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Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery #4
Michelangelo's Ghost
A lost work of art linking India to the Italian Renaissance. A killer hiding behind a centuries-old ghost story. And a hidden treasure in Italy’s macabre sculpture garden known as the Park of Monsters...
Filled with the unexpected twists, vivid historical details, and cross-cultural connections Pandian is known for, Michelangelo’s Ghost is the most fast-paced and spellbinding Jaya Jones novel to date.
When Jaya’s old professor dies under eerie circumstances shortly after discovering manuscripts that point to a treasure in Italy’s Park of Monsters, Jaya and her brother pick up the trail.
From San Francisco to the heart of Italy, Jaya is haunted by a ghost story inexorably linked to the masterpieces of a long-dead artist and the deeds of a modern-day murderer. Untrustworthy colleagues, disappearing boyfriends, and old enemies—who can Jaya trust when the ghost wails?
Filled with the unexpected twists, vivid historical details, and cross-cultural connections Pandian is known for, Michelangelo’s Ghost is the most fast-paced and spellbinding Jaya Jones novel to date.
When Jaya’s old professor dies under eerie circumstances shortly after discovering manuscripts that point to a treasure in Italy’s Park of Monsters, Jaya and her brother pick up the trail.
From San Francisco to the heart of Italy, Jaya is haunted by a ghost story inexorably linked to the masterpieces of a long-dead artist and the deeds of a modern-day murderer. Untrustworthy colleagues, disappearing boyfriends, and old enemies—who can Jaya trust when the ghost wails?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2016
49 people are currently reading
941 people want to read
About the author
Gigi Pandian
50 books1,582 followersGigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. She's the child of professors from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, and spent her childhood traveling around the world on their research trips. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the garden.
She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and the Secret Staircase Mysteries.
Her debut novel was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a Best of 2012 Debut by Suspense Magazine, her mysteries have been awarded the Agatha, Rose, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and been short-listed for the Edgar.
She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and the Secret Staircase Mysteries.
Her debut novel was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a Best of 2012 Debut by Suspense Magazine, her mysteries have been awarded the Agatha, Rose, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and been short-listed for the Edgar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
November 3, 2020
Michelangelo’s Ghost by Gigi Pandian is a 2016 Henery Press publication.
Another thrilling adventure for Jaya Jones!!
Jaya’s former professor calls her out of the blue, tempting her with a story about a forgotten, but a uniquely talented Italian artist with ties to Michelangelo.
Shortly thereafter, the professor dies under suspicious circumstances, which convinces Jaya and her brother to travel to Italy in search of manuscripts that could lead to a hidden treasure. However, they get much more than they bargained for…
A chilling ghost story, and buried treasure, mingled with a little fascinating history make this one of Jaya’s most thrilling adventures to date!
I’ve been slowly reading my way through this awesome series. I found myself in just the right mood for a Jaya Jones adventure when I started this book, and was doubly delighted to discover the story featured a ghost story- just in time for fall and Halloween. A happy coincidence!
Italy is always a great setting, so rich in history, especially when art is part of the plot. This tale is a little complex, multilayered, and very fast-paced, and as always, Jaya’s narration is simply delightful!
This was a tense and absorbing mystery, filled with intrigue, and laced with awesome twists and surprises you won’t see coming!
Anyone can enjoy this series. It’s got a little something for everyone- adventure, history, interesting locations, a well- crafted mystery, great characters and little intriguing romance to top it all off!
Highly recommend!
Another thrilling adventure for Jaya Jones!!
Jaya’s former professor calls her out of the blue, tempting her with a story about a forgotten, but a uniquely talented Italian artist with ties to Michelangelo.
Shortly thereafter, the professor dies under suspicious circumstances, which convinces Jaya and her brother to travel to Italy in search of manuscripts that could lead to a hidden treasure. However, they get much more than they bargained for…
A chilling ghost story, and buried treasure, mingled with a little fascinating history make this one of Jaya’s most thrilling adventures to date!
I’ve been slowly reading my way through this awesome series. I found myself in just the right mood for a Jaya Jones adventure when I started this book, and was doubly delighted to discover the story featured a ghost story- just in time for fall and Halloween. A happy coincidence!
Italy is always a great setting, so rich in history, especially when art is part of the plot. This tale is a little complex, multilayered, and very fast-paced, and as always, Jaya’s narration is simply delightful!
This was a tense and absorbing mystery, filled with intrigue, and laced with awesome twists and surprises you won’t see coming!
Anyone can enjoy this series. It’s got a little something for everyone- adventure, history, interesting locations, a well- crafted mystery, great characters and little intriguing romance to top it all off!
Highly recommend!
June 20, 2017
I adore the Jaya Jones series. True, I have only read the previous book in the series, but I loved it. It was such an easy-going adventurous story and I'm glad to say that this book was just as good as the previous one. Jaya Jones old professor contacts her with a tantalizing discovery. A manuscript that could show the way to some hidden masterpieces by a disgraced Renaissance artist. However, Jaya wonders if there someone out there who is after the masterpieces when the professor suspiciously dies. Someone that doesn't hesitate to kill to get to them...
