Agatha Christie meets Stranger Things in this award-winning mystery.A chance for a new beginning in Portland, Oregon. A stowaway from Paris who’s slowly turning to stone. And an alchemical mystery neither can refuse.Unpacking her belongings in her new fixer-upper house, alchemist Zoe Faust discovers a stowaway. Dorian is a living, breathing gargoyle―not to mention a master of French cuisine―and … a master of French cuisine―and he needs Zoe’s expertise to unlock the secrets of a centuries-old text that may save his life.
Zoe is trying to put her old life behind her, but how can she say no to her new friend who’s turning to stone?
Love quirky and humorous mysteries, mischievous gargoyles, and a cast of friends you’ll want to join for a cup of tea?
Don’t miss the first book in the Anthony Award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series by USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian.
Includes recipes!
Praise for The Accidental Alchemist
Winner of the Left Coast Crime Lefty Award for best regional mystery.
“Mysterious, captivating, and infused with the rich history of the Northwest…fantastic.” ―Portland Book Review
“This reviewer is eagerly anticipating more from this series, and a return of a cast more fun than an episode of Portlandia.”―RT Book Reviews
“A whimsical and charming supernatural mystery.”―Mystery Scene
“A supernatural cozy series that hits high marks.” ―Library Journal
“Pandian sets this series apart from other fluffy paranormal mysteries with Zoe’s cute nonhuman sidekick and some mouthwatering vegan recipes.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Readers won’t want to put this book down.” ―Vegetarian Journal
“[A]n eccentric and charming cast of characters readers are going to want to spend more time with.” ―RT Book Reviews Online
“A magical, whimsical cozy that will delight readers who enjoy Juliet Blackwell and Heather Weber mysteries!”―Agatha Award-winning author Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber)
“Gigi Pandian’s pen never disappoints.” ―New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell
“Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!” ― New York Times bestselling author Victoria Laurie
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Here we have a 300-year-old alchemist who gets her shipment of antiques and — surprise — a live gargoyle has hitched a ride. He’s a trained French chef, but the alchemist is a vegan, so he has to learn how to make those decadent desserts with no dairy. I loved the food. The mystery was fun. A bit slow and repetitive at times, but enjoyed it. Going to read more.
paranormal, urban-fantasy
I can’t believe that I didn’t post a review on this a year ago! Had the ebook, and recently got the audio on the cheap, so I reread it.
Vegan and cooking are a bit overworked, but otherwise it is a paranormal murder mystery with twists and a chef who is a gargoyle. See publisher’s blurb for clues, the just sit back and enjoy this amusing read.
The narrator, Julia Motyka, gave a stellar performance with characterization and mastery of accents.
This book involves a 300 year old former alchemist, Zoe Faust and her efforts to help a 3 and a half foot gargoyle that stowed away in her belongings sent from France. Dorian, as he is named, has a problem with switching between his living form and the stone from which he was carved.
This is the first of a three book series that continues with the Masquerading Magician and the Elusive Elixer.
I recommend the entire series, and I’ll be looking at other books by this author.
LOVED this fun, intriguing and totally different book. I enjoyed the characters, the interesting world of historic alchemy, and the magical kind of quality to both the topic as well the mystery that made it a joy to read. Will definitely race to the next one in the series!
I loved “meeting” Zoe Faust and her stowaway Dorian Robert-Houdin (a living gargoyle!) in this first book! All of the characters in this series are so much fun and so well-written! I love Dorian’s personality the most, I think. He is bossy and a bit of a know it all; oh…and, by the way, he’s a chef! When he finds out that Zoe is vegan, he’s not too thrilled. But he takes on the challenge and comes up with amazing dishes, some of which are included at the back of the book!
It cracks me up that the book is set in Portland, Oregon. If you’re a Grimm fan, you know what I mean! All of the bizarre characters/monsters show up in Portland at one time or another. My daughter and I laugh so hard if we see any show or movie that involve crazy things happening in Portland!
The alchemy aspect in this book is so interesting, and I love how Gigi uses real characters and events from history, even though she fictionalizes them. She makes me want to get out and garden too! I may have to start some gardening in pots because I don’t have a yard.
You’ve got to read these books in order because there are elements from them that you won’t understand if you don’t. I definitely recommend it!
Un grotesque vif qui faisait de cuisine!
How’s a francophile history-loving foodie supposed to pass that by? I had a grand time reading this. I know something about alchemy already, but I’d love to see illustrations of some of the equipment Zoe uses, because aside from alembics and athanors, most of the other equipment listed (skull cup, angel tube, spirit holder, and tomb of the dead) gets mixed or useless results in a web search. Perhaps a section in her website?
I agree that Western vegan cuisine *can* leave a lot to be desired, especially in pastries. I’m not vegan, but I will try that butternut squash recipe. The best vegan scones I ever had were from Santa Cruz’s Black China Bakery—and I didn’t know they were vegan when I began eating them.
While culinary-themed cozy mysteries from print-publishers often have recipes in them, I haven’t seen them in small-press or self-published titles. It is rare for small-press or self-published titles to have no typos/autocorrect errors, wrong homonym, or punctuation/grammatical errors. This is no faint praise. I get so tired of being an aftermarket copy editor!
The characters are interesting and believable. I want to read more about them, and I will also check the other series GP (may she be cancer-free the rest of her life!) has written.
I loved this book. As a medievalist by education, I enjoyed having insight into many of the people and occurrences that were referenced by the characters. I read this shortly after it was released. I’ve been a fan of the entire series ever since. Truly magical.