Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am giving my rating based on my own personal opinion and not that of any other party.

I got about 50% through this one and it just wasn't for me. I wasn't super interested in the characters and I think it was just missing that very specific pull that I needed for it to be all encompassing.

The Library Game is the fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mystery series, but it was my first book by the author. It’s a thrilling closed room that can be read as part of the series or a standalone book. The locked room murder mystery aspect is dialed up when all the characters are designers of secret passageways and hidden rooms, as well as organizers of murder mystery dinners and escape rooms. Clues are doled out sparsely and I was kept guessing until the very end.

I'm a sucker for a good cozy mystery and this hit the spot. If youre reading as a standalone (as I was) I recommend reading the other books in the series. This story mentions the events ALOT and never goes into detail about what derailed Tempests career or about her mother and aunts deaths but the books seems to rely on the fact that you know (or are intrigued enough to go and read those). I didn't want anyone to be the killer and the motive was...dumb? Although the most unbelievable thing in this story is that many people with library science degrees (I love librarians and libraries but...well I'll leave the current state of politics out of it).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Out of work magicians, secret staircases, and Agatha Christie novels? Yes please. I also appreciated that the story wasn’t rushed; the pacing was great throughout. I would recommend this one.

This was such a cozy read! There was murder, mystery and even a hint of a romance - everything you can want in a book! The whodunit all kept me so interested throughout this book. Can't wait for from Gigi Pandian! Many thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Library Game is a locked door cozy mystery that is number 4 in the series, though can be read as a stand alone. I usually get sucked in to locked door mysteries and end up loving them. I struggled with this one. The characters felt wooden and I didn't connect with any of them with the exception of Tempest's grandfather. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This fourth installment in the Secret Staircase Mysteries is an absolute treat for cozy mystery lovers. Tempest Raj returns with her signature blend of sleuthing smarts and magical flair, this time unraveling a theatrical murder in a library filled with tributes to classic detective fiction. If you love locked-room mysteries and a heroine who’s part magician, part detective, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Okay first of all I had no idea going into this book that it was number 4 in a series. I was definitely able to read it as a stand alone and immediately downloaded the first 3 books because I absolutely loved this book and the crazy cast of characters. Tempest was such a fun FMC! Her family is so cute, I love their whole vibe.

This book was very twisty. I couldn’t tell where it was going until just about the end. It did a really good job at keeping me on my toes and I was enthralled throughout the whole thing. I definitely recommend this and the other Tempest Raj books!

As always, this was a charming visit to the world of Tempest and the vibrant cast of characters. This series is a treat of cozy mysteries, and I always enjoy recommending them to my customers.

Another engaging mystery by Gigi Pandian. The pacing felt faster from the previous book, as right from the beginning the reader is engaged in solving a brewing mystery. At first there are strange things happening, then comes a murder, with the twist of magic show illusions. The reader is kept guessing, never knowing who to the murder might be. The story was compelling, but also has a good cast of characters that the reader can’t help but like. I look forward to more books in this series. I recommend this book to mystery loves, especially those of the locked room variety.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely and are honest and my own.

I enjoyed this book! I admit the start was a bit confusing for me because I’ve never read the others in the series. So until I got a handle of the characters I was a bit confused. Once I figured it out though I absolutely loved it. The mystery was really good. I liked the characters and plot enough that I want to go back from the start and see where they started at!

In The Library Game, the fourth installment of Gigi Pandian’s Secret Staircase Mysteries, Tempest Raj finds herself entangled in a real-life locked-room mystery that echoes the classic tales she grew up loving. Secret Staircase Construction has landed a dream project: converting the historic Gray House into a public library dedicated to the great fictional detectives of the past. It’s a bibliophile’s fantasy come true—secret passages, nods to Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, and an ambitious murder mystery dinner party to inaugurate the space. But when one of the actors is murdered during a rehearsal—and the body vanishes without a trace—Tempest must untangle an impossible crime before suspicion falls on someone she loves.

What makes The Library Game so satisfying is its sense of renewal. After the resolution-heavy third book, which tied up lingering questions from earlier in the series, this installment feels like a fresh chapter—unburdened and energized. It has all the hallmarks of a strong cozy mystery: a compelling puzzle, clever red herrings, and just enough whimsy to keep things light without sacrificing emotional stakes. The locked-room style setup is executed with Pandian’s signature flair for the theatrical and the puzzling.

The ensemble dynamic is especially strong this time around. Instead of Tempest flying solo or with a single sidekick, she works alongside her full crew—including Ivy, with her encyclopedic knowledge of mystery tropes; the thoughtful and steady Gideon; and other familiar faces. Their teamwork gives the story a Scooby-Doo-meets-Agatha-Christie vibe that’s incredibly endearing. And yes, there’s a dog.

There’s also welcome forward momentum in Tempest’s slow-burning connection with Gideon. A new revelation stirs the waters between them, adding intrigue without overwhelming the plot. While their relationship is still in the “to be determined” zone, it’s finally moving—and with promising emotional depth.

As always, Pandian layers in cultural richness, especially through Tempest’s Scottish-Indian heritage and the lovingly described family meals that fuel her sleuthing. These moments of warmth and grounding are part of what makes the series so special—it’s not just about solving the puzzle; it’s about connection, tradition, and identity.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to Hidden Creek, The Library Game is a strong contender for the best in the series so far. It’s charming, brainy, and utterly immersive. If you haven’t picked up the first three books, don’t worry—you can absolutely jump in here and then work your way backward to savor all the secret staircases and sleight-of-hand surprises.

