I enjoyed reading Tempest’s latest adventure as an amateur sleuth with its “gothic cozy” vibes. I like the way Tempest’s friends and family members each play a role in solving the mystery and I got a kick out of the parallels to the Scooby Gang. As usual, I enjoyed the mix of classic crime fiction and modern stage magic. I was also intrigued by the escape room angle. The mystery itself was complex and included lots of twists, turns, and misdirection.

Note: This is the fourth book in an ongoing series. However, most of the overarching plot lines were wrapped up in the previous book, so this one could definitely be read as a standalone.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑳𝑰𝑩𝑹𝑨𝑹𝒀 𝑮𝑨𝑴𝑬 𝒃𝒚 𝑮𝒊𝒈𝒊 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 was graciously provided to me from @minotaur_books via @netgalley!

This is the 4th in the Secret Staircase Novels, and it was a perfect light mystery for me after some rather heavier themed books. I have loved sinking into this cozy series for several reasons. I am not an big cozy reader, but this series has intricate puzzles, clever twists, and I love the multicultural cast of characters that allow for a much broader experience of story. I also love all the food references with a fusion of Scottish and Indian flair (with recipes!). I also love the idea of a business in creating custom secret spaces, that are not creepy!

This mystery has once again created a locked room murder scenario inside an old home under construction to become a public library. A big nod to the importance of public libraries! Another nod to the locked room greats as there seem to be classic mystery plots involved in this murder.

I enjoyed this dive back into this fun mystery crew. I did feel it had a bit less of the deeper family connections that the others have had, but I still enjoyed the story. I love that my digital copy has the recipe for my eyeballs to follow!

For a cozy mystery that effortlessly gives a broader diversity of characters, flavor, and story, look no further!

4⭐

Tempest Raj and her gang of Scoobies are back investigating in The Library Game, the fourth Secret Staircase Mystery book.

Secret Staircase Construction has recently seen a bit of a boom in business, dividing their crew across construction sites. So while Darius and contractors are working across town, Tempest, Lily, and Gideon are working on converting Harold Gray's house into the Gray House Library of Classic Detective Fiction. An entire library dedicated to the works of classic detective mysteries (yes please!).
They are putting the final touches on the library's construction to be showcased in the town's summer stroll. For the event, Lily and Tempest have written a murder mystery room script focused on the library's specific collection.
One evening while the actors are rehearsing, they witness what can only be described as an impossible murder.
With one of the Scoobies at the center of the investigation nothing will stop Tempest from solving the mystery and ensuring the safety of her friends.

One of my favourite things with this series is the support system. In all the books Tempest takes the lead on the mystery but is surrounded by a loving group of friends and family who support her through the investigation. Her interactions with her grandparents are some of my favourite moments.
The mysteries are complex enough that you don't immediately know the answer and you enjoy going along with the sleuthing.
The cherry on top is always the recipe at the back of the book, which are always a nice treat (I still make the scones from the back of book 2).

This is a wonderful series for anyone looking for a cozy mystery series.
While each book has a discrete mystery, the books and characters are deeply intertwined and I would recommend starting with book 1.

Thank you to Gigi Pandian, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

If you, like me, grew up devouring Nancy Drew books, The Library Game will bring your mind back to those times. No flashlight under the sheets needed. Just a belief in the possibility of ghosts and a love of locked room murder mysteries.

A builder of hidden rooms, Tempest Raj, is planning a mystery game. During the rehearsal, an actor is found dead. Later, the body has vanished and a ghostly voice is heard crying for help. Since the play’s cast includes well known magicians, the police are not convinced that a crime was committed. Is the actor dead? Or is it a magic trick gone fatally wrong? Tempest must find the answer even if it kills her.

