The Christmas Caper by Gigi Pandian Series: Secret Staircase Mystery #1.5
Published by Minotaur Books on October 11, 2022
Source: Purchased
Genres: Short Story, Cozy Mystery
Pages: 83
Format: eBook
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A baffling art heist. A mysterious Christmas Market. A thief in the shadows of Edinburgh Castle.
With Secret Staircase Construction taking well-earned time off for the holidays, Tempest Raj travels across the pond, looking forward to a renewed family tradition: celebrating Christmas in Scotland. Tempest’s grandmother has even booked an artist’s flat with a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle. But in the city’s snow-covered, historic Old Town, a recent museum art heist has made chilling headlines. No one can figure out how the thief pulled off the crime. When a family friend asks for help, Tempest agrees to look into the impossible theft—before the festive city’s holiday mood darkens and the Christmas lights fade for good.
Edinburgh at Christmas sounds wonderful. In this short story, Tempest is asked by her grandmother’s friend to figure out how a painting was stolen from a museum, a seemingly impossible crime. The plot is pretty straightforward, but I loved the setting. The author does a fabulous job at bringing Edinburgh and its Christmas market to life. I would really love to visit sometime. One of my favorite fictional bookstores even gets a mention. Tempest is her usual clever self and her grandparents are a joy. We don’t get to know the new characters well, but they worked fine for the story.
There are also a couple of recipes in the back that sound delicious. I haven’t tried the yet though.
About Gigi Pandian
Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. The child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, she spent her childhood being dragged around the world on their research trips and now lives outside San Francisco. She writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and Secret Staircase mysteries. She’s been awarded Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color.