When I requested to review this book, I didnt realize it was part of a series. However, despite not having read the previous books in the series, the author included bits and pieces from past stories. It was an overall light read despite the topic of murder.

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️ for The Library Game by Gigi Pandian

Book 4 in the Secret Staircase Mysteries has Tempest and her friends solving another crime. Tempest’s family business, Secret Staircase construction, is renovating a new library, but before it can open, the murder mystery dinner is facing a real murder.

This was a cozy mystery in a quaint town full of magic rooms and libraries galore. I found the mystery entertaining enough, but unfortunately did not enjoy the characters (except Sanjay, he was funny). This could be because it’s my first read of the series and I’m missing out on some development in previous books. I thought it was nice that they paid homage to the classic mystery authors. I loved the short chapters and felt that they made it a quick fun read.
Cozy mystery fans, The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is out March 18th, 2025.
Thank you to #netgalley and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

When she finished Tempest’s main arc in A Midnight Puzzle, I was worried that we’d stop getting Secret Staircase mysteries. I’m happy to say there is no cause to worry about that! Tempest is back and better than ever. I actually think perhaps shedding all the backstory was good for the pacing of these, as we could do without some of the exposition. But in any case, this time there has been a murder at a new library, and Tempest and her friends (and her rabbit) are on the case.

As always when I am reviewing the nth book in a series, I’ll answer two questions. First, if I’m already a fan of the series, should I read this book? If you’ve been along for the ride, and you have a good set of snacks handy, jump right in on The Library Game. It’s got all the scrumptious food descriptions, impossible murders, immaculate classic murder mystery vibes, that you could want. Go forth and enjoy.

The second question is for people who haven’t started the series and want to know if they should start at all, and if so, do they have to start at the beginning. I’ll answer these in reverse order. Yes. You have to start at the beginning. That main arc I talked about in the first paragraph? Totally spoiled if you jump in now. Should you read the series? That depends.

John Dickson Carr, one of the mystery writers who is an inspiration for these books, has a self insert character go on a tirade about how everyone is always on him to make his books “plausible” and says something to the effect of “I’m not in the business of “plausible,” I’m in the business of possible.” If you want your detective fiction to be “realistic” or “plausible” or “gritty” this is not the series for you. If you want something warm and cozy without being odd or saccharine. But you’ve also gotta like your cozies with a little bit of edge. Not, like a lot of edge, but a little. You’ve gotta be down with a little bit of meta-fictional discussion. If you’re in for some cozy-meta mystery, come on in, the water’s fine.

Will post and add links closer to the actual pub date.

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.

3.25 stars. I enjoyed this sequel as a cozy snowy-day read. I didn't expect it to carry as much emotional heft as the previous entry (where Tempest discovers the truth about her mother and aunt), but it was maybe a little too surface-depth. And the characters' actions and dialogue in the first half of the book were somewhat unnatural and clunky, not like how people really act or talk to each other.. which is one of my pet peeves. But if you're looking for something lighthearted, easy, with a satisfying conclusion, this series is a good bet.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian has all the makings of a great cozy mystery: an old house being transformed into a library, a murder mystery dinner, and a literary-themed escape room. These elements made it an immediate addition to my 2025 anticipated reads list. However, I didn’t realize it was the fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mystery series until I started reading, and that may have impacted my overall enjoyment.

The setting—a small-town library renovation with hidden passageways and nods to classic detective fiction—is absolutely charming. Tempest Raj, the protagonist, is quirky and entertaining, though her eccentricities sometimes feel overdone. The diverse cast of characters adds depth, and the relationships between them seem to be the heart of the story. However, having not read the earlier books, I felt like I missed some of the established dynamics that might have made those connections more meaningful.

As for the mystery, the “locked-room” premise had a lot of potential, but it fell a bit flat for me. The clues were overly obvious and inserted too bluntly into the narrative, which disrupted the flow and made it easy to figure out the culprit early on. While the idea of a seemingly impossible crime was intriguing, much of the action occurred outside the locked-room setting, which detracted from the core premise. My interest also fluctuated throughout, rather than staying consistently engaged.
While cozy mysteries aren’t always emotionally charged, I would have appreciated more energy in the performance.

While The Library Game has plenty of elements I adore—books, libraries, and a classic murder mystery vibe—the execution didn’t fully work for me. That said, cozy mystery fans or readers familiar with the series may enjoy it more, as they’ll likely appreciate the recurring characters and community. For me, it was a mixed experience, though I might revisit earlier books in the series for better context. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

This was cute and sweet I had so much fun! This is the perfect read for someone who is in a slump and just needs to break out of it. It was fast paced and not too complicated. The plot was succinct and I loved that. Perfect for a cozy rainy day in!

I really enjoyed this cozy, locked-in mystery! It was entertaining with a very fun cast of characters and great pace. I will pick up more by this author.

Tempest Raj, magician and designer at the family business Secret Staircase Construction, are renovating a home into a classic detective fiction library. She and her friends, along with rabbit Abra, and working play to be performed in soon to open library. On rehearsal night, an actor appears dead and then disappears. Where is the body? Who is causing all the ruckus? Is it the bird watching retired librarian? Our beloved Sanjay (when will my favorite guy find love?)? Whoever it is, continues to leave red herrings and threats of poison making our gang of sleuths fear their lives. Another fun and twisty mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this DRC.
#TheLibraryGame #NetGalley

Tempest and her friends are setting up a mystery play for an old home that is being turned into a classic mystery book library. During a rehearsal, an actor appears to actually be shot, but then the body disappears! Tempest uses her experience as a magician to solve the seemingly impossible and solve the mystery. Tempest and her friends and family are great characters, especially Grandpa Ash, the magician turned doctor retired to cook delicious food. This is a fun cozy mystery and I love the unusual addition of a former stage magician to the story.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks for the opportunity to read.
This book was a good page turner. It's funny, thoughtful and a great read. I can't wait for the next one!

