A modern tale of ancient intrigue from a USA Today bestselling author When Zoe Faust—herbalist, alchemist, and recent transplant to Portland, Oregon—begins unpacking her bags, she can't help but notice she's picked up a stow away: a living, breathing, three-and-half-foot gargoyle. Dorian Robert-Houdin is no simple automaton, nor is he a homunculus; in fact, he needs Zoe's help to decipher a centuries-old text that explains exactly what he is. Zoe, who's trying to put her alchemical life behind her, isn't so sure she can help. But after a murder victim is discovered on her front porch, Zoe realized she's tangled up in ancient intrigue that can't be ignored. Includes recipes!

Deciphering an ancient alchemy book is more difficult than Zoe Faust bargained for. She'd much rather be gardening and exploring her new home of Portland, Oregon—but time is running out for living gargoyle Dorian Robert-Houdin. If Zoe isn t able to unlock the alchemy book's secrets soon, the French gargoyle will remain awake but trapped in stone forever. When Zoe 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 ever imagined.

Dorian Robert-Houdin, the three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle chef who fancies himself a modern-day Poirot, is slowly turning into stone, and it's up to Zoe Faust to unravel the alchemical secrets that can save him. When they discover that a long-lost stone gargoyle with a connection to Dorian has reappeared in Europe, the stakes are even higher. From Portland to Paris, Zoe searches for the hidden knowledge she needs, but a cold case that harkens back to 1942 throws her off course. With an ailing friend desperately trying to discover his own Elixir of Life and a new romantic interest offering the first chance at love she's had in nearly a century, Zoe is torn between a dangerous form of alchemy and her desire for a normal life. "Pandian's imaginative third Accidental Alchemist mystery...will please those who like their cozies filled with magic."— Publishers Weekly "The unbelievable premise is no problem given the inventive powers of Pandian."— Kirkus Reviews "Pandian writes fun, light-hearted mysteries and is an expert at developing sympathetic characters, both major and minor."— Bustle "A quirky, incredible series...The characters are immensely unique and the writing is A+, so you won't want to miss a word."— Suspense Magazine

Nominated for a 2020 Edgar Award (The G.P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award) "Surprising plot twists, several cliffhangers, and vivid magical imagery will keep fans of paranormal cozies turning the pages."— Publishers Weekly The latest alchemical adventure from Gigi Pandian, USA Today bestselling author and winner of the Agatha Award Centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust is tired of running from her past. She's finally got her life on track in Portland, Oregon, gardening and cooking in her fixer-upper house with her mischievous best friend, Dorian the gargoyle chef. It seems like the perfect life for Zoe, until she discovers that her old mentor Nicolas Flamel, who she thought had abandoned her, has been imprisoned. A local artist holds the secret that could lead Zoe to her mentor, but the artist is murdered and the painting containing the hidden clue is stolen. To rescue Nicolas, Zoe and Dorian must explore art forgery, a transformative process that has much in common with alchemy and cooking—but one that proves far more dangerous. Includes delicious vegan recipes! "Sparkles most when it stays true to the wonder of its magical subject."— Foreword Reviews "Pandian paints a lovely picture of relationships throughout the book's mystery of greed and violence."— New York Journal of Books

Alchemy and an art heist in Paris are on the menu in the new Accidental Alchemist novella from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award winning author Gigi Pandian. 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. When the work of art is stolen under impossible circumstances, Dorian must use his “little gray cells”—not to mention his culinary skills—to solve the crime and discover the true origins of where he came from. Includes delicious vegan recipes! The Lost Gargoyle of Paris is an Accidental Alchemist Mystery novella and is less than half the length of the novels in the series. It stands alone, but if you want to read more about Zoe, Dorian, and their misfit friends back in Portland, Oregon, check out The Accidental Alchemist, The Masquerading Magician, The Elusive Elixir, and The Alchemist's Illusion.

The Goonies meets Charade in the latest Accidental Alchemist Mystery A blackmailer obsessed with gold. A boyfriend who’s more than he seems. And a treasure hidden on the Oregon coast. Alchemist Zoe Faust’s mentor Nicolas Flamel is back in her life, but catching up with him will have to wait. An elusive blackmailer has threatened to expose a dangerous alchemical secret. Zoe’s boyfriend is out of town protecting secrets of his own. So when rumors of a treasure map reach Zoe, she turns her back on what sounds like no more than a game. Zoe’s mischievous living gargoyle best friend Dorian, who thinks of himself as a modern-day Poirot, is convinced the map is real—and that it’s the key to proving himself as valuable to Zoe as her human family. With the help of the neighborhood teenagers, Dorian sets out to find the treasure, risking more than he planned in the process. Rumors, treasures, and secrets intersect to unearth more than Zoe could have dreamed—and could leave her family changed forever. Can Zoe stop the threat to the family unit she’s created?

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.

Murder in a conservatory of carnivorous plants. Bewitching topiary terrors. A sabotaged tea shop. Can Zoe untangle the truth before someone close to her takes the blame? Alchemist Zoe Faust is no stranger to magical mayhem, but when her boyfriend's new tea shop is vandalized and his special tea blends stolen, she plunges into a baffling mystery to save him. The clues lead Zoe and her gargoyle sidekick Dorian to an eerie mansion high in the Portland hills, filled with creeping carnivorous plants and enigmatic topiary monsters. When they stumble across a corpse in the conservatory that appears to have been killed by sinister shrubbery, an estranged member of the family is implicated in the murder. Can Zoe use her alchemical skills to catch the real killer while navigating crafty alchemists and killer plants? The seventh installment in the multi-award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series finds Zoe and Dorian battling carnivorous plants and a killer hiding in the wicked weeds of this closed circle whodunit. Full of laugh-out-loud humor and spine-tingling fantasy elements, this lighthearted mystery will leave readers racing through the conservatory’s vines to the end of this killer read. Buy The Alchemist of Monsters and Mayhem to unearth the secrets of the conservatory today!

A stolen masterpiece. A brilliant woman written out of history. And a recipe for a lost color worth killing for. In the spellbinding eighth installment of the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries, centuries-old alchemist Zoe Faust and living gargoyle Dorian Robert-Houdin face their most colorful case yet! Zoe’s hard-won peaceful life is shattered when a devious thief targets her most prized possession—a vibrant portrait that’s her last connection to her long-dead brother. It’s a painting that also holds the secrets of a forgotten artist who created recipes for the most breathtaking colors ever seen. When the canvas disappears and murder follows, Zoe must unravel a palette of deadly puzzles. With her quick-witted sidekick Dorian and their eclectic group of friends, Zoe races to catch a killer, evade a secret society, and recover her beloved painting. But the quest is bigger than solving a present-day crime. Can Zoe finally set the historical record straight for a gifted painter erased from the history of art? Bursting with vivid characters, fascinating history, and touches of whimsical magic and culinary alchemy, The Alchemist of Brushstrokes and Brimstone is a cozy mystery that will leave you breathlessly turning pages until the final stroke.