This is book 3 in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. I hadn’t read the first two books and I felt it worked well as a standalone. I listened to the audiobook for this one and I really liked the narrator, but I thought there were a couple too many accents required and a few times it got a little muddled on who was talking. I like a good locked room mystery so I was initially very caught up with this one, but I thought it moved slower than it needed to, and I found some bits to be repetitive (I was really tired of the words booby trap). I really did like Tempest and her friends (even if I needed her to just pick one of the love interests). Tempest’s world is rocked when the man suing her family business is found dead at the door to the theater she is renting with a note written in her handwriting telling him to go inside on the door. It appears the door had been booby trapped and this is reinforced when one of the paramedics is injured. Tempest slowly realizes that there are ties between this murder and the murders of her mother and aunt that took place years before. I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up because I did like the characters a lot.

This is the third installment in The Secret Staircase Mysteries by Gigi Pandian. Once again we are following along as Tempest Raj, a former Vegas magician, is trying to solve a murder in her hometown but this time the ties back to her own family’s past will play a much bigger role.
This was another fantastic cozy mystery from Pandian. I love that we finally got answers to the questions that have been tucked in the previous stories in the series. I was worried that getting these answers would mean and end to one of my new favorite series but the ending definitely left open the continuation of Tempest’s adventures in crime solving. I also once again thought Soneela Nankani did an amazing job with the narration of the audiobook. I can’t wait to see where Pandian takes Tempest story next.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a fun series. I like all the descriptions of magic and the secret passageways. I can’t believe this is book 3 in the series. It can definitely be read as a stand alone, but this one advances Tempest’s search into her aunt and mother’s death. The author provides plenty of detail for a reader to enjoy the book, but I think those that have read the series are more invested in those cases.

Instead of a locked room mystery, this time there is an impossible crime. An enemy of the Tempest family is found dead in a theater and they are at the front of the suspect list as the police investigate.

The cozy mystery is the focus of this book and series, but I also love the cast of characters and the friendship and family at the core. There is always a meal (and recipes at the end of book) shared and the food descriptions always make me hungry.

For being what I’d consider a cozy mystery, the plot was complex and kept me guessing. There were red herrings and misdirections that I fell for.

Soneela Nankani narrates the audiobook and does a fabulous job with bringing all the characters and their accents to life. This is one I enjoyed listening to as much as I enjoyed reading.

Such a fun series for anyone that appreciates magic, locked room mysteries or interesting characters.

3.5 stars rounded up
Although this is a bit repetitive at times, I am thrilled that the mysteries that have continued through all three of these books about what happened to Tempest's aunt and mom are finally wrapped up satisfactorily. This is a series that should be read in order as the characters and setup covers all three books. There's a cliffhanger at the end, so we're set up to continue with the mystery solving.

This is a fairly cozy mystery series featuring former magician Tempest Raj and her family's secret staircase (and room, etc) construction company. There's a large cast of characters that are involved and they are all trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Tempest's mom five years previously, but other mysteries pop up as well.

Overall I enjoyed the characters and the mystery in this one. It could be a bit shorter without quite so much repetition of what has happened in past books or even in the current book. Other than that, this is a fun series with entertaining characters.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator (who has also narrated the previous books) does an excellent job keeping the characters distinct and is fantastic with the accents.

I figured out who is was early on, but the why and a couple other twists were really surprising! There were magicians tricks and family secrets that kept me very entertained. I like that this wrapped up the overall family mystery as well as the murder in this book. It was so good!

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @minotaur_books for the #gifted ARC/ALC!

I’m so thrilled this delightful mystery series is continuing! I adored the first two books in the series and A MIDNIGHT PUZZLE did not disappoint with another locked room type mystery this time with a murderous door at a haunted theater.

I love how clever this series is. It reminds me so much of the Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie books I grew up reading and sparked my love of mysteries. They aren’t quite what I would call a cozy mystery but also aren’t full of the shock factor twists that many thrillers have now.

