A cozy who-dun-it mystery. I enjoyed the read and thought it was well written and kept me intrigued to find out who was the murderer. Everyone’s characters at one point in time seemed like they could be the killer. The premise of it being at rehearsals for a murder mystery dinner was really fun too! This was my first time with the characters, but I really enjoyed them all. Tempest is such an enjoyable character too, and I’m kind of obsessed with her grandpa. I appreciated that these books could be read as a standalone, or at least it felt like it could!

The audiobook was well done and I had no troubles listening. The tone, voice, and speed were all great!

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Gigi Pandian for the ALC!

THE LIBRARY GAME is the fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries by Gigi Pandian. I’ve been a fan of this series from the very start and have looked forward to spending time with the cast of delightful characters with each new release. While this can be read as a standalone, it’s worthwhile to start at the beginning and follow the character development of the core cast. Protagonist Tempest Raj, a former magician, is now working with her family’s Secret Staircase Construction business. I love the description of secret rooms, sliding bookshelves, and passageways, which lend a mysterious air to the story. Ms. Pandian’s strong descriptive skills bring each character to life, as well as assisting the reader to see the settings and experience the action going on as the story progresses.

The author is also a master at the locked room mystery and this newest release is no exception. I like how Tempest uses her magician skills to navigate the illusions and intricacies of the murder and the disappearance of the body. She puts her skills to good use when she and her friends become trapped in a room her family’s business has been renovating. There are twists and turns, and nothing is as it appears, until the clues fall into place as Tempest solves the crime. If you enjoy locked room mysteries, an escape room plot, a puzzling murder to solve, and memorable characters, you’ll want to read The Library Game!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advance audiobook copy. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did an amazing job capturing the personalities of the characters, and differentiating between female and male, as well as providing appropriate accents to the speech as required.

Everyone needs an emotional-support teen mystery series in their lives, and this one is mine. Once again I was absolutely delighted by Tempest and her whole crew. I loved how this book departs from the first three installments and really stands alone. I guessed a couple of the twists, but ultimately it's a very successful locked room mystery! This book did make me really miss Agatha Christie... I gotta get back into reading her this year. Still totally baffled by the love triangle but oh well! I'll keep reading these as long as they're published.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is a delightful blend of mystery, wit, and charm that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Tempest Raj, owner of the unique and imaginative Secret Staircase Construction, is given the exciting opportunity to help transform a historic home into a library dedicated to classic detective fiction. The project, already full of intrigue with its hidden bookshelves and secret passageways, takes an unexpected turn when a murder mystery dinner rehearsal leads to a real-life murder — and the body vanishes.

Pandian's writing shines with her trademark mix of suspense, humor, and intriguing characters. Tempest, with her keen instincts and personal connections to the culinary world (thanks to her Scottish and Indian heritage), is a refreshingly strong and relatable protagonist. The mystery unfolds through an array of clever twists and turns, creating a captivating game for readers to solve alongside Tempest and her team.

The setting is equally engaging, with the literary-themed escape room and the renovation of the detective fiction library adding a fun and unique layer to the plot. As part of the Secret Staircase Mysteries series, The Library Game delivers everything fans of cozy mysteries love — a compelling puzzle, rich character development, and a satisfying blend of humor and suspense.

Overall, The Library Game is a fantastic read for fans of cozy mysteries and anyone who enjoys a good literary whodunit with an imaginative twist.

This book, 4th in a series unknown to me, was a delight! The characters were likable and interesting. The pace of the book was enjoyable, and the narrator brought the story to life. Now that I have found that s series, I am already planning to go back and read the first three! I have high hopes for this series! Doesn’t everyone dream of a secret passage in her home! This book brings that dream to life throughout the cozy mystery!

Title: The Library Game
Series: Secret Staircase Mystery #4
Author: Gigi Pendian
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Sonella Nankani
Publisher: Macmillan Audio- Minotaur Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: March 18, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Page: 320

Tempest Raj couldn’t be happier that the family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Known for enchanting architectural features like sliding bookshelves and secret passageways, the company is now taking on a dream project: transforming a home into a public library that celebrates history's greatest fictional detectives.

