Artifact

Artifact
Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series
Gigi Pandian
Gargoyle Girls Productions
El Cerrito, California
ISBN: 978-1-93821-00-7
August 28, 2012
$ 14.95
296 pages

"Our paths will cross again someday."

Isn't that a haunting statement from a former boyfriend? Even though you have moved on with your life, there's always that one little thought in the back of your mind, wondering what the intention was with that statement.

Jaya Jones has a successful new life working with a university and is proud of recently earning the security of having a tenured position. Her specialty is the time period of the British Raj in India.

When she receives a mysterious package from her former boyfriend, Rupert, she is surprised to find that he has sent her a ruby bracelet obviously from India and likely to be from the time of the British Raj. Curious about his obviously valuable gem, she takes a picture of it to ask her working associates about it and it's value. Coincidentally, she is informed that this former boyfriend has died from being in automobile accident in Scotland. Was he killed because of the bracelet?

When Jada's apartment is broken into and nothing is taken, she quickly realizes that she needs to place the bracelet in a secure place and puts it in a safety deposit box. She still has the picture of it which she carries with her.

With a colleague that she has just met, she is wondering why he is also on her plane going to England. What does he know about the jewel that he has not told her?

She plans to go to the archaeological site that Rupert was working on. The site was discovering artifacts from the Picts.

Artifact is a romp through the Scottish countryside that is well-organized with realistic characters thrown into a situation that is overwhelming and dangerous to them. For a debut novel, the characters are well-developed with personalities. The story is masterfully plotted and logical which makes Artifact an enjoyable, even educational, novel.

Artifact is Gigi Pandian's debut novel which is the result of her being the winner of the Malice Domestic Grant. With both her parents being cultural anthropologists, her perspective is refreshing with global influences from one parent being from New Mexico and the other from the southern tip of India. Artifact is a delightful new novel in a new series from the enlightened voice of Gigi Pandian.

I definitely plan to read more from this exciting author, Gigi Pandian.