Full disclosure: I did not read the other books in the series, yet. I felt a little out of the loop on the character connections, but that did not stop me from really enjoying this book. It had all the perfect elements, a locked room mystery set partially in an escape room with a magic show. Disappearing bodies, haunting sounds, including the voice of the recently deceased homeowner, and a nosy neighbor all kept me hooked. If I had read the others in the series and been more connected with the characters, this would have been a five-star read for me. I am going to start at the beginning to get ready for the next book!

Soneela Nankani delivered a captivating narration that kept me engaged in the story.

This is the most confounding Secret Staircase Mystery yet. An impossible murder, an unclear motive, and a disappearing corpse all combine to create this latest Gigi Pandian cozy mystery.

Tempest Raj was a Vegas magician, a master of illusion and the art of misdirection. She sounds a little like a mystery author, doesn't she? Tempest is now a part of the Secret Staircase Construction company, created by her parents. There is a bit of a backstory involving the death of her mom, it is touched on in this book, but you should really read the first three books to get the full story. Fortunately, it isn't necessary to enjoy this latest book. In fact, all four books are very good as stand-alone stories but the first three build very nicely on each other. In addition to being cozy, they also have a wonderful culinary aspect. Each book lays out some deliciously descriptive scenes with amazing food created/cooked/crafted by Tempest's grandfather, Ashok "Ash" Raj. Ash has an incredible ability to make tasty food that he shares with anyone and everyone. He also has a rolodex, yes, a literal rolodex of all his contacts, and that is a lot of people. This installment comes with the recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cobbler, and I can attest to how easy it is to make and how yummy it tastes with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

As usual, the team of Tempest, Gideon, Ivy, and Sunjay do a great job of adding unique perspectives and personality to the book. There is even a furry companion, Abra the big lop-eared emotional support bunny. Abra isn't technically a support bunny but there is something soothing about stroking bunny fur while trying to figure out a mystery or deal with a stressful or sad situation. I could have used a little support while I was chasing red herrings upstream because I did not have a clue who the killer was or why they did it until the reveal. In fact, the moment that Tempest figured it out, I actually sighed in an "oh no" sort of way. Thank goodness I had Blackberry Crumble Cobbler to make me feel better. This was another great cozy and if you get the chance to check out the audio versions, they are excellent as well with the voice talents of Soneela Nankani. She does a great job of bringing each and every character to life just as I have imagined they would sound. I look forward to reading the next book, hopefully next March as they seem to come out about a year apart.

"The Library Game" is a great addition to the Tempest Raj and Secret Staircase series. All of the beloved characters from earlier in the series return, as well as a few new ones. In this installment, Taj and her friends try to squeeze in a run-through of a locked room mystery event before opening night. But a last minute casting change creates a bit of confusion, especially when the prior actor shows up to rehearsal as a dead body. The even bigger problem, though, is, when the police arrive to investigate, the body is gone!

This sets the stage for Tempest and her friends to investigate. That's made a little more difficult though since Sanjay is either the intended victim or the suspected murder, depending on who you walk with.

If you've enjoyed earlier books in this series, you'll like this one too. If you're new to it, this works okay as a standalone too. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you to Gigi Pandian, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Secret Staircase Construction is just as fantastic as the name implies - a company that can make your hidden rooms, sliding doors, and staircase dreams a reality. When the company is hired for the new public library, Gray House Library, the company and owner, Tempest Raj, gets more than she bargained for when someone turns up dead in this locked room mystery.

Full of plot twists and turns, as you would expect, this was full of quirky characters and loving family- an entertaining blend of Scottish and Indian family. Gigi Pandian is on a roll with this new mystery series.

I love this series, and this was another great addition to the series. I like how Pandian explores all kinds of relationships and the generational gaps in these books, it's so well done and always leaves me feeling like she has amazing insights.

This book is an excellent expansion to the series, though it does have less character building and explanation of who they are than previous entries. It's still a great story, and felt like a much needed break for everyone. It felt very safe throughout and like things are too calm, so that may turn into something more later. :)

This book is great, read the whole series.

Thank you for the ARC!

I received The Library Game by Gigi Pandian as an ARC from NetGalley, and once I realized it was part of a series, I decided to go back and read the first three books before starting this one. I’m so glad I did—what a fantastic series!

The characters are truly the heart of these stories—warm, quirky, and endlessly likable. I loved the literary setting, the bookish puzzles, and the layers of intrigue that made the plot so enjoyable to unravel.

This latest installment is both satisfying and fun, and while the mystery stands on its own, I highly recommend starting from the beginning to fully appreciate the character arcs and relationships.