In this book is Jaya Jones teaming up with her brother Mahilan and his girlfriend Ava in searching for clues to where the artist Lazzaro Allegri's masterpieces can be hidden. Of course, Jaya's boyfriend Lane Peters is also in the book, even though he is not traveling with her to Italy since they can really have an open relationship because of his past. And, he has another "job". I was a bit sad that my favorite character Henry North didn't seem to be in the story, but I got myself a surprise when he did have a cameo later on in the book. It's so typical of me to like the "bad guy" the most!
The story was wonderfully engaging and interesting, sure I did see some twist coming, but I enjoyed the book immensely. Pandian sure knows how to write a great adventure story with interesting and likable characters. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have the first two books in the series, but I have yet not read them.
I want to thank Henery Press for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
In this book is Jaya Jones teaming up with her brother Mahilan and his girlfriend Ava in searching for clues to where the artist Lazzaro Allegri's masterpieces can be hidden. Of course, Jaya's boyfriend Lane Peters is also in the book, even though he is not traveling with her to Italy since they can really have an open relationship because of his past. And, he has another "job". I was a bit sad that my favorite character Henry North didn't seem to be in the story, but I got myself a surprise when he did have a cameo later on in the book. It's so typical of me to like the "bad guy" the most!
The story was wonderfully engaging and interesting, sure I did see some twist coming, but I enjoyed the book immensely. Pandian sure knows how to write a great adventure story with interesting and likable characters. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have the first two books in the series, but I have yet not read them.
I want to thank Henery Press for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
July 16, 2016
[ I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank them for their generousity. In exchange, I was simply asked to write an honest review, and post it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising]
“We’re getting off track. You’re a historian, not a detective.”“You’re right . History is the thread we need to follow. It’s impossible to figure out what’s going on right now without understanding the history. That’s what we’ve got to get back to.”
In this, the fourth Jaya Jones mystery, JJ is contacted by her old mentor in a very roundabout way to ask her to help solve the clues that could lead to an unknown cache of Rennisance art. However, the mentor has fallen on fairly hard times now and is seen as a joke. The question becomes just who or what to believe.
And then the mentor dies, leaving Jaya with what are, presumably sketchbooks of a student of Michelangelo who, if the clues Dr. Vine left are real, has a connection with South India that Jaya just has to follow up on. With brother Mahilan and his new flame in tow, they all head to Italy to see if any of this could bring to light this historical remmnent that time forgot.
Told in intelligent witty dialogue, Pandian has given us another riveting mystery based loosely on fact and smartly woven fiction. Each storyline comes to a quirky, albeit satisfying end. This is a very hard to put down mystery series and Michelangelo's Ghost is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.
“We’re getting off track. You’re a historian, not a detective.”“You’re right . History is the thread we need to follow. It’s impossible to figure out what’s going on right now without understanding the history. That’s what we’ve got to get back to.”
In this, the fourth Jaya Jones mystery, JJ is contacted by her old mentor in a very roundabout way to ask her to help solve the clues that could lead to an unknown cache of Rennisance art. However, the mentor has fallen on fairly hard times now and is seen as a joke. The question becomes just who or what to believe.
And then the mentor dies, leaving Jaya with what are, presumably sketchbooks of a student of Michelangelo who, if the clues Dr. Vine left are real, has a connection with South India that Jaya just has to follow up on. With brother Mahilan and his new flame in tow, they all head to Italy to see if any of this could bring to light this historical remmnent that time forgot.
Told in intelligent witty dialogue, Pandian has given us another riveting mystery based loosely on fact and smartly woven fiction. Each storyline comes to a quirky, albeit satisfying end. This is a very hard to put down mystery series and Michelangelo's Ghost is a wonderful book that I highly recommend.
Read
September 20, 2016“Has everything a mystery lover could ask for: ghostly presences, Italian aristocrats, jewel thieves, failed actors, sitar players, and magic tricks, not to mention dabs of authentic history and academic skullduggery.” – Publishers Weekly
August 26, 2016
I'm happy that I found Gigi Pandian's books a few years ago, as they continue to satisfy!
Thanks to Henery Press and Net Galley, I received an advance copy of this novel to review.
The exciting thing about Pandian's series is that the mysteries are well rooted in historical fact! The fact and the fiction blend so seamlessly that I find myself hopping on Google regularly to educate myself because I literally cannot tell which parts are made up. The "treasures" are all legitimately possible discoveries. I enjoy this tremendously.
In this installment, history professor Jaya Jones receives a mysterious summons from an old mentor, a woman whose career has gone off the rails because she's obsessed with finding the next blockbuster discovery. She's mostly dismissed by her colleagues, so Jaya proceeds cautiously, but this time the treasure seems like it could be real.
An obscure Italian artist named Lazzaro Allegri is rumored to have worked with Michelangelo, traveled to India, and produced some hybrid artwork combining European and Indian technique and subject. This cultural crossover would be a first, and would knock the socks off the academic world. But Lazzaro was an outcast when he got back to Italy, meaning he had to work in a concealed studio, and meaning that his art never really saw the light of day.
