Goodreads Synopsis:
A century-old treasure map of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast. Sacred riches from India. Two murders, one hundred years apart. And a love triangle… Historian Jaya Jones has her work cut out for her.
1906. Shortly before the Great San Francisco Earthquake, Pirate Vishnu strikes the San Francisco Bay. An ancestor of Jaya’s who came to the U.S. from India draws a treasure map…
Present Day. Over a century later, the cryptic treasure map remains undeciphered. From San Francisco to the southern tip of India, Jaya pieces together her ancestor’s secrets, maneuvers a complicated love life she didn’t count on, and puts herself in the path of a killer to restore a revered treasure.
My Thoughts:
This is the second full length book in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series. The character relationships will make more sense if you’ve read Artifact, but it could be read as a standalone. All of her life, Jaya Jones has been told stories about her Great Uncle Anand who died rescuing a friend during the San Fransisco Earthquake. But, then a lawyer shows up at her door with a treasure map that implies he might not have been so heroic after all. When the lawyer is murdered, Jaya knows there’s more to the story. I really like Pandian’s storytelling technique. She alternates between Jaya’s investigation and flashbacks of her ancestor. It’s a light, cozy mystery series, but I also learned about Indian history and culture.
You might like this book if…
You prefer lighter mysteries without graphic violence
You have an interest in history
You like treasure hunts