Thank you to the author and Netgalley for a copy of this book. This was a fun read but I had not read the other books in the series so I'm not sure if it would have been more enjoyable but i still liked it a lot without knowing anything!

First I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

What I loved:
- Abracadabras, the group of friends who work together to figure out this mystery which bares a striking resemblance to another group with a pet mascot, theirs is Abracadabra the Bunny
- Gray House Library, I love the idea of a house being converted into a mystery library
- Escape Room, I would have LOVED to do the escape game Tempest and Ivy created for Gray House
- Mystery, there were multiple facets to the mystery within this story and it really did keep me guessing
- Raj Family, Tempest's dad and grandparents are fun side characters who weave within the story at the perfect time and bring the support and levity needed in the moment

If you are looking for a cozy mystery with magical elements, detective stories, amazing characters and a supportive friend and family group I would absolutely recommend this book!

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is a wonderfully written magical mystery.

Will Tempest and her friends save the Gray House Library?

Tempest and her friends are working on a new library with a closed room mystery theater that Tempest and Ivy wrote. The library will be an extension of the current library, but feature only classic mysteries.

The Mystery
Our mystery has two parts that may be linked. The first part is the other library that Secret Staircase Construction worked on before, which was broken into, but it doesn't look as though anything was taken. Also, the culprit seemed invisible. The second part is at their first rehearsal for the play part, and Sanjay is recruited to replace one of the three actors for the night. That actor turns up dead and then disappears. There is a lot of redirection and slight of hand going on with this investigation. Also, with limited suspects, and the house was under surveillance the entire time, it is quite a doozy of a mystery.

The Gang
The gang is starting to click together with these mysteries. Instead of calling themselves the Scoobies, they will use the Abracadabras since their mascot is a flobby-eared bunny.

However, Gideon is preparing to leave for a three-month internship in France. Tempest is torn up about him going, but can't seem to talk to him about it. Sanjay may want more than friendship with Tempest, but I can't be sure of that. Ivy is looking for a place to live since she has to move from her apartment. There are lots of changes going on with the gang. The constant being Tempest's family, her dad is always there for them, and her grandparents offer lots of yummy food, comfort, and wisdom.

Five Stars
My rating for The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is five stars. I love the way the author pulls together so many classic mysteries, balancing them with magic, family, and friendship in a wonderful setting.

Check out the Blackberry Crumble Cobbler recipe at the book's end. It sounds amazing.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Library Game by Gigi Pandian.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

The latest entry in the Secret Staircase series does not disappoint. Tempest and friends find themselves in a locked room mystery while preparing to host a mystery themed escape room at Gray House, which will soon be opening as a mystery library. Solving this one will take everyone in the Secret Staircase crew.

The mystery is engaging and complex. The references to classic mysteries is a delight. What keeps me coming back are these characters and their relationships. I love this series.

In The Library Game, Gigi Pandian delivers another charming mystery full of hidden rooms, literary puzzles, and light suspense. When a local library’s book-themed treasure hunt turns deadly, Tempest Raj—magician and accidental sleuth, must unravel the clues before the killer strikes again.

Pandian keeps the tone cozy and clever, with a likable cast and just enough twists to keep things interesting. The mystery is fun, the setting is rich with secret nooks, and the love for books is clear on every page.

It’s a quick, engaging read for anyone who enjoys brainy puzzles and a touch of magic in their mysteries.

Tempest and her friends are back, this time turning a home into a public library for classic mysteries. But then a murder occurs and Tempest finds herself in her own classic "locked room" mystery.

Well written as always, this book is not really a standalone. The series should be read in order.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

This was good! The Library Game is the fourth book of the Secret Staircase series, but holds up as a standalone. I'm up for any novel about libraries and books! I will be going back the read the beginning of the series. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for my copy.

Gigi Pandian continues her Secret Staircase mysteries in The Library Game. Tempest Raj is showcasing a mystery play in her just prepared Gray House L:ibrary; during rehearsal one of the players is discovered dead in a puzzle trunk. The actors are trapped in the Gray House in mysterious ways. Is the former owner dead or alive? Is his ghost interfering. Raj uses her team of actors to narrow the suspects, but cannot find the murderer. Enjoy this puzzle game.

The Library Game (Secret Staircase Mystery #4) by Gigi Pandian – I love everything about this wonderful mystery series. (Really, they had me at “secret staircase.” Say no more. I will read.) I have read them all and hope there will still be more to come.

“In The Library Game, Tempest Raj and Secret Staircase Construction are renovating a classic detective fiction library that just got its first real-life mystery. 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.”

I grabbed this latest entry on audio because that has been my favorite way to take in the series, and I binge listened in one day. The mystery is page-turning and feels impossible to solve. The friendships, a little bit of romance, and Tempest’s delightful family all add to the charm of this story. Such an entertaining listen. There’s also lots of bookish references and library love, plus some humor. It really is so much fun.

The latest Secret Staircase novel, featuring ex-stage magician Tempest Raj and her friends, winks at the similarities between her crew and the gang on the animated series “Scooby-Doo”—although Tempest has a pet bunny instead of a Great Dane. Of course, in the Scooby mysteries, the supernatural-seeming crime in each episode had inevitably been committed by some normal dude in a costume, who would have gotten away with it if not for “those meddling kids.” The Library Game revolves around a murder in a home that seems to be haunted by its late owner. But it’s going to take more than a ghost to scare off Tempest, who is determined to solve the case.

