The fourth book in the series, and it's a series I enjoy.

This time Tempest and the Secret Staircase construction team are renovating a library, that will be home to detective fiction. Soon enough, they are embroiled in their own mystery to solve, as they attempt to host a murder mystery dinner and an escape room game.

All of the usual characters return, including grandpa Ash with his delectable food, Ivy, Gideon and Sanjay. The characters are likeable, and there is plenty of humor sprinkled in amongst the mysteries. I particularly enjoyed the addition of the nosy neighbor who keeps the crew on their toes!

Literary references abound as we attempt to solve a murder.

A book about libraries and books is always of interest to me, and this was fun with Tempest and the crew.

hen I began reading the Secret Staircase Mysteries, I assumed Pandian was writing a trilogy, as the ending of the third book hinted at a cliffhanger. I was therefore delighted to discover the fourth installment,

The Library Game. As with the previous books in the series, Pandian presents a locked-room mystery. The setting is Gray House, a three-story Victorian mansion. Secret Staircase Construction has been hired by the owner to convert his home into a private library that will house his collection of over 10,000 classic detective and mystery titles. To introduce the library, Tempest and her crew have created an interactive mystery play as part of Hidden Creek's Summer Stroll, an event that has generated considerable interest, judging by ticket sales. However, not everyone in Hidden Creek is enthusiastic about the library. A petition has been circulated, and acts of sabotage seem to be disrupting the escape room performance. The plot thickens with the death of a cast member during the dress rehearsal, a disappearing body, and bewildered witnesses. Sanjay, a long-time character who first appeared in Pandian's Jaya Jones series, becomes the prime suspect. True to his character, he does not handle the situation well. His over-the-top whining, pouting, and self-centered misery, while played for comedic effect, almost made him an unlikeable character for me.

Other recurring characters remain true to form. Ivy is still clad in pink and pursuing her library career. Ash continues to be the wizard of Indian cuisine, tempting everyone, including this reader, with his delicious dishes. And Abracadabra, Tempest's rabbit, serves as the perfect mascot for this "Scooby" gang of mystery solvers.

Cozy mysteries are known for their lighthearted tone, but Pandian enjoys subverting expectations. In this case, the tension is so high that a reader might be tempted to skim through the pages. However, the prose is so rich and evocative that one is also inclined to linger and savor every word.

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

My thanks to Net Galley, St Martin's, and Minotaur for allowing me this arc.

This was a fun , cozy , locked room mystery. A body is found in a library escape room. Whodunit? Tempest and her friends try to solve while dealing with nosy neighbor Mrs Hudson.

I liked the premise but found the reason and motivation for the murder a bit flat.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is the fourth book in her Secret Staircase Mystery series. It follows the main character, Tempest, and her friends as they prepare for a locked room mystery play at a private library that features mystery books.

I haven’t read the previous books in the series, but didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I liked the mystery; the story started with fast paced action then slowed down as the friends tried to work out what was happening.

It was clever how the different characters used their skills as magicians, actors, artists and librarians to work out the clues to solve the crime. There were nods and references to classic murder mysteries by many authors, including Agatha Christie.

The supporting characters were also fun, from the nosy neighbor across the street to the sweetest grandfather who kept them all well fed. I recommend this for fans of cozy murder mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books, author Gigi Pandian, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Even though this is the fourth book in the series, it was my first book. I didn’t feel missing the three previous books made a huge difference. There were some mentions of things that had taken place in earlier books, but nothing that was integral to following this book. It can definitely be read as a standalone.

I really liked the characters. I love how magic and libraries are combined. The premise is so interesting with the secret construction they put into houses and how misdirection and other magic techniques come together to create a unique closed-room mystery. Even though I had guessed the who, the how was a complete mystery to me until it was explained. However, I do wish that the escape room incident had been explained more.

I found the motive for the murder to be pretty weak, so that was really the only thing that detracted from a great story. I definitely want to go back and read the rest of the series.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. All opinions here within are my own.**

In the 4th book in the series, Secret Staircase Construction has renovated the Gray mansion into a detective fiction library as requested in Howard Gray's will. His grandnephew Cameron wants to launch the library with a mystery dinner and escape room event during a local festival. But things go awry during rehearsals when a dead body is found. Tempest Raj and her friends have to deal with a nosy next-door neighbor and some dangerous clues to find the truth.