Tempest Raj, the MC, has a great character arc over the first three books in the series and I’m glad that one of the mystery arcs across the books has finally come to a resolution. But now there is even more room for growth for these characters and the ending is definitely set up for a book 4!

I listened to the audio and adored the narrator. She does an excellent job of representing Tempest’s Scottish and Indian heritage as well as the diverse cast of her family and friends.

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This was the third novel in the Secret Staircase Series. I haven’t read the first two, but I did not really enjoy this one. I have learned over the years that cozy mysteries are not usually for me. A lot of the reviews do say that you must read the first two to fully understand what is going on and who the characters are. There were a lot of characters and at some points hard to keep track of. Jumping in on the third book left a lot of open holes. It was an entertaining read, but not memorable. There were many repetitive lines where I wasn’t sure if I had gone backwards somehow in the audiobook. Oh well…. on to the next.

3.5 The cover of Gigi Pandian's new book - A Midnight Puzzle - was what first caught my eye. And the description sounded good.

"Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery."

Midnight Puzzle is the third book in the Secret Staircase series. I really liked the descriptions of the "illusion architecture" that the Secret Staircase Construction Company builds.

Illusion is a large part of the series. Many members of the Raj family and their circle are professional illusionists and magicians. I thought this was a novel idea. Between that and the building company there are many opportunities for trouble.

Tempest Raj is the main character. She drives the storyline forward and has her hand in everything that's going on. There is a really large group of supporting players. A lot. I admit to having a hard time to keep track of who was who and how they fit in to the list of players.

The plot is a busy one as well. Pandian includes many twists and turns on the way to the final 'ta da". I initially appreciated the ups, downs and turnarounds of the narrative, but I started to tire as the book progressed. For this listener, it was overkill in the end.

The narrator for A Midnight Puzzle was award winner Soneela Nankani. She did a really great job of bringing Pandian's work to the audio format. She enunciates well. She has come up with a voice for every single cast member. Quite commendable - accents, age and more. Nankani also captures the action and emotion of the book with her voice. Again, really well done - I could hear every exclamation mark.

A Midnight Puzzle was an good listen for me, but not a stand out.

This is a really clever continuation of The Secret Staircase series, as Tempest and her crew are back, creating illusions in homes and finding themselves in the middle of mysteries. When a former client is killed in their building by a booby-trapped door, Tempest is on the case, trying to exonerate her company and another surprise suspect.

Although this is part of a series, it easily stands alone as the author does a good job of catching the reader up on events. The cast of characters is fun and intriguing, and the story has plenty of twists and turns.

Soneela Nankani does a great job narrating the audiobook.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

What a rollercoaster! I love how this book seems to be a culmination of the past 2 books and all the mysteries that have dominated Tempest's life and really determined her path so far. I love the setting of an old theater steeped in tales of ghosts and sadly the tragedy of her mother's own fate, being the place to bring everything to a head. There were so many hidden threads going on in this book that I was constantly shocked along with Tempest and am truly shocked by everything she was able to put together in her mind; her illusionists mind must be perfectly honed for this. I didn't want to put this down and I loved the flashbacks POVs of her aunt and mother. We also got to see more of Nicodemus who is such a fascinating character. Some scenes gave me goosebumps (are we going to see a tad more romance?) and I had tears in my eyes at the end. So many secrets and such a compelling story. I already can't wait for more!

Note: thanks to the publisher for the AUDIOBOOK copy. I truly love listening to this book and the narrator does such a great job brining these illusions and characters with their various accents and personalities to life.

Gigi Pandian’s A Midnight Puzzle is a fun, relatively light mystery centering around a family of magicians. This premise feels fresh—as a frequent mystery reader I don’t think I’ve come across something like this before. A Midnight Puzzle is the third book in Pandian’s Secret Staircase Mystery series and I do think some context is lost if you haven’t read the first two, though this can be read as a standalone if you’re ok not fully understanding certain aspects of prior books that led to where this book begins. This is in many ways the conclusion to a three-novel arc within the series.

