I thought I was over cozy mysteries but this series has me in a chokehold. I love that the characters make sense to be trying to unfold what happened and don’t seem to be going out of their way to investigate like lil busy bodies. 

I think you could read it as a standalone but WHY?! I’d start from the beginning it’s all great. 

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan for an alc

I jumped into this book having not read the previous installments in the series and I still felt it was worthwhile. With the broad cast of characters, I wasn't sure who I could trust by default from previous books and who was a new suspicious person for this book alone, but in the end that was just more theories for me to work thru to get to the actual suspect to blame.

A cozy read, with a fun library backdrop. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for my early review.

 The fourth book in the Secret Staircase mystery series is another delightful locked-room mystery. This time the family-owned specialty construction company doesn’t figure into the story very much, but the talents of the former magician, Tempest Raj, definitely does. Tempest and her friends are putting on a show that is an escape room/murder mystery dinner play. It’s being staged in Gray House, which was a private home filled with classic mystery novels that is being turned into a library - if the town council approves the plan. The show is supposed to be part of the town’s Summer Stroll festivities. But when one of the actors is found murdered, will the show be able to go on? 

 

There are several characters to keep track of, but if you’ve read at least one of the previous books, that won’t be an issue. The main “players” include Tempest’s friend and possible future boyfriend, Gideon, a talented stone carver; Sanjay, her magician friend who bills himself as the Hindu Houdini; Ivy, who runs the existing local mystery-themed library, and more. As usual, Grandpa Ash provides delicious-sounding food! (Don’t miss the blackberry crumble cobbler recipe at the end of the book.) And Abra, Tempest’s pet rabbit, makes a couple of appearances. 

 

The locked-room aspect was well done, as always. Do we actually see what we think we see? In addition to the mystery, there’s an emphasis on family and friendship, which I always appreciate. 

 

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was narrated by Soneela Nankani, who once again did a great job with the many characters and accents. 

 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own. 

The Library Game was my first book by Gigi Pandian. This is the fourth book in the series in this series, but was easy enough to follow without having to read the other three books.

I loved Tempest but her family stole my heart. Her quirky, loving, and supporting father and grandparents are everything a happy family dynamic should be. Their family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is a dream come true that combines whimsical architecture, books, and magic.

The family’s most recent job was to convert the home of Harold Gray into a library comprised exclusively of classic detective fiction as he had requested in his will prior to his death. His grandnephew would live in the attic, which Secret Staircase Construction, had converted into a cozy apartment and run the library. Prior to opening the library to the public, Tempest and friends decide to draw attention to the newest addition to their little town of Hidden Creek by hosting a murder mystery play and escape room. Things take a turn when a real murder takes place during the dress rehearsal. Now it is up to Tempest, her friends, her family, the police, and her trusty grumpy bunny sidekick to solve the murder so that the library can open.

This was a fun read and kept me guessing until the end. The beginning was a bit slow and didn’t draw me in quickly but that could have been due to the fact that I was starting on book four so it took time to warm up to the characters. Once I got to know them and the murder unfolded, then I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review The Library Game prior to its release. 

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.

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!

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.

Title: The Library Game
Author: Gigi Pandian
Series: Secret Staircase Mystery #4
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: March 18, 2025

I received complimentary eARC and ALCs from Minotaur Books (a division of St. Martin's Press) and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Amusing • Lighthearted • Unsurprising

📖 S Y N O P S I S

There's a body in the library—and everyone is a suspect.

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.

Though the work is far from done, Gray House Library’s new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner and literary themed escape room. But when a rehearsal ends with an actor murdered and the body vanishes, Tempest is witness to a seemingly impossible crime. Fueled by her grandfather’s Scottish and Indian meals, Tempest and the rest of the crew must figure out who is making beloved classic mystery plots come to life in a deadly game.

💭 T H O U G H T S

A library renovation combined with a murder mystery dinner and a literary themed escape room - these are the elements that made me immediately added The Library Game to my list of 2025 anticipated releases. What I failed to realize until I had started reading was it is the fourth installment in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. Oops.

Like so many of the cozy mysteries I pick up, I absolutely adored the small town community and the old house turned library setting. Tempest's character is certainly interesting and entertaining, yet at times it feels like the author has made her too eccentric. I did, however, appreciate the diverseness of the cast. The heart of this book really is the relationships between the characters, and I may have missed out of some of that relationship building not having read the previous books in the series.

When it comes to the mystery element, it was pretty simple to figure out whodunit. In my opinion, there were too many clue and rather than subtly inserting throughout the narrative, they were so in your face that it disrupted the overall flow. My interest level also shifted erratically while reading, as opposed to remaining consistently invested.

I tandem read the audiobook, narrated by Soneela Nankani, along with the digital copy. While the audiobook helped speed up the reading process, there is nothing about it that really stood out. The narration is fine and did the job. I know cozy mysteries don't always have a lot of emotion, yet I felt that was lacking in the voicing of the story.

The Library Game is meant to be a locked room mystery, however, much of the action takes place outside of the locked-room. It has so many elements I adore, yet how they come together just didn't work for me. Maybe if I'd have had more context from the previous books, it'd have been a better experience. Cozy mysteries are not my go-to genre, so it's quite possible people who love cozies will enjoy this a lot more.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• escape rooms
• books about books
• cozy mysteries

⚠️ CW: death, murder