Praise for Under Lock & Skeleton Key
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BookPage—2022 Preview: Most Anticipated Mystery and Suspense
“This thrilling murder mystery is full of twists, turns, magician stunt doubles, and secret staircases.” —Brit & Co
“Mind-blowing architecture and failed magic tricks set the stage for Gigi Pandian’s latest addictive read… This thrilling mystery novel is full of twists and turns. You never know what piece of the mystery will unfold behind each hidden wall.” —SheKnows
"Devotees of the classic locked-room mystery will appreciate Gigi Pandian’s Under Lock & Skeleton Key, which tweaks the template with architectural puzzles, family curses, and a family business called Secret Staircase Construction." —Goodreads
“Gigi Pandian is the reigning QUEEN of locked room mysteries . . . For those who’ve been waiting for the perfect fictional family to take the place of Lisa Lutz’s The Spellmans, look no further.” —CrimeReads
“[A] fantastic locked-room mystery featuring secrets, sleights of hand, and, of course, a murder.” —Mystery Scene Magazine
"Pandian's writing bursts with heart and hope.” —BookPage (starred review)
“Pandian is in top form in this thoroughly enjoyable series launch. . . Lovers of traditional mysteries with quirky characters will be well rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Excellent... This 'Secret Staircase' series starter is a fresh and magical locked-room mystery filled with fascinating and likable characters, incredible settings, and Tempest’s grandfather’s homecooked Indian meals." —Library Journal
"Nonstop enchantment." —Kirkus Reviews
"With dazzling sleight of hand, Gigi Pandian launches an enchanting new series . . . a must-read." —Deanna Raybourn
"Gigi Pandian is the modern master of the locked room mystery." —S.A. Cosby
“A stand out mystery. The fast-reading, suspenseful tale delights, with dashes of international spice and a powerful new heroine.” —Sujata Massey
"An absolute sparkling gem of a book! With masterful misdirection and literary sleight of hand, Pandian has penned a delectable tale that kept me guessing.” —Jenn McKinlay
“Pandian is this generation’s queen of the locked-room mystery! A whimsical confection." —Naomi Hirahara
"An extremely likable new protagonist, a cunning plot, and a cast of quirky, fascinating characters. . . full of twists and witty insights you never see coming." —Aaron Elkins
“A perfect blend of adventure and mystery." —Paige Shelton
"A love letter to golden age mysteries . . . will keep readers guessing whodunit until the very end." —Ellie Alexander
02/01/2022
This latest from Pandian (The Glass Thief) is an excellent choice to liven up cozy mystery sections. Tempest Raj returns to California after her popular magic show in Vegas came to an early and disastrous end. She hails from a long line of stage magicians but doesn't believe in the curse that is said to fall on the eldest child in each generation—she believes that her show was sabotaged by her former stage double, Cassidy. While visiting her father's latest construction job, a wall that supposedly was untouched for a century reveals Cassidy's dead body to Tempest and the rest of the crew. Was Tempest the intended victim? How did Cassidy's body get into that wall? Tempest feels that this is all the result of misdirection, a technique used by magicians like herself, but how? This "Secret Staircase" series starter is a fresh and magical locked-room mystery filled with fascinating and likable characters, incredible settings, and Tempest's grandfather's homecooked Indian meals (recipes included). VERDICT Readers will enjoy not only figuring out the mystery but also learning how the magic tricks are done.—Sarah Sullivan
2021-12-15
A stage magician solves a locked-room puzzle.
Tempest Raj had a glorious career. The child of five generations of Indian magicians, she followed her half-Indian, half-Scottish mother into a profession that allowed her to thrill rapt audiences with baffling illusions. But that was then. Now, still in her 20s, she lives with her grandparents in their Bay Area treehouse with her rabbit, Abracadabra, her closest confidant. Her mother is gone, disappeared and presumed dead by suicide. Her father is busy running his business, Secret Staircase Construction, a specialty firm dedicated to creating hidden staircases, secret rooms, and concealed gardens. Her successful Vegas show has been closed after an accident almost took her life and prompted a series of ruinous lawsuits against her. At the end of her rope, she agrees to help her dad with his latest project, the installation of a hidden room in multimillionaire Calvin Knight’s mansion. Her first look at the project is almost her last, though, since her initial inspection dislodges the body of her stage double, Cassidy Sparrow, the very person she holds responsible for her career-halting accident, from a hidden space with no windows or doors. Things get even more baffling when Tempest sees the ghost of her mother playing her signature tune on a violin. Impossible as it seems, Tempest feels pressed to solve the enigma, because—thanks to a family curse on the eldest of each generation—she doesn’t know whether Cassidy’s killer was aiming for her double or herself.
The real problem: All that nonstop enchantment makes magic seem pretty boring.
Narrator Soneela Nankani introduces listeners to Tempest Raj in this first installment in a new mystery series. After a near-death experience derails her career in magic, Tempest moves home to Hidden Creek, California and begins working for her father's company, Secret Staircase Construction. But then Tempest finds her former assistant murdered inside a closed wall. Is it the Raj family curse? Or is someone trying to kill her? A large cast of characters sometimes slows the story’s pace as the author sets up their backstories. The minimal romance paired with magic tricks and hidden rooms gives this audiobook a Young Adult vibe. But Nankani executes a lovely Scottish lilt and makes each voice easily distinguishable in conversation. The narration takes on a suspenseful tone as the story intensifies. E.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Narrator Soneela Nankani introduces listeners to Tempest Raj in this first installment in a new mystery series. After a near-death experience derails her career in magic, Tempest moves home to Hidden Creek, California and begins working for her father's company, Secret Staircase Construction. But then Tempest finds her former assistant murdered inside a closed wall. Is it the Raj family curse? Or is someone trying to kill her? A large cast of characters sometimes slows the story’s pace as the author sets up their backstories. The minimal romance paired with magic tricks and hidden rooms gives this audiobook a Young Adult vibe. But Nankani executes a lovely Scottish lilt and makes each voice easily distinguishable in conversation. The narration takes on a suspenseful tone as the story intensifies. E.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
