This is another great book in this series. The author's ability to make visual magic and distractions work on the page is always astonishing to me. This book is full of twists and misdirects that I never saw coming (but looking back was obvious - which is the best kind of twist). The characters and plot are cozy enough that if felt like dropping back in on friends, but the plot was intense enough that I wanted to race through the book.
It can be a standalone the author does a good job of backstory without spoiling the first book, but I would recommend starting with the first book because these are so good.
Can't wait for the next one, I am on the edge of my seat to learn more about what happened to Tempest's mother and aunt!

Tempest Raj & her dad's Secret Staircase Construction company has finished renovations on Lavinia's house. To celebrate, Lavinia invites her book club members and family to a mock seance to remove any trace of her cheating writer ex-husband Corbin Colt. The eight participants are shocked when Corbin's dead body appears on the table. How is this possible when Corbin was seen on a livestream video 50 miles away? When Tempest's grandfather is put on house arrest as the prime suspect, Tempest works with her friends to figure out how the impossible locked room crime occurred. This enjoyable second book in the Secret Staircase mystery series has plenty of riddles, red herrings and intrigue. The unsolved death of Tempest's mother 5 years earlier is another important subplot in the story.

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

My Thoughts:
In the world where staircase slide and theres tricked tables and hidden book nooks Tempest finds her family has lot of hidden secrets. In the second book of the Secret Staircase Mysteries Tempest try’s to figure out what happen and prove that her grandfather is innocence. The story at times was a little confusing but I enjoyed the characters and the way the author brings the Charm of where this takes place to live. If you like what I would call a cozy mystery you will like this series. Thank you netgalley for letting me read this book.

The second Secret Staircase Mystery has Tempest involved in solving a real puzzle. When she is invited to a mock seance to remove all traces of their client's cheating ex-husband, she doesn't expect to find him appearing dead in the middle of the table where the seance was held when he was supposed to be fifty miles away at the time. When her Grandfather Ash is arrested as the murder's prime suspect, Tempest and her friends need to figure out what really happened and how Corbin Colt's body ended up on that table.

I liked the way classic mysteries from the Golden Age were woven into the story. I really liked the idea of a company that creates "magical' renovations complete with sliding bookshelves and hidden compartments. I liked the way Tempest used her background as a stage magician to figure out how the trick was done.

I liked the quirky characters and the strong family relationships among the Rajs. I'm curious to know if Tempest will find a romantic partner as the series progresses because there are two good suspects among her group of friends. I liked that the on-going thread begun in UNDER LOCK & SKELETON KEY which concerns the death of her aunt, and the disappearance of mother makes some progress in this episode.

While I would recommend starting with book 1 to learn who these characters are, this book does stand alone quite well.

Pandian’s ability to misdirect readers even when we’re looking for that misdirection is unparalleled. There are very few books that I would say rival Agatha Christie, but Pandian nails it. I absolutely loved the story—the puzzle-solving, the characters, the family, the mysteries upon mysteries. She hooks you from page one to the end, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series!!

This is another fabulous twisty mystery that Tempest has to investigate. I love the old school seance as well as the mystery room the crew created. I was able to guess who did it early on, but the how it was done was a surprise. I had a lot of fun following Tempest’s investigation and seeing who was helping her. The solution to everything was as complex as it needed to be. It didn’t feel like there was any extra padding or fluff. We get a little further along in the investigation of the family curse, but that was a minor part of this book. Overall, I think I liked this one better than the first one!

Tempest and the Secret Staircase team are invited to a party celebrating the completion of their work at a mystery-loving client’s home. During the mock séance at the party, though, the client’s ex-husband’s body is found in the newly renovated space. The only possible suspects are the party guests, including Tempest’s Grandpa Ash. Determined to clear his name, Tempest starts her own investigation into the death.

This is book #2 in the series, and I liked it even more than the first. I like Tempest and her family and friends, and the way they work together and support each other. There are several nods to Golden Age mystery authors like Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, which are fun. The way Tempest uses her former career as an illusionist to help figure out how the “impossible” crime was committed is unique to cozy mysteries, and gives her an ‘excuse’ to be involved in the case.

The locked room aspect of this book gives the reader a limited number of suspects, which shuffled in my head several times as the story progressed and more clues were discovered. I was not able to guess the identity of the killer or the motive, but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book. I look forward to reading the next installment of this series.

First and foremost, understand that this is the second book in a series. I read and truly enjoyed the first book, Under Lock and Skeleton Key. It was full of stage magic, mysteries, and familial ties that cannot be broken. I was so excited to get the opportunity to read an arc of this from Netgalley.

