Bonjour. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I must apologize for speaking to you from the shadows, before sunrise. My name is Dorian, and I am a gargoyle. I was once carved in stone for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, then brought to life 150 years ago through alchemy. Even though I now have a wonderful circle of friends who know my true identity, I am still wary of meeting new people.
It is for this reason that as I begin my day baking a feast of exquisite French pastries for Blue Sky Teas, I must do so before the sun rises. Baking before dawn allows me to return to my attic abode before the people of Portland, Oregon accidentally catch sight of me. Thus, my day begins long before dawn, and the night is when I am most free.
You are a most understanding reader, but most others are not ready to believe in a living gargoyle. I cannot adequately express how pleased I am to have found people like you, and a welcoming family with alchemist Zoe Faust—and now with her fiancé, Max.
Their relationship is the cause for my concern on this beautiful, overcast morning in the Pacific Northwest. You see, Zoe and Max are now engaged, and they have found the perfect home for the three of us. A charming old house that has a bountiful garden for Zoe and Max, and a detached cottage that can be my own home. The best thing about this tree-shrouded cottage is that it was built by a chef, so it has a grand kitchen! Mon Dieu, simply imagining the culinary feasts I could create in this space. C’est magnifique!
The problem? There may have been a murder committed in the main house many years ago. Strange rumors have surrounded the house ever since. Max is quite insistent that he and Zoe not move into a house that might have a body hidden in the walls. But this was simply an urban legend! Nothing more. I am fairly confident of this. However, I cannot dispute that things have taken a turn for the worse. You see, yet another murder has occurred.
It is a good thing that I am on the case! Have I mentioned yet that I am a great detective? Like Agatha Christie’s Poirot before me, I have little gray cells that enable my mind to work like that of a brilliant detective. In my case, my gray stone body ensures that I literally possess little gray cells.
Zoe has gently suggested that I be more humble about both my culinary abilities and my investigative brilliance. But I ask you, why should I lie? It is to the benefit of all for me to continue fostering my culinary genius while solving crimes on the side.
This new case might be my most important of all. If I am able to solve the case, then I can give Zoe and Max the house as a wedding present! (Yes, it will also ensure that I have the kitchen of my dreams. But I promise this is only a secondary motive.)
This will be a challenging day, for I must balance both cooking and investigating. If you will excuse me, I have much to do and it is time to eat.
THE ALCHEMIST OF ALL HALLOWS EVE
Series: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery, Book 10
Genre: Cozy Mystery – Cozy Fantasy – Culinary
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audiobook on Audible
An eternally young alchemist. A gargoyle who fancies himself Poirot. A Murder House for sale the week before Halloween.
Zoe Faust has run from her past for centuries. She didn’t plan on settling down. She didn’t plan on falling for a mortal man. She certainly didn’t plan on the gargoyle.
Now Zoe, her fiancé, and her French chef gargoyle best friend Dorian have found an enchanting home with a hidden cottage for Dorian. It’s perfect for their little family. Except for one thing. Forty years ago, the night before Halloween, a woman was murdered in their dream house. Or was she?
When an enigmatic stranger arrives and insists that a mythological Irish witch holds the secret to the unsolved crime, Halloween turns deadly once more. Refusing to let Zoe lose the home she’s waited centuries for, Dorian the gargoyle sets out to crack the case.
Can an alchemist, a gargoyle, and a teashop-owning detective solve two Halloween murders before an innocent man takes the fall and their perfect home slips away?
About the author
Gigi Pandian (www.gigipandian.com) is a USA Today bestselling mystery author, locked-room mystery enthusiast, and fan of exploring ruined castles in the rain. She’s won Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards and been a finalist for the Edgar. She writes the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, the Secret Staircase mysteries, and the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries. Gigi lives in Northern California with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the backyard garden.