While I enjoyed the previous books in this series, this one fell flat for me.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

The Library Game is another fascinating mystery by Gigi Pandian, with all of the special hidden tweaks that we've come to expect. It's a magical twist on a locked room mystery, with a limited number of suspects who all seem to be unlikely culprits, and various mis-directions worthy of a sleight of hand master.
Pandian is a skillful author who effortlessly sweeps the reader from one twist to another, adding in a touch of romance and plenty of magical sidelines to keep you reading to the very end. This is an ideal mystery for book lovers, librarians, and fans of magic, and you don't need to be all three to enjoy it!
I was happy to receive an ARC of #TheLibraryGame from #NetGalley.

This book had such a compelling premise, but it fell flat for me. There were too many characters and not enough development of any of them for me to feel even remotely interested in what was at stake in the story.

The revelation of the mystery lacked the aha moment as in the classic mysteries this book lauded. The reader was left with, “oh, that’s what happened? If you say so—“ it was not believable, and ultimately, I couldn’t find it in me to care one way or another.

I would like to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tempest Raj's new project was working on the Gray House restoration with her father's Secret Staircase Construction company. The house of the late Harold Gray was going to be a library and his grandnephew, Cameron, is now the owner and will live there. The town of Hidden Creek is running their yearly festival and the Gray House will have a 1935 era escape room play titled: Escape from the Haunted Library.. Just as the friends and actors are going through a rehearsal , the lights go off but when they go on again, one of them is dead, but then the body goes missing.
An enjoyable new cozy mystery in the Secret Staircase series. All of Tempest's friends and family are on hand to help solve their newest crime.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "The Library Game".

DNF. Too inside baseball on the magic stuff. Maybe it's just not my type of book, but I wasn't pulled in. The really narrow focus on magic, hidden rooms, etc. was more offputting to me (all I could think was, really, people want to read about this hyperfocused niche?) than something I'd like to learn more about. Sometimes great or intriguing characters will make me want to read about something I'm not familiar with. Not here. The characters didn't draw me either. Sorry

When rehearsing for their mystery themed escape room show Tempest Raj and her group of friends are shocked to find the dead body of one of their performers. However the body disappears then shows up again 2 days later while everyone is locked in the escape room. Nobody entered or exited the building so how did the body end up there??

This is the fourth installment of the Secret Staircase Mystery series. I've not read any of the previous books but it wasn't an issue as this was a completely stand alone mystery. The only thing I feel I missed out on was the relationship building in the previous books.

Locked room mysteries are my absolute favourite! I loved trying to work out how it all worked out but I was completely in the dark until the big reveal. The fact that the setting is in a library totally sold the book for me. It's like my two favourite things in one setting!

The characters are so unique but work so well together. They all bring different things to the book that brings the story to another level. Tempest and Gideon's relationship was a slow burn that I needed. Seeing them dance around each other while trying to solve the mystery, then get it together in the end was brilliant!

ARC Review: The Library Game by Gigi Pandian

Gigi Pandian delivers another delightful locked-room mystery in The Library Game, the latest installment in the Secret Staircase Mysteries. As a longtime fan of classic detective fiction and intricate puzzle-like mysteries, I found this book to be an absolute treat, blending literary nostalgia with a modern, engaging twist.

Tempest Raj and the Secret Staircase Construction team are back, this time transforming a historic home into a public library dedicated to classic detective fiction. From hidden doors to sliding bookshelves, the project is a dream come true—until fiction turns into reality. A murder mystery dinner and escape room event takes a deadly turn when an actor is killed during a rehearsal, and the body inexplicably vanishes. What follows is a brilliantly crafted puzzle, brimming with misdirection, literary allusions, and Pandian’s signature warmth and wit.