When Jaya studies the evidence, she decides to take on the job. This will involve a trip to beautiful Italy, effectively combining pleasure with business. But Jaya is in for a hectic experience, complicated by her brother and his new girlfriend traveling with her, a local ghost story seeming to come to life, and the fear that her top-secret boyfriend has gone off the grid again.
I've said it before, and it's still true: Gigi Pandian does an incredible job of letting her characters inhabit a place. The Italian town they're in, and the legendary 500-year-old Park of Monsters, really come to life as Jaya and her friends traverse the length and breadth of the land. By the time I finish one of her books my interest is peaked for a place I'd never previously heard of.
In Michelangelo's Ghost, Pandian also shows how well she can do suspense! I was excited about the cliffhangers in a way I haven't been since I was 9 and first reading Nancy Drew! They're so much fun! And there are some clever twists too... for instance, the identity of the criminal ^V^ (I admit I did figure this out before the reveal, but it was still clever)!
There are some stunning descriptions and atmosphere in this book that make me crave a movie version... when Jaya's having a crucial phone conversation right outside the walls of her villa, and the black cloth flutters above her... such a great, shivery visual!!!
I really do recommend this book and this series, especially for someone with at least a casual interest in history.
Thanks to Henery Press and Net Galley, I received an advance copy of this novel to review.
The exciting thing about Pandian's series is that the mysteries are well rooted in historical fact! The fact and the fiction blend so seamlessly that I find myself hopping on Google regularly to educate myself because I literally cannot tell which parts are made up. The "treasures" are all legitimately possible discoveries. I enjoy this tremendously.
In this installment, history professor Jaya Jones receives a mysterious summons from an old mentor, a woman whose career has gone off the rails because she's obsessed with finding the next blockbuster discovery. She's mostly dismissed by her colleagues, so Jaya proceeds cautiously, but this time the treasure seems like it could be real.
An obscure Italian artist named Lazzaro Allegri is rumored to have worked with Michelangelo, traveled to India, and produced some hybrid artwork combining European and Indian technique and subject. This cultural crossover would be a first, and would knock the socks off the academic world. But Lazzaro was an outcast when he got back to Italy, meaning he had to work in a concealed studio, and meaning that his art never really saw the light of day.
When Jaya studies the evidence, she decides to take on the job. This will involve a trip to beautiful Italy, effectively combining pleasure with business. But Jaya is in for a hectic experience, complicated by her brother and his new girlfriend traveling with her, a local ghost story seeming to come to life, and the fear that her top-secret boyfriend has gone off the grid again.
I've said it before, and it's still true: Gigi Pandian does an incredible job of letting her characters inhabit a place. The Italian town they're in, and the legendary 500-year-old Park of Monsters, really come to life as Jaya and her friends traverse the length and breadth of the land. By the time I finish one of her books my interest is peaked for a place I'd never previously heard of.
In Michelangelo's Ghost, Pandian also shows how well she can do suspense! I was excited about the cliffhangers in a way I haven't been since I was 9 and first reading Nancy Drew! They're so much fun! And there are some clever twists too... for instance, the identity of the criminal ^V^ (I admit I did figure this out before the reveal, but it was still clever)!
There are some stunning descriptions and atmosphere in this book that make me crave a movie version... when Jaya's having a crucial phone conversation right outside the walls of her villa, and the black cloth flutters above her... such a great, shivery visual!!!
I really do recommend this book and this series, especially for someone with at least a casual interest in history.
March 15, 2017
I abandoned this after the first 100 pages, and only today picked it up and finished it. I enjoy the fresh perspective that Gigi Pandian brings to this series. The Indian multi-cultural social andhistorical overlay is unique. Treasure hunts are fun. The historical research seems solid enough to support some wild plot twists, if a bit fanciful. Unfortunately, I find the characters too weird to be credible, although to be fair, they are filtered by first person perspective in the story-telling. Our heroine leaps to one wild theory after another. While this can be amusing, it becomes tiresome after a while. I was more relieved than pleased when all the red herrings failed and the true murderer was revealed. Thank goodness this is over!
January 30, 2023
I listened to the fourth entry in the author’s Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series in audio. It was a little slow for me in the beginning, but once I got into the story, it held my attention, and I ended up really enjoying the ending. I also liked the narration, and can definitely recommend this in audio.
After her last few successes, Jaya’s “drowning” in letters and emails from people with information about “treasures,” including odd replicas of the so-called treasures. A “ghost from the past” appears in Jaya’s emails and leads her to an old professor she had a bad break from years ago. The professor, Lilith, asks Jaya to come talk with her. Lilith had an initial huge success with an major find, but afterwards, continued to pursue dreams, writing about fantastical things rather than pursuing “real” history. As a result, her fellow historians thought of Lilith as a crackpot who gave historians a bad name.