Classic illusionist Nicodemus the Necromancer has always been a mentor to Tempest Raj (of the Raj family of magicians). When Nicodemus begins his retirement tour, it comes with bittersweet feelings about leaving his stage persona and work behind. Tempest doesn’t relate—she has left stage magic behind and is working at her father’s company, Secret Staircase Construction. This outlet allows Tempest to be creative and work with her hands to create illusory works of architectural art.

Tempest has always lived with a cloud over her that her father’s family has been cursed for centuries. The curse posits that the eldest child of the Raj family dies by magic. Tempest has seen other members of their family fall victim to the curse. Tempest is glad to work in her current role away from magic. When her client Julian Rhodes mysteriously dies, it’s unclear whether the cause of death was supernatural or something more grounded in the physical world. Tempest must prove that Secret Staircase wasn’t responsible for his death and determine how this all connects to her family’s curse!

This book picks up where the previous book The Raven Thief left off and it does feel like a conclusion of sorts to the mystery that has spanned the first three books. When I finished, I actually wondered if Pandian plans to wrap this as a trilogy or continue the series. Either way would work—there is certainly plenty of story that could be told about the Raj family in future books.

The combination of Indian and Scottish heritage in this series has been a high point. The food always sounds delicious and I find myself wanting to be there to try what the characters are eating—especially the food cooked by Tempest’s grandfather, Ash! There are a few recipes at the end of the book so perhaps I will be able to try some of the food myself.

The blend of the two cultures is one of my favorite parts to this series. In A Midnight Puzzle, the reader finally gets an answer to what happened to Tempest’s mother and aunt who used to work together as illusionists. Is there truly a curse on their family that the oldest dies by magic? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

This is more cerebral than an average cozy mystery, though it definitely still fits within the genre. I think it is fun in these books that the trope in cozy mysteries of “is that a dead body or a mannequin?” actually makes a ton of sense in this series because there are plenty of fake deaths in magic! The plot is complex—a lot of subplots interweave into the central mystery. The plot is really a puzzle in and of itself, but if you give it the time you’ll surely find the twists at the end satisfying!

Audiobook Review

I did the audiobook for this one and it helped because there is quite a bit of visualization that is needed with certain aspects of this book (hello, hidden staircases!). Soneela Nankani narrated the audiobook and she’s a narrator whom I always enjoy! She did a great job with the complexity of the story and the various accents—Indian grandparents, Scottish grandmother, and Americans, to name a few.

Thank you Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for my copy. Opinions are my own.

3.5

Secret Staircase Construction is facing a terrible lawsuit and a threat to their good name after a client fell down the twisting stairs Secret Staircase Construction built. Lying in a coma, her husband has decided to bring forth a lawsuit. But it hasn't gone without notice that the husband, Julian Rhodes, is not a nice person and could potentially have framed Secret Staircase in order to overshadow his attempt at murdering his wife.

But when Julian Rhodes himself winds up dead at the Whispering Creek Theater - that Tempest just so happens to be renting - it becomes apparent that things are not just connected to Tempest, but to the entire Raj family past, specifically the mysterious deaths of Tempest's mother and aunt.

I've really come to associate this narrator with Tempest and Co. The voices are now what I hear in my head if I read the book on page. I like when there is consistency in narration. But I always struggle with the oft-exaggerated dialogue and exclamations when characters are speaking when I don't necessarily think it needs to be there. I thought maybe it was just me not seeing how the dialogue appears on page, so for the sake of this review, I compared and honestly, there are times when the narrator will shout and almost over-exaggerate the dialogue in areas where I didn't think it was needed. It doesn't amp up the suspense either it just kind of makes me feel exhausted.

I was unprepared for this entry in the series to tackle the biggest mystery looming over the story thus far. Namely, the Raj family curse. I was happy that we were finally getting to it because I don't know how sustainable the series would continue to be dragging that along for however many more book are to come, but it also just felt like it was time.

