Secret Staircase Construction has been hard at work making renovations to Gray House in preparation for it becoming a library housing an extensive collection of classic detective fiction. They’ve got big plans for a Murder Mystery play and a literary themed escape room to help drum up support for the project. Rehearsal seems to be going well until someone turns up dead.
I liked the characters though I didn’t think they were particularly well developed. Maybe reading the earlier books in this series would have helped. Tempest, Ash and even the crusty Mrs. Hudson were my favorites. There were a lot of suspects to keep track of, and it took me just a little while to get them all straight in my mind. There is a lot of misdirection to keep you guessing the killer’s identity. (Which was a total surprise to me.) There is also a touch of romance. Maybe we’ll see more on that in future volumes of this mystery series featuring the Scoobies. If you like cozies with libraries and locked room mysteries you’re sure to appreciate this. 4 stars

Tempest Raj is back with two big projects. She is working with her dad to remodel a local home as a classic detective fiction library, and helping to stage a mystery party there. The whole cast of characters, Tempest's family and friends Sanjay, Gideon and Ivy join her to solve a locked room mystery where Sanjay is a prime suspect.

This is an entertaining series, best read from the beginning, in my opinion. The mysteries are very physical, involving locked rooms, secret compartments, and poisons. The characters are engaging, and I'm enjoying watching them develop through the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

every once in a while i love a mystery without the thriller, and this book was exactly that. i felt slightly left out with some of the inside jokes and history, but was able to understand exactly what was happening in this book without reading any of the others in the series. the suspicions kept me on my toes and i definitely want to go back and read the others in the series!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this book! This was not my fav story. It felt very chaotic and random, and it had lots of parts that felt like they had no point to the story. This is a part of a series, so maybe if I had read the other books first I would appreciate this one more.

This review is my opinion and my opinion only.
This is my first book by Gigi Pandian. I thought it was ok. It took me a little over half way before I really started to wonder who killed Lucas. I kept reading other books then going back to this story. It was writing well, but I had a hard time connecting with the story. It’s a ok story for me. But give it a try, you might like it more than me.

This is the fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries series, and it's got all the ingredients for a fun, cozy mystery - secret passages, a disappearing body, and a murder mystery dinner that turns all too real. My son and I were super invested in this murder mystery. My one thought is - could this book have finished sooner. At the 60% mark, I was ready for the mystery to be solved. Thank you the publishers and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is the fourth installment in the Secret Staircase series. Although it’s part of a series, I think it could definitely be read as a stand alone. I have read and enjoyed all the Secret Staircase books, but the library theme really appealed to me as a book lover and librarian, so this is probably my favorite thus far. It is a fast paced mystery that keeps you guessing till the end! Definitely enjoyed and hope to see more in the series!

A good mystery story about mystery books. It has lots of twists and turns. They just wanted to have literary themed escape room and during a dress rehearsal they find a dead body. They turned off the lights and then when they came back on, there was a dead body. The body belongs to one of the actors, but when they leave the room and come back, the body is gone. What happened? Then the group is locked into one of the rooms with clues to get out and when they go back downstairs, the body is back. Who locked them in? Who killed the actor? There are lots of suspects, clues and dead ends.

This is the 4th book in the Secret Staircase and can be read as a standalone, but there is a lot of backstory from the previous books that helps in understanding the characters history and relationships. The mystery is creative with its use of magic, illusion, misdirection and classic mysteries to solve the murder. Honestly this was not my favorite in the series, not because of the mystery, but because one of the characters just seemed so different than in previous books. I found Sanjay irritating in this installment. He’s always come across as a bit full of himself and granted he is suspected of murder in installment, but he’s often so rude to his friends who are trying to find the real killer. This treatment of those around him seemed off to me and honestly diminished my enjoyment of the overall story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press For the e-copy. This is the 4th in the series but 1st one for me to read. Lots of misdirection, magic, and good story telling. But not my kind of book.

The Secret Staircase Constuction’s new project involves renovating a private home into a public library honoring fictional detectives. Unfortunately, an on-site murder mystery-themed dinner ends with murder, and then the body disappears.

Tempest Raj and her crew begin seeking clues as to who and why. Gigi Pandian writes a compelling mystery with interesting characters that delivers an intriguing read.

