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.

A cozy series for fans of Hallmark mysteries. I had never heard of the series "The Secret Staircase Mystery" by Gigi Pandian and even though I started on the 4th book ""The Library Game" I was quickly invested in the story and characters. Tempest Raj a magician turned invaluable employee of Secret Staircase Construction adds a touch of magic into homes with sliding bookcases and secret passageways. Tempest's latest task is turning a home into a specialty public library featuring only detective novels. The home is far from finished but the owner is hosting a literary escape room for the public. During the dress rehearsal the discovery of one of the actors dead body turns even more mysterious then their body goes missing. Can the Secret Staircase crew figure out how this locked room mystery could have taken place and who is behind this dangerous game? Gigi Pandian's writing style is captivating and flows, allowing the reader to be immersed in the mystery and characters. I would recommend this book to cozy mystery fans but also fans of classic detective books. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC, all opinions are my own!

I love locked room mysteries. As an introvert, full-time book reader who wants a library with a secret room of more books, a ladder, and a ghost, I also love the idea of “puzzle rooms”. This is a new library in town with the grand opening during the festival with each room a unique mystery puzzle. Its opening with a murder mystery party, so the whole novel’s theme is emphatically stated.

What I also liked was the use of a nosy neighbor “Karen” who appears to have a grudge and is spying on the house. I think its makes the novel more realistic.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

If you haven’t started this cozy mystery series, it’s full of south Asian spice, Irish charm and American determination., just like it’s heroine. This installment is a satisfying next chapter in the series as questions are answered and a compelling mystery keeps her on her toes. I liked that things were a bit less convoluted in this one and the villain was close to hand but still diabolical.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copies. These opinions are my own.

I had a difficult time getting through this one. Perhaps it is because I have not read previous books in the series. The story goes off on tangents about the character's past or drives into a backstory right in the middle of a narrative. I'd get back to the plot line and have no idea what was happening. It was very distracting.
The characters were actually fun, however. I enjoyed their rapport with each other and how they played off each other. I may go back and see how the first book in the series hits me and try again.

I really wasn’t sure where this series would go after solving the overarching mystery of what happened to Tempest’s mother. However, Pandian continued to make it work! It’s transitioned more toward a typical, cozy-style episodic framework and I think it works! The mystery was thoroughly interesting (as always) and well plotted. I’m loving the new relationships that are emerging in the series-romantic and not.

This was a fun read. I didn't get a chance to download but borrowed it from the library. I really enjoyed the different aspects of how it was written and the main characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my voluntary and honest review!

The premise of this book had massive potential but the execution felt half baked with an anticlimactic ending. A murder mystery that didn’t have me flipping pages to get to the conclusion.

I adore Gigi Pandian and have enjoyed her Jaya Jones series. The Library Game is the fourth installment of the Secret Staircase Mystery Series. Tempest Raj works with her father and friends to add features to homes that allow for secret storage and staircases. Their latest project involves remodeling a home into a library. While preparing for the grand opening, they notice potential sabotage and find themselves involved in another murder mystery. This is a quick read that does not involve the characters making careless decisions. Looking forward to more from Gigi Pandian.

Fourth novel of Mystery Series

Some twist and at times exciting
entertaining
interesting
suspenseful
A great overall read

Thank you Netgalley

Let me start off by saying that I did not realize this was the 4th book in a series and I am not really a person who just reads a random book in the middle! That being said, it mostly works as a stand alone if you don't care to know what the past events they're referring to are. I did enjoy it though, murder, magic, libraries! A solid cozy mystery and I'm curious about the previous books so I will be adding those to my list.

Thank you NetGalley and Mintoar books for the ARC!

I love Tempest and her Scooby crew and the mischief they get themselves into. The magician/magic show elements always make these books so fun to read. You never know what’s coming next.

I really struggled with this book. I have not read any of the previous books by this author. This book references the previous books in this series A LOT and left me feeling a little lost. If you are a fan of escape rooms and murder mystery dinner theater you will enjoy this book, it just wasn't for me.

"The Library Game" is a fast paced and very twisty mystery that mostly works but falls well short of greatness or being truly memorable. The perky protagonist and her diverse crew of over achieving Scoobie mystery solvers go a long way to making this book interesting . However, in the end the book reads flat for the most part and the character development is artificial and stiff to the point that the book is nowhere near enough charming or clever to be truly engaging.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Library Game is the fourth novel in the Secret Staircase Mysteries by Gigi Pandian and, in this outing, the Secret StairCase Construction company has been hired to work on a house that is being converted into a library dedicated to mystery novels. To introduce the new library, Tempest Raj and the owner have hired some local actors to put on a mystery play. Things are going well until the body of one of the actors is found before the rehearsal and then disappears before the police arrive. The police think the man is playing a joke but Tempest is not so sure and now it is up to Tempest and friends to figure out what really happened.

This is a fun story with a likeable cast and an intriguing mystery with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. And, if that's not enough to pique your interest, there’s plenty of references to classic mysteries as well as a rabbit named Abracadabra. An entertaining read for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries that are more puzzle than action.

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review