I had great fun reading this book even though some serious suspension of belief was necessary. Fans of The Prestige and other magic-based mysteries along with fans of classic locked room mysteries will be especially enamored of The Library Game. 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

This series is like a love letter to classic crime, locked room mysteries, and book lovers. Pick this up if you like these elements in a mystery:
- Cleverly plotted
- Scooby gang vibes
- Modern take on crime classic genre
- Impossible crime

Tempest is a former magician, and now works at her family’s business - Secret Staircase Construction - to bring magic into client’s homes with hidden features and whimsical touches. In this fourth outing, Tempest and the gang (the Abracadabras) are working to turn a private home into a public library for classic mysteries. Until they discover an impossible mystery that threatens to close down the library before it ever opens.

Secret Staircase books are just a delight to read. The Abracadabras are all great characters with ups and downs and fun banter, and this outing really focuses on this group of friends. We do get some time with Tempest’s grandfather as well - be warned that you will probably get hungry reading about all the culinary delights he prepares for friends and family. And suspects!

Ms. Pandian expertly plots these impossible mysteries to a satisfying conclusion. The reader is never left wondering how the impossible is possible, and it is a fun read to the finish line. While this is the fourth in the series, you can absolutely start here. The first three books did have an overarching mystery - this fourth book continues character development, but the mystery is a standalone.

I took notes in my ebook as I went along, trying to piece the mystery together. Don't miss this impossible crime read, perfect for all mystery lovers!

This is a fun cozy mystery that takes place in a great house that is being petitioned to be made into a library. It sort of feels like an Escape room theme. I thought the characters were fun, they house was a tad bit spooky...just enough to be considered cozy spooky. The ending was a bit of a surprise but not shocking.

Overall good read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gigi Pandian and St Martins press for my e-arc version.

Tempest Raj and her “Scooby Team” have another murder mystery on their hands. Or do they? Tempest for her father, the owner of Secret Staircase Construction, and their latest renovation soon becomes much more.

Tempest is thrilled about the growth of her family business, especially with their unique renovations. She’s particularly excited about their newest job: transforming a home into a library. But this is no ordinary library; it’s to become a library dedicated to the work of renowned fictional detectives from over the decades.

As they work on the renovation, Tempest and her friends are looking forward to a murder mystery game is scheduled at the home. Everything goes awry when the game unfolds.

This book by Gigi Pandian is a delightful read, and the narration by Soneela Nankani enhances the storytelling experience. As a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast, I was particularly impressed by how the story was developed and progressed. Listening to this book in one sitting was sheer joy.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Secret Staircase Construction’s newest job in a specialized, mystery themed library is threatened when an actor for the opening event disappears and then is found dead. And one of Tempest’s friends is either the prime victim or the intended target. So it’s up to Tempest to investigate before the worst can happen.

Oops! I didn’t realize that this is fourth in a series, when I requested it, but it stood on its own really well. And I did like it a lot! Tempest having such a great support system and relationships with her family, friends, and her community were all so delightful to read. You miss out on some character backstory, if you jump in here, but all the characters were so unique that it was easy to keep them straight. The use of the construction company and how it sets up Tempest’s knowledge that comes in useful, as well as the specialties of her friends all contributing made the solve of the mystery very satisfying. And the location of a mystery themed library!

And there were so many twists & turns that kept me guessing! There were red herrings aplenty, and every time I thought I had it pegged, something changed my mind.

I’m definitely going to want to seek out the rest of this series now!

Thank you to both NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the storyline and all the characters. I thought they had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is a cozy and fun locked room mystery. This is the 4th novel in the Secret Staircase Mystery Series.

What happens when a literary themed Murder mystery/escape room goes wrong!?! Tempest and their group of friends soon find out in this novel set in the Locked Room Library.

This novel reminds me of a cross between Nancy Drew (the lastest TV adaption) and Scooby-Doo, as it's a group of friends trying to solve a crime. I have not read the other novels in this series, but it reads well as a standalone.

