicksand” is the third novel in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series. The third book is perhaps my favorite so far but then again, it may be that it is the most recent that I have enjoyed, too. The books are all very good. While you can read this book stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the entire series as you will enjoy the characters and understand the nuances best if you have the back history.