The Raven Thief

(Secret Staircase Mystery #2)

by Gigi Pandian

Release date: March 21st, 2023

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Raven Thief (Secret Staircase Mystery #2) by Gigi Pandian from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…is an utterly unique and extremely fun cozy mystery blended with a slight touch of magic….…

Being a fan of Gigi Pandian, I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to read and review The Raven Thief, the second book of her locked room Secret Staircase Mystery Series.

Picking up after the events of book one, Tempest is living at Fiddler’s Folly with her grandparents and is now working at the Secret Staircase Construction, her family’s company. Busy recreating a new life for herself after moving from Vegas, she is slowly adapting.

Currently, the family business is focused on their client Lavinia who is going through a tumultuous divorce from her philandering ex-husband the infamous has-been mystery author Corbin Colt. Lavinia has gone to great lengths to reinvent her life, including completely renovating her house, using the Secret Staircase Construction Company to create a magical mystery themed place for her Mystery book club members to meet at. When Lavinia decides to conduct a purging ceremony including the burning of Corbin’s left behind belongings, Tempest’s dear friend Sanjay agrees to perform a fake séance for the divorcee hoping to banish the last bad memories of Corbin. In the middle of the séance the room goes dark and when the lights reappear so does Corbin’s dead body, splayed on top of the séance table surrounded by all the attendees. In a locked room, how did the killer get in or was the killer there all along?

When family secrets come back to haunt her and suspicion is cast towards Tempest’s grandfather Ash, the clock is ticking for her to get to the bottom of it and save her family.

The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian is an utterly unique and extremely fun cozy mystery blended with a slight touch of magic. One of my favorite things about all her books is Padian creates diverse, quirky, multi-faceted characters who all feel well-formed and really add to the story. My only complaint would be the series through plot with her mother feels a bit slow and repetitive at times.

This entry really has it all, a complex, interesting mystery with thrill, chills, and intrigue. I really enjoyed this entry and look forward to hearing more of Tempest Raj’s adventures.