Tempest Raj and the friends and family gang are back for another mystery, this is the 4th book in the Secret Staircase series. This time, during a construction project which will house a themed detective library, a murder occurs during a rehearsal for a murder mystery dinner. When Tempest’s friend, Sanjay is a potential suspect, she and the Scooby gang get to work on finding on who is the real killer?

Here’s what I adore about this series, the characters are people, I want to get to know. I so enjoy the interactions of the entire family especially the relationship between Tempest, her parents and grandparents so it was a bit disappointing for me, this novel did not include the family as much as previous books. It felt or read as if the family got so busy, they were left out of the book. The “Scooby” gang, the friendships seem genuine and playful, I want to be part of this group. The descriptions of the construction with sliding bookshelves and hidden passageways, makes me want to have them come do some remodeling and visit all the locations they have remodeled. The mystery is a locked door mystery, with a bit of a twist, you’re not sure who is truly a friend or foe, not sure which path you should go down, misdirection abounds but it’s done in a delightful manner. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one. Well done!

As a lover of this series, this one was very difficult for me to get into.

I just couldn't connect with this one and it didn't get better until the end.

I was a bit surprised by that.


NetGalley/ March 18, 2025 St. Martin's Press

Tempest is happy to be carrying on her family legacy at the Secret Staircase. Her latest job is preparing a house to be a library for Gray House. To announce it's opening they host a murder mystery play which evolves into a real murder.

The team works together to determine the killer while drawing on skills of the world's greatest detectives.

The Library Game is the fourth in the Secret Staircase series, and I do think they are best read in order. Tempest, a former stage magician, is enjoying her work with her father’s Secret Staircase Construction company. This time around they’re working on changing a Gray House, large private home, in to a classic mystery library and will be presenting an escape room/mystery play in the house for the town’s “Summer Stroll” weekend. During a play rehearsal, one of the actors is murdered during a planned on-stage blackout, but the body disappears when everyone leaves the room to get their phones.

Tempest’s friend, Sanjay, aka “The Hindi Houdini,” is one of the suspects – or maybe he was supposed to be the victim. Either way, Tempest and her “Scooby” gang, Ivy, Gideon, and Sanjay, need to solve the case. The author does a great job of weaving in the elements important in stage magic like forcing choices, misdirection, and sleight of hand, into the mystery. I didn’t guess who the killer was, but probably should have.

I do still love how close Tempest and her family and friends are. I’m a little sad the Gideon’s going to France for a few months. And the food her grandfather cooks sounds absolutely delicious. I also like the nods to Golden Age mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! Really cute! Loved the bookish vibes & the coziness. Fun characters too. Will go back & read the other books.

The Library Game was an interesting mystery. I liked the characters and that it was a closed room mystery. There were a few surprises in the ending. I enjoyed this book.

An interesting murder mystery than had plenty of confusing events. But liked the secrets and library aspects. I’m glad to have been given an advanced copy and I’m happy to leave an honest review.

This was a fun little mystery! A library being turned into a murder mystery play along with an escape room, but then the ones creating all that’s fun end up, stuck in their own murder, mystery and trapped in their escape room. Who could be the one behind all the things turning this weekend into a nightmare for them? Great book that kept me guessing and entertained!

While the premise is quite interesting, I'm at a disadvantage having not read the first three in the series. Sadly it did not capture my attention.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Solid 3.5

Easy, quick read. Not too deep or complicated. Lots of references to previous storylines since this is #4 in the series but the first one I've read so felt like I was missing a few things.

Thanks for the invite to read it, Minotaur Books

I enjoyed this book a lot so thank you for the chance to read it early! I was surprised by a lot of the twists and turns and the end was unexpected. I enjoyed reading these characters and will probably go back and read your other novels now!

You don't have to read the first three books in the series to enjoy "The Library Game" (I haven't read them yet) but I imagine readers who are already familiar with some of the main characters will get greater pleasure at the characters travails and triumphs. The cast of characters is colorful, and there is plenty of humor. The author utilizes the characteristics of classic detective novels quite well in creating the locked room closed circle mystery around which the book centers. Added to that is the power of illusions and the perceptions and expectations that magicians rely on to fool their audience. Just as the events of the book keep the characters guessing and confused, the reader will be kept guessing. I think readers will find the ending/resolution satisfying.

This is the first book in this series that I’ve read, although it’s the fourth in a series. I found it somewhat difficult to get into the book and it is probably because I didn’t read the previous books in the series. The story was good but I had a hard time getting into the characters.

