About Gigi Pandian
Hi, all! Here’s a little bit about me, including answers to some frequently asked questions. My official bios (short, medium, and long) are available on the press kit page.
I’m a USA Today bestselling and award-winning mystery author, locked-room mystery enthusiast, and fan of exploring ruined castles in the rain. I’m the child of academics from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, and I spent my childhood tagging along on their research trips around the world, which is what inspired my fiction. I now live in Northern California with my husband and a gargoyle who watches over the garden.
I write the Accidental Alchemist™ mysteries, Secret Staircase mysteries, Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. My debut novel, Artifact, was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a “Best of 2012” Debut Novel by Suspense Magazine, and my fiction has received Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer Awards, and been a finalist for the Edgar Award. Along with Kellye Garrett and Walter Mosley, I’m one of the co-founders of Crime Writers of Color.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of books does Gigi write?
Gigi Pandian writes traditional mysteries, specializing in locked-room mysteries, cozy fantasy mysteries, and treasure-hunt mysteries. Everything she writes is within the cozy mystery tradition, though some of her books, such as her cozy adventure treasure hunts, are sometimes referred to as “cozy adjacent.” She believes in escapist fiction with happy endings.
A bibliography of all of Gigi’s books and series can be found on the books page of this website.
What are Gigi’s most recent publications?
Her 2026 books are the novel The Alchemist of All Hallows Eve (Accidental Alchemist Mystery #10) and the book All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles from Across the Globe, a locked-room mystery anthology she co-edited with Tom Mead (their co-written story “The Problem of the Poison Garden” appears in the anthology as well). Looking ahead to 2027, her expected publications include an Accidental Alchemist Mystery and a new Jaya Jones novel.
Are Gigi’s mystery novels for adults or for children? Are they appropriate for kids?
Gigi’s books are for adults, but they don’t include graphic violence, swearing, or sex on the page, making them kid-friendly and suitable for middle-grade readers and up. (Fun fact: Gigi has written one middle-grade locked-room mystery short story, “The Haunted Typewriter,” which is published in Super Puzzletastic Mysteries, edited by Chris Grabenstein.)
How can I best keep up with Gigi’s new book releases?
The best way to keep up with new releases and other news, along with fun content such as book recommendations and recipes, is to sign up for Gigi’s email newsletter. When you subscribe, you’ll also receive a free story and mini cookbook. Note: If you don’t see a welcome email within a few minutes after signing up, please contact Gigi because something may have gone wrong!
You can also keep up with Gigi’s new releases by following her on Amazon and BookBub.
How can I get in touch with Gigi?
Gigi loves hearing from readers. The best way to get in touch with her directly is to use the form on the contact page.
Will there be more Accidental Alchemist novels?
Yes! Book 10, The Alchemist of All Hallows Eve, is available now, and Gigi is already at work on the follow-up that will be out in 2027. You can learn about the whole series, including one novella, on the series page.
Will there be more Jaya Jones novels?
Yes! Jaya Jones returns in summer 2027 in the Scottish Treasure Hunt Mysteries, a new series from Storm Publishing. Read Storm Publishing’s press release here, and stay tuned for more details in early 2027.
Why the delay after the sixth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery, The Glass Thief, was published in 2019? Gigi was planning a book research trip abroad in 2020 that was canceled when the pandemic began. She switched gears to write her Secret Staircase novels that she’d been wanting to find time to write for years, with main character Tempest Raj, but she’s been eager to get back to Jaya. You can learn about the series to date on the series page.
Will there be more Secret Staircase Mysteries?
Gigi has more in store for Tempest Raj and her Secret Staircase friends, but she has other book contracts to fulfill first. You can learn about the series to date on the series page. In the meantime, you can hang out with Sanjay in both the Jaya Jones novels and Secret Staircase novels.
Gigi has a lot of books. Which ones will I like, and where should I begin?
