This was a fun mystery, with a classic element. It kept my attention throughout and it was fun to try to figure out the story as I was reading. I would in interested to read more by this autho.

A Midnight Puzzle: A Magical Mystery
Gigi Pandian's A Midnight Puzzle is a delightful blend of mystery, magic, and family intrigue. This third installment in the Secret Staircase Mystery series continues to enchant readers with its unique blend of historical fiction and contemporary fantasy.
The novel follows Tempest Raj, a young woman with a knack for solving puzzles and a family legacy rooted in magic and illusion. When a seemingly simple construction project turns deadly, Tempest finds herself embroiled in a dangerous mystery that threatens to expose dark secrets from her family's past.
Pandian's writing is both engaging and informative, seamlessly weaving historical details into the narrative. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Tempest's witty banter and sharp intellect making her a standout protagonist. The mystery itself is cleverly constructed, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the final reveal.
What sets this series apart is its unique blend of magic and reality. Pandian's imaginative world-building and attention to detail bring the magical elements to life without overshadowing the mystery. The exploration of family history and the generational impact of secrets adds depth and emotional weight to the story.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a touch of magic and a dash of historical intrigue, A Midnight Puzzle is a must-read.

Another wonderful puzzle mystery from Pandian.
The usual delightful characters.
I'd love to have a grandfather who cooks all the time like hers!
I've suggested that they proofread/edit again. There were a few repetitions and missed words.

Gigi Pandian's A Midnight Puzzle is a charming and engaging cozy mystery that offers a fresh take on the genre. Set in the vibrant city of San Francisco, the story follows Saffron, a talented puzzle maker who finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation.

Pandian's writing is witty and fast-paced, keeping readers hooked from the very beginning. The characters are well-developed and endearing, with Saffron's passion for puzzles and her quirky personality shining through. The supporting cast, including Saffron's friends and family, add depth and humor to the story.

The blurb I read about this book made me go out and get the first 2 books in the series. (Plus ebook) anther personal favourite read

This was another fun Secret Staircase mystery. It has some great puzzles and several different mysteries to solve. And three books in we finally get resolution for the Raj curse which was satisfying. And I so glad the series is going to continue on even with that finally being solved.

Pandian is a marvel at both the locked room and the fair play subgenres for mystery lovers.

In A Midnight Puzzle, she adheres to the rules of a fair play mystery: no red herrings, both the reader and the detective have access to the same clues at the same time, and a logical solution is available if only the reader paid attention. Our amateur sleuth, Tempest, is confronted with several fair play puzzles. In this case, a nefarious bully, who has elected to sue her family's construction company, is found dead, pinned to the door of a theater. Found with the body is a note asking for a meeting, written in Tempest's own hand.

Misdirection is the core of magic, as it is in Pandian's series. Here, we are both enchanted with Gideon's presence. He is soon to become a gallery artist. And who is Niccodemus, and why now is he planning his farewell tour to be held in the US and not in Scotland, his home base? Most of all, the Whispering Creek Theater becomes more than just a setting. This is where Tempest's mother disappeared five years earlier, and now this is where Tempest has planned her final performance. Most shatteringly, this is where the bodies in this novel are found.

Pandian, a lover of magic, has included explanations of the craft in each of her novels. Niccodemus is a master of folded card pop-ups – a theater technique where three-dimensional figures are created from a flat piece of cardstock. Throughout the novel, the pop-ups serve as leitmotifs that help the plot unfold (pun intended). The overarching mystery of the series concerns the Curse of the Raj family.
It appears that all questions have been answered. Or have they? More to come in book 4, which is already on preorder.

Very highly recommended for fans of magic, mysteries with a touch of fantasy.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from Minotaur Books and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Another book that is a part of a series that I wasn't aware of but feel as though I didn't miss too much without reading the first two. This was a fun read and I enjoyed it.

The mystery continues but for some reason it felt like more red herrings so that you couldn't figure out the why. I wasn't necessarily as invested in solving the mystery in this one but I do want Tempest to finally get some reprieve.

Tempest and members of the secret staircase construction company are likeable characters but my favorite part of the book are the grandparents who live in the
treehouse in the backyard. There are many twist and turns - literally!
You can read this as a stand alone book but i recommend starting with book one in the series.

In this third installment in this fun series, Tempest and her family and friends are confronted with a seemingly impossible crime. The man who is suing Secret Staircase Construction is murdered by what appears to be a regenerating boobytrap that could only have been rigged by a magician. This book does function fairly well as a standalone, but to really showcase and understand Tempest’s mission to solve her aunt’s murder and her mother’s disappearance, it’s best to start the series from the beginning. This is a creative series with unique and interesting characters.