I love this series and have wanted to check ‘Angi' aka 'Angie’s List’ to see if there is a ‘Secret Staircase Construction' company in my area.

Yes Tempest is still working with her dad, but her current pursuit involves a new escape room and mystery play being held at a local home possibly slated to become a library for classic detective fiction.
When one of the actors is found dead, Tempest, Sanjay, Gideon, and Ivy ‘the Scooby Gang’ have to turn to their detective skills.
With the help Grandpa Ash and his magic rolodex- they are in their element and the show ‘will go on’ while the house is still a crime scene.

The audiobook narrator, Sonella Nankani is the voice of ‘The Secret Staircase and is excellent in performing the characters.
There is no doubt that this is an enjoyable read! Now I am looking forward to the next adventure of this team as well as Temp and Sanjay’s romance. BTW: For you foodies there is an address at the end where you can subscribe and download a free email cookbook!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granted me the pleasure of listening to this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 18, 2025.

I typically really enjoy mystery stories, but this one fell flat for me.

Tempest is a former stage magician working for her family's business of building magic into people's homes - moving bookcases, secret stairways, and hidden levers to open hidden doors. They are working on putting together an escape room experience to promote the opening of the new private library they are helping to build, one that specializes in classic mysteries. But when one of the cast members shows up dead, Tempest and her friends must solve a real-life closed room mystery in order to prove their innocence and save the library.

I really enjoyed the setting for this book - the small town is adorable, and a library of mystery books inside an old house with hidden staircases and moving bookshelves? Dreamy!!! The diverse cast of characters really helps to bring the town to life too, it's nice to read a mystery that isn't just a white man solving a mystery in an all white town, again.

Unfortunately, the characters are also where the book started to fall flat for me. The dialog was clunky and didn't feel like how people actually talk to each other, and the characters tended to have emotional outbursts that didn't really make sense. Their moods would shift at the drop of a hat (pun intended). On top of that, Tempest seems like she is supposed to come across as "quirky," but just ends up being...kind of weird. She randomly does handstands instead of bending down, or will stand up and twirl to clear her head. The rest of the way she behaves feels so normal (almost bland at times), and so these behaviors just feel out of left field, even with the "former stage magician" explanation.

And it wasn't just the characters, the mystery aspects also felt clunky. My favorite mysteries are the ones where the details are described so seamlessly that you don't even realize you are being given clues - this book felt like it was pummeling me in the face with them. There were so many and they were so obvious, if I missed one it was because there were so many others to keep track of. And ultimately, the crime didn't feel believable. It goes back to the characters having unrealistic responses to things happening to them - I just can't really believe that the culprit really would have behaved the way they did.

Lastly, the format. I listened to the audiobook version of this book. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really anything special either. Sometimes the readers emphasis felt off, or the emotion she put behind the words didn't quite fit, but otherwise it was a solid performance.

2/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is a delightful twist on the classic locked-room mystery, filled with intrigue, clever plotting, and a touch of whimsy reminiscent of Scooby-Doo. The story unfolds in a captivating, atmospheric library setting, and the complex cast of characters keeps you guessing until the very end. Soneela Nankani’s narration is spot-on, bringing each character to life with subtle nuance and energy. If you love puzzles, mystery, and a hint of quirky charm, this book is a must-read/must-listen! (I received an advance listener copy and all opinions are my own.)

First thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book! This is definitely one that I need to read the rest of the series and then reread because I did not like this one very much at all. The narrator was oddly pitched and had a strange intonation, and the narration is extremely overwrought. There are so many moments where I just cringed for the weirdly specific descriptions of her strong hands or ample hips. I am reserving more negative feedback until I read the others as that may change the way I see it.

