A Midnight Puzzle (Secret Staircase Mysteries, #3)

by Gigi Pandian

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Midnight Puzzle is the third volume in the Secret Staircase cozy series which is full of illusions, building, and stage magic by Gigi Pandian. Due out 19th March 2024 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Readers who already enjoy stage magic mysteries and illusions, with a heaping side order of old houses with hidden rooms and architectural easter-eggs like bookcases which are secret doors and mantelpieces with hidden catches to open secret panels will *love* this series. The plot turns around an ensemble cast of specialty builders, stonemasons, and woodworkers who design and install secret rooms and hidden staircases. This is a limited suspect pool cozy with hidden rooms aplenty, secret alcoves, puzzle rooms, and eccentric characters. 

Although it's a murder mystery, it felt as though it were written more for a younger (YA/NA) audience. It has a definite Nancy Drew vibe with a little whiff of Scooby Doo, and in fact the author refers to the group of friends investigating the mystery as the Scooby Gang.

Throw in lots and lots of stage magic, a family curse (the eldest child shall die by magic), hidden motives, and crazy architectural prestidigitation, and stir well. The book is also absolutely full of bookish references and readers who enjoy classic mysteries from the Golden Age of fiction will find lots and lots of titles and authors to follow up.

The MCs family is multi-ethnic and the requisite cozy recipes at the back of the book reflect that background and are a really eclectic mix of odd and whimsical.There is a strong romance sub-element as well which will please readers who enjoy light mysteries with romance elements. The story is self-contained in this volume, but it's the third book in the series and there are a fair number of spoilers included here for developments contained in the first two books; so it's best read in order.

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 10 hours 38 minutes and is capably read by series narrator Soneela Nankani. She has a warm and nuanced voice and does a good job delineating a wide range of characters across a range of ages and both male and female. There are a number of Scottish characters, and the narrator struggles mightily with the various accents, not entirely successfully. She does a much more mellifluous job with the Indian and American accents. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. It would make a good choice for library acquisition, as well as a long weekend binge / buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.