Under Lock and Skeleton Key, by Gigi Pangian (St. Martin’s, 2022)

This first-in-series mystery novel ticks so many boxes. Interesting characters, strong family dynamics, good friendships, threads from the past that may include a generational curse, a puzzling crime with multiple misdirections… and food, all in a clean read. Plus bonuses like multi-ethnic characters, stage magician know-how, references to classic mysteries and authors, and best of all secret rooms and staircases. Oh, and crossover characters from at least one of the author’s other series.

I did say it ticks a lot of boxes…

Tempest Raj loves her multigenerational, ethnically-mixed family and their unique home. Visits are great. But she’s not happy to be living there again after a performance-gone-wrong that nearly killed her in front of an audience.

Then she’s present when a fresh body is discovered at her father’s construction company’s job site—in a room that hadn’t been opened for years. The rumoured family curse says “the eldest dies by magic.” Was Tempest the intended victim?

As unexplained, possibly supernatural, happenings abound, the family must consider that the curse may be real. Or is it all a cleverly-executed illusion?

Under Lock and Skeleton Key comes with recipes and discussion questions, and although this mystery is solved at the end the ongoing mystery of Tempest’s mother’s disappearance/death is ongoing. I’m eager to read book two, The Raven Thief.

Under Lock and Skeleton Key is multi-award-winning author Gigi Pandian’s twelfth novel, first in The Secret Staircase Mysteries. Her other series are the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries and The Accidental Alchemist Mysteries.

Visit the Gigi Pandian website for more about the author and her books. Get both a free short mystery and a recipe book by signing up for her author newsletter.

[Review copy from the public library.]