Reviews

Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

Only show reviews with written explanations

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

I will share my review soon.Tempest Raj returns home after someone sabotaged her last performance in Las Vegas. Tempest has yet to prove who committed the act but until she can, her career is toast. Her father asks her to join the family business, Secret Staircase Construction. The business has not been the same since her mother disappeared during an act five years prior. Tempest is hesitant to accept, but she gets drawn in when a hidden space is discovered in the latest project. Someone hid the body of Tempest’s former stage double in a wall of the house. Tempest cannot help but wonder if someone meant to kill her. It also has Tempest wondering if it is her turn to fall victim to the Raj family curse. The only way to get answers is for Tempest to channel her favorite sleuth and investigate the crime. Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian is the debut of A Secret Staircase Mysteries. This is a multicultural cozy mystery. We get to meet Tempest Raj, an illusionist along with her grandparents, father, and best friend (plus a cast of secondary characters). Tempest has an interesting and colorful family. I enjoyed learning about Tempest and meeting the Raj clan. Her mother disappeared five years prior during an act. I have to wonder what happened to her. I hope we find out in the future (could it be part of the family curse). There are hidden rooms, secret staircases, illusions, magic, and plenty of mouthwatering food in this cozy mystery. There is even a secret library. I love that Tempest’s bedroom is hidden in her home. There are plenty of secret spaces in the Raj families unique dwelling (or should I say dwellings). Tempest and her best friend, Ivy grew up reading mysteries. The author mentions some of my childhood favorites. The whodunit has some clever parts. I was curious how a killer could get a dead body in a hidden space that has seemingly not been opened in decades. Tempest did a good job at investigating the crime. The killer, though, was easily identified. The reveal was a little bit confusing. I had to reread the ending to capture all the different bits. There is quite a bit of repetition in the story. I wish it had been eliminated and the book would have been a better length. There are times when I felt the story is aimed at a younger audience (Tempest is in her mid-20s). This was a lighthearted, fun cozy mystery that has many great elements. It will be interesting to see what designs Tempest comes up with for Secret Staircase Construction. Under Lock & Skeleton Key is magical tale with secret staircases, a dead doppelganger, a centuries old curse, a missing mother, a curious key, mouthwatering morsels, hypnotizing illusions, and a surprising missive.