I know, I know. This is 3rd in the series and I should have started with book 1. But I was really anxious to read this so just jumped in and, though I knew I was missing background, didn't want to stop. So I guess it's safe to say that this works just fine as a standalone, even though if might be good to read the series in order (if that sort of thing matters to you).

This book contains lots of fun elements--Tempest Raj and the rest of the cast of characters are a ton of fun. In this entry, Tempest is seeking answers to her family's apparent curse. It's a fun locked room mystery that harkens back to the golden age of detective fiction. I enjoyed the story and the characters--now I have to go back and read the first two!

A solid novel, alone or in the series.

This is book 3 in the Secret Staircase series. I didn't enjoy this book as much as book 2. Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business—known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed.

I haven't read the first ones in this series but I could follow the story easily. It is very well written, and although I didn't connect to the protagonist, Tempest, I really wanted to get to the end as quickly as possible. I enjoy learning about the world of magic on stage. And I loved how I was surprised at the end. Great mystery!

**Thank you, Gigi Pandian, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC. **

Sadly not my favorite of this series. It really leaned more onto the more ridiculous side this time and also moved too slow

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business—known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed. When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater—only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes. This series is so much fun. Really unique premise and the characters are all so interesting. If you aren't reading this author you need to be! Highly recommend!

I had not realized this was part of a series when I requested it, so while this mystery does mostly stand on it's own I think I would have gotten more out of it if I had read the previous two.

A Midnight Puzzle is a mystery on the cozy end featuring a haunted theatre, a regenerating booby trap, and a lot of delicious sounding food. Tempest Raj works at her family's construction company that specializes in creating "magical" architecture, like secret staircases, hidden nooks, etc. She is also a former stage magician, as was her mother and aunt who both died during performances and under suspicious circumstances.

I'll be honest there were a lot of threads here that didn't fully come together for me and I'm not sure if it was because I was missing the added context of the first two books or if it was because this book tried to do too much for it's page count. It was an enjoyable and breezy read, but overall I think it was just average.

Tempest Raj works in her family business, Secret Staircase Construction, which specializes in hidden rooms and hidden access to spaces in a home. At the home of a former client, the Rhodes', a woman was killed and her husband, Julian, is blaming the construction company for faulty work. Now the company is struggling to overcome the bad press.

When Julian calls and asks to meet Tempest she agrees, hoping that they can come to some kind of terms. But when Tempest arrives at a historic old theater, she finds Rhodes dead, a sword through his chest. Swords that appear out of thin air are just the kind of magic that Secret Staircase Construction is known for. Tempest knows her family company will be the prime suspect(s) but she also knows they're being framed so she sets out to uncover the real killer before she or anyone in her family can be railroaded for the crime.

It's no secret I'm a fan of Gigi Pandian's work. These are really nicely written mysteries - not quite 'cozies' but close. The blend of magic and secrecy (Secret staircases? Yes!) along with amateur sleuthing is really good. This particular series (this is the third book in the Secret Staircase series) has so far focused on the 'locked room' mystery (ie: a crime is committed in circumstances under which it was seemingly impossible for the perpetrator to commit the crime or evade detection in the course of getting in and out of the crime scene).

These mysteries are unique and the backdrop of the magic and secret construction is really outstanding, but what really makes this book (and this series) work are the characters and their relationships.

The mystery shelves in bookstores are filled with amateur detectives but Tempest stands out for how well rooted she is in reality (odd, given her work is manipulating reality) and the trust she has with her friends and family. I think it's this wholesomeness that really shines through the book as we want to know Tempest and her friends for real, and under Pandian's pen, we feel as though we do.

I look forward to each Gigi Pandian book because I know I'll get a solid mystery, I'll get to hang out with friends, and the little boy in me who loves the idea of secret rooms and hidden staircases will get to live vicariously. This book falls right in line with all these wonderful thigns.

Looking for a good book? A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian, the third book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries, is a delightful adventure, works as a standalone mystery, and has a great locked-room mystery to uncover.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Magician and amateur sleuth Tempest Raj is the cozy murder mystery heroine we didn't know we needed. Wildly intelligent and fiercely protective of her family and friends, A Midnight Puzzle brings Tempest her most baffling case yet, one that just might help her solve a long-standing family curse.