I’m a sucker for a locked room mystery (even if the room has potential secret passageways into it) and this one was so different. I love Gigi Pandian’s creativity and her use of magicians/magic in her stories. I usually love her characters but there’s something about Tempest that feels off. She’s written as intelligent and being able to reason out issues but there are a few conversations where she seems dim; things have to be spelled out for her and it drew me out of the story because it was so frustrating. Otherwise, the story was well written and I liked the clues sprinkled throughout about what happened to Tempest’s mom. Looking forward to the next.

Tempest Raj was a Las Vegas magician until her life went sideways and she returned home to join the family business, Secret Staircase Construction. The name says it all. This is the first official job Tempest has been part of and is looking forward to a party at the home. The owner wants to rid the home of the bad vibes left by her ex husband, a well known mystery writer. There will be a mock seance with eight people holding hands around the table. Was it magic or misdirection by the killer when the ex husband crashes the party and becomes the late husband. If everybody was holding hands who did the deed and how? The focus turns to her grandfather, Ash but no way did he do it but then who wanted him dead and how was it done? Ask a magician, ask Tempest.
I have always loved magic and locked room mysteries and this series is right up there with the masters of mystery from the 1930's and the Golden Age Classics. I enjoyed The Raven Thief from start to finish and I hope the series has a long run.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the A Secret Staircase Mystery series. Locked room mysteries are some of my favorite, so I loved the impossibility of the murder in this one. Tempest Raj is a former stage magician who is now a part of her family business Secret Staircase Construction company. When Tempests grandfather becomes the main suspect in a murder, Tempest must work through all the tricks she knows like illusions and misdirection, to solve the case. This is a nicely crafted mystery which gave me lots of clues and ideas to think about as I tried to solve this one. Tempests relationship with her family and her connection with Sanjay were appealing. I will continue reading the series as it is entertaining and also includes an interesting premise of magicians.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced readers copy.

“𝑾𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒆́𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆.”

I loved Under Lock & Skeleton Key when I read it last year, so I couldn’t wait to dive back into Tempest’s world of secrets, illusions, and mystery.

A Secret Staircase Mystery is always a little quirky, like the company namesake that Tempest’s family runs; I love the creativity that Gigi Pandian brings when describing sliding bookcase, trick tables and hidden reading nooks (one of which is inspired by Death on the Nile); half of the fun of this book is seeing what secret contraptions Pandian has come up with! I also love a séance trope; it brings about a lot of drama and creates immediate tension, real or fake; the séance here creates a perfect locked-room moment and a seemingly unsolvable puzzle with four impossibilities. Pandian clearly loves mysteries, and it is great that she highlights different types; I knew nothing about Japanese detective fiction (honkaku style, like a whodunnit with a fair play puzzle plot), and she inspired me to pick up a translated one after I finished this! The humour of the last book continues to shines especially with Sanjay getting to play a prominent role; in fact, I loved getting to reunite with many of the established characters. My only complaint is that I want Tempest, Ivy, Gideon and Sanjay to spend more time together in the next book (Hidden Creek’s very own Scooby gang)! The central mystery of this book is wrapped up well (there were a lot of well placed clues throughout) with a lot of good setup for the future that still feels satisfying as a whole.

The Raven Thief is a love letter to mysteries and to books themselves, a story of puzzles, impossibilities, magic, family, and revenge. It is a worthy successor in this series; I can’t wait to see what Pandian has up her sleeve for the residents of Hidden Creek next Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Raven Thief was the second installment of a mystery series that just about equaled the first. It was a decent mystery. I still just love the idea of someone who designs and build hidden staircases. Some of the relationships felt forced into the story and not terrible interesting. It’s what is sometimes called a cozy mystery. Just sit in a chair and read it on a lazy day.

I gave the first book in this series a like rating, but I'm going with an OK here. There's a bit too many "novelty" touches, quirky characters, unusual situations and they didn't draw me in to the story. There's also the on going mystery of Tempest's mother's disappearance and her aunt's death. They are mentioned a lot. There's also another, unrealistic mystery about one of the characters that is introduced and left hanging.