Gray House Library’s new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner and literary themed escape room until bad things start happening.

This is a new series for me and it’s the 4th installment in the Secret Staircase mysteries. How have I missed these? Hidden staircases, secret passageways, mysterious puzzles, multicultural references, poison gardens, lots of interesting food (with bonus recipes at the end). Gigi Pandian’s “Secret Staircase” series (referring to a construction company that adds unusual architectural features to residences) is a cozy mystery fan’s staple. There’s a primary Scooby-Do “gang”: Tempest (a former magician), Ivy (her best friend/librarian), Gideon (a stonemason), Darius (dad and builder), Grandpa Ash (bringer of Scottish/Indian desserts), and Sanjay (the Hindi Houdini). The action takes place in the cute Northern California village of Hidden Creek.

In “The Library Game,” the Secret Staircase company is rehabbing an old mansion of a collector of classic detective fiction into a new community library and will be presenting an escape room/mystery play in the house for the local festival weekend. Local actors are hired and during a rehearsal, one of them is murdered during a planned on-stage blackout. After everyone runs for their phones, the body disappears. Gigi Pandian is the master of locked room mysteries and this one doesn’t disappoint.

In the audiobook, Soneela Nankani masterfully narrates from Tempest’s POV, bringing the characters to life and distinguishing each one with their own voice and personality. I have favorite narrators and Soneela has the type of voice acting that I love. The book was a quick read and enjoyable. I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook and both experiences were terrific.

This story was the right and delightful combination of mystery, illusion, coziness and a little bit of romance with a lot of book-loving bibliophiles as characters. I’ll definitely check out the previous three and I look forward to future ones! 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES/NO
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Oleander and monkshood, common garden poisonous plants, do get a mention.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. This is the fourth book in this series, which I have never read before, but luckily one does not need to have read the previous books to understand the flow of this installment. The story is about Tempest who works at Secret Staircase Construction, her family business, and just landed a contract to transform a home into a public library called Gray House Library. The owner wants to host a murder mystery dinner and escape room with a literary theme. Things go awry, however, when an actor is actually found dead and then the body disappears. It becomes up to Tempest and her team to figure out this murder, and ensure the events continue to go on.

This was an interesting read - I certainly loved the themes, whether it be a locked room mystery or the setting itself being literary! Plus, the mystery itself was thought provoking, and was not easy to figure out at all.

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

Three and one-half stars

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Tempest Raj, working with her family’s Secret Staircase Construction company, is helping prepare Gray House for a murder mystery dinner and literary-themed escape room. Designed to be part of Hidden Creek’s summer stroll, it will be a perfect way to publicize the Gray House Library of Classic Detective Fiction.

But things go wrong when, during the dress rehearsal, the actor who is portraying the dead man turns out to be truly dead. Can Tempest and her Scooby gang solve the mystery and find the murderer?

=========

This book is fourth in the author’s Secret Staircase mystery series, following “Under Lock and Skeleton Key,” “The Raven Thief,” and “A Midnight Puzzle.” Readers who have not read these books might find it easier to understand the relationships between the characters if they read these earlier stories first. Nevertheless, this book does work as a standalone and benefits from a strong sense of place.

Strengths of this series include the relationships between the characters and the way Tempest regularly uses her knowledge of stage magic to help solve the mystery. As always with this series, “The Library Game” includes puzzles to be solved and a locked room mystery, but readers may be quite disappointed to discover that most of the story takes place outside of the locked room. Astute readers are likely to identify the culprit long before the reveal, but there’s enough suspense and intrigue in the unfolding story to keep the pages turning. And, as always, there’s a much-anticipated recipe.

Recommended for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, puzzles, and those who have read the earlier stories in the series.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#TheLibraryGame #NetGalley

This was my first book in the series and I feel that may have caused a bit of a disadvantage for enjoying it as much as others. I also feel the way some of this was written to be very YA. Wasn’t for me.

I enjoy this series with all the references to classic crime novels. My only quirk is that there is so many words and/or phrases in italics. Personally a bit of over-use.

The Library Game is the fourth book in the Secret Staircase series. I haven't read the others and that may explain why I didn't like it very much. The story was intriguing enough for a mystery involving a company that makes secret rooms and passageways, but it was really slow paced and the characters weren't super likable.

I may go back and read one of the earlier novels just to see if there is some back story that might help a reader understand why the characters do what they do. It might also appeal to a younger audience.