Pandian does a great job with the interactive part of the murder mystery which adds a crucial piece to keep you reading her book. This invites the readers to piece together the puzzle with Tempest and her friends to solve the mystery. This was a quick read, and I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy trying to solve puzzles. What I felt was lacking in the book was character development into Tempest and friends. Tempest and her friends are preparing for a dress rehearsal of a murder mystery set in a former home that is being turned into a library. The library’s focus will be on mystery, so this is a great way to open this library to the public. Except during dress rehearsal Tempest finds the body of one of the actors and his body disappears. Tempest and friends decide to investigate on who killed this friend and how did his body just disappear. Pick up a copy and solve the mystery to find out whodunit. Thank you, Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Gigi Pandian's 4th Secret Staircase Mystery, former stage magician Tempest Raj and her friends are conducting a dress rehearsal of a murder mystery play Tempest has written along with her best friend, Ivy. It is an interactive play that encourages attendees to discover clues in an escape room on a different floor of the premises. As part of the town's annual "summer stroll," these interlocking events will celebrate the opening of a new library focusing entirely on classic murder mysteries. But the rehearsal yields unexpected results, including a dead body that suddenly appears . . . then disappears. As a former magician herself, Tempest uses her skills, along with those of others in her circle of friends, to figure out exactly how a body can disappear when no one has entered or left the building, and who might have both the opportunity and the motive for such a crime.

I enjoyed spending time with Tempest, Ivy, and two of Tempest's almost-boyfriends--a magician self-styled as The Hindi Houdini and a talented sculptor--not to mention her grandparents, who produce delicious Indian and Scottish delicacies from their treehouse abode. and Tempest's furry companion, a large lop-eared rabbit named Abra. This time around, there isn't as much about how her family's Secret Staircase Construction builds illusions into the homes of customers who appreciate a touch of magic in their living spaces. And we still don't have a lot of information about Tempest's personal life. But I truly appreciated watching the mystery being solved by this interesting group of friends.

My thanks to St. Martin's/Minotaur and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Library Game by Gigi Pandian.

This is the fourth book in the series, and, while it is best to read the series in order, I do think a new reader could jump in at this point considering there is a bit of a reset now that the large mystery overhanging the first trilogy has been resolved.

In its own way, this felt like a refresh/restart for Tempest and the gang, and, I'll be honest, I'm actually pretty happy about it. I don't know if I'm in the minority or not, but I HATED how the third book ended, to me, it felt so twisted and horrific that I was really questioning how the series could be considered cozy - it felt like an absolute nightmare and Tempest assuredly needs like, intense therapy. But I really, really loved the first 2.5 books, so I wanted to see how the next layer of the series would be, and I was really pleased with where Pandian took our main characters and the story itself. She really separated the first three books from this fourth one in terms of plot/flashback/reminiscence, so, again, it felt like a really positive refresh.

In this book Tempest and her crew are helping to create a new specialized library in town, featuring a mini escape room mystery performance for the town's annual event where visitors can view local homes/businesses/etc. During a rehearsal the week of the event, one of the performers appears to be dead, but while the crew goes to find help they return only to find the body gone. Is it a prank? Is it real? From here, the intensity and the danger only increases as Tempest tries to determine how these incidents keep occurring in such impossible circumstances.

We get to spend a fair amount of time with Tempest & Gideon (yay, developments!), Sanjay, Ivy, and Tempest's family, including many Abra scenes. I think we see a lot of growth from each of the characters, and Tempest, Gideon, Sanjay and Ivy seem more attuned to focusing on their own happiness/friendships in a way that really is cozy and positive throughout the novel.

The only reason I removed a star is because I was confused about aspects of the mystery/crime itself. I don't want to spoil this for any other readers so I'll leave my major concerns in the notes for the publisher, but the more general one: We hear a lot of thoughts on how the body that appeared might have been injured. Despite all the guesses and the truth, there are only mentions of barely noticeable drops of blood. This seems pretty impossible given how the story plays out. My other concerns revolve around the information given about the trunk. When we got to the resolution, which made sense and wasn't entirely surprising, but was still really fun to get to as an outcome, these other parts made it hard for me to understand how a person could get away with the crime at all.

Pandian completely brought me back into the series with The Library Game and she continues to bring such heart and humor to Tempest and her loved ones. I love how she incorporates illusion and misdirection into both her mysteries themselves and into the work Tempest does - I think it adds such a fun element to the books that set them apart from a lot of other cozy series. Each of her books feels like a love letter to the mystery genre and to the importance of books, and I will continue to look forward to the next one in the series.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is the fourth installment in the Secret Staircase Mystery series, and it offers readers a thrilling, cleverly crafted puzzle to solve. The story follows Tempest, a former magician who, alongside her friends, is preparing for a dress rehearsal of an interactive murder mystery play. The play, set in a newly opened library focusing on classic mysteries, includes an escape room on a different floor, where attendees can search for clues. However, things take an unexpected turn when a dead body turns up during the rehearsal—only to vanish just as mysteriously.

Tempest, with her background in magic, is the perfect person to investigate the bizarre disappearance, using her skills to deduce how the body vanished without anyone entering or leaving the building. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she must also uncover the identity of the murderer and their motive.

What makes The Library Game such an enjoyable read is the fast-paced, suspenseful atmosphere that Pandian builds. The interactive aspect of the murder mystery play adds an extra layer of fun, inviting readers to piece together the puzzle alongside Tempest.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book's plot and the engaging mystery at its heart, I found myself wishing for a bit more depth on Tempest herself. As a former magician with a unique set of skills, Tempest is an intriguing character, but I felt the book could have delved deeper into her personal life and backstory. Learning more about her motivations, her past, and how she came to be the person she is would have added a richer layer to her character and the story overall.

Overall, The Library Game is an excellent read for fans of cozy mysteries and interactive puzzle plots. The combination of a thrilling murder mystery and the charm of a library setting makes for a delightful experience. If you love a good whodunit with a bit of magic thrown in, this book is definitely worth picking up. However, for readers who enjoy deeply fleshed-out characters, a bit more exploration of Tempest's personal journey would have enhanced the story even further.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love this series and was so excited to get the arc! Bring on more Tempest and her family! This was definitely my favorite mystery of the series! And I can't wait for many more!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!

This was overall a super fun read, wasn't my favorite mystery but did find the suspense and plot intriguing! Love the whodunnit aspect, which is one of my favorite themes in mysteries. A very creative story and it did keep me guessing!

Review coming soon!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.