I loved seeing Tempest and her group again. I am impressed with the number of ways Pandian can come up with to create a locked room mystery. I enjoyed finding out the secrets that some people were keeping. The resolution felt sufficiently weighty with the good and the bad.
The number of reveals about how it was done got a little annoying. Tempest would figure out one piece and go to confirm. Then she would come back and figure out another piece and go confirm. Then there was another piece she figured out. It got to be a little much. I know Tempest is the main character, so she is going to have most of the revelations. When there were so many revelations, it felt a little forced.
Overall this was a good addition to the Secret Staircase mysteries, but the reveals were not my favorite.

Illusionist Tempest Raj has put her talents to work with her father’s construction company, specializing in hidden rooms and staircases. She has also used her talents to solve several murders. The Library Game is the fourth book in this series and Gigi Pandian provides a story filled with illusions, misdirections and a disappearing body. Cameron Gray inherited his grandfather’s home and extensive collection of classic mysteries. The will stipulated that the house should become a library with a home for Cameron in the third floor. Tempest and her friend Ivy have created a mystery play for the library’s opening with a preview scheduled during the town’s summer stroll. At rehearsal Luke, one of the actors, arranges for Tempest’s friend Sanjay to stand in for him. At one point the lights go down. When they come back up Sanjay is gone and Luke’s body lies face down before them. By the time the police arrive, Luke’s body has disappeared. When the body finally makes another appearance, Sanjay becomes a prime suspect so Tempest gathers her Scooby Crew to solve the murder. Tempest, Sanjay, Ivy and Gideon, a sculptor who works with them, may not have a dog to sniff out clues but together they review events and hopefully find a solution.

With her story centered around a library filled with classic detectives, Pandian’s mystery is a fun read for bibliophiles. Tempest’s friends have a close relationship and Ash, her grandfather, keeps them going with his wonderful cookies and meals. There is even a recipe for his mouth watering blackberry crumble cobbler. A petition to stop the library’s opening, a curmudgeonly neighbor who spends her time spying on their activities and a vandal who wreaks havoc without appearing on security cameras provide challenges for Tempest. Murder, magic and a touch of romance make this an enjoyable read. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for providing this book..

Book #4 in the Secret Staircase cozy mystery series. The cast of characters in this series are all illusionists in one form or another. The series is built around a company that adds secret rooms, moving walls, camoflagued staircases and other archetectural additions to make a home a house of magic. In THE LIBRARY GAME, the home is being remodeled to become a library complete with the interesting add ons that they are famous for. Before the grand opening, the library is hosting a mystery game night. The fun is interrupted when one of the actors is found dead. During the excitement that follows, the body disappears and the investigation takes an illusionists twist. The series is unlike any I've seen and the twists, while not hard core, keep you guessing as each chapter introduces a new suspect.

***ARC received from Minotaur Books and NetGalley, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

This is the fourth in the series and while I haven’t read the whole series I think its okay to read as a stand alone. There is some references to things that happened in prior books but that is okay, you don’t really lose anything from this book the story stand on its own. You just miss on how the relationships were established but its okay for me but I know for others they want the whole story. So if you are like me its okay but certainly go back and read the prior three books.

Tempest and gang are setting up a new library. There are quite a few characters that all fit different needed stereotypes. I liked Tempest, I think I probably would have liked her more had I read the first three books that it doesn’t take anything away. I think Sanjay was probably my least liked character, he was loud and annoying and just so over the top. I wish they had pulled him back just a little bit. I can’t really say more about the characters, they kind of come and go as the plot needs them.

I really liked the concept of these small towns with so many libraries and book stores and just surrounded by literature. I loved the idea of these small very focused libraries or stores that only sold very specific genre of books. I want to live in a town like that, it sounds like a wonderful place. Plus how they turn the libraries into little fun places with hidden rooms and staircases, its such fun little details. They bring magic in very practical ways.

The mystery just didn’t work for me. While it had some good misdirection to cast more suspicion on others the longer it went along the less it made sense. Like if you stop and think about it for too long the less it makes sense which I know is not what you are supposed to do in a cozy mystery but I couldn’t help myself. But when the killer is finally revealed I actually felt bad for them and when its all done and everyone gets their happy ending the more I thought about it the angrier it actually made me. Which is weird because its supposed to be happy but I guess it didn’t work for me.