One of the highlights of this series is Tempest Raj herself. She’s resourceful, clever, and deeply connected to her multicultural heritage, which adds rich layers to both her character and the narrative. Her grandfather’s comforting Scottish-Indian meals are a sensory delight, grounding the story in warmth even as the mystery twists and turns. The supporting cast, from Secret Staircase Construction to the quirky literary community, brings humor and heart, making the stakes feel all the more real.

The locked-room mystery at the heart of The Library Game is expertly plotted. As someone who loves classic mysteries, I appreciated the way Pandian plays with well-loved tropes—vanishing bodies, secret passages, and clues hidden in plain sight—while keeping the solution fresh and satisfying. The book pays homage to Golden Age detective fiction while carving its own unique space in the genre.

Overall, The Library Game is a must-read for mystery lovers, especially those who adore books about books. With its ingenious plot, lovable characters, and a setting that any bibliophile would dream of, this novel is a literary escape worth taking. Gigi Pandian continues to prove that she’s a modern master of the impossible crime mystery, and I can’t wait to see where she takes Tempest Raj next!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A cozy mystery involving the building a new library in town. The plot revolves around a community weekend in which a group of young locals will provide a mystery play. The library which is to contain the collection of mysteries from the early day is being rebuild from an old house into a house of secret, stairs, hidden rooms. Murder takes place early in the story and the local play group begin their investigations.

The writing becomes better as the author gets into her story. Worth the time to. Read.

*Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I can't quit Tempest Raj, it's just the rules. I also love a locked room mystery, if not wholly because of the first book in this series. Mix in an escape room and a sloppy frame job? Yes please! It kind of dragged in the middle, but really hit its stride at around 70%. Also as always, the food described throughout and recipes in the back HIT. Would I read the next one? Probably.

The fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mystery series is a cozy treat. Tempest Raj is happy working for her family's construction company. In this fourth installment, a murder mystery dinner rehearsal goes terribly wrong when someone actually ends up dead. Tempest and her friends must try to figure out who could have possibly committed a seemingly impossible crime. I enjoyed this cozy mystery, however, since I had not read the first three in the series, I was missing some important information. A delightful and enjoyable cozy mystery and I look forward to reading this series as it continues.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian, a fun light read that makes you want to find out more about what is going on, who dun it and why?

In this fourth novel in the Secret Staircase Mysteries, a home is converted to a detective-focused fiction library, and as part of its grand opening, its owner is holding a murder mystery dinner/escape room combo. However, an actor in the production is found dead, indicating that someone amongst those putting on the grand opening has nefarious plans. I hadn’t realized this was a sequel when I started reading it, but I didn’t feel like I needed to have read the previous books to understand this one. It was a decent mystery, though I wish I had paid better attention to details in the initial scenes (as well as the many character names) given how much of the book revolves around the characters talking through different theories. While it seemed somewhat long on conversation, short on action, I still found it entertaining. I imagine if I had known the characters better through the earlier books it would have affected my reading experience. 3.5 stars

Such a fun book! 4th book in this series, which I did not realize but it was easy to follow and caught me up quickly.

A murder mystery is being hosted in the house, with an escape room being the centerpiece. Until a real murder occurs and now Tempest and the crew are part of the investigation.

Loads of fun. Will definitely be checking out the first 3 books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin Press for the chance to read this cozy mystery. The book will be released on March 18th of 2025.

A twisty murder mystery that constantly keeps you on your toes and unsure who's to be believed. I was constantly engaged and trying to figure out who was the culprit. It's also super funny and keeps the banter going.

Tempest and the crew of the Secret Staircase Company are renovating the Gray mansion into a classic detective fiction library as requested in Howard Gray's will. His grandson, eager to launch the library, plans a mystery dinner and mystery escape room during a local festival. Plans go awry when during a rehearsal one of the actors is murdered and the body disappears before the police arrive. With no sign of a crime the police dismiss their concern so Tempest and her team are primarily on their own. This is the fourth in this lighthearted and clever mystery series. Tempest and her supporting cast are well drawn diverse characters. The plot is engaging and puzzling with literary references to classic novels particularly locked room mysteries scattered like bread crumbs throughout the narrative.. Any book lover enjoys a book set in a library and if a reader is a fan of Golden Age mysteries they will find this an entertaining and enjoyable series.