Good enough for me to finish, but didn't satisfy or engage me much.

I got my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @Minotaur_Books and @MacMillan.Audio for the #gifted ARC/ALC of THE RAVEN THIEF!

I’m officially obsessed with THE SECRET STAIRCASE MYSTERY series by Gigi Pandian. Her locked room mysteries are so cozy and clever. Plus I love the addition of a former magician acting as an amateur detective. It’s just too fun! I hope Pandian has many more mysteries for Tempest Raj to solve because I don’t want to stop reading them!

The audiobook is narrated by the fabulous Soneela Nankani who is one of my favorite audiobook narrators. I just love her voice.

After a mock seance ends with a dead body mysteriously in the middle of the table and her beloved Grandpa Ash arrested for the crime, Tempest immediately jumps to action to clear his name. But this murder has several impossible facts which makes the murder seem like an act of magic… or is it just misdirection?

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries or locked room mysteries then don’t miss out on this series. It’s an utter delight!

THE RAVEN THIEF comes out 3/21/23!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5385309437
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The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian is a contemporary cozy mystery and the second book in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at nine and a half hours and is narrated by Soneela Nankani.

Tempest Raj just officially finished her first project with her father's company, Secret Staircase Construction. The theme: classic mystery novels. To celebrate her new outlook on life without the dead weight of her cheating ex-husband, their client throws a party complete with a mock séance to remove any traces of him from the property. But then the ex turns up dead at the party and Tempest's grandfather becomes the number one suspect.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Under Lock and Skeleton Key, and that enjoyment continues with the second installment. We get a few more hints regarding the disappearance of Tempest's mother, which was initially introduced in the previous book.

I like how Pandian writes banter between her characters, and she has a knack for hitting the sweet spot of whimsy. Speaking of banter, the audiobook narrator does a great job voicing all the different characters, especially the ones that have various accents.

I did end up deducing the true murderer here, but not for lack of obfuscation!

Tropes in this book include: cozy mystery, locked room mystery

CW: death, murder, assault, kidnapping

If you want a mystery with secrets Tempest Raj is the character to follow. This is the 2nd book in the series. This series has great characters, an interesting plot, with a good pace kept me turning the pages. A seance wrapped in a mystery is sure to pique anyone's interest. I highly recommend this book!

Such a lovely continuation of the series! Secret Staircase Construction just finished their first project with Tempest Raj officially a part of the team—a classic mystery novel-themed home interior. Their client is now ready to celebrate her new life without her cheating ex-husband, famous mystery author Corbin Colt. First up, a party, and Tempest and Grandpa Ash are invited to the exclusive mock séance to remove any trace of Corbin from the property—for good. It's all lighthearted fun until Corbin's dead body crashes the party.

The case was twisty, and I loved the reveal. I can’t wait to read more about Tempest and find out the secrets of her mom's disappearance and her aunt's murder. And just who is Moriarty? I wholeheartedly recommend reading the first installment before diving into this one, but it will delight anyone who loves locked-room mysteries, magic, and close-knit family dynamics!

Other fun highlights:
-family curses
-detailed descriptions of delicious indian/scottish fusion food! With recipes in the back!!
-classic golden-age mystery references
-secret staircases
-a giant fluffy bunny named Abra

The Secret Staircase stories are terrific locked-room mysteries. The Raven Thief, the second book in the series, continues the wonderful world-building the writer started in the first — but you don’t have to read the books in order. The central character, Tempest Raj, was a magician/illusionist in Las Vegas; she’s returned to her family’s construction business in California. To celebrate the end of one building project, the client holds a party at which a dead body appears. Tempest's grandfather is the prime suspect and she must solve the murder to clear his name. The mystery is excellent, the characters are truly interesting, and the reveal … just fun.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tempest Raj is such a fun character. She uses her expertise in observation and misdirection to piece together another closed door murder.