While you would definitely be better served having read the prior three books to get the most out of this book you can still read this as a stand alone. Despite my issues with the murder mystery itself I did like this book and found it a quick and easy read that a could read on a stormy day. People that like cozy mysteries will likely enjoy this book a lot.

This is the 4th installment in the Secret Staircase series. I haven’t read the first 3 books but I was still able to follow along quite nicely in this one. Definitely can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the twists in this locked room murder mystery, where the setting is….a library! An escape room library in fact! I love the nerdy characters and how they refer to classic detective fiction books for possible solution! Thank you @Minotaur_Books for introducing me to this delightful series. Now I have to get books 1-3!

If you love classic detective mysteries, you will enjoy reading The Library Game. I enjoyed reading this book. This is the first book I've read in the series but could have easily been a stand-alone book. The characters are relatable, and the story keeps your attention. I'm going to have to get my hands on the other books in the series as I really enjoyed this one!

Tempest Raj is a former professional magician who was headlining in Vegas until her show was sabotaged, leading her to eventually return home and join the family business. The family business, of course, isn’t anything mundane like running a restaurant or bakery; it’s designing and building spaces that tell a story, frequently including hidden passages, sliding bookshelves, and secret stairways.

Their latest project is redesigning a former residence to be a library featuring thousands of classical mysteries. As part of a neighbor festival, the library is hosting an interactive play, one to introduce the public to the library and some of the unique features Tempest and company have built into it. The dress rehearsal starts off on the wrong foot: one of the actors in the play isn’t available so he’s asked Tempest’s magician pal Sanjay to step in. But when the lights go out and a gunshot rings out – all part of the play – the dead body of the original actor is found on the floor and Sanjay has vanished. Chaos ensues, and by the time the gang has claimed their phones (conveniently locked up in the kitchen so the play has the right ambiance) and the police have arrived, the body is gone – a real magic trick.

What a fun book! I’m a fan of Ms. Pandian’s other books and have read some of the others in this series. I love some of the side characters – Tempest’s grandparents are lovely. I think I’d join their company to be feed some of her grandfather’s meals, too (I loved how he took cookies to the police officer trailing a potential suspect). The addition of the magical elements is terrific, along with the affection and support Tempest has for and from her friends.

Highly recommended. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.Com which I voluntarily reviewed.

The Library Game is the fourth in The Secret Staircase series, but the first I’ve read. It can easily be read as a standalone novel as references to prior situations and relationships that you might need to understand are subtly woven into this work. Despite some clunky dialogue, the characters in the core group of Tempest, her family, and her close friends were engaging and had unique personalities, hobbies, and talents. I struggled the most with my enjoyment of this cozy, locked room mystery because it lacks balance in exploring all possible suspects, to the point that the reveal provided more information about half of the key characters' backgrounds and personalities than at any other point in the book. I found the distinctive explanations of craftsmanship fascinating, though brief. I also thought the explanation of how the circumstances around the murder played out was clever. It was enjoyable, but not a favorite.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this cozy mystery.

The Secret Staircase construction company, with its roots in magical theater, brings a unique twist to a cozy mystery. Friends Tempest, Gideon, Sanjay and Ivy, work together on a mystery play/escape room game gone wrong. I enjoy the multi-generational family (Grandpa Ash’s food!- one recipe included) and I like the insights into building and staging tricks. Like a good magic show, misdirection, illusions and sleight of hand make this mystery a fun puzzle to follow and using classic mysteries to help find a killer are a fun bonus. This can easily stand on its own. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gigi Pandian for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Library Game coming out March 18, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really love this series! I love mysteries and anything to do with libraries! I think there was a lot of progress made in the book. I enjoyed the cultural references to being Scottish and Indian. I think it brought an added layer to a really cozy and fun story. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries!