The Elusive Elixir cover art

The Elusive Elixir

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Elusive Elixir

By: Gigi Pandian
Narrated by: Julia Motyka
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

Dorian Robert-Houdin, the three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle chef who fancies himself a modern-day Poirot, is slowly turning into stone, and it's up to Zoe Faust to unravel the alchemical secrets that can save him. When they discover that a long-lost stone gargoyle with a connection to Dorian has reappeared in Europe, the stakes are even higher. From Portland to Paris, Zoe searches for the hidden knowledge she needs, but a cold case that harkens back to 1942 throws her off course. With an ailing friend desperately trying to discover his own elixir of life and a new romantic interest offering the first chance at love she's had in nearly a century, Zoe is torn between a dangerous form of alchemy and her desire for a safer life.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Gigi Pandian (P)2017 Audible, Inc. Detective Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction Fantasy Magic
All stars
Most relevant
Easy to listen too both from the story perspective as well as the voice of the reader. Definitely recommend.

Easy listening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved that this book came to a satisfactory conclusion. The narrator is easy to listen to and I enjoyed the range of voices. Who cannot help but fall in love with the little gargoyle. It’s such an interesting storyline, quite unlike other books out there. I do get over the vegan preaching and in-depth descriptions of all the food that is made and consumed, however.

The Elusive Elixir

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
narration is so good, she has hit the nail on the head with the characters , just love this series,

love this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
if you can get past the pushy vegan tone and the explaining the same thing over and over and saying the same thing in 5 different ways content, then the rest is pretty good.

pretty good I suppose.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love the reader! The character Zoe can be a bit frustrating at times though. I’m not a fan of drama caused by lack of communication between characters. Other than that, it is a good story to put on in the background and enjoy.

Enjoyable and easy to follow

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
There’s a bit of everything in this book series: romance, intrigue, suspense, and the magic of alchemy. Fun, easy to listen to. The characters really grow on you too. Clearly the author is very into healthy food.

Suspenseful and interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What disappointed you about The Elusive Elixir?

Like many subsequent novels in a series (and here I'm thinking specifically of Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series and Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London books), the charm, originality and humour of the first book decreases with each new installment. I was disappointed with the second books in each of these series but hoped for a return to form in the third. Sadly, this optimism was not rewarded. In the case of The Elusive Elixer, much of the book consisted of the main character's (Zoe Faust) internal monologue. I thought Gigi Pandian was literally losing the plot with the second book but this third book is just so boring. Isn't one of the most basic rules of writing fiction that the author must show, not simply tell? Also, the repetition of information and explanations (for example, Zoe's diet and her inability to stay up late) was grating.

Would you ever listen to anything by Gigi Pandian again?

Not sure. Not in this series.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narration was fine per se, but the fact that so much of the book comprised the thoughts of the main character meant it was in that character's voice for long periods - very boring and monotonous.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

So disappointing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.