With that said, however, there's also a part of me that feels like it was tacked on. We know it's been something looming over the series, but I almost wish that we had gotten small crumbs of information prior to this book. If we did, I don't remember. I solidly remember the previous two books focusing exclusively on their respective mysteries. Yes, it would be mentioned that Tempest's mother disappeared five years ago and her aunt was killed on stage, but as far as getting small pieces of the mystery strung throughout those first two books, I don't believe that we did. So, for me, making it part of this story and not really allowing readers to build upon this huge revelation, it felt convenient.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the various twists and turns that the mystery took. I always love the choices that Gigi Pandian makes that end up altering how we view what just transpired. I know people feel different ways about the obligation of the mystery novel providing enough information to give the reader a chance to figure it out with our, in this case, amateur detectives. There are those who just love the big reveal at the end. I'm kind of in the former category. I don't mind if I missed something or didn't put the piece together myself, I at least want the option available. This book walks a fine line between both scenarios I'd say, but I'd say it leans more toward the former.

I am excited to see where the series can go from here. I feel like finally solving the unsolved cases of Tempest's aunt and mom frees up the direction where things can go. Maybe we can even focus more on other characters within Tempest's orbit.

The Midnight Puzzle is another fin book in a fun to read series. This is my favorite of the series so far. The characters are more developed and the actions make more sense based on that. I’m starting to appreciate the Hidden Staircase and the mythology involved with each book I read.

I am going to increase my rating to a 3 star from a 2 star for this read as it's not the author or book's fault the NetGalley description did not say that this is a third book in a series, so I'm going to assume some of my lack of enjoyment is due to things I didn't know or understand since I didn't read the first 2 books.

In theory, this book is very much my kind of thing and I should have loved it but I was fairly disappointed. My biggest issues being the lack of character development and the very basic, not compelling writing style. These characters felt very flat and you would think being further on in a series, they would be fully fleshed with intriguing dynamics but there was nothing. And the writing was so average and repetitive that I never once felt pulled into the mystery.

I will not be rating this on Goodreads because I don't think it's fair to the author and I will do more research on the books I'm requesting since NetGalley doesn't give you all the info.

This was good addition to the Secret Staircase mystery series. I really enjoy Tempest as a character and she’s surrounded by family and friends who are supportive yet interesting in the their own right. I’m in awe of Fiddler’s Folly, her family home that’s full to bursting with hidden doors, passageways, and rooms.

This story encompasses mysterious events in both the past and the present and also wraps up the overarching question of what happened to Tempest’s mom and aunt.

The audiobook was narrated by Soneela Nankani. She did a good job overall but seemed to struggle with some of the accents. That’s understandable since I think there were at least four different ones, but it did take me out of the story more than once.

Note: This is the third book an ongoing series and is best read in order. Book 1 is Under Lock and Skeleton Key.

A Midnight Puzzle is the third volume in the Secret Staircase cozy series which is full of illusions, building, and stage magic by Gigi Pandian. Due out 19th March 2024 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Readers who already enjoy stage magic mysteries and illusions, with a heaping side order of old houses with hidden rooms and architectural easter-eggs like bookcases which are secret doors and mantelpieces with hidden catches to open secret panels will *love* this series. The plot turns around an ensemble cast of specialty builders, stonemasons, and woodworkers who design and install secret rooms and hidden staircases. This is a limited suspect pool cozy with hidden rooms aplenty, secret alcoves, puzzle rooms, and eccentric characters.

Although it's a murder mystery, it felt as though it were written more for a younger (YA/NA) audience. It has a definite Nancy Drew vibe with a little whiff of Scooby Doo, and in fact the author refers to the group of friends investigating the mystery as the Scooby Gang.