Tempest, our main character, is a stage magician as many of her family were before her. However, her family has a bit of a curse, or so it seems. When we first meet Tempest, we see her having an unexpected (involuntary) career change. This leads to what appears to be an ongoing mystery that will thread through each book in this series. I am excited to see where this element of the story goes and what the conclusion will be.
In the first book we get a lengthy introduction to Tempest and her family as can be expected for a first book. However, I felt the author gave enough information in her second book to cover the bases if someone has not read the first. Do not let that keep you from checking out Under Lock and Skeleton Key because it was well worth the read. Tempest’s father owns a construction company that builds secrets and hidden rooms for their client’s with particular attention to details and special elements. After the first book, Tempest joined her father and began working for the company. I enjoyed hearing all the projects the family has done or is doing because it is so magical and I just wanted to transport myself into the book to be a part of them. Tempest, similar to the first book, has a personal stake in the mystery at hand which includes an almost impossible murder. Tempest must use her background in illusions to solve not only who committed the murder and why, but also use her skills to understand how the perpetrator even committed the crime in the first place.

At the end of the book Tempest’s grandfather’s recipes are featured for you to make at home. I love this element of this series because it allows you to really connect with the story and characters.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this will be for you. I truly enjoyed The Raven Thief and look forward to the rest of this series.

Check it out March 21, 2023.

Tempest is one of my favorite characters of contemporary fiction. I was waiting for her next adventure: whether she would go back to the stages or she would go after the curse surrounding her family. She did neither. She was forced to think about more near team problem such as clearing Grandpa Ash’s name. You would be surprised to hear that Ash was in trouble. How could squishy grandpa who loves to feed everyone around him end up in bigggg trouble

Be careful what you wish for Lavinia. Because when you wanted to have that seance to get rid of your ex husband’s “ghost”, you might end up with a real ghost… and the body it once occupied… right on your seance table… in your new lair…. The body didn’t only shock people, but also got Ash in trouble because you get a man out of hospital, but cannot get hospital and medical instinct off of him. He touched to body to help, only to leave him with bloody hands

We watched Tempest to solve a riddle instead of building one. She used her own techniques to figure how someone could create such an impossible illusion. While it took some time, nothing stopped Tempest from hitting the mark, saving everyone, and figuring out the trickster who gave her run for her money.

A seance leads to a dead body on the table where the participants are all holding hands. No one could have gotten in or out. Tempest Raj's grandfather is accused of murder, and she must solve and prove that he didn't do it in this wonderful, intriguing, locked room mystery. Gigi Pandian had me on the edge of my seat with all the twists, turns, and dead ends in The Raven Thief. The solution is brilliant!

THE RAVEN THIEF by Gigi Pandian is the delightful locked-room mystery I needed right now!

The second in The Secret Staircase Mystery Series after Under Lock and Skeleton Key (which I also thoroughly enjoyed), I couldn't wait to see what Tempest Raj was up to. An illusionist storyteller, Tempest has returned to her family construction business and helped finish their first classic mystery novel themed home renovation. When they decide to celebrate with a mock séance to rid any traces of the ex-husband, the night turns serious when he turns up dead and the only suspects must have been around the table. When Tempest's grandfather becomes the focus, she must use all her skills to uncover the truth.

First, I love a fun locked-room mystery. These are usually a bit more clever than a typical cozy, and this one is very clever. Second, this is such a delight of cultures with Indian and Scottish Grandparents who play a strong role. They are often cooking in the story and I love the mention of the dishes, and especially love the included recipes in the back!

This story had what felt a bit of a silly lead up, but turned quickly into murder. There is also the secondary mystery of Tempest's missing mother that is fed into just a bit more in this installment. I enjoy this dual storyline and reminds me of mystery TV series that I like to watch. The diversity of characters just brings this into another category of enjoyment for me too. I always learn something new (and in this case, delicious!)

I was lucky to receive both the ARC and the ALC of this March release and tried to wait, but I couldn't! It is read by Soneela Nankani, who does a fantastic job. The vocals are theatrical without going too far, and at 1.5X speed, I was able to simply enjoy being carried along.

Thank you to @netgalley @minotaur_books & @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to experience this story. My favorite is to have both audio and "print" so this was perfect.

This sequel isn't quite as strong as the first book in the Secret Staircase series, but it delivers a good amount of the same level of charm. The murder mystery at the center of this tale is a complicated knot to unravel, even if you see a little bit of the twist coming, making it fun to be along for the ride. There are some more little pieces of the longer mystery arc about Tempest's mom and the family curse sprinkled in, but I couldn't help but want more, even if I know that that mystery is bound to be a slow burn over the course of the series. The strongest elements of the first book continue to be the best parts of the latest- the descriptions of the whimsical spaces that Tempest, her father, and crew create; and Tempest's grandparents. Now it's just a matter of waiting until the next one.