When they meet, Lilith shows Jaya a 16th century notebook from Renaissance Italy and says she believes she’s discovered the missing artwork of a protégé of Michelangelo. Lilith says she’s learned he left Italy for India. She wants Jaya’s help to prove this is true, and to find the artwork, which will help salvage Lilith’s career. As usual, this is the setup for an adventure. Soon, Jaya is off to Italy, this time with her brother Mahilan and his “woman of the day” Ava tagging along.
In addition to the mystery related to the treasure hunt, Jayla is also going through personal issues. Is she becoming Lilith? Is she so tempted by the excitement of treasure hunts that she’ll give up the relative safety of an academic career. And what of her secret relationship with Lane? Should she give it up? Or will he give her up to protect her? And is she also in love with her “best friend” Sanjay, the Hindu Houdini?
I love how the author has Jaya end up in real places but adds mysteries to them. Last time it was the Louvre and Mont St. Michel. This time, we end up in the Park of the Monsters in Italy. I ended up spending a lot of time looking at photos of the Park on various websites, and it’s just as intriguing as the book suggests.
There are some fantastic twists in the last part of the book both involving the mystery and Jaya’s personal life. I liked the resolution of the mystery, but loved even more a twist involving one of Jaya’s colleagues. A few personal details were left hanging, and I’m off now to download the next in the series to learn about Jaya’s next adventure.
This is a B+ for me, so four stars here.
After her last few successes, Jaya’s “drowning” in letters and emails from people with information about “treasures,” including odd replicas of the so-called treasures. A “ghost from the past” appears in Jaya’s emails and leads her to an old professor she had a bad break from years ago. The professor, Lilith, asks Jaya to come talk with her. Lilith had an initial huge success with an major find, but afterwards, continued to pursue dreams, writing about fantastical things rather than pursuing “real” history. As a result, her fellow historians thought of Lilith as a crackpot who gave historians a bad name.
When they meet, Lilith shows Jaya a 16th century notebook from Renaissance Italy and says she believes she’s discovered the missing artwork of a protégé of Michelangelo. Lilith says she’s learned he left Italy for India. She wants Jaya’s help to prove this is true, and to find the artwork, which will help salvage Lilith’s career. As usual, this is the setup for an adventure. Soon, Jaya is off to Italy, this time with her brother Mahilan and his “woman of the day” Ava tagging along.
In addition to the mystery related to the treasure hunt, Jayla is also going through personal issues. Is she becoming Lilith? Is she so tempted by the excitement of treasure hunts that she’ll give up the relative safety of an academic career. And what of her secret relationship with Lane? Should she give it up? Or will he give her up to protect her? And is she also in love with her “best friend” Sanjay, the Hindu Houdini?
I love how the author has Jaya end up in real places but adds mysteries to them. Last time it was the Louvre and Mont St. Michel. This time, we end up in the Park of the Monsters in Italy. I ended up spending a lot of time looking at photos of the Park on various websites, and it’s just as intriguing as the book suggests.
There are some fantastic twists in the last part of the book both involving the mystery and Jaya’s personal life. I liked the resolution of the mystery, but loved even more a twist involving one of Jaya’s colleagues. A few personal details were left hanging, and I’m off now to download the next in the series to learn about Jaya’s next adventure.
This is a B+ for me, so four stars here.
June 21, 2020
Another fantastic addition to the Jaya Jones series. As usual, the connections between art, culture, and previously unknown connections to India were amazing! They were also based on some true Historical facts which is fascinating to me, that the author can tie her stories into history. I think she deserves a Masters Degree in Research! In this book, Jaya is summoned by her former Professor and mentor Lilith Vine to help with discovering a hidden art studio with possible connections to Michelangelo. It’s hidden somewhere within the real Park of Monsters, a Renaissance Sculpture Garden in Italy. But, when Lilith suddenly dies, Jaya isn’t just searching for lost art, she’s looking for a killer who is going after her and the people she loves. I enjoyed meeting a new character, who was previously mentioned in the other books. I couldn’t give it five stars because of the interactions between Lane and Jaya. They were seriously off in this book, with Jaya bouncing between worrying to death that something happend to him and being angry at him over nothing. I hope the next book sees an improvement in their relationship.
October 19, 2016
In the fourth installment of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series, author Gigi Pandian acknowledges her editorial team, beta readers, parents, and significant other James. Though not the initial installment of its franchise, readers will be happy to know that they need not read its predecessors to enjoy the story, which focuses on sundry things such as art from India connecting to the Italian Renaissance, a murderer connected to a ghost story, and a secret in Italy’s sculptural Park of Monsters. Protagonist Jaya’s former teacher dies in strange circumstances, and she and her brother are on the hunt, venturing from San Francisco to Italy, with plenty twists, great historical detail, and so forth. The result is an engaging mystery that fans of prior books and even newcomers to the series will likely digest.
October 28, 2019
This was such a fantastic , fun, Indiana Jones with an intelligent woman type mystery!! Couldn't have loved it more! I love, love, LOVE books that are adventures and action packed! Plus we get to visit Italy 🇮🇹 from the couch with JJ! I didn't see the twist coming towards the end. Blew me away! Highly recommend this series to anybody tired of the same old cozy or just anybody who loves adventure and mystery.
