A locked door mystery, a puzzle mystery, magic, family curse, misdirection, hidden staircases/rooms, and quirky characters – all can be found in Under Lock and Skeleton Key, the first book in a new mystery series by Gigi Pandian.
Tempest Raj is a once famous but now disgraced illusionist who has returned to her childhood home after losing everything. Her’s is not the average family; her mother, another magician, disappeared while performing on stage five year before, her father designs and constructs hidden rooms and staircases inside homes, and her grandparents live in a house built in a tree.
Tempest doesn’t believe in the
family curse that the eldest Raj in each generation will die by magic but begins
to wonder when her doppelgänger stage assistant is found murdered inside a 100-year
old wall at her father’s latest construction site. Concerned that perhaps her
life is in danger, Tempest sets out to find the murderer herself with the help
of her best friend, Ivy. She is convinced the murder is simply a case of
misdirection, a subject in which Tempest is an expert. All she needs is to find
the one thread that will unravel everything.
The reader is introduced to a
variety of characters that are something difficult to keep straight and all of whom
will undoubtedly appear in future books. The writing is repetitive at times and much of the story revolves around the
preparation and eating of foods from India and Scotland. Some reviewers felt
the book was written with the young adult audience in mind and I would agree. However,
if you enjoyed Nancy Drew mysteries growing up, you should enjoy Under Lock
and Skeleton Key.
The second installment of this
series, The Raven Thief, is due out
in March 2023.
3.64 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 on
Amazon.
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