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thenovelbook's review
3.0
Quick read. This short story has shout-outs to Mystery on the Orient Express, and is a good example of a locked-room mystery. I thought it was pretty engaging.
katreader's review
4.0
THE LIBRARY GHOST OF TANGLEWOOD INN by Gigi Pandian
The Fifth and a Half Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery
Trying to make it back home in time for Thanksgiving, Jaya and Tamarind are grounded by a Colorado snowstorm. A meeting with a man who looks somewhat like a Hollywood styled vampire procures them an invitation to join a group going to an inn off the beaten track in order to avoid sleeping in the airport. The inn has an interesting history, including being home to an avenging ghost. Screams in the night send everyone running to the library which they find locked from the inside. Gaining entry, they discover the vampire looking author quite dead. Has the avenging ghost struck again?
I love getting another glimpse into Jaya Jones' world. What a fun idea to see what happens while not on a big adventure, but rather, returning from one and simply trying to get home in time for Thanksgiving. We only know two characters going in, Jaya and Tamarind, so a reader can jump right in without prior knowledge of the series. Of course, those of us who read this series can appreciate more nuances and enjoy it even more.
Arriving at the Tanglewood Inn, Gigi Pandian creates a setting evocative of ghost stories and Golden Age mysteries, at once haunting, spine tingling, and cozy! The mystery is fiendishly clever and great fun. A dead body in a locked library with an early edition Agatha Christie mystery and an avenging ghost as a suspect, what's not to love?!? My only gripe is that it's a short story and so is...short! Such an atmospheric setting deserves to be explored more fully and at length. Perhaps Jaya will return for a visit?
THE LIBRARY GHOST OF TANGLEWOOD INN is a cleverly plotted locked room mystery. This short story is a delightful morsel to keep you going until the next full length Jaya Jones adventure is released.
The Fifth and a Half Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery
Trying to make it back home in time for Thanksgiving, Jaya and Tamarind are grounded by a Colorado snowstorm. A meeting with a man who looks somewhat like a Hollywood styled vampire procures them an invitation to join a group going to an inn off the beaten track in order to avoid sleeping in the airport. The inn has an interesting history, including being home to an avenging ghost. Screams in the night send everyone running to the library which they find locked from the inside. Gaining entry, they discover the vampire looking author quite dead. Has the avenging ghost struck again?
I love getting another glimpse into Jaya Jones' world. What a fun idea to see what happens while not on a big adventure, but rather, returning from one and simply trying to get home in time for Thanksgiving. We only know two characters going in, Jaya and Tamarind, so a reader can jump right in without prior knowledge of the series. Of course, those of us who read this series can appreciate more nuances and enjoy it even more.
Arriving at the Tanglewood Inn, Gigi Pandian creates a setting evocative of ghost stories and Golden Age mysteries, at once haunting, spine tingling, and cozy! The mystery is fiendishly clever and great fun. A dead body in a locked library with an early edition Agatha Christie mystery and an avenging ghost as a suspect, what's not to love?!? My only gripe is that it's a short story and so is...short! Such an atmospheric setting deserves to be explored more fully and at length. Perhaps Jaya will return for a visit?
THE LIBRARY GHOST OF TANGLEWOOD INN is a cleverly plotted locked room mystery. This short story is a delightful morsel to keep you going until the next full length Jaya Jones adventure is released.
cantwelljr's review
1.0
I would not have picked this up ever based on my previous experience with Jaya Jones, the world's most annoying wannabe Indiana Jones. But I needed an award-winning short story and here we are. I hoped that maybe since this isn't the first in the series the characters would be a little more realistic and tolerable but alas, no. Jaya and her friend Tamarind are both incredibly rude and needlessly aggressive, as are Simon and Kenny. Everyone else has so little personality it's hard to even come up with what to say about them. I know it's a short story, but I've watched episodes of Scooby Doo with better character development. They usually have better mysteries too. This was just stupid.
It won an Agatha Award for best short story and all I can say is it must have been slim pickings.
It won an Agatha Award for best short story and all I can say is it must have been slim pickings.
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