August 18, 2017
I couldn't find a copy of the book so I listened to the audiobook liked it as much as the 3 previous book that I'd read. Allyson Ryan is the narrator and she did a nice job with the characters making each distinctive and dramatic enough during the action scenes of the book.
February 27, 2018
Another great installment in a thoroughly enjoyable series. Really looking forward to reading the next one.
May 10, 2019
Another great book by Ms. Pandian.
August 12, 2019
This is another fun series by Gigi Pandian. It's more of an adventure mystery series featuring Jaya, the history professor/ treasure hunter, her magician friend and her former art thief boyfriend. I like listening to the audiobooks of this series because the narrator is really good. In this book, Jaya and her brother head to Italy to pick up the trail of Michaelangelo's ghost, when Jaya's professor dies under mysterious circumstances, after leaving her with several books and clues. Jaya is book smart but some of the things she does is kind of ditzy. You would think after all of the times she's been in danger on these adventures she would get more of a clue.
My favorite character is actually her boyfriend Lane. I think Pandian needs to do a spinoff with him as the lead art thief, stealing again. Now that's something I would like to read. : )
My favorite character is actually her boyfriend Lane. I think Pandian needs to do a spinoff with him as the lead art thief, stealing again. Now that's something I would like to read. : )
October 20, 2016
In this series I have read the first book and this most recent release, but not read books 2 and 3. While they aren't necessary to read this book, I do think that it would be helpful because of references to events in those books. There is enough to sort of fill in the holes, but not enough for my personal preference. But then I'm one that likes to read books in order. If there had been a bit more time, I would have read the other two books first.
Anyway, aside from my issues of reading books in order, this was a very good book! The amount of research that had to go into forming the story about this artist (that does exist according to the author's notes) and then creating a story around it was genius. I know authors do it all the time, but to just imagine the time it takes is mind boggling. I won't even get into the food descriptions, makes me want to visit Italy very soon.
Jaya and Lane are in a secret romance (and is she in love with her friend Sanjay too?) and even her brother has a new woman in his life. Now there are things I guessed about Ava (or halfway guessed, I was wrong on part of it) and I wonder if we will see more of her in future books. Time will tell. The mystery has several twists and turns and there is a moment at the end that I thought "oh no" but things will be turned around very soon. Academia is a tough business.
Enjoyable book, definitely check this series out.
Anyway, aside from my issues of reading books in order, this was a very good book! The amount of research that had to go into forming the story about this artist (that does exist according to the author's notes) and then creating a story around it was genius. I know authors do it all the time, but to just imagine the time it takes is mind boggling. I won't even get into the food descriptions, makes me want to visit Italy very soon.
Jaya and Lane are in a secret romance (and is she in love with her friend Sanjay too?) and even her brother has a new woman in his life. Now there are things I guessed about Ava (or halfway guessed, I was wrong on part of it) and I wonder if we will see more of her in future books. Time will tell. The mystery has several twists and turns and there is a moment at the end that I thought "oh no" but things will be turned around very soon. Academia is a tough business.
Enjoyable book, definitely check this series out.
Read
September 8, 2016This is the second novel I've read by Gigi Pandian (and her 4th mystery in the Jaya Jones series) and I wasn't disappointed. Jaya Jones or "JJ" receives an intriguing call from an old professor / mentor with whom she has been out of contact for many years. The professor has found evidence of cross-culture artwork between Mogul India and the Italian Renaissance. When a link to Michaelangelo is intimated, Jaya can't resist the lure to investigate for herself. What she doesn't anticipate is that there is someone else on the same trail. Someone who is willing to kill for the prize she's after.
Jaya Jones is a historian turned part-time detective. Her character is believable, her insecurities and flaws make her more personable and the inclusion of some interesting and well-developed secondary characters (and a romance) in the series round out her quirky personality.
I enjoy a good mystery and if there is a smart female lead, then I'm hooked. This is good fiction with plenty of unexpected plot twists and great Italian food descriptions. I can't wait for the next book in the Jaya Jones series.
Jaya Jones is a historian turned part-time detective. Her character is believable, her insecurities and flaws make her more personable and the inclusion of some interesting and well-developed secondary characters (and a romance) in the series round out her quirky personality.
I enjoy a good mystery and if there is a smart female lead, then I'm hooked. This is good fiction with plenty of unexpected plot twists and great Italian food descriptions. I can't wait for the next book in the Jaya Jones series.
September 7, 2016
Book Tour: Michelangelo's Ghost Jaya was somehow recruited to find a lost treasure. Her old professor starts it off by trying to get to her and with her research. Something happens that, makes Jaya, has to pick up the research after her professor dies.The author has you intrigued by wanting to know what Jaya gets an email from her former Professor. Once she gets her hands on the sketchbook or famous artist from Italy. Are there connections with Michelangelo?You will be so involved you will be wondering what's going on with it. How is a ghost story connected to present day Murder? For me, this book seems to have you guessing along the way.They're a disappearing boyfriend that comes and goes. What up with that. It seems to grow even more intense with a ghost that keeps appearing and disappearing. It comes to be even more intense, as you, go. I thought it was growing creepier. It, not creepy scary. It just my opinion of how I felt at a point. I loved it. You did not ever know what was going to happen when you go to turn the page.
