I thought I was over cozy mysteries but this series has me in a chokehold. I love that the characters make sense to be trying to unfold what happened and don’t seem to be going out of their way to investigate like lil busy bodies.

I think you could read it as a standalone but WHY?! I’d start from the beginning it’s all great.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan for an alc

"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."

I've read all of the Secret Staircase novels, and while generally enjoyable, I find them a bit repetitive and dry at times. Just a bit...twee? Do people still say that? I don't know, but this one was a real slog for me.

Tempest and her gaggle of amateur sleuths are out to solve a locked-room mystery (my favourite!) with much whining, eating, and twirling, as usual. I just couldn't get into this one, and I'm not sure I'll continue with the series. I thought book 3 was a nice place to end Tempest's story, with the big mysteries of the series solved. The stakes seemed lower, and I really didn't care about the mystery. I really can't tell why! I guess I've just lost interest. Oh well.

I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

*ARC received from NetGalley*

I love a good murder mystery! It had humor and lightheartedness to it even though someone was dead. The idea of a construction company that specializes in building secret rooms and such is something that would be so cool to utilize in real life. It was a super quick and easy read. The characters were likable and there wasn't too much fluff. Things got to the point quickly. I didn't read any of the other books in this series, but I would like to after this one! You don't need to read them in order either to understand what's going on. There's enough information that they can all be read a standalones.

The Library Game is the 4th book in the Secret Staircase Mystery series and it is an intriguing locked room cozy mystery. The characters are very likable and the mystery kept me guessing. I enjoy how the parts of the mystery are solved a little at a time. Tempest Raj was a stage magician but now works for her family's Secret Staircase Construction Company. Her friends Ivy, Sanjay, and Gideon are wonderful, supportive friends and help with investigating. Tempest has finally chosen one of the guys to date but they all still hang out. Secret Staircase Construction is renovating a house into a mystery library. The new owner wants to host a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater and all four friends are helping out. During one of the rehearsals, they think a local is dead and then he disappears. The group is together and no one leaves the room so they are confused how it could happen. There are some strange things going on as well to complicate the situation. This is such an intriguing book and series and I am looking forward to more adventures with the friends. The audiobook is very well done and is narrated by Somehow Hannah #TheLibraryGame #TheSecretStaircaseMystery #MacmillanAudio #GigiPandian

Overall The Library Game was OK. I enjoyed the narration by Soneela Nankani very much. If not for her character voices and talent (and the means to listen at 2x speed) this may have been a DNF for me. The Library Game is a locked door, closed circle murder mystery. I usually like cozy murder mysteries, (especially with a locked door premise), but a few elements kept me from really enjoying this story.

Admittedly, this is the first book I’ve read in the series and I was hoping it would spark an interest to go back and read the previous books in the collection. The only reason why I jumped into the middle of a series is that it was noted in the description that this could be read as a stand alone. I don’t fully agree with that. While I was able to keep up with the story overall, I could tell that there’ were some underlying circumstances that I was out of the loop in totally getting. While it didn’t keep me from understanding the events, it felt like there were many inside jokes or past conversations that I wasn’t privy to jumping in at book #4. The characters are well formed and for the genre everything that happens is plausible.

I just could never shake two things:
1) the pacing seemed off. It bogged down in the middle. Several times the author makes references to the group giving adult “Scooby-Doo” vibes, but instead of being sweet and nostalgic it made them too goofy or overly confident they’d solved the case before the case was actually solved.

2) it felt as if I was the new kid, really trying to be part of this group of smart, fun crime solvers, but the closest I felt was nosy neighbor they treated kindly because they are kind, neighborly people.

After all that, if you’ve read and enjoyed the other books in the Secret Staircase series, The Library Game is probably a good next episode to indulge in reading or listening to the audiobook.

Tempest Raj and her father own and run a very interesting company called Secret Staircase Construction. Honestly, that’s what made me choose this book in the first place. Just before their latest job is to be opened to the public a murder occurs in the house/soon to be library. Why the person died and who did it is the basis for the whole story. Tempest’s friends and family work to find the murderer, absolve her friend Sanjay and open the newest library in their town.

The character development is good. The friends really work well together. No one seemed like a blithering idiot, which is nice. Tempest’s grandfather Ash is an extremely talented cook and baker. The descriptions of his delicious foods and treats was a welcome addition to all the sleuthing.

