AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - The Library Game

Title:  The Library Game

Author:  Gigi Pandian

Series:   Secret Staircase Mystery #4

Publisher:  Macmillan Audio

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Audio ALC and Kindle ARC

Narrator:  Soneela Nankani

Length:  9 hrs 3 mins

No. of Pages:   320

Date of Publication:   March 18, 2025

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

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.

Tempest Raj couldn’t be happier that the family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Known for enchanting architectural features like sliding bookshelves and secret passageways, the company is now taking on a dream project: transforming a home into a public library that celebrates history's greatest fictional detectives.

Though the work is far from done, Gray House Library’s new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner and literary themed escape room. But when a rehearsal ends with an actor murdered and the body vanishes, Tempest is witness to a seemingly impossible crime. Fueled by her grandfather’s Scottish and Indian meals, Tempest and the rest of the crew must figure out who is making beloved classic mystery plots come to life in a deadly game.

Multiple award winning author Gigi Pandian masterfully weaves wit and warmth in the Secret Staircase Mysteries. Readers will delight in the surprises Secret Staircase Construction uncovers behind the next locked door.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Tempest Raj and her “Scooby Team” have another murder mystery on their hands. Or do they? Tempest for her father, the owner of Secret Staircase Construction, and their latest renovation soon becomes much more.

Tempest is thrilled about the growth of her family business, especially with their unique renovations. She’s particularly excited about their newest job: transforming a home into a library. But this is no ordinary library; it’s to become a library dedicated to the work of renowned fictional detectives from over the decades.

As they work on the renovation, Tempest and her friends are looking forward to a murder mystery game is scheduled at the home. Everything goes awry when the game unfolds.

This book by Gigi Pandian is a delightful read, and the narration by Soneela Nankani enhances the storytelling experience. As a jigsaw puzzle enthusiast, I was particularly impressed by how the story was developed and progressed. Listening to this book in one sitting was sheer joy.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I’m a USA Today bestselling and award-winning mystery author, breast cancer survivor, and accidental almost-vegan. I’m the child of academics from New Mexico and the southern tip of India, and I spent my childhood tagging along on their research trips around the world, which is what inspired my fiction. I now live outside San Francisco with my husband and a gargoyle who watches over the garden. 

I write the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, Secret Staircase mysteries, Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. My debut novel, Artifact, was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a “Best of 2012” Debut Novel by Suspense Magazine, and my fiction has received Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer Awards, and been a finalist for the Edgar Award. Along with Kellye Garrett and Walter Mosley, I’m one of the co-founders of Crime Writers of Color.

My second Secret Staircase mystery, The Raven Thief, is available now from Minotaur Books, and my seventh Accidental Alchemist mystery, The Alchemist of Monsters and Mayhem, comes out October 10, 2023. I’m currently at work on the next books in each series, as well as a couple of secret projects. 

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