to library or not to library

Tempest Raj has been a fan of mystery novels since she was a kid. And while she trained as a stage magician and now works for her family’s construction company, Secret Staircase Construction, she is so happy that they’ve been hired to turn a house into the town’s newest library for the great mystery novels of the past.

Usually her family works on adding secret passageways and hidden staircases to homes, but this job is unique. Harold Gray started the project before his death, and he left it to his grand-nephew Cameron, a librarian and the only one to visit Harold and read to him when he was ill. Now Tempest and her family are making over the house, creating a beautiful library and a small apartment for Cameron in the top floor.

But before Gray House can open as a library, even before all the books get organized and shelved, they’ve decided to host a literary-themed escape room celebrating locked-room mysteries. Tempest’s friend Sanjay, also a stage magician, has agreed to help with the rehearsal, as one of the actors wasn’t able to make it. He even offered his trunk as a prop in the mini-drama. Tempest and her best friend Ivy wrote a short script with a murder, and after that, the audience will be locked in the room until they find the clues to find the killer.

But during the rehearsal, something goes terribly wrong. Sanjay had been standing in for Lucas, and with Sanjay dressed the way Lucas was going to for the role, they looked very similar. When the lights went out, there was supposed to be a shot from a cap gun, and the lights came back on and showed that Sanjay had been shot, pointing towards the first clue for the audience. But when the lights came back on in the rehearsal, it wasn’t Sanjay on the floor. It was Lucas. And Tempest thought he was really dead.

The rest of the cast ran to the kitchen for their phones, and while they were out of the room, Lucas disappeared. They still called the police, but they clearly thought that someone had been playing a joke on the cast. But when they gathered the next day to try to figure out what had happened, they get locked in the room with the clues. When they finally get out, Lucas is back. But this time he is definitely dead.

Mrs. Hudson, who lives across the street and has been vocal in her displeasure about the library opening at Gray House, has been watching the house. She can tell the police who was there and when. And during the time everyone was locked in the clue room, she insists no one came to or left from the house. How is it possible that someone came to the house, killed Lucas, and left without being seen or making any noise?

Tempest is used to reading locked-room mysteries and creating misdirection in her magic shows. But this is impossible crime after impossible crime in a locked-room with a closed-circle of people. Is it possible for her figure out this complicated mystery while keeping herself and her closest friends safe from this killer?

The Library Game is book 4 in Gigi Pandian’s popular Secret Staircase Mystery series. This one had a mystery that was particularly complicated, with layers of secrets and misdirection. There is a grandfather who keeps everyone fed with delicious meals and a rabbit named Abracadabra with exceptional skills at reading people. But with a long-term storyline getting resolved in the last book, Tempest has a newfound lightness to her soul, opening her up to interesting possibilities in her romantic life. I’m so ready for the next book in the series, to see what happens in her life.

I listened to The Library Game on audio, narrated to perfection by Soneela Nankani. She brings the perfect amount of intelligence and humor to the voice of Tempest. And her skill with accents brings the Indian and Scottish heritage of various family members and friends to life. I have listened to several of these books on audio, and Nankani does such a good job with the various characters that you can tell who is speaking from her cues with ease. I think the audio books are a lovely way to enjoy this series.

Egalleys for The Library Game were provided by Minotaur Books and an early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.