Artifact

A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery, Book 1

By: Gigi Pandian

Narrated by: Allyson Ryan

When historian Jaya Jones receives a mysterious package containing a jewel-encrusted artifact, she discovers the secrets of a lost Indian treasure may be hidden in a Scottish legend. But she's not the only one on the trail.

From San Francisco to the Highlands of Scotland, Jaya must evade a shadowy stalker as she follows hints from the hastily scrawled note to a remote archaeological dig. Helping her decipher the cryptic clues are her magician best friend, a devastatingly handsome art historian with something to hide, and a charming archaeologist running for his life. When a member of the dig's crew is murdered, Jaya must figure out which of the scholars vying for her affections might be the love of her life - and which one is a killer.

©2012 Gigi Pandian (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Pandian's new series may well captivate a generation of readers, combining the suspenseful, mysterious and romantic." ( RT Book Reviews)

Fun read

Wonderful characters, not heady just nice and breezy. The alchemist trilogy is my favorite from her so far though.

good story.

little drops of humor in well developed story with perfect character mix. recommend reading this one for light entertainment

Great performance ok story

I normally enjoy Gigi Pandain's books, however the characters in this one weren't relatable. And a bit to much of a stretch, I enjoy fantasy and mystery but this was just out of my realm.

Disappointing Narration

This book is filled with humor and conflicting personalities and mystery and danger.

But only if you READ it.

Allyson Ryan is a conundrum of a performer. I like her speed and diction and tone.

Her voices, though, are inconsistent. As are her accents. The accents didn't bother me much, but then I'm not British or Scots or Indian. I'm usually pretty happy if I can tell who is talking and it's helpful if they sound the same every time they talk.

And they have to connect with the words they are saying.

What really rankled is the complete lack of humor in the read. This book is funny in a lot of places. Except that it isn't.

My mind wandered so often, I played back chapter after chapter. And, in the end, the book ended and I don't know who did it and I no longer care. Listening to this thing turned out to be a chore.

I think Ms. Ryan's voice is pleasant and I wonder if she shouldn't look into non-fiction.

If you are a hardcore fan of Gigi Pandian, then give it a shot. If you are looking for an engaging mystery - I wouldn't venture here.

Nice cozy mystery

I love a good cozy mystery to listen to while I do mindless tasks such as weeding, laundry, cleaning, etc.. This was a prefect story to keep me entertained.