Throw in lots and lots of stage magic, a family curse (the eldest child shall die by magic), hidden motives, and crazy architectural prestidigitation, and stir well. The book is also absolutely full of bookish references and readers who enjoy classic mysteries from the Golden Age of fiction will find lots and lots of titles and authors to follow up.

The MCs family is multi-ethnic and the requisite cozy recipes at the back of the book reflect that background and are a really eclectic mix of odd and whimsical.There is a strong romance sub-element as well which will please readers who enjoy light mysteries with romance elements. The story is self-contained in this volume, but it's the third book in the series and there are a fair number of spoilers included here for developments contained in the first two books; so it's best read in order.

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 10 hours 38 minutes and is capably read by series narrator Soneela Nankani. She has a warm and nuanced voice and does a good job delineating a wide range of characters across a range of ages and both male and female. There are a number of Scottish characters, and the narrator struggles mightily with the various accents, not entirely successfully. She does a much more mellifluous job with the Indian and American accents. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. It would make a good choice for library acquisition, as well as a long weekend binge / buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A Midnight Puzzle is all about the Raj Family Curse – and the sin of hubris that allows it to last so long and makes it so damn difficult to put to rest.

After her adventures – and misadventures – in the first two books in the Secret Staircase Mystery series, Under Lock and Skeleton Key and The Raven Thief, stage illusionist turned construction illusionist Tempest Raj believes that she is on the verge of solving the mystery that has cast a shadow over her family and her life for the past decade – if not considerably longer.

Long, long ago, the Raj family were illusionists and court magicians in their native India. Way back then, it was believed that a curse had been laid on the family – or the family business. It was said that the Raj family’s firstborn child in each generation would “die by magic”. Of course, over the centuries, it did happen sometimes. Just enough to keep the curse – or the belief in it – going for another century or so.

Tempest’s beloved grandfather Ash is the second child of his generation, because his older brother died “by magic”. Ash left India for Scotland and its renowned medical colleges, married a local artist and never looked back. Or at least tried very hard not to.

But the magic skipped a generation as well as a continent. Ash’s daughters, Elspeth and Emma, became stage illusionists as “The Selkie Sisters” until an accident and an argument broke their trust in each other. Working alone, Elspeth, the older of the two, did indeed “die by magic”, keeping the talk of the curse alive for another generation.

However, Emma died by magic as well – or at least disappeared in the middle of her own magic show, on the boards – or at least in the wings – of their hometown’s Whispering Creek Theater ten years ago.

Tempest has rented the haunted and haunting little theater in order to stage one final performance, a one night “Farewell” to her own ill-starred career as a stage illusionist. Of course, being in temporary possession of the place her mother vanished, Tempest is also determined to comb the theater for clues.

At least until disaster strikes – from without and from within. But in solving the current mystery, Tempest may have the opportunity she needs to lay that old mystery to rest. If her family’s construction company, Secret Staircase Construction, can survive just one more public disaster.

And if Tempest and her ‘Scooby gang’ can manage to unmask a killer before their curse sweeps Tempest AND her friends into yet another example of the Raj Family curse.

Escape Rating B: I have to admit that I went into this third entry in the series with a bit of trepidation after the muddle of The Raven Thief. Particularly as A Midnight Puzzle opened with Tempest, her family and the construction company being in the midst of what seemed like rather pointedly aimed chaos on all fronts – only because it was.

(I started this one in audio, as I figured it would get me over the hump of those trepidations. And it did. I switched to text once it got going because there were so many potential clues and delicious red herrings that I needed to find out who actually ‘dunnit’ FASTER.)

But at the beginning I was still a bit stuck in thinking this series was inflicted with Cabot Cove Syndrome, or perhaps Midsommer-itis. By which I mean that all of the mysteries so far have been a bit too intimate and her family and their business have been much too personally involved – not as the investigators, or even as the direct victims – but as the suspects.

No one’s luck is THAT bad. Unless, of course, they really are cursed.

