Book Review: Quicksand by Gigi Pandian (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters, engrossing plot

Cons: It took me so long to start reading this book

The Bottom Line:

Mysterious trip

Sends Jaya on adventure

Can’t put this one down

Get Sucked into Quicksand

It’s a common lament among readers – so many books so little time.  But that’s the reason I am just now getting to Quicksand, the third Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery from Gigi Pandian.  I enjoyed the first two in the series, but finding the time to get back to Jaya’s world proved to be tougher than I wanted it to be.

When this book opens, it’s been five months since we last checked in with Jaya.  In that time, she hasn’t heard anything from Lane Peters.  She’s not sure if she should be worried or hurt by his silence.  That changes when she gets a plane ticket to Paris along with a note from Lane saying he’s found something connected to the East India Company that he thinks she’d be interested in.  Intrigued, she arranges for some time off work and heads over to France.  Only, when she arrives, nothing is as she thought it would be.  What has Jaya gotten involved in now?

Yes, I’m being very vague in my plot teaser.  That’s because this is a book best experienced as it unfolds.  The twists and turns are fantastic, and they kept me off balance in the best possible way.  Since these books involved treasure, the plot doesn’t follow a traditional murder mystery plot, and they are richer for it.  The climax was exciting and answered our questions perfectly.

While we do get a few scenes with the people in Jaya’s life back in San Francisco, Jaya and Lane are really the only returning characters in this book.  They are strong enough to carry the story and make us care about the outcome.  Of course, we meet some colorful characters along the way, and they are highly entertaining as well.

Author Gigi Pandian and her character, Jaya, are both of Indian descent.  As a result, these books also involve the history of India.  I love that additional aspect since I learn something along the way.  The notes at the end help us separate what is real history from what Gigi made up for the purposes of the plot.

I’m glad I finally got to check in with Jaya Jones again.  If you want a great adventure, then you’ll be thrilled you picked up Quicksand.

If you want more, here are the rest of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.