If you enjoy globe-trotting adventures, treasure hunts, and mysteries with a touch of romance, try the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries. This series is frequently compared to the Vicky Bliss and Amelia Peabody novels by Elizabeth Peters. “Artifact is witty, clever, and twisty... Do you like Agatha Christie? Elizabeth Peters? Then you’re going to love Gigi Pandian.” — Aaron Elkins, author of the Gideon Oliver series
If you enjoy humor, mouth-watering food, and a side dish of fantasy, try the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries. These award-winning cozy fantasy mystery novels are often compared to the paranormal cozy mysteries of New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell. “Filled with magic, intrigue, and humor, this series is sure to delight fans of cozy mysteries and urban fantasy.” ―Book Riot
If you enjoy puzzle plot mysteries and are looking for a modern update to classic locked-room mysteries of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, try the Secret Staircase Mysteries, called “wildly entertaining” by the New York Times Book Review. “Gigi Pandian is the reigning QUEEN of locked room mysteries.”—CrimeReads (One of the Most Anticipated Crime Fiction Books of the Year)
You can find Gigi Pandian’s complete bibliography here, which lists all her books in order, with series numbers and publication dates.
What is the reading order of Gigi Pandian’s Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries?
Start with Artifact (2012). The series runs to six novels and one locked-room story collection. Each book stands alone, though reading in order lets you follow the characters as they grow. The full list with publication dates is on the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries series page.
What is the reading order of Gigi Pandian’s Accidental Alchemist Mysteries?
Start with The Accidental Alchemist (2015). The series runs to ten novels and one novella, and each book stands alone, though reading in order lets you follow the characters as they grow. The full list with publication dates is on the Accidental Alchemist series page.
What is the reading order of Gigi Pandian’s Secret Staircase Mysteries?
Start with Under Lock & Skeleton Key (2022). The full series is four novels, and one standalone story, The Christmas Caper. Each book stands alone, though reading in order lets you follow the characters as they grow. The full list with publication dates is on the Secret Staircase Mysteries series page.
What is the Scottish Treasure Hunt Mystery series?
The Scottish Treasure Hunt Mysteries are a new cozy adventure mystery series by Gigi Pandian, set in the Scottish Highlands and published by Storm Publishing. The series continues the adventures of historian Jaya Jones, who first appeared in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries. Readers don't have to have read the earlier Jaya Jones novels to enjoy the new series, but to learn more Jaya and her first six adventures, you can learn more here.
The first book in the Scottish Treasure Hunt Mysteries is expected in summer 2027. Jaya travels to a Scottish castle to compete for the chance to become its in-house treasure hunter.
Are Gigi’s books available as audiobooks?
Yes! All of Gigi’s novels are available as audiobooks, and the narrators are fabulous.
I bought an Accidental Alchemist audiobook. How do I get the recipes included in the back of the books?
Audiobook listeners can download PDFs of the recipes from each book in the Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series here.
Have Gigi’s books been translated into other languages?
Yes! The first two books of the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries have been translated into German and published in Germany, with the third and fourth books in the series coming out in Germany in late 2026. And the first two Secret Staircase Mysteries have been translated into Japanese and published in Japan.
What ever happened to Leopold from The Elusive Elixir?
If you keep reading the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries, you’ll see his story get resolved.
What’s a locked-room mystery?
A locked-room mystery is a crime that looks truly impossible, such as a large piece of art vanishing from a locked room that was being watched. The term is often confused with a “closed circle” mystery, where a small group of people are isolated so you know one of them must be the culprit. It’s a deviously fun type of mystery, and Gigi has written a lot more about the mystery sub-genre here.
Gigi has had more than a dozen locked-room mystery short stories published, many of which have won or been nominated for awards, including her Edgar-nominated story, “The Locked Room Library,” originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Along with Tom Mead, Gigi co-edited the 2026 locked-room mystery anthology, All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles from Across the Globe.
What’s a cozy mystery?
Readers disagree about an exact definition, but a generally shared understanding is that a cozy mystery has an amateur sleuth detective, any violence and sex happens off the page, and solving a puzzle is key. Cozy mysteries often take place in a small-town setting, but that’s a general expectation more than a rule. Is a cozy mystery about specific plot elements or about overall vibes? Gigi would argue it’s the latter.