Tempest and crew are working on a new project with Secret Staircase Construction. This is a project dear to their hearts- a library!!! Tempest, Sanjay, Gideon and Ivy have taken it to the next step, they are doing an escape room for the Summer Stroll event in town. One of the actors ends up dead and Sanjay seems like the perfect culprit.

This was a great locked room mystery. I listened to the audio also and it was great. The narrator was fabulous. The descriptions were great and I was secretly coveting the sliding bookcases and endless books! This was the 4th in the book. The characters are coming along nicely. Grandpa Raj is always one of my favorites. I would love to be on the receiving end of one of his delectable creations.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC or this book.

This time Secret Staircase Construction has been renovating a home to turn it into a library full of detective stories. While preparing to host a murder mystery dinner and escape room to promote the new library, one of the actors appears dead midscene, only for the body to disappear shortly thereafter. It’s another locked room mystery for Tempest and the Abracadabras to solve.

It’s always fun to escape into these novels filled with magicians, misdirection, and plenty of nods to classic mysteries and detective fiction. I wasn’t sure how things would go with the large overarching series mystery already having been solved in book 3 but am happy to report that I still enjoyed my time with Tempest, her family, and friends.

As in the other books, the romantic in me loved the glimpses at potential romances for Tempest and the food descriptions had me salivating. I plan to try out the recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cobbler included in the book very soon.

The Secret Staircase Mysteries is such a lovely, cozy mystery series, and I look forward to reading what’s next for Tempest and her crew.

I received advance copies from Minotaur Books. All review opinions are my own.

The Library Game

Genre: Mystery
Release Date: March 18, 2025

Summary: A classic library is under construction and Tempest’s family’s restoration business is bringing the library to life so that once open, it can celebrate fictional detectives. During a murder mystery dinner long before opening day, a guest ends up dead!

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this. The references to all the Agatha Christie novels was a nice familiar touch that I appreciated. The characters were interesting and somewhat even comical at times. The mystery itself was well planned although some details were a tad repetitive in nature, overall a good execution!

This comes out in a few weeks so if you like mysteries, preorder your copy today!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

The Library Game is the 4th book in the Secret Staircase Mystery series, but the first one I’ve read. In this latest book, Secret Staircase Construction is renovating a private home into a library dedicated to classic detective fiction. While the renovations aren’t complete, there are already activities planned for the house. One is to be part of Hidden Creek’s summer stroll. As part of the stroll, Tempest Raj has written a murder mystery play for the library, as well as set up an escape room. But things go horribly wrong when a dead body appears during the dress rehearsal. Then the body disappears. Since there is no body and no evidence of a murder, it is up to Tempest and her friends to solve the mystery.
There are multiple characters, and for me it was a bit much to keep them all straight. That may have more to do with not having read earlier books in the series, though. Several of the characters, including Tempest, have a background in magic, so magic tricks and misdirection are a big part of the book, which really didn’t appeal to me. All in all, this book wasn’t really for me. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t for you. The library is a great place to start if you’re interested in this book, but not ready to buy.
3/5 stars

The Library Game" by Gigi Pandian is a captivating and clever mystery novel that combines elements of puzzle-solving, historical fiction, and suspense. This charming story follows a young librarian as she uncovers a hidden puzzle in an ancient manuscript, leading her on a thrilling adventure through time and mystery.

I had no idea this was a series! This book can be read as a standalone and it was a lot of fun to read. This book is overall cozy and incredibly cute which will attract many readers to this fun series. I’m going to go pick up book 1 of this series! Thank you NetGalley, Gigi Pandian and Minotaur Books for this digital arc.

Tempest Raj is back with the Secret Staircase Construction crew. This time they converted an old home that will become a classic mystery library. There is a locked door mystery play and an escape room scene, an invisible intruder and the former homeowner's ghost to keep the reader guessing.

We didn't see much of Darius and Morag, Tempest's dad and grandmother, in this book and barely any Grandpa Ash and his culinary creations. I did like how Tempest and her friends dubbed themselves the Abracadabras and referenced both Nancy Drew and Scooby Doo. These are fun, light-hearted clever mysteries. I thoroughly enjoy them and look forward to the next in the series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.
#TheLibraryGame #NetGalley

I LOVE LOVE LOVE books about books, especially when it's a mystery! This was so fun! Definitely re-reading it with my mystery book club.

The Library Game, written by Gigi Pandian, is an incredibly captivating novel that immediately drew me in and kept me engaged until the final page. The story is filled with twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat, making it a must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling and entertaining book.