The Cambodian Curse & Other Stories
A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Short Story Collection
A treasure trove of nine locked-room mysteries.
Appearing here for the first time, Derringer Award-winning novelette The Cambodian Curse: When an ancient and supposedly cursed Cambodian sculpture disappears from an impenetrable museum, and the carving’s owner is killed by an invisible assailant while a witness is a few feet away, historian Jaya Jones and her old nemesis Henry North team up to solve the baffling crime.
Also includes the Agatha Award-winning novelette, The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn.
With an Introduction from New York Times bestselling author Laurie R. King addressing why we love locked rooms, and a Foreword from impossible crime mystery historian Douglas G. Greene, teasing out the tradition of John Dickson Carr that Pandian is following. This collection is filled with ingenious stories of magic, mystery, and history.
Stories included: “The Cambodian Curse,” “The Hindi Houdini,” “The Haunted Room,” “The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn,” “The Curse of Cloud Castle,” “Tempest in a Teapot,” “A Dark and Stormy Light,” “The Shadow of the River,” plus bonus novella Fool’s Gold.
Praise for The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories
“Gigi Pandian is the Queen of the locked-room mystery. This collection is a home run.”
—Shelly Dickson Carr, award-winning author of Ripped
“Mysteries about seemingly impossible crimes have a long and distinguished pedigree and in this collection Gigi Pandian keeps the tradition going with verve and ingenuity.”
—Martin Edwards, author of Gallows Court and The Golden Age of Murder
IncludeD Stories
“The Cambodian Curse”: An ancient sculpture vanishes from a museum that's as impenetrable as a fortress. When the owner of the sculpture meets a mysterious end, killed by an unseen assailant, historian Jaya Jones and her old nemesis, the cunning Henry North, must overcome their past to solve this cryptic puzzle.
“The Hindi Houdini”: Sanjay Rai, the charismatic 'Hindi Houdini,' finds himself in the midst of a real-life mystery when a death at the Napa Valley winery theater where he performs presents a puzzle that only his magician's mind can solve.
“The Haunted Room”: An impossible crime tale unfolds within the walls of a Victorian mansion, a relic from San Francisco's gold rush era. Jaya Jones and her landlady Nadia find themselves investigating a series of ghostly thefts that span decades. Can they decipher the mansion's cryptic clues, or will its secrets remain shrouded in mystery?
“The Library Ghost of Tanglewood Inn”: In this Agatha Award-winning short story, Jaya Jones and Tamarind Ortega find themselves stranded in a historic inn during a snowstorm. Their refuge turns into a nightmare when they discover a dead man in the haunted library, clutching an Agatha Christie novel. As Tamarind stands accused, Jaya must unravel a mystery that echoes an unsolved 1930s murder. Could the library's ghost be seeking vengeance?
“The Curse of Cloud Castle”: Stage magician Sanjay Rai, known as The Hindi Houdini, finds his magic skills put to the test in a real-life mystery when he is invited to a birthday party on a haunted island off California and the festivities turn deadly. As the “curse of the cloud castle” plays out with a chilling murder, Sanjay must discern if the perpetrator is a vengeful ghost or a cunning criminal who has orchestrated the perfect crime.
“Tempest in a Teapot”: This impossible crime mystery introduced Tempest, a charismatic illusionist and heroine of the Secret Staircase Mysteries. When a fellow magician is injured under inexplicable circumstances, can Tempest expose the trick and reveal the truth?
“A Dark and Stormy Light”: Amidst the buzz of overlapping history and mystery conventions at a grand hotel, historian Jaya Jones finds herself entwined in a real-life enigma. Teamed with a celebrated mystery novelist, can she solve the impossible crime that has baffled even the sharpest minds among the hotel guests?
“The Shadow of the River”: A locked-room conundrum from early in the career of historian and sleuth Jaya Jones, back when she was a headstrong graduate student. A professor's death in the sanctuary of his office rattles the department, but Jaya alone senses the foul play. As she peels back the layers of this perplexing mystery, will she unmask a killer hiding in plain sight?
“Fool's Gold”: A prequel to Artifact! All historian Jaya Jones wants is a relaxing vacation in Scotland before starting her first year teaching college. When a world-famous chess set is stolen from a locked room during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, can Jaya and her magician best friend, The Hindi Houdini, outwit actresses and alchemists to solve the baffling crime?