The Alchemist of Monsters and Mayhem is now available!

This award-winning humorous mystery series set in Portland, Oregon, features centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust and a gargoyle who was once stone before being accidentally brought to life through alchemy.

The series so far: 1) The Accidental Alchemist, 2) The Masquerading Magician, 3) The Elusive Elixir, 4) The Alchemist’s Illusion, 4.5) The Lost Gargoyle of Paris (a novella), 5) The Alchemist of Fire and Fortune, 6) The Alchemist of Riddle and Ruin and 7) The Alchemist of Monsters and Mayhem.


Winner of the Left Coast Crime Lefty Award.

"Filled with magic, intrigue, and humor, this series is sure to delight fans of cozy mysteries and urban fantasy." ―Bookriot

"A whimsical and charming supernatural mystery." ―Mystery Scene

A chance for a new beginning in Portland, Oregon. A stowaway from Paris who's slowly turning to stone. Can alchemist Zoe Faust unravel the secrets of an ancient book in time to save her new friend? Includes recipes! Learn more.


A murder, missing loot from a famous heist, and an ancient book that could spell life or death for alchemist Zoe Faust’s favorite gargoyle.

Deciphering an ancient alchemy book is more difficult than alchemist Zoe Faust bargained for. When she gives herself a rare night out to attend a classic magic show that reminds her of her youth, she realizes the stage magicians are much more than they seem. A murder at the theater leads back to a string of unsolved robberies and murders in Portland’s past, and a mystery far more personal than Zoe and Dorian the gargoyle ever imagined. Includes recipes! Learn more.

“People who enjoy character driven stories with mystery, magic, supernatural creatures, and historical intrigue will greatly enjoy this inventive, well-written tale.” ―Portland Book Review


An unsolved crime from 1942. A dangerous secret linked to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. And a woman threatening to expose alchemist Zoe Faust’s own secrets. 

Dorian Robert-Houdin, the three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle chef who fancies himself a modern-day Poirot, is slowly turning into stone. From Paris, France, to Portland, Oregon, can Zoe Faust unlock the Elixir of Life a second time to save her best friend Dorian? When they discover that a long-lost stone gargoyle with a connection to Dorian has reappeared in Europe, the stakes become even higher. Includes recipes! Learn more.

"Pandian's imaginative third Accidental Alchemist mystery will please those who like their cozies filled with magic." —Publishers Weekly


Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original and shortlisted for the G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award given out at the Edgar Awards.

"The Alchemist’s Illusion is filled with beauty... Pandian paints a lovely picture of relationships throughout the book's mystery of greed and violence." —New York Journal of Books

A perilous painting leads Zoe Faust and Dorian Robert-Houdin on an alchemical adventure in Portland, Oregon, in search of Zoe's missing mentor—Nicolas Flamel. Includes recipes! Learn more.


Alchemy and an art heist in Paris are on the menu in this Accidental Alchemist novella.

Alchemist Zoe Faust and her impish gargoyle sidekick Dorian Robert-Houdin travel to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to investigate a mysterious discovery found in the wreckage of the tragic fire: a long-lost gargoyle illustration drawn by Victor Hugo himself, which vanishes under impossible circumstances. Learn more.


The Goonies meets Charade in the fifth Accidental Alchemist Mystery

A Kings River Life Best of 2021!

A blackmailer obsessed with gold. A boyfriend who’s more than he seems. And a treasure hidden on the Oregon coast. Learn more.


A riddle, a game, and a clue in the garden.

When Zoe Faust sees the ghost of a murdered young woman, is it really a spirit—or a flesh and blood woman who stopped aging because she’s a fellow alchemist?

Sixteen years ago, high school student Ridley Price discovered a secret she planned to reveal through a party game—but someone killed her first. The baffling crime was never solved. Zoe’s friend Heather has always wondered: which of the seven guests at the party killed Ridley? When the newly-appeared ghost turns dangerous, threatening people they love, Zoe teams up with her gargoyle roommate Dorian to unmask the supposed specter. Learn more.


Murder in a conservatory of carnivorous plants. Bewitching topiary terrors. A sabotaged tea shop. Can alchemist Zoe Faust untangle the truth before someone close to her takes the blame? In the seventh installment in the multi-award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series, Zoe and her gargoyle sidekick Dorian find themselves entangled in the vines of a closed circle mystery at an eerie mansion high in the Portland hills. Learn more.

“Dorian is the best! I can't wait for more books in the series.” —Cozy Up With Kathy


The Accidental Alchemist Books 1-3 (Box Set)

Accidental Alchemist Mysteries Box Set

An Accidental Alchemist ebook box set of the first 3 books in the series is available for only $9.99!


The Rose City Vampire: An Accidental Alchemist Short Story

The first Accidental Alchemist impossible crime short story is now available in School of Hard Knox: Stories That Break Father Ronald Knox's Ten Commandments For Crime Fiction from Crippen & Landrau.

Portland's residents are grappling with a frightening and confounding mystery: attacks by a vampire within their securely locked homes. The vengeful vampire is boasting that its deeds are targeting the city's sinners. Can gargoyle sleuth Dorian Robert-Houdin unravel the perplexing conundrum before the vampire’s chilling embrace claims a life?

Buy the anthology worldwide in print or as an ebook.


Praise for the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries

“Pandian launches a supernatural cozy series that hits high marks for a modern twist on an ancient practice. Amusing supporting characters and historical details solidify this engaging mystery.”
Library Journal

“Pandian sets this series apart from other paranormal mysteries with Zoe’s cute nonhuman sidekick and some mouthwatering vegan recipes.”
Publishers Weekly

“This new series is off to an excellent start with an intriguing, eccentric amateur detective… 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, 4 1/2 stars

“Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!”
—Victoria LaurieNew York Times bestselling author