Another delightful addition to Tempest's misadventures. I loved that this installment kept me guessing all the way to the end and the final twist caught me completely off guard. I look forward to continuing on with this series for as long as the Gigi Pandian wants to write it.

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.

The narrator has voiced all the books and does a great job with the accents and changes in gender. I’ve enjoyed her a lot!

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

2.5 stars rounded up.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian is book 4 in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. It's the first I've read so I was unfamiliar with this 'world' and its characters which may have impacted my experience.

This sounded so interesting - former professional magicians, bookshelves with hidden features, an escape room setting. However, I didn't enjoy the book and won't be reading others in the series as it felt like a middle grade or YA novel.

The characters were one-dimensional and overly emotional, and the plot was "all tell - no show." The dialog was stilted and repetitive, and I didn't care about solving the mystery. I'm honestly baffled by the 5- and 4-star ratings. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Soneela Nankani who did the best she could with the material she was provided.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me access to the audiobook; all opinions are my own.

This is another cozy series that I have to listen to because Soneela Nankani knocks these out of the park. 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.

The Library Game is the fourth book in The Secret Staircase Mysteries. I haven’t read books one through three in the series, however I was able to understand what was occurring without any prior knowledge from the first three books. Book four can definitely be read as a standalone.

Like a cozy mystery? Enjoy escape rooms? Would you sign up for a murder mystery dinner or game? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this book is for you! It was a fun read. It kept my focus and attention. My love for guessing “whodunit” coupled with a unique plot resulted in my enjoyment and positive rating. I didn’t really make a strong connection with any of the characters but that also didn’t interfere with my ability to connect with the plot.

Gray House was left to Cameron from a relative that collected rare books from the best fiction detectives such as Agatha Christie. In his will, Cameron was instructed to renovate the bottom floors of the house into a public library and to turn the top floor into a tiny home or apartment so that he’d have a place to live. Cameron was also instructed to contract all construction work with Tempest Raj and Secret Staircase Construction.

The crew working on the renovation decided to host a series murder mystery shows to drum up interest in the library upon its opening. As the actors gathered for the last rehearsal…something went deadly wrong. A body was discovered in the library. Police were called and Gray House became a crime scene. Will they be able to solve the mystery? Will they be able to open the library as planned?

Thank you to #NetGalley in the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian hooked me in from the get-go. This was a fun and adventurous read with a great cast of characters. The story tied together some of my favorite elements, mystery, magic, and books, making it tricky and fun to listen to. The narrator was amazing and really brought this book to life for me. I didn't realize that this was a series of books until I was quite a ways into the audiobook. I will definitely pick up Ms. Pandian's other works. Strongly suggest this audiobook to everyone who loves a good mystery with strong characters.

The whole Secret Staircase family is back, with Tempest, Ivy and Sanjay involved in a murder investigation. The construction company has transformed the former home of a resident into a library that features only Golden Age and other classic mysteries. Before the opening, the owner arranges a rehearsal of the murder mystery escape room with actors playing characters in a murder mystery.

Unfortunately, things go from fun to awful when one of the actors is found dead, then, to make matters worse, his body disappears. Because Sanjay and the actor had planned a bit of a joke/magic trick as part of the staged mystery, Sanjay is prime suspect.

Of course Tempest knows she has to investigate, and she finds out more about the impetus to create the classic mysteries library, as well as the opposition to the business. Grandpa Ash is busy making scrumptious dishes to keep everyone fed, while he also works his town contacts to find out all sorts of things the police detective does not know, but that helps Tempest determine who the culprit is.

This was a nicely twisty mystery, with a fast-moving plot and plenty of banter and humour to liven up the character interactions. Though you could start here, I'd recommend reading this series in order as there are details about the characters, and Tempest's family's past, that are described in previous entries, and which deepen one's enjoyment of this book, consequently.

I both listened and read this story, and Soneela Nankani does her usual great job of voicing characters. She captures Tempest's energy, and I like how Ivy, Tempest's best friend, is also voiced. Nankani's Sanjay always makes me laugh, and Grandpa Ash's warmth and gentle presence is voiced beautifully.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and to Macmillan Audio for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

This was my first book in the series, which I did not realize until beginning. I struggled to get all the characters straight, at first, and I think having read the prior books in the series would have helped with that. I do think it can be read as a stand alone albeit with more work to keep the characters identified. I did find the narrator's male voices on the "whiny" side which definitely kept me from really liking any of them. (I did read at 1.5 speed which certainly may have influenced the whininess factor.)

