A Gargoyle's Guide to Murder by Gigi Pandian Summary PDF

 

A Gargoyle's Guide to Murder by Gigi Pandian Summary 

A Gargoyle’s Guide to Murder: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery by Gigi Pandion. It’s approximately 320 pages in paperback and expected to be published on October 7th, 2025. Like I said, it’s number nine, and I read number one a while ago and now number nine. I still understand what’s going on, but apparently a lot has happened in this particular world.

I do feel as though these can be read independently because each book gives enough information to follow along. Still, it would have been better if I had actually read the others in between. That’s my bad. But let’s dive into this summary.

A vanishing body, a deadly bookshop, a country house party full of suspects—can a living gargoyle and an alchemist decipher the clues before poisoned pages claim another victim? Dorian Robert-Huden is used to living his life in the shadows, his existence known only to a few trusted friends. When a dangerous book from his past resurfaces, he follows his closest confidant, alchemist Zoe Faust, from Oregon to England to investigate.

Before he can examine the magical book, Dorian witnesses a murder amidst the foggy lanes of Oxford. But when he takes Zoe to the scene, there’s no body and no evidence of a crime. Using his unique skills as a gargoyle, Dorian sets out to solve the baffling crime no one else believes occurred. When Dorian and Zoe discover a dead man in a bookshop filled with arsenic-laced books, the victim isn’t a stranger—he’s connected to the vanishing crime scene.

The trail leads to a country house party where a group of bibliophiles has gathered, and a storm is brewing. Could the killer be the mercurial Agatha Christie scholar, the prickly literature professor, or the secretive rare books expert? With an unscrupulous book thief lurking, can sleuths Dorian and Zoe unmask a murderer before the next page brings them to a perilous end? Perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and books by Ellery Adams and Travis Baldry, this is the newest novel in Gigi Pandion’s award-winning cozy fantasy series.

So, my bad for not reading books two through eight. I can’t believe there are so many, but I really can—because the stories are fun. Zoe is a 300-plus-year-old alchemist. When she was around twenty-seven, she discovered the philosopher’s stone and made herself immortal. She lives a mostly vegan lifestyle, avoids caffeine, and tries to stay healthy. The great thing I noticed in the first book was that it had recipes at the end—some of them sounded decadent, like a cake or dessert.

This series tends to include recipes if food is mentioned in the story. Because I only had the eBook, I’m not sure if this one does, but the first certainly did. I was trying to think if I had the physical copy, but I may have lent it out.

Another reviewer, Jess A, mentioned she requested this book from NetGalley without realizing it was book nine. She worried she wouldn’t be able to follow along but found it a fun read that introduced her to a new series. She plans to go back and read books one and two. I agree with her—jumping from the first to the ninth, I was still able to follow along fine.

By this point, Zoe is engaged to Max. If you haven’t read books one through eight, that may be a bit of a spoiler. I remember meeting Max in the first book, so he’s not new. Zoe and Dorian are the main characters here, and they travel to Oxford.

One evening, while Dorian is out in Oxford—as he does, lurking in the shadows—he witnesses what he believes is a crime: someone strangling another person. He sees the body fall and clearly sees the killer’s face. When he brings Zoe back to the location, the door is ajar, but there’s no body. Zoe thinks it was probably a prank by incoming students, but Dorian insists it was real.

Dorian and Zoe are in Oxford searching for the Non-Degenerate Alchema, an alchemical book that once gave Dorian life. They believe they need it to keep him existing as he does. The library that was supposed to have it says it’s been taken out of circulation because it’s poisonous. Some old book covers were made with arsenic-based green dyes, which could poison people who handled them too often.

A book collector named Barney has the book. He collects poisonous books and keeps them in a case. Zoe tracks him down and learns that he was told to care for this book and that it requires special handling. He’s hesitant to give it to her until he can find the letter with instructions. Zoe explains it was stolen from her, and he’s surprised—it wasn’t listed as missing online.

Max arrives for what’s supposed to be a romantic getaway that turns into a book-related mystery. Dorian, traveling around Oxford hidden in a rolling suitcase, soon discovers a body in Barney’s bookshop. The dead man has paper cuts on his hands and is the same man Dorian saw commit murder earlier. Now, what’s going on?

From there, the book gains traction. Gigi Pandion weaves alchemy, fantasy, and magic into real-world settings like Oxford, Paris, and Oregon. The chapters often end on cliffhangers that keep you reading.

I haven’t encountered many cozy mysteries like this. You’ve got the duo of Zoe and Dorian solving magical crimes. I recently reviewed The Armchair Detectives, which was also recommended for fans of Only Murders in the Building, and this one fits that cozy-mystery-with-whimsy vibe.

Another reviewer, M, the avid reader, said they love hanging out with Zoe and her Scooby gang, trying and failing to solve mysteries before they do, and falling for the misdirection. That’s a fitting description—it does have a Scooby-Doo feel, with a cast of quirky characters running around solving a crime.

I like Dorian as a character. He has to stay hidden, but I haven’t seen many gargoyles solving mysteries lately. The last ones I recall were from the animated Gargoyles series or The Hunchback of Notre Dame. They deserve more credit!

If you’re looking for something with a little supernatural, some magic, and cozy mystery charm, this is a great series to try. I really need to go back and read the rest. They’re short, quick reads—the first book might even be available free on Audible Premium.

I wanted to share this one because if cozy mysteries are your thing, this series is worth checking out. There are nine books so far, all with strong reviews—most have four stars or more. I still wonder if this one includes recipes like the first, because that was one of my favorite parts.

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