The Accidental Alchemist

Zoe Faust has been alive for well over three centuries, and she is tired of moving on. She buys a fixer-upper in Portland, Oregon, hoping to settle into a quiet life as a herbalist. Then she discovers that her crate of belongings came with a stowaway: Dorian Robert-Houdin, a French gargoyle brought to life by alchemy, and an accomplished cook besides.

Dorian is slowly turning back to stone. The only thing that might save him is an alchemy book written in a code no one can read, and the one man who could decipher it turns up dead on Zoe's doorstep. With a teenage neighbor poking around her business and a detective circling, Zoe must solve the murder and crack the book before her friend hardens for good.

Gigi Pandian opens the Accidental Alchemist mysteries with a cozy blend of amateur sleuthing, alchemical lore, and vegan cooking, complete with recipes.