I really enjoy the Secret Staircase Mysteries starring Tempest Raj, a young woman who used to have a magic act in LasVegas until she was sabotaged and moved home to work with her family at the Secret Staircase Construction Company. They are renovating an older house, Gray House, to turn it into a classic detective fiction library with an escape room. They are also performing a murder mystery dinner for the Summer Festival, so while practicing at the house, they are shocked when one of the actors is murdered. The construction is also being sabotaged, so Tempest and her friends work hard to figure out who doesn't want the library to open and would be upset enough to kill. While investigating, they get trapped in their own Escape room with clues from some of the historical and well known mystery books. Who is behind all these mysteries and why?

I really like the characters in this series and book. Tempest, her BFF Ivy, Gideon a sculptor and Sanjay, known as the Hindi Houdini. all join together to solve this crime. Their main suspect, the woman who lives across the road and tried to stop the library from opening, seems to have an alibi and eventually has information to help the police. Tempest's grandparents, one Hindu and one Scottish add some humor, but also have lots of contacts to help solve the crime. Although the police don't initially believe them, they eventually begin to investigate when they find the dead body that seemed to have disappeared initially. This is a twisty mystery with the sleight of hand tricks and secret construction additions to add interest to the story. I had no idea who the culprit was in this book and loved the ending where all is revealed.

Secret Staircase Construction is doing well and Tempest Raj is enjoying the success of the family-owned business. Their latest project is transforming a home into a public library which aims to celebrate the detectives of literature.

Although the work isn’t complete, the home’s owner is looking to celebrate by hosting a murder-mystery dinner complete with a mystery drama. But during a rehearsal one of the actors is murdered and then the body disappears. The leading suspect would almost have to be a magician to pull this off, and as it happens, the police’s leading suspect if Tempest’s friend, Sanjay. But Tempest knows Sanjay and knows he couldn’t have done it, so she and her friends, Ivy and Gideon who work for the construction company, and Sanjay, are off to solve an impossible, locked room mystery.

While I’m not generally a fan of cozy mysteries, Gigi Pandian’s work would be one of my exceptions. I’ll not only read any of her works, I look forward to them. Pandian’s mysteries have a nice balance of memorable characters and clever stories.

First, I’ll state that I don’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the murderer is when reading a cozy – I’m pretty sure the author will bring me there – but I noted that Pandian led us down some false paths which I was fully committed to believing until she (through Tempest) would let us know that this wasn’t the killer (and why).

The setting here is great, a secret room used as a stage, with a body that appears and then goes missing. Who wouldn’t want to read something like this? And Tempest and Sanjay are delightful characters who almost feel like friends.

But there is one aspect that holds this book back for me. Urgency.

I never felt the urgency to solve this crime. From the discovery of the body to proving Sanjay’s innocence to revealing the murderer, everything seemed to move with molasses-like speed. Tempest has energy and we do see that, but no one else matched it or felt the need to get in gear.

Looking for a good book? The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is a fun, locked room mystery. A library, hidden rooms, and magicians. What more do you need?

I enjoy a good cozy mystery and this was a fun one, full of lots of characters and shenanigans. It was a fun read.

I received a widget for The Library Game and immediately downloaded it, as the premise and the description of Tempest Raj intrigued me. Like Tempest, I am half Indian. As such, the continuous infusion of her grandfather’s cooking and details about his backstory were something to which I could relate. However, it took me over 6 months to read the novel, as it fell very flat with respect to the pacing, the conflict, and the general characterization of everything and everyone.

Like another reviewer mentioned, the writing style is very simple and on the level of a middle-grade reader (honestly, in my opinion, the novel is more reminiscent of a novel I would have read in 3rd or 4th grade, if not in 2nd). Thus, The Library Game should have been a breeze to read. Instead, I kept pausing every 10 pages or so, in order to shift my focus to another task, or another book. Perhaps the novel bored me because I didn’t read the other installments beforehand and I wasn’t invested in the characters’ lives. That said, a novel has to be assessed on its own merits. The fact that I had such difficulty getting through The Library Game makes me question whether or not I would be able to do so with the previous books.

The conflict was not very strong, as it seemingly had no impact on the central characters’ lives, apart from impeding their ability to carry out the play and the escape room. Said hindrance was quickly remedied once the characters found another location, albeit temporarily.

Tempest, Gideon, Sanjay, and company may have been more/better fleshed out as characters in the previous installments of the series. To a first time reader, however, they came across as caricatures or stereotypes. The romance between Tempest and Gideon too had little subtext and their interactions seemed forced for the sake of a plot point.

All in all, The Library Game would have been a better read if a few elements (namely the conflict and writing style) had been given more attention before publication.

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.




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This was my first read from this series and it makes me want to go back and read the others as well!

I love a good cozy mystery and I really enjoyed this one. I fell in love with the characters so I can’t wait to read the others and get more of their stories. The mystery kept me engaged and I couldn’t get enough.

The Library Game is a delightful blend of mystery, history, and a touch of magic. Pandian crafts a captivating story with clever puzzles and well drawn characters that draw you in from the start. The book’s setting in a literary and somewhat mystical environment adds a unique charm. While the plot is engaging and full of intriguing twists, a few moments felt a little predictable, which kept it from a perfect score. Still, it’s a fun, well-paced read for fans of cozy mysteries with a twist of the supernatural. Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy a clever puzzle wrapped in a charming story.

I had not read any of the other books in this series, so I was a little confused. Nonetheless I did enjoy the book.