Which means that I was very pleased to see the mystery of the Raj Family Curse – at least in its modern iteration – laid to rest at the end of A Midnight Puzzle, along with a promise of more mysteries but somewhat less personal ones in future entries in the series.

But first, there’s the mystery in THIS outing. Or rather, the two mysteries that are both squarely aimed at the Raj Family.

What makes this story work better than The Raven Thief is that the story keeps its eyes – and Tempest’s – on the prize of solving the mystery of her mother’s disappearance – no matter how many distractions and misdirections get thrown in Tempest’s way.

And no matter how much the police seem to be bungling their investigation into the deadliest of those distractions.

As much and as often as Tempest is tempted (and so is the reader!) to hare off after the many distractions and misdirections, in the end A Midnight Puzzle is a very satisfying wrap up to what looks to be the opening setup trilogy for this series. And the way that the whole thing was strung out over three books feels like it was the right length after all, because this mystery has been decades in the making, so it’s only fitting that it take a year or more to wrap up in a way that leads back around to a beginning that Tempest barely knew about, as well as a reminder that “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

But Tempest is not the one who falls, even though the resulting thud breaks her heart, and it clears the way for new, and hopefully less personal mysteries and adventures. I’m looking forward to see what Tempest stirs up next.

I requested this ARC based on the title (I love puzzles... like, literal puzzles, I frequently do puzzles when I listen to audiobooks), and the description, murder mystery magicians, yes, yes, this all sounds right up my alley.

So, the plot itself was really intriguing. Tempest is a former stage magician whose Aunt and mother both died in stage accidents that Tempest believes were murders. She wants to know the truth, plus, another person was just murdered at the theatre she rented, which happens to also be the theatre her mother was killed in. Oh and the guy was suing her father's construction company, and she found the body.

This is the third in a cozy mystery series and I have not read the first two, but I didn't find that to be a problem with my understanding of the plot lines. There are a lot of characters, and if you want the history of them all, I suggest reading the first two books, but for the plot of this book, I got plenty of information. Perhaps for one key reason. There was so much repetition and over explanation throughout the book I felt like I was often rereading scenes instead of progressing into the next part of the book. The middle swirled needlessly and went nowhere. And then the way Tempest solved it at the end, with magical misdirection! It was a dramatic and exciting conclusion but it really came out of nowhere after she falsely accused at least 2-3 other people.

I love magic and witches but stage magicians explaining their craft in text... that's apparently a miss for me. Also if I hear the phrase "architectural misdirection" one more time in why she is comparing her new construction life to her old magic life I may just throw the book in a secret staircase and *poof*. Basically, really cool plot idea with lackluster execution.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the ARC.

Secret Staircase Construction is facing a dire threat, leaving Tempest Raj feeling utterly helpless. After a former client, Julian Rhodes, attempted to harm his wife and falsely attributed her "accident" to the company's craftsmanship, the family business—renowned for its enchanting home features like hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is on the brink of collapse. Despite the comforting Scottish and Indian meals prepared by her grandfather, Tempest can't shake the feeling that they're being framed.

While this book is marketed as a standalone, there's a pervasive sense of missing context throughout, suggesting that reading the previous installments would enhance the experience. Unfortunately, the story becomes bogged down by incessant reminders of past events, detracting from its momentum. The intricately crafted wonders and puzzles take a backseat to the repetitive backstories and surplus of characters that fail to significantly contribute to the plot. While I was initially drawn to the allure of a magician's world and the intrigue of sleight of hand, numerous obstacles prevented this from being an entirely enjoyable journey.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of the audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

I liked this book even better than the first! Great pacing, a couple good misdirects, and some satisfying solves in the end. I skipped the second book and didn’t feel like I missed anything, but I do think you need to read the first to have a sense of what’s going on (and feel invested in the overarching mystery). Totally unnecessary and weirdly underdeveloped “love triangle” — maybe I missed something that fleshed out this dynamic more? Being surrounded by so many magicians did make me wish we saw more magic. Good audiobook performance as well!