I think this is one of my favorite new cozy mystery series. It feels kind of like the mentalist and murder she wrote had a collaboration.

If you're looking for a happy way to while away a lazy afternoon, look no further. This book is filled with fun elements and quirky characters, all revolving around a clever locked-room style mystery with multiple 'impossibilities.' I loved how the mystery surrounding Tempest's mother was woven into the current crime, and having grandpa be the primary suspect raised the stakes deliciously--because who's gonna cook all that awesome food if he's not around?! This is a great, addictive series that I hope continues on for many books.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is such a fun world filled with hidden staircases and the family architects that create them. There is a locked room mystery, a seance, a body, and a few suspects. Tempest's Grandpa is one of them and she, along with Raj, has to solve the mystery to clear his name. I enjoyed the many adventures taken to find the clue to his innocence and I can't wait to go back and read the first book. Soneela Nankini does an amazing job narrating the audiobook.

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian is a brilliantly magical mystery that sweeps you up and takes you away to a setting where secret entrances are the norm and the closed room mystery is full of impossibilities to solve.
The second book in Pandian's fascinating series, The Raven Thief is almost an impossibility itself - a second book as wonderful as the first. Its complexities are fascinating and intriguing, while the realistic characters guide you through the mystery with finesse and, of course, magic. It's a story based on the books we already love and on stage magic and misdirection, making it a definite page turner beginning to end. And it leaves many more questions to be answered in future books for us to happily anticipate.
I am grateful to have received a copy of #TheRavenThief from #NetGalley.

The Raven Thief is the second mystery in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. Tempest Raj, a former illusionist who is now working with her dad’s construction company, finishes her first project as one of the Secret Staircase Construction team, but when a body turns up during the celebration she is pulled into another mystery. When suspicion falls on Grandpa Ash, Tempest takes it upon herself to figure out how the supposedly impossible crime has taken place.

I absolutely loved this book, just like I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Gigi Pandian. This book has amazing, in depth and likable characters. The perfect amount of illusion and mystery that has you guessing until the very end. I was so excited when I found out this second book was coming out and was not disappointed when I read it. I can’t wait to see what is next for Tempest! If you are a fan of magic, great characters and intriguing mysteries, this book is for you. I don’t think I can more highly recommend this series! It is amazing!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I enjoyed reading about Tempest’s second foray into solving murder. I like how it incorporates elements of both stage magic and classic locked room mysteries. Tempest’s friends and family are supportive but are also interesting characters with unique personalities in their own right. I especially like her friend Ivy, who is obsessed with classic mystery novels and is training to be a librarian.

Although it’s not the main plot of this particular book, the disappearance of Tempest’s mother does come into play for part of the story. I’m very curious to learn more. I’m also intrigued (and slightly disturbed) by the person Ivy calls Moriarty.


NOTE: This is the second book an ongoing series and is best read after the first book, Under Lock and Skeleton Key.

This is the delightful second book in the series - featuring Tempest Raj now working at the Secret Staircase construction company.

Construction has been completed on a home renovation, and the client wants to celebrate by holding a fake seance to banish her former husband Corbin's spirit from the home. Tempest's friend Sanjay (a magician) is called on to perform the seance. During the seance, while all present were holding hands, Corbin's body crashes onto the table. After checking to see if Corbin was really dead, Grandpa Ash becomes the main suspect.

Tempest and her friends and family immediately start to investigate the murder - trying to crack the 4 impossibilities of the scene. They use a mixture of magician's tricks and illusionist's misdirection, along with investigation, as they start to suspect most of those present at the seance, one by one.

The characters in this novel are quirky and fun, and the hidden rooms, secret hidey holes, and mysterious architecture of the locations all help add to the fun of this tale.

There is a thread throughout both books surrounding the disappearance of Tempest's mother, and I suspect that will continue through the next books in the series.

It's a modern twist on the classic locked room mystery and is very well done. I enjoyed the light, quick read. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Tempest Raj is a stage magician who has been forced out of her Vegas career after her stand in double died in an accident. She is now working for her family's business, constructing secret nooks, rooms, etc. Their client Lavinia Colt invites Tempest and a few others to her home to hold a mock seance to cleanse the house of her ex-husband's energy. The eight participants are holding hands around the table when the ex-husband's body falls across the table, fatally stabbed. The police latch onto Tempest's grandfather as the culprit and Tempest uses her knowledge of illusions and her desire to save her grandfather to uncover what really happened. This is a fun, modern update on the classic locked room mysteries of a bygone era, and very enjoyable. The mystery was complex and the resolution well-done.