The fourth book in the series, and it's a series I enjoy.

This time Tempest and the Secret Staircase construction team are renovating a library, that will be home to detective fiction. Soon enough, they are embroiled in their own mystery to solve, as they attempt to host a murder mystery dinner and an escape room game.

All of the usual characters return, including grandpa Ash with his delectable food, Ivy, Gideon and Sanjay. The characters are likeable, and there is plenty of humor sprinkled in amongst the mysteries. I particularly enjoyed the addition of the nosy neighbor who keeps the crew on their toes!

Literary references abound as we attempt to solve a murder.

A book about libraries and books is always of interest to me, and this was fun with Tempest and the crew.

hen I began reading the Secret Staircase Mysteries, I assumed Pandian was writing a trilogy, as the ending of the third book hinted at a cliffhanger. I was therefore delighted to discover the fourth installment,

The Library Game. As with the previous books in the series, Pandian presents a locked-room mystery. The setting is Gray House, a three-story Victorian mansion. Secret Staircase Construction has been hired by the owner to convert his home into a private library that will house his collection of over 10,000 classic detective and mystery titles. To introduce the library, Tempest and her crew have created an interactive mystery play as part of Hidden Creek's Summer Stroll, an event that has generated considerable interest, judging by ticket sales. However, not everyone in Hidden Creek is enthusiastic about the library. A petition has been circulated, and acts of sabotage seem to be disrupting the escape room performance. The plot thickens with the death of a cast member during the dress rehearsal, a disappearing body, and bewildered witnesses. Sanjay, a long-time character who first appeared in Pandian's Jaya Jones series, becomes the prime suspect. True to his character, he does not handle the situation well. His over-the-top whining, pouting, and self-centered misery, while played for comedic effect, almost made him an unlikeable character for me.

Other recurring characters remain true to form. Ivy is still clad in pink and pursuing her library career. Ash continues to be the wizard of Indian cuisine, tempting everyone, including this reader, with his delicious dishes. And Abracadabra, Tempest's rabbit, serves as the perfect mascot for this "Scooby" gang of mystery solvers.

Cozy mysteries are known for their lighthearted tone, but Pandian enjoys subverting expectations. In this case, the tension is so high that a reader might be tempted to skim through the pages. However, the prose is so rich and evocative that one is also inclined to linger and savor every word.

Full disclosure: I received this copy from NetGalley and Minotaur in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for the opportunity.

My thanks to Net Galley, St Martin's, and Minotaur for allowing me this arc.

This was a fun , cozy , locked room mystery. A body is found in a library escape room. Whodunit? Tempest and her friends try to solve while dealing with nosy neighbor Mrs Hudson.

I liked the premise but found the reason and motivation for the murder a bit flat.

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.

Even though this is the fourth book in the series, it was my first book. I didn’t feel missing the three previous books made a huge difference. There were some mentions of things that had taken place in earlier books, but nothing that was integral to following this book. It can definitely be read as a standalone.

I really liked the characters. I love how magic and libraries are combined. The premise is so interesting with the secret construction they put into houses and how misdirection and other magic techniques come together to create a unique closed-room mystery. Even though I had guessed the who, the how was a complete mystery to me until it was explained. However, I do wish that the escape room incident had been explained more.

I found the motive for the murder to be pretty weak, so that was really the only thing that detracted from a great story. I definitely want to go back and read the rest of the series.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. All opinions here within are my own.**

In the 4th book in the series, Secret Staircase Construction has renovated the Gray mansion into a detective fiction library as requested in Howard Gray's will. His grandnephew Cameron wants to launch the library with a mystery dinner and escape room event during a local festival. But things go awry during rehearsals when a dead body is found. Tempest Raj and her friends have to deal with a nosy next-door neighbor and some dangerous clues to find the truth.

While I enjoyed the previous books in this series, this one fell flat for me.

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

The Library Game is another fascinating mystery by Gigi Pandian, with all of the special hidden tweaks that we've come to expect. It's a magical twist on a locked room mystery, with a limited number of suspects who all seem to be unlikely culprits, and various mis-directions worthy of a sleight of hand master.
Pandian is a skillful author who effortlessly sweeps the reader from one twist to another, adding in a touch of romance and plenty of magical sidelines to keep you reading to the very end. This is an ideal mystery for book lovers, librarians, and fans of magic, and you don't need to be all three to enjoy it!
I was happy to receive an ARC of #TheLibraryGame from #NetGalley.

This book had such a compelling premise, but it fell flat for me. There were too many characters and not enough development of any of them for me to feel even remotely interested in what was at stake in the story.

The revelation of the mystery lacked the aha moment as in the classic mysteries this book lauded. The reader was left with, “oh, that’s what happened? If you say so—“ it was not believable, and ultimately, I couldn’t find it in me to care one way or another.

I would like to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tempest Raj's new project was working on the Gray House restoration with her father's Secret Staircase Construction company. The house of the late Harold Gray was going to be a library and his grandnephew, Cameron, is now the owner and will live there. The town of Hidden Creek is running their yearly festival and the Gray House will have a 1935 era escape room play titled: Escape from the Haunted Library.. Just as the friends and actors are going through a rehearsal , the lights go off but when they go on again, one of them is dead, but then the body goes missing.
An enjoyable new cozy mystery in the Secret Staircase series. All of Tempest's friends and family are on hand to help solve their newest crime.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "The Library Game".