September 28, 2016
When Jaya Jones is contacted by her old professor Lilith Vine, she is unsure whether to go and she her or not but curiosity gets the better of her. Lilith tells her that she believes she's found some missing artwork by Lazzaro Allegri, a protege of Michelangelo who left Italy to go to India where his work fused both cultures. She gives Jaya some notebooks and information for her to go through with the hopes that she will continue her quest for her.
When Lilith is found dead, Jaya, her brother Mahilan aka Fish and his girlfriend Ava journey to Italy in search of the artwork.
Things do not go as planned, secrets, lies and ghosts abound as Jaya tries to uncover clues as to where the artwork could be. Add in her best friend Sanjay and her secret boyfriend Lane, there are sure to be some misunderstandings and fun.
This is the first book I've read by Gigi Pandian but I do have another on my kindle ready to go and after reading this I know I'll enjoy it!
*Huge thanks to Gigi Pandian, Henery Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review*
When Lilith is found dead, Jaya, her brother Mahilan aka Fish and his girlfriend Ava journey to Italy in search of the artwork.
Things do not go as planned, secrets, lies and ghosts abound as Jaya tries to uncover clues as to where the artwork could be. Add in her best friend Sanjay and her secret boyfriend Lane, there are sure to be some misunderstandings and fun.
This is the first book I've read by Gigi Pandian but I do have another on my kindle ready to go and after reading this I know I'll enjoy it!
*Huge thanks to Gigi Pandian, Henery Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review*
October 27, 2016
I found this to be the best offering of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series! Although I really liked the other books in the series, I found that the author wrote about and described the Italian park so well that I felt I was there.
As usual I loved the characters, but must mention I especially loved Jaya's brother, Mahilan. Their relationship and the way they banter back and forth reminds me of the my relationship with my brothers.
And I also could really relate to Jaya's unusual food combinations...!
As usual I loved the characters, but must mention I especially loved Jaya's brother, Mahilan. Their relationship and the way they banter back and forth reminds me of the my relationship with my brothers.
And I also could really relate to Jaya's unusual food combinations...!
March 12, 2019
Enjoyable, but a little predictable. After Quicksand, Michelangelo's Ghost fell short of excitement and tension. I don't really like Jaya's brother, who really needs to stay away from being a main character. He's kind of annoying, much too overbearing for my tastes.
I love how Gigi Pandian introduces real world places that some of us might not have heard of before, and the Park of Monsters is no exception.
I do still love Jaya Jones, but I think I'll take a breather from reading the next book in this series.
I love how Gigi Pandian introduces real world places that some of us might not have heard of before, and the Park of Monsters is no exception.
I do still love Jaya Jones, but I think I'll take a breather from reading the next book in this series.
August 12, 2017
Grabs the reader's attention and refuses to let go! Professor Jaya Jones is hot on the trail of a conundrum involving Michaelangelo, India, Italy, murder, and art thieves. The publisher's blurb gives hints and there is no need for spoilers, but that can't begin to prepare you for all the suspense. Get your head in the game and enjoy!
Allyson Ryan gives an exceptional performance as narrator.
Allyson Ryan gives an exceptional performance as narrator.
May 4, 2022
This installment was a little disappointing. It was much less about true history of India and Italy and focussed instead almost entirely on Jaya's love life and a fictional Italian painter.
Still a fun story but not as entertaining as the previous books, which mixed mythical treasure hunts with real Indian history.
Still a fun story but not as entertaining as the previous books, which mixed mythical treasure hunts with real Indian history.
February 1, 2018
This series just keeps slipping and getting worse that farther along it goes. Jaya has gone from appealing, skilled historian to bumbling idiot. Her favorite sentence seems to be, “Of course! How did I miss that?”
March 20, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.5 of 5
Tremendous!
Although I have more than a couple of books in my to-be-read queue written by Gigi Pandian, I haven't read a lot of works by this author yet. But given how much I enjoyed this particular book, I will be eager to another "Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery" as well as other works by Ms. Pandian.
Jaya Jones is an Indiana Jones type of person. She's a historian who actively goes out and researches. But she gets caught up in a murder mystery along the way. Here Jaya gets a manuscript that suggests a link between Michelangelo and Italy's Park of Monsters. The connection is too much for a historian like Jaya to ignore and she begins to investigate. But a ghost haunts the park and murder makes the stakes very high. Jaya is on the path to more than just a cultural and artistic revelation.
Author Pandian has clearly done some tremendous research and brings to life the unusual Park of Monsters (a location I've long wished to visit). She writes intelligently and creates unique and very real characters. Jaya, particularly, is a character I want to read more about (and fortunately, I can, since there are three previous books in the series).
Everything about this is appealing to me - from the topic of tracking down art, to the location (Italy's Park of Monsters), to the characters, to the mystery itself. Pandian really weaves a wonderful tale.