I couldn't get into this book, it felt like too many vague reminders of the previous story were included, either tell me what happened or don't mention it so much. But overall nothing really grabbed me and made me want to keep reading,

Another enjoyable read from Gigi Pandian, and the fourth in the Secret Staircase series.

In terms of the mystery and the quality of how the characters are written, this was a return to form for the series, which slipped a lot in the third book. Here we get the best of Tempest, Ivy, and the rest of the gang, as well as a well plotted mystery.

I still wish this series would spend more time on the architectural detail and the stage magic driven stuff that made the first book in the series so exceptional. This one gives us a bit more of the latter, but not much of the former. I wish we saw more of Tempest’s relatives as well, who are delightful and featured more prominently earlier in the series.

I was very happy with the mystery itself, which felt both solidly plotted and thoroughly enjoyable. It seems like Pandian won’t have any trouble keeping this series going, so I hope we see another installment in the not too distant future.

This book was a bit different than my typical reads so I was excited to try something new. It was a pretty light hearted mystery, though there is a death it wasn't presented in a graphic or gruesome way. I found it to be a bit slow up until the last 15% or so of the book and found myself having a hard time going back to listen up until that point. The main character Tempest is enjoyable, however some of the elements of her character are over the top for me, mostly regarding the magician aspect. This could be because I haven't read the first 3 books in the series, but I didn't realize it was part of a series until after listening. I do think it holds up as a standalone book, but there very well may be some aspects that would be more believable and exciting with the previous 3 for context.
I am an elementary school librarian so the title intrigued me, but the library in the books definitely wasn't a traditional one.
The narrator was excellent! The recipe at the end was also a fun surprise, and sounds delicious to boot!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy of this book.

This was my first book by this author and I’m hooked. Even though this is part of a series, it is good as a standalone book. There were so many twists and turns, misdirection and confusion in this locked room mystery. I am interested in more books by this author and would recommend it for mystery lovers.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

(3.75 stars)
The fourth book in the Secret Staircase mystery series is another delightful locked-room mystery. This time the family-owned specialty construction company doesn’t figure into the story very much, but the talents of the former magician, Tempest Raj, definitely does. Tempest and her friends are putting on a show that is an escape room/murder mystery dinner play. It’s being staged in Gray House, which was a private home filled with classic mystery novels that is being turned into a library - if the town council approves the plan. The show is supposed to be part of the town’s Summer Stroll festivities. But when one of the actors is found murdered, will the show be able to go on?

There are several characters to keep track of, but if you’ve read at least one of the previous books, that won’t be an issue. The main “players” include Tempest’s friend and possible future boyfriend, Gideon, a talented stone carver; Sanjay, her magician friend who bills himself as the Hindu Houdini; Ivy, who runs the existing local mystery-themed library, and more. As usual, Grandpa Ash provides delicious-sounding food! (Don’t miss the blackberry crumble cobbler recipe at the end of the book.) And Abra, Tempest’s pet rabbit, makes a couple of appearances.

The locked-room aspect was well done, as always. Do we actually see what we think we see? In addition to the mystery, there’s an emphasis on family and friendship, which I always appreciate.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was narrated by Soneela Nankani, who once again did a great job with the many characters and accents.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @NetGalley and @MacmillanAudio for the ARC. I did not know this was a series before reading this book, now I need to go back and read them all. This was such a fun mystery and adding the setting for a murder mystery party was perfect. Tempest makes secret staircases for houses and especially Libraries. She plans to unveil a new house turned Library with a murder mystery show, but the murder turns real. A must read.

This was my first time reading a book by Gigi Pandian. The Library Game is the fourth book in the series, but it read like a stand-alone. I enjoyed this book so much I want to back and read the other books in the Secret Staircase Mysteries.

Our protagonist Tempest works for the family business Secret Stairway Construction where she designs hidden libraries and secret passages. At the end of a job building a library, the owners want to celebrate a murder mystery party, however thing go awry preparing for it

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. The narrator Soneela Nankani was wonderful, and kept me engaged in the story. I highly recommend this book, it's filled with great and diverse characters and kept me guessing the whole time. 4.5 stars

Fun mystery to get into. The characters were relatable but mysterious enough to keep the reader guessing. I liked the idea of actors/magicians playing a “trick” in order to get the reader off the perpetrators trail. When you find out the truth at the end of the book it feels like you should have known all along but the distractions worked! This was a fun whodunnit to read if you like to keep guessing throughout the story!