The details around the Secret Staircase construction projects are fascinating. How does Gigi Pandian dream up all these staircases and hidden nooks? She creates wonderful fantastical rooms within the real world.

The supporting characters in Tempest's friends and family are also solid. I really really want to have lunch with her grandfather Ash. His cooking sounds so delicious. Most cozy mysteries have recipes at the back but this is the only series that I start with reading the recipes so I know what's in store. I will definitely be making the cardamom scones and turmeric pizza.

I do wish there was a little more the family curse mystery because that storyline really has me so curious. There were a few teasers so I hope book #3 has more answers.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

A quirky cozy mystery read. Tempest is hired to solve one crime and finds herself embroiled in another. There are some fun and easygoing characters that will capture the readers imagination. The reader will enjoy the funny conversations and following the clues to help solve the mystery.

I am enjoying this series so much! Tempest and her family are so much fun to spend time with. I’m also quite fond of Sanjay! Locked room mysteries are always tricky and this is a great entry in the genre. There are two mysteries that Tempest is investigating - the current murder during a seance and the ongoing mystery of what happened to her mom and aunt. I highly recommend this series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

For locked room mystery fans everywhere, this is the series for you. The Raven Thief is the second book in the Secret Staircase Mystery featuring Tempest Raj a self-described mash-up American. The story features a host of family members from India, Ireland, and the United States with a great job of creating diversity organically. The family also has a history of being magicians which plays heavily into the stories and family secrets.
I switched back and forth between audio and book form. The audiobook has an amazing narrator in Soneela Nankani. She brings the characters both female and male alike to life and does a great job of creating accents between characters of different cultural backgrounds.
Like the best of Agatha Christie, a body is discovered in front of multiple people in an impossible scenario. Tempest's father, Darius, is also the owner of Secret Staircase Construction which creates all sorts of hidden rooms or illusions for those wanting his services. Thus, when a body is found, it usually is in a space created by the construction company.
I loved all the secret construction descriptions and illusions detailed in the book. I had to listen closely to try and pick out the clues that were most certainly being given whilst also misdirection was at hand. And, the big reveal TA-DA moment would make Ms. Christie proud.
As I've read and/or listened to both of the books in the series, I would say they are written for adults but really appropriate for most any age. In addition, recipes can be found in the back of the physical books. On the audiobook, the recipes are at the end of the story for the listener to write down baking instructions.

Thank you to MacmillanAudio and Macmillan for my copies of both audiobook and ebook via Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

I was so excited to get the chance to review this second book in Pandian's clever and utterly unique Secret Staircase Mysteries, as I really enjoyed the first one. And I liked this one even more!

Stage magician Tempest Raj has officially joined the family business, a specialty construction company that builds rooms with whimsical details like secret doors, sliding bookcases, hidden nooks, etc. They have just completed a fabulous space inspired by classic mystery novels for a client going through a divorce. To celebrate, the client holds a pretend seance to rid the room of her cheating former spouse's vibes when his dead body unexpectedly appears at the party. Tempest's grandfather ends up the prime suspect, so she jumps into action to clear his name.

Pandian writes an engaging and very well-crafted contemporary locked-room mystery. She hooked me right from the start with vivid imagery, a plot full of twists, red herrings, and several impossibilities for Tempest (and readers) to puzzle out. I love Tempest and how she uses her knowledge of illusion and magic to crack this perplexing case. The ongoing storyline involving the death of Tempest's aunt and her mother's disappearance continues to reverberate, and I'm eager to see where that is headed. This is a fun, quick read with several nods to classic mystery novels and a diverse group of lovable, quirky characters. I cannot wait to see what Pandian does with this imaginative series!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to review this ARC.

THE RAVEN THIEF is book two in Gigi Pandian's Secret Staircase Mystery series, with book one being UNDER LOCK & SKELETON KEY.

