Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian

Under Lock & Skeleton Key
by Gigi Pandian

ISBN-13: 9781250804983
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: March 15th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
After a disastrous accident derails Tempest Raj’s career, and life, she heads back to her childhood home in California to comfort herself with her grandfather’s Indian home-cooked meals and working for her father’s company. Secret Staircase Construction specializes in bringing the magic of childhood to all by transforming clients’ homes with sliding bookcases, intricate locks, backyard treehouses, and hidden reading nooks.

When Tempest visits her dad’s latest renovation project, her former stage double is discovered dead inside a wall that’s supposedly been sealed for more than a century. Fearing she was the intended victim, it’s up to Tempest to solve this seemingly impossible crime. But as she delves further into the mystery, Tempest can’t help but wonder if the Raj family curse that’s plagued her family for generations—something she used to swear didn’t exist—has finally come for her.


My Review:
Under Lock & Skeleton Key is a cozy mystery. This is not a "how are the tricks done" story as only two magic tricks were explained. Usually it was "she made the cards disappear" or "she pulled the book and the bookshelf door opened." I didn't expect a magic instruction book, but it turns out that being told a trick had been done had less appeal than actually seeing it done. The story was as much about backstory as the current mystery. The author destroyed the suspense several times by things like having a body fall out of a wall, then spending pages describing the background of everyone on her dad's crew (which had nothing to do with the body). Or being shocked to learn who the dead person was only to spend a chapter explaining the family curse to the reader rather than showing her reaction.

Tempest was a nice, talented gal who was willing to apologize to save a friendship. The mystery was guessable from the clues. I was distracted by false clues in the beginning, but so was everyone else. Once Tempest's charm bracelet was stolen, it was easy for me to figure out who took it and, from there, to see further connections in the mystery. While I did guess whodunit before the reveal and some of why, the mystery was complex enough to kept me guessing about various elements until the confession.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this complex mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.