Michelangelo’s Ghost: 
A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery

 

Book Title:
Michelangelo’s Ghost: A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery
by Gigi Pandian
Category:  Adult fiction,  288 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher:  Henery Press
Release date:  October 4, 2016
Format available for review: ebook
Tour dates:  October 10 to 21, 2016
Content Rating:  PG

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MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS BOOK

Last year, I organized a tour for author Gigi Pandian, but I didn’t have time to read the book myself. Gigi will be back on France Book Tours in January for her upcoming novel (there are still review copies available), so I thought time had come for me to take the time to discover her latest mystery, set in Italy: Michelangelo’s Ghost. I’m now so glad I finally met her fearless heroine Jaya Jones, aka JJ.

The book opens with a wonderful reflection on what makes something a treasure. I was hooked!
Another proof, if any is still needed, that the first paragraph is essential. It not only needs to grab you, but also has to fit perfectly within the style and genre of the book.

 

We get to know JJ, a historian by formation. But as she helped find a treasure in India, she now gets hundreds of similar requests. So when she receives an invitation from her old professor, Dr Lilith Vine, JJ cannot refuse. Lilith claims she found unique sketchbooks from the 16th century. They are the artwork of Lazzaro Allegri, a protégé of Michelangelo. Allegri spent thirty years in India, where he combined Italian religious iconography with Indian settings. That didn’t go too well with the papacy, so when he came back, he hid his works. Lilith asks JJ’s help to trace Allegri’s works of art and his hidden art studio.

 

So we follow then JJ in Italy, especially to Bomarzo and the famous Parco di Mostri, Park of Monsters, where the art studio seems to be located.
She goes there with her brother Mahilan and his girlfriend Ava, to try to find the artist’s workshop herself. When she arrives in Italy, she hears Lilith has died. JJ suspects she may have been killed and realizes her quest is going to be much more dangerous than an art history field trip.

 

To make matter worse, she is no longer sure whom she can trust. Was Lilith herself hiding something from her? What about Lane, her former lover and art thief, who shows up in Italy, disguised?

 

The descriptions of the Park of Monsters and its history were fascinating. Definitely a place you need to check on your next trip to Italy!
One unfortunate consequence I was not at all expecting from the book: it kept making me hungry, with its yummy evocation of Indian (through JJ’s diet and also her friend Sanjay’s, a stage magician) and Italian food. They even go to a cooking class with a chef!

 

The suspense was awesome, with spooky scenes. Despite the title, keep in mind that this is definitely not a supernatural, fantasy book, but a real mystery.

 

I was a bit mad at JJ sometimes, as it took her from chapters 14 to 37 to realize an important detail that seemed so blatantly oblivious to me from the get go, but there were plenty of other elements to prevent me from actually identifying the villain.
We run into several characters connected to JJ’s life, and sometimes it felt a bit too much for me to keep track of, probably because I have not read the three previous books in this series, but at the same time, it was neat, as it made for plenty of red-herrings, as it was hard to discern whom JJ could really trust.

 

The essential details about the clue are very clever and so easy to miss. And the ending is great!

 

VERDICT: Very clever mystery, rich with Italian and Indian art history and food. Irresistible combo!

ARE YOU PLANNING TO READ THIS BOOK?
Have you read any other mystery
featuring art history?
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