Two little moments keep me from giving it a full five stars (and I don't want to give too much away) but the fact that Jaya manages to lose a shoe/boot while running and is not aware of it until after strikes me as slightly convenient for the story but quite authentic (but perhaps it's simply that I can't imagine not knowing when I'm running without a shoe on my foot).
The other is a little more integral to the plot. The idea that machinery ... MACHINERY ... has remained hidden for centuries, despite people looking for it, requires some willing suspension of disbelief. Surely there is machinery that has remained hidden for centuries, but usually it's a case where no one knew about it and no one was looking for it. Something this specific, within a rather specific area, definitely required some willingness on my part to accept, but the rest of the story and the writing makes it worth it.
Looking for a good book? Gigi Pandian's Michelangelo's Ghost is the fourth book in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series and is well worth the read and will likely have you wanting to read all the books in the series (if you haven't already).
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Tremendous!
Although I have more than a couple of books in my to-be-read queue written by Gigi Pandian, I haven't read a lot of works by this author yet. But given how much I enjoyed this particular book, I will be eager to another "Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery" as well as other works by Ms. Pandian.
Jaya Jones is an Indiana Jones type of person. She's a historian who actively goes out and researches. But she gets caught up in a murder mystery along the way. Here Jaya gets a manuscript that suggests a link between Michelangelo and Italy's Park of Monsters. The connection is too much for a historian like Jaya to ignore and she begins to investigate. But a ghost haunts the park and murder makes the stakes very high. Jaya is on the path to more than just a cultural and artistic revelation.
Author Pandian has clearly done some tremendous research and brings to life the unusual Park of Monsters (a location I've long wished to visit). She writes intelligently and creates unique and very real characters. Jaya, particularly, is a character I want to read more about (and fortunately, I can, since there are three previous books in the series).
Everything about this is appealing to me - from the topic of tracking down art, to the location (Italy's Park of Monsters), to the characters, to the mystery itself. Pandian really weaves a wonderful tale.
Two little moments keep me from giving it a full five stars (and I don't want to give too much away) but the fact that Jaya manages to lose a shoe/boot while running and is not aware of it until after strikes me as slightly convenient for the story but quite authentic (but perhaps it's simply that I can't imagine not knowing when I'm running without a shoe on my foot).
The other is a little more integral to the plot. The idea that machinery ... MACHINERY ... has remained hidden for centuries, despite people looking for it, requires some willing suspension of disbelief. Surely there is machinery that has remained hidden for centuries, but usually it's a case where no one knew about it and no one was looking for it. Something this specific, within a rather specific area, definitely required some willingness on my part to accept, but the rest of the story and the writing makes it worth it.
Looking for a good book? Gigi Pandian's Michelangelo's Ghost is the fourth book in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series and is well worth the read and will likely have you wanting to read all the books in the series (if you haven't already).
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2018
This is the fourth Jaya Jones mystery, yet the first I read. I think I will go back and read the first three as there were some things that I was not sure of and I am sure they was information in the previous books. Having said that, I was able to follow the story. In this book, Jaya, aka JJ, is contacted by her old mentor to ask her. She went to visit and found out that the professor had some clues to finding a lost group of paintings by a little known Rennaisance Painter, Lazzaro Allegri. Jaya is not sure whether to believe her due to her reputation of being an alcoholic who is looking for her last claim to fame. Jaya takes the three journals with her and talks to her doctorate advisor about the situation. Before she can do anything else, the mentor dies, leaving Jaya with what are, presumably sketchbooks of a student of Michelangelo. With brother Mahilan and his new flame Ava in tow, they all head to Italy to see if any of this is true and to see if they can find these hidden paintings.
I enjoyed meeting Jaya, her brother and best friend. They are real characters and their relationship is wonderful. Their dialogue with another is witty and shows their comfort with one another. I loved the descriptions of the various settings. I had never heard of the Park of Monsters, yet I could almost picture it when they were visiting. Pandian has given us another riveting mystery based loosely on historical fact and smartly woven fiction. There was an alternate mystery regarding who the mysterious thief with the calling card really was and how that thief was involved in the search for the paintings. There were some twists, some cliffhangers and some red herrings all thrown in, to take us on a journey with Jaya, Mahilan and Ava. Of course, I can't forget the ghost that flies around and screeches in the night, trying to scare people in the Park of Monsters. This is a very hard to put down mystery series and Michelangelo's Ghost is a wonderful book that I highly recommend to mystery lovers, cozy mystery lovers and those who enjoy the search for lost or hidden antiquities.
I enjoyed meeting Jaya, her brother and best friend. They are real characters and their relationship is wonderful. Their dialogue with another is witty and shows their comfort with one another. I loved the descriptions of the various settings. I had never heard of the Park of Monsters, yet I could almost picture it when they were visiting. Pandian has given us another riveting mystery based loosely on historical fact and smartly woven fiction. There was an alternate mystery regarding who the mysterious thief with the calling card really was and how that thief was involved in the search for the paintings. There were some twists, some cliffhangers and some red herrings all thrown in, to take us on a journey with Jaya, Mahilan and Ava. Of course, I can't forget the ghost that flies around and screeches in the night, trying to scare people in the Park of Monsters. This is a very hard to put down mystery series and Michelangelo's Ghost is a wonderful book that I highly recommend to mystery lovers, cozy mystery lovers and those who enjoy the search for lost or hidden antiquities.