Our heroine, Tempest Raj, is a magician/illusionist who recently left Las Vegas showbiz behind to return to her family in Northern California. Tempest's multicultural family has its own magical history, which includes the mysterious deaths of her mother and aunt. In this installment, Tempest attends a séance: while attendees hold hands in the dark room, their host's cheating ex-husband suddenly appears dead on the table in front of them. It's an impossible crime with supernatural elements, and Tempest is going to solve it.

This quickly became one of my favorite series. There's a great sense of family and community; whimsical themes of magic, illusions, and architecture; and delicious descriptions of food. The writing is clear, and the characters are likeable and realistic. If you like cozy mysteries with depth, don't skip this one.

Pandian provides enough context to read this as a standalone, but I strongly recommend starting with book one - there is an overarching mystery in this series that spans both books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Raven Thief is a great follow-up to last year’s Under Lock & Skeleton Key, which started the Secret Staircase Mystery series. The focus is on a family with a historic connection to magicians, of both Indian and Scottish heritage and whose family business is Secret Staircase Construction, which specializes in creating secret nooks, hidden bookcases, etc. The main character, Tempest Raj, is a magician/illusionist who nearly died in a magic “trick” gone terribly wrong. She is now living at her family home in the San Francisco Bay area, which is filled with all kinds of quirky features, thanks to her parents’ business, and working with the business. In addition to the mystery in this book, a continuing theme is: Is there a family curse, by which the “eldest dies by magic”? This book’s mystery is: how did a famous author wind up dead in the middle of a fake seance, which had been requested by his ex-wife Lavinia? It’s another classic locked room mystery.

In addition to a clever mystery with lots of twists and turns, I loved the emphasis on family and friendship. There were several terrific side characters: her grandfather Ash, who cooks fabulous Indian-inspired food; her dad, Darius; her friend Ivy; and her magician friend, Sanjay, among others.

Bonus: There are recipes at the end of the book.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was narrated by Soneela Nankani, who did a great job with the various characters and accents.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Raven Thief is the second volume in the Secret Staircase cozy series which is full of illusions and stage magic by Gigi Pandian. Due out 21st March 2023 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I love stage magic and illusions and I'm completely crazy about old houses with hidden rooms and architectural easter-eggs like bookcases which are secret doors and mantelpieces with hidden catches to open secret panels. This series is absolutely full of them. The plot turns around an ensemble cast of specialty builders, stonemasons, and woodworkers who design and install secret rooms and hidden staircases. This is a locked room cozy with hidden rooms aplenty, secret alcoves, puzzle rooms, and eccentric characters.

Although it's a murder mystery, it felt as though it were written more for a younger (YA/NA) audience. There's a distinct locked room element with a murder victim falling from the ceiling onto the table during a (staged) seance. It has a definite Nancy Drew vibe with a little whiff of Scooby Doo.

Throw in lots and lots of stage magic, a family curse (the eldest child shall die by magic), hidden motives, and crazy architectural prestidigitation, and stir well. Although I'm a few decades beyond the presumed intended audience, I found it engaging and entertaining. I was impressed over the author's expertise describing architecture and scenery; technically that's very challenging and she does it very well. Some of the dialogue is a bit choppy and some of the scenery dressing and illusions are a bit over the top and "Scooby-Doo-ish" but it's all good fun.

I also thought it was cool that that the protagonist's family is multi-ethnic and the requisite cozy recipes at the back of the book reflect that background and are a really eclectic mix of odd and whimsical (Jackfruit pizza topping? Color me cautiously intrigued).

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 9 hours 34 minutes and is capably narrated by Soneela Nankani. She has a warm and nuanced voice and does a good job delineating a wide range of characters across a range of ages and both male and female. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. Looking forward to what's coming next.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Following the adventures of Tempest Raj and the Secret Staircase Construction crew continues to delight and amaze. During the séance to celebrate the removal of an ex-husband and famous mystery writer from his wife’s life and renovated home, said ex falls, dead, in the middle of the séance table. And the only suspects are the eight participants.

Gigi Pandian delivers this locked room mystery with fabulous twists, appropriate red herrings, and manages a swift pace to keep readers engaged.