Harold Gray had hired Secret Staircase Construction, Tempest’s family’s business, to turn his home into a library devoted to the crime novels he’d spent a lifetime collecting, but he passed away before their work was completed. Tempest thought the house would be the perfect place to hold a mystery-themed play and escape room during her town’s summer stroll. One of the cast members is murdered by an unknown assailant when the lights go off during a rehearsal; the body curiously disappears without a trace, only to reappear a day later. In another odd turn of events, Harold’s nosy neighbor comes by the house, convinced she heard the dead man calling for help.

It’s always fun to see Tempest putting the pieces together, her expertise in the art of illusion giving her an edge over the prosaic minds of the local police force. Gigi Pandian’s ability to come up with one locked-room puzzle after another is a special kind of magic.

Tempest's family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is taking off as they renovate a soon-to-be public library celebrating fictional detectives. They are set to christen the space with a murder mystery dinner...which soon turns into a real murder scene. Tempest and her friends must then try to solve the crime by drawing inspiration from some of the best crime writers. The puzzle of the mystery is fun to follow along with, and I loved the dynamics between the friends. I hadn't realized this was fourth in a series (entirely my fault!) so I was missing some context, but the author did a good job of giving enough that I wasn't really lost. A really fun read overall!

Tempest Raj is helping for the Gray House to become a detective fiction library. Tempest and her friends are rehearsing a play to take place at he Gray House but one of their friends turns up dead. But the dead body disappears? Tempest has to figure out who killed their friend plus help keep the library to open.
This was enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Minotaur Books.

This is so bingeable. I finished it in one sitting and absolutely loved it. What I applaud the author for is that despite being the fourth book in the series, this was very much readable for someone who had no knowledge of prior books like me. Yes, there were references to previous books in parts which I could recognize, but it didn't take away from my experience of this one.

Very fun read that has made me curious. I might read the other books in the series too!

THÉ LIBRARY GAME by GIGI PANDIAN

I had a great experience with this fourth novel in the Secret Staircase Mystery series!

I could jump right in without needing to read the earlier books.

As for most of us book lovers, libraries do have a special charm, and it’s wonderful that the book captures that atmosphere.

The blend of mystery and the love for books likely makes for an engaging read.

I am considering reading the previous entries in the series to see how the characters developed.

Thank you to @netgalley , @minotaur_books and @gigipandian for the ebook.

Easy one-sitting read that I could catch on to without reading all the previous in the series. Enjoyable mystery with a fun main character. Would pick up the others in the series.

Tempest Raj couldn’t be happier that the family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. The company is now taking on a dream project: transforming a home into a public library that celebrates history's greatest fictional detectives. But when a rehearsal ends with an actor murdered and the body vanishes, Tempest is witness to a seemingly impossible crime...
DUN...DUN...DUNNNN...
So, who DID IT? What happened to the body? Why would someone do it, especially with a ton of witnesses around?

Due to Tempest's ability to process large amounts of data in a short amount of time & her being loyal to her friends and her family, she knows that this murder isn’t going to be easily solved. She enlists the help of Sanjay, Gideon, and Ivy to solve the case of this locked-room mystery...and of course Grandpa Ash as well!
There are a lot of references to things that happened in the first three books.. so with that being said, you can read this as a standalone, but you’ll feel like you missed a lot, which is kind of what happened to me. I love cozy mysteries and so the aspect and overall plot of this book, was right up my alley.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and of course the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own!

this was a fun-to-read locked room mystery. We come upon Tempest Raj, a magician who has come back home after an incident in her Vegas show ends up with her being ridiculed and shamed. She dives right in, helping her dad with his (failing) Secret Staircase construction company. They make all sorts of fun, quirky home additions.
This story takes us to yet another 'unsolveable' mystery, but it isn't so unsolveable once the AbraCadabras are on the case!! Many red herrings and much misdirection later, Tempest and her friends of course figure out what the heck happened! you'll be shocked!

When murder mystery theater seemingly ends in actual murder, Tempest and her friends and family must figure out what’s truly going on before their newest library project is stamped out of existence.

Tempest is a former stage magician, which means that there are actual magic tricks throughout the story. The mystery centers around a library being built that will house a collection all about the famous detectives and classic mystery writers, which I was all in on. Tempest’s father’s construction company builds secret passages, trick doors, and the like, which is very cool. There is a murder mystery play, an escape room, romance, and so much more.

This is part of a fantastic series, and I would highly recommend you start with the first book in the series for backstory.

I love a good mystery. I haven’t read any of the books in this series nor from this author before. I didn’t feel like I was lost having not read the previous books. The author gives some information that I assume is fleshed out in a previous book.

The story itself was interesting. It didn’t grab me in and hold me tight, but it was an easy read and kept my attention. If you’re interested in a cozy quick read mystery, I’d give The Library Game a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get through the book. I have not read the previous book(s) in the series, and the current book references the previous book(s) often. I always felt like I was missing important information and had lost some of the story. This book wasn’t for me.

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