The mystery itself was a really fun premise for mystery book lovers, but it felt like it went all over the place for a while. Coming back a magician's trick for the magicians to solve was clever, but I knew the murderer almost as soon as the death was revealed. Overall, this was an easy listen with clean language, a VERY chaste romance for the MC, and all the cozy mystery feels. Not a favorite but still a fun read.

Thank you MacMillain Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fun and lighthearted mystery read! I had not read anything by Gigi Pandian before, and was excited to hear this was a series that I could potentially jump into. Although the mystery was interesting, it seemed to be a little "messy" and all over the place. Without giving any spoilers away, I felt unsatisfied by the ending.

I really appreciated the audio recording of this book! In the spirit of the book itself, it didn't seem to take itself too seriously.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Secret Staircase Construction is working on renovating an old home into a library specializing in classic mysteries. However, not everyone in Hidden Creek is happy about this. When someone is murdered during the trial run of the murder mystery play being staged as part of the city's annual summer stroll, Tempest Raj will have to step in to find out the truth before one of her closest friends takes the blame.

Let's be honest, the last book in this series tied up a lot of threads and answered some big questions that had been hanging out since the first book. In that regard, I enjoyed The Library Game so much because it was like starting a new chapter in the series. It wasn't pulled down by any of the other restraints. It was simply allowed to be an interested near locked-room mystery.

I think it's my favorite book of the series thus far. I felt like the characters were able to breathe a little more because they were not longer under said restraints. The story felt very fresh yet still maintained the intricately magical quality of piecing together a seemingly unsolvable crime.

I liked that we get some forward momentum in regards to Gideon and Tempest. Things are still to be determined between them - especially after some news is revealed - but it's more than we've gotten in the last three books combined.

It was nice also to see Tempest and her friends actively working together - like an oft-mentioned group of mystery solving friends and their canine companion. In previous books I've felt like Tempest has either been on her own or she's with one of her group, but having all of them work together was great because they each bring something different to the table. It's not just about the magic, Ivy's knowledge of classic mysteries, and Gideon's slow, yet thoughtful, approach to parsing out information came in handy.

I again listened to the audiobook and, again, thought that the over-exaggeration of dialogue in certain spots was misplaced and didn't necessarily line up with how I read the book in my head if I'm reading on the page instead of listening. Still, I have come to associate the narrator and all of her affectations with this series and these characters.

If you have enjoyed this series before, you will certainly like this one. I also feel that this would be a great starting point to the series if you haven't dived into the first three yet.

"The Library Game" by Gigi Pandian is a delightful and engaging mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed, even as a newcomer to the series. I received an ARC of this book, and it proved to be a charming blend of classic mystery elements and a fresh, contemporary setting.

Pandian's concept of a construction company specializing in secret passages and hidden rooms is inherently intriguing, and the project of transforming a house into a library dedicated to fictional detectives provides a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop. Tempest Raj, the protagonist, is a compelling and relatable character, and her passion for her work shines through.

The murder mystery dinner and escape room scenario, which quickly turns into a real-life crime, is cleverly plotted. The blending of classic mystery tropes with modern sensibilities creates a unique and enjoyable reading experience. Even without prior knowledge of the series, I found the characters and their relationships easy to grasp, and the mystery itself was well-paced and engaging.

The cultural elements, particularly Tempest's grandfather's Scottish and Indian meals, add a rich and flavorful dimension to the narrative. Pandian's writing is both witty and engaging, and she skillfully balances the suspense of the mystery with the charming dynamics of the characters.

"The Library Game" is a testament to Pandian's ability to craft a captivating mystery that appeals to both seasoned mystery readers and newcomers alike.

★★★★☆

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This is the fourth book in the series, and I haven’t read the others. I suspect I’d have enjoyed the characters even more if I had since they had been through a lot together, but this worked as a standalone . It was a fun read and back to my usual cozy mystery genre picks. The magicians as main characters added a unique twist, and I loved the “locked room” murder mystery set in a library, an ideal setup for a cozy whodunit! The murder mystery show they were planning made me want to go find one to enjoy!

While The Library Game will not be on my list of faves, it was a quick read. The plot was okay. It was lacking in strong use of language and dialogue. I kept thinking, "This must be almost over," only to realize I still have 75% of the book left. I was not invested in the characters, there were random twists and red herring wannabes. It was something I read to pass the time, but not a book worthy of devouring. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

I didn’t realize The Library Game was the fourth book in a series, so I decided to start from the beginning—and I’m so glad I did! From book one, I fell in love with the charming characters, clever plots, and cozy mystery vibes. Each book pulled me deeper into the world Gigi Pandian created, and by the time I reached this fourth installment, I was completely hooked. The Library Game was just as delightful and engaging as the first three, and now I’m eagerly counting down the days until the next one is released!