Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The Ninja's Illusion (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery #5)

Author:  Gigi Pandian
Genre:   Mystery/Suspense

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; [Audio CD]; Digital Book
ISBN:  9781635112542; 9781635112511; [9781515963745]
Henery Press Publishing [Tantor Audio]
294 Pages
$31.94; $15.95; $24.97; $6.99 Amazon
May 29, 2017

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A fabled illusion performed by a stage magician who claims to possess real supernatural powers.  A treasure from the colonial era in India when international supremacies vied for power.  A phantom trading ship lost over 200 years ago.  And a ninja whose murderous intentions in present-day Japan connect the deeds of a long-dead trader who was much more than he seemed...

When Jaya travels from San Francisco to Japan with her stage magician best friend Sanjay -- a.k.a. The Hindi Houdini -- for his Japanese debut, she jumps at the chance to pursue her own research that could solve a tantalizing centuries-old mystery.

With the colorful autumn leaves of historic Kyoto falling around her, Jaya soon loses sight of what's real and what's a deception.  A mysterious ninja attempts to sabotage Sanjay's trick, along with Japan's most controversial magician, Akira.  Ancient folklore blurs the lines between illusion and reality when a magician's assistant appears to be a kitsune, a mythical fox spirit.  As tricks escalate to murder, Jaya and her friends must unravel secrets hidden in the ancient capital of Japan, before one of their own becomes the next victim.

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When Jaya Jones, a history professor at a San Francisco university, has a break Thanksgiving week, she intends to travel to Japan to see her best friend, Sanjay, known as the Hindi Houdini, perform his magic.  But before leaving, she receives a cryptic call from him telling her not to come.  Jaya, who also is a well-known treasure hunter who finds artifacts and turns them over to the countries where they belong, is meeting with Professor Nakamura as well, refuses to stay and goes anyway.

Once she reaches Japan, Sanjay refuses to tell her anything except that 'it's complicated.'  When she meets the magician he'll be working with, Akira, she finds the man rude and arrogant.  His assistant, Yako (whose real name is Yoko), is supposedly a kitsune, a fox who can take human form.  While Jaya doesn't believe it, she still wants to know what is really happening.  Yet with the appearance of Sanjay's mentor Sébastien, a retired French magician who still creates mechanical wonders for others, it only complicates things.  Once Jaya learns that tricks have been sabotaged and a mysterious ninja is following them, she wants Sanjay to stop.  When he refuses, and Akira is murdered, Sanjay still intends to continue, making Jaya worried for him.

But then another magician enters the scene, even more attacks are occurring, and Jaya begins to discover that her own research regarding helping Professor Nakamura might have something to do with what's going on with Sanjay's rope trick.  It also might have deadly consequences for one of them, if she doesn't find the truth, and soon...

This is the fifth book in the series, and I have to say I've loved every one of them.  I also have to say that unfortunately, I've read the sixth one first, so this is a bit of a 'backtrack' for me, which I usually don't do; but this is how much I love this series.  (To clarify, if I miss a book, I usually won't go back and read the previous one, but continue on.)

At any rate, the mystery is top-notch, blending Jaya's research with Sanjay's magic, and it works.  We are drawn into the tale easily, and the descriptions of the area around Jaya is rich and colorful.  It makes one want to visit one of the temples, or at the very least, spend time in Kyoto itself.  As a bonus, we get to see Jaya as she is at her most confused regarding her personal life, and deciding what she really wants; giving us more insight as to the type of person she is.

There is plenty of suspense and enlightenment of Japanese history regarding the treatment of foreigners in ancient times. For myself, I found it fascinating; but I usually do with with Ms. Pandian's books.  She is a writer who does her research well, and every time I choose one of her books I know that not only will I be entertained, but learn something new.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it is a bit of a surprise, but there are clues leading up to it and we learn the identity the same time as Jaya; yet the author gives us enough of a tight climax that makes it all worthwhile.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Ninjas-Illusion-Jones-Treasure-Mystery/dp/1635112540/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2138737571

More on Gigi Pandian's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/gigi-pandian/

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