Although this is the fourth book in the series, the descriptions I read suggested that it could be enjoyed as a standalone, and I completely agree! I absolutely loved it. The story was fun, engaging, and kept me guessing throughout. Now, I'm excited to go back and read the first three books to see how it all began. This was a great read, and I look forward to more from this author!

Soneeela Nankani's performance added to the story!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoy this series. Gigi has put together both a great cast of characters and two terrific plot elements--secret staircase construction and various characters' backgrounds in illusion.

While I quite liked the plot of this fourth book in the series, there were moments where I was like, "That is just over-the-top!" And not in a good way. But I should have trusted Gigi. The plot element I objected to was addressed later in an entirely satisfactory way.

Listen, no one reads cozy mysteries for literary sophistication. They're fun, comfy, and entertaining. That's what you'll get here. Keep 'em coming, Gigi!

By this fourth novel, I am fully invested in this series featuring former illusionist Tempest and her family's Secret Staircase construction business. For this installment, we get a complicated locked room mystery, which I absolutely love. This eclectic cast of characters now feel like old friends, and I thoroughly enjoyed how this story included some twists that seemed impossible. All-in-all, a very fun and entertaining novel - I'm looking forward to #5!

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.

I listened to the book, and most of the earlier ones in the series, and was impressed, as ever, by the narrator who does a wonderful job with the voices of the characters, and the general sense of wonder that the book evokes.

I actually listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook. Tempest Raj's family business, the Secret Staircase Construction, has been hired to turn "Gray House" into a library. The house is already filled to overflowing with classic mystery and fictional detective novels. Though the renovations are far from over, the new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner complete with an escape room and local actors. However, before the night of the party, Tempest finds herself with a real murder that seems impossible to solvectually listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook. Tempest Raj's family business, the Secret Staircase Construction, has been hired to turn "Gray House" into a library. The house is already filled to overflowing with classic mystery and fictional detective novels. Though the renovations are far from over, the new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner complete with an escape room and local actors. However, before the night of the party, Tempest finds herself with a real murder that seems impossible to solve.

THE LIBRARY GAME is the 4th book of the Secret Staircase cozy mystery series and reads perfectly as a standalone. Magicians Tempest, Sanjay, Ivy, and Gideon have been working on transforming a home into the “Gray House Mystery Library,” including a dinner/escape room combo for the grand opening. During their rehearsal dinner, the lights go out, a body is found, and then a body is lost. This cozy mystery is filled with intrigue and charm, making it a perfect read for mystery enthusiasts.

The first part of the story takes place in a locked room (house) scenario, followed by the magicians navigating the illusions and intricacies of the murder during the subsequent days. The story is steady-paced, with plenty of twists and clues falling into place and filled with references to mystery book lovers. And for those who have a sweet tooth, Grandpa Ash shares his mouth-watering Blackberry Crumble Cobbler recipe at the end, adding a delightful culinary element to the mystery!

For those who crave an immersive experience, the audiobook of THE LIBRARY GAME, narrated by the talented Soneela Nankani, is a delightful treat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with the audio copy of THE LIBRARY GAME in exchange for an honest review. This is my first time reading Gigi Pandian, and despite this being the 4th book in the series, I am now intrigued about the previous three books and eager to explore more of the Secret Staircase series.

“In retrospect, uttering the words “What’s the worst that can happen” aloud is never a good idea” - quote spoken by Tempest.

All of the main characters are back, Tempest, Ivy, Gideon, Sanjay, grandpa Ash and more.

In this episode they are in the process of transforming a home into a “Classic Mystery” library.
Before the opening, however, they have planned a dinner with a mystery escape room as part of the town’s summer stroll.

Two days before the dinner things start to go wrong!!

A rehearsal is underway when the lights go out - and the night ends when one of the members of the cast is found dead! Yet when the police finally arrive - the body had disappeared! Even magicians Tempest and Sanjay are stumped.

They will need all of the team’s skill and perhaps a little bit of their own “misdirection” to untangle this one!!

I have enjoyed all of the books but this one has the most twisted plot.

This is #4 in the series and you really do have to read the books in order to understand the characters' relationships.

As always a delicious recipe from “Grandpa Ash” is included at the end. The Blackberry Crumble Cobbler sounds absolutely delish!!

I was fortunate to have the physical book and the audiobook.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss and the audiobook through NetGalley and MacMillan audio. Publication date is set for March 18, 2025.

It was my pleasure to read, listen and review this title. A great addition to the series!