Murder, Mayhem, and Magic in Japan
I’ve made it my goal to try to make progress in multiple series this year, but one of the few I think I can actually get caught up on is Gigi Pandian’s Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries. I took another step closer with The Ninja’s Illusion, the fifth book in the series.
If you haven’t met Jaya yet, she is a history professor at a university in San Francisco who finds herself on the trail of multiple treasures related to her native Indian history. Of course, all of those hunts include a liberal dose of mayhem and even the occasional murder.
As this book opens, Jaya has a week off for Thanksgiving break, and she is heading to Kyoto, Japan, where her best friend, Sanjay, is appearing in a televised magic event along with a Japanese star. And Jaya is hoping to connect with a local professor who has just reached out for her help about a trading ship lost to history.
Jaya has only been there for a few hours when she realizes a mysterious Ninja is following her. The magician that Sanjay is working with is keeping a secret close to his vest. Then, Sanjay and Jaya find a body at the bottom on an embankment. Can Jaya figure out what is going on in time to keep Sanjay safe?
Yes, there is a treasure involved in the story, but it does feel like magic is more prevalent than a treasure hunt in this book. It certainly teases the hook that Gigi would use for her Secret Staircase Mysteries. Not that I’m complaining since I enjoyed that series.
No matter how you define the hook, we have a solid mystery here. Yes, the pacing slowed a time or two, but never for very long. And I appreciated how things came together in the end.
I did get frustrated with Sanjay upon occasion. He just acted a bit too bullheaded. Understandable? Yes. But I still wanted to knock some sense into him.
Jaya is still a fun character to follow around. I enjoyed watching her try to piece things together. We also get some updates on other series regulars, with a tease of more developments coming in the next book in the series.
One thing I enjoy about this series is the history that is part of the plot. This time, I learned a bit about Japan as well as India, all without getting in the way of the story.
The Ninja’s Illusion is another fun entry case for Jaya Jones. If you haven’t picked up this book yet, you’ll be glad you did.
Seek out the rest of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.
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