July 10, 2021
This book is absurd, silly. Has zero character development. I was wondering whether it owed more to the DaVinci Code or Scooby Doo when, in chapter 49 (I think) and again in chapter 53 (I think) Pandian has her characters acknowledge that their behavior was reminiscent of the cast of a beloved late 60s Saturday morning cartoon, that it happened twice is indicative of the occasionally repetitive often predictable writing... And really this would work as well or better as a comic book or cartoon, serialized in a pulp magazine, even as a live action movie or TV show the actors could add some complexity to the characters.
So, one would think one or two stars, right? Well, I'm giving it three. Same as I did the Dan Brown page-turner. Sometimes one wants to see a bad movie starring Nicholas Cage or Vin Diesel. Sometimes one wants a book like Michelangelo's Ghost. Like to share a bottle of wine, explain your grievances with this book & why I'm being too generous? I'll listen; you're probably right. Be warned - this book will probably make some who finish it unhappy and others decide not to even try. But I did and didn't even mind, mostly.
So, one would think one or two stars, right? Well, I'm giving it three. Same as I did the Dan Brown page-turner. Sometimes one wants to see a bad movie starring Nicholas Cage or Vin Diesel. Sometimes one wants a book like Michelangelo's Ghost. Like to share a bottle of wine, explain your grievances with this book & why I'm being too generous? I'll listen; you're probably right. Be warned - this book will probably make some who finish it unhappy and others decide not to even try. But I did and didn't even mind, mostly.
November 21, 2017
Jaya's former mentor Lilith Vine was known for one outstanding find before she foiled her own attempts at a repeat by chasing wild leads that went nowhere. But when Lilith calls Jaya and asks to see her, Jaya goes and learns that Lilith has a lead to a trove of art hidden in Italy--and Lilith needs Jaya to help her verify the leads and locate the artworks. She entrusts Jaya with the notebooks that may hold keys to the mystery, but Lilith is murdered before she and Jaya can collaborate on the find. Jaya, her brother Fish and his girlfriend Ava go to Italy on a holiday to give Jaya an opportunity to research the situation more. A unique garden of statuary seems to be at the center of the mystery, but the area is reportedly haunted by a ghost which can be heard howling at night. There are more mysteries to be discovered, however. Ava has a mysterious background that involves Jaya's missing boyfriend, Lane. There's lots going on in this adventure.
November 30, 2017
Yet another great Jaya Jones mystery! I was really happy to meet her brother and see how they interacted--just like real life siblings. He was just as unique of a character as the rest of Pandian's characters, and he was only one of many new characters.
The locals, the suspects, and the treasure were all new and wonderful. We also get to meet two professors from Jaya's past, two who made her into the historian that she is today.
Excellent book! I highly recommend reading this series if you're looking for a book with lots of adventure (actually possible) in new locations, with interesting, unique characters who work a variety of jobs. Seriously--sometimes I get tired of stories that have the same kind of characters (looking at you, cozy mysteries!) or talk about the same kinds of places. This series is all different, and so good!
The locals, the suspects, and the treasure were all new and wonderful. We also get to meet two professors from Jaya's past, two who made her into the historian that she is today.
Excellent book! I highly recommend reading this series if you're looking for a book with lots of adventure (actually possible) in new locations, with interesting, unique characters who work a variety of jobs. Seriously--sometimes I get tired of stories that have the same kind of characters (looking at you, cozy mysteries!) or talk about the same kinds of places. This series is all different, and so good!
June 13, 2024
My library is broken so I have been digging through my piles of books. Some to reread and some that got lost in the piles. This was one of those. I LOVED it. I wish she was writing more Jaya books but Gigi is on to a new series and expanding the Alchemist series. No matter. Whichever book you pick up she is GREAT. In this outing with Jaya it's summer vacation and an old professor calls her for help to 'find' some lost treasures from a student of Michelangelo. Skeptical at first, Jaya get's sucked in and after a burglary and a murder is off to Italy to find out if there is 'something'. All the regulars join her and the hunt is ON! Read it! Read anything Pandian writes. A lot of fun!
February 25, 2018
Since I love art and history, the history of art, the Renaissance, and Indian history, it wasn't hard to want to read this book. I found Gigi Pandian's main character, spunky young historian Jaya Jones, intrepid and quirky. Just my sort of main character. The mystery got a little convoluted, but the ghost touch made me keep going. I was rewarded with some romantic intrigue as well as art history intrigue, and a conclusion plausible in its Italian art history details. Totally fun and satisfying! A light mystery, scary enough to be entertaining but not a pulse-pounding thriller. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a mystery without too much blood and with lost of history and atmosphere.
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