The latest adventure of Tempest Raj and her “Secret Staircase” companions (family and friends) was a delight! I’ve really grown to love this series, although this was the first one I’ve listened to on audiobook. For a small town, there are a lot of libraries, bookshops, and murder victims—but that is just part of the fun. These characters are obsessed with “locked room” mysteries and golden-age detective fiction, and their day job working for a construction company dedicated to secret compartments, moving bookcases, and other magical/illusionistic elements makes for a great mystery series. The ending leaves some dangling threads in the personal lives of Tempest and Ivy, and I’m already looking forward to seeing how they are addressed in book five. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

This book is a cute little mystery. It took me awhile to get into it and sort out the characters, but it did all end up coming together in the end

I absolutely adore this series and was thrilled to get the ARC! Tempest and her family have truly won my heart, and this mystery stands out as my favorite of the series so far. The suspense and twists kept me hooked, and I can't wait for many more adventures with Tempest and her fascinating family. Bring on more mysteries!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This is the 4th book in the series but they can be read as stand alone with little issue. I love the world Gigi Pandian has created in this cozy mystery series and love the element of magic she weaves into each book. In this book, Tempest and her group find themselves trying to solve a locked room murder in a soon to open mystery book library. There is deception, snooping, a nosy neighbor, and redirections aplenty.

The narration was well done, Soneela Nankani has a wonderful voice that really brings the characters to life.

While I enjoyed the story overall, I had some issues with inconsistent pacing and remembering who all the characters were. That might be due to my having only read the first book in the series. These issues aren't enough to keep me from recommending this title to cozy mystery lovers.

This is my first book from Gigi Pandain and I read it as a stand alone. The Library game was a fun and easy read.

Tempest Raj's family business, Secret Staircase Construction, builds unique architectural features like sliding bookshelves, secret passageways with secrete levers. Who isn't intrigued by that?!?!? This book is full of mystery, adventure. Definitely a pallet cleanser after some of the darker mysteries I have read lately. Very light hearted and enjoyable.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

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 listened to the audiobook. The book is from Tempest’s point of view and the narrator does a great job. The characters are well-differentiated and I appreciated the variety of accents.

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.

The Library Game is the fourth book in Gigi Pandian's Secret Staircase Mystery series. Tempest Raj and her family's business, Secret Staircase Construction, have been hired for a dream job. Building a literary themed escape room for Gray House Library. As part of the opening celebrations a murder mystery dinner is planned. Rehearsals for the show come to a sudden halt when one of the actors goes missing and later turns up dead. Tempest, her friends, and family get involved in the investigation.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I love the inventiveness of the mysteries and the descriptions of the builds done by the construction company. Most have had a locked room aspect to them and this is no different. There are plenty of twists and the story is well paced. Tempest is great and I always love her friends and family. I highly recommend the audio versions of these books. Soneela Nankani does a great job with the narration. I can't wait for the next installment of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Library Game is the 4th book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries, and I wondered if that would be an issue because this series is new to me and haven’t read the other titles. It was a bit confusing early on, and it took me ages to get into it. I had a hard time feeling engaged with the story, and it really wasn’t until the last half of the book that I felt I was enjoying the book. I think part of the issue is that I think the concept of the book was actually quite good, but the execution of the story left something to be desired.

That’s not to say the book was all bad. I guess I just had different expectations going in. I expected there to be more sleuthing going on. And the majority of the mystery solving takes place outside of the escape rooms, so that was kind of a letdown.

I do have to admit that the ending was a bit of a surprise, as I usually can follow along and guess the culprit in a locked room mystery by following the clues planted in the story. But overall, I felt the mystery was a little meh.

The book was narrated by Soneela Nankani, and I thought they did a fine job, it’s just that the material did not resonate with me.

I first picked this book because the premise sounded like a fun one. Little did I know it was in a series. But gotta say it was able to be read as a standalone and you didn’t get lost at all. It’s always nice to get to read a trapped room mystery and this did a great job at it. Kept me trying to figure out who the killer was and why! I really love the FMC and can’t wait to see where the book pivots from here. Fast entertaining read that was really good:) thanks NetGalley for the arc!

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 Macmillan Aidio and NetGalley for an advanced reader and listener copies!