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A review by bluegrover82
Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The premise of the book was intriguing. It focuses on Tempest, a stage magician, returns home after an illusion gone wrong destroys her reputation. She believes it was sabotage by her stage double, and she vows to prove it. We meet her various family members. Her mom disappeared under suspicious circumstances five years prior, and Tempest is wondering if it's the family curse (the family has a history of strange deaths and disappearances. Her dad owns a construction company that builds secret rooms and passageways in customers' homes. During the most recent project, a dead body falls out of an opened wall. Now Tempest will need to solve the murder and clear her name while trying to stay out of trouble.
The book started off well. It was unlike any mystery I've read, and it kept my attention. About halfway through, the story stalled. It started to sound almost redundant. The author reminds the reader of the same info over and over. That may be done to keep it fresh in our minds, but to me it was frustrating. Finally, the story picked up again in the last quarter of the book as she drew closer to uncovering the murderer. I found the "big reveal" lacked luster. To me, it fell flat.
In summary, the book is a decent read, a good "light" mystery, which was what I was looking for. While I wasn't blown away by it, I would read the next installment in the series to find out what happens with Tempest. Also, the author has written other mystery series which I will check out as well.
The book started off well. It was unlike any mystery I've read, and it kept my attention. About halfway through, the story stalled. It started to sound almost redundant. The author reminds the reader of the same info over and over. That may be done to keep it fresh in our minds, but to me it was frustrating. Finally, the story picked up again in the last quarter of the book as she drew closer to uncovering the murderer. I found the "big reveal" lacked luster. To me, it fell flat.
In summary, the book is a decent read, a good "light" mystery, which was what I was looking for. While I wasn't blown away by it, I would read the next installment in the series to find out what happens with Tempest. Also, the author has written other mystery series which I will check out as well.