Review
The First Secret Staircase Mystery
Tempest Raj was a top rate magician, a successful woman in a male dominated profession. Unfortunately, "was" being the key word. A disastrous fall from grace led Tempest out of Las Vegas and back to her family home in California. Visiting her father's construction crew on a job, they discover something hidden in the old wall. It's not newspaper or the usual debris, but a body. Although it appears the walls haven't been touched in over a hundred years, the body is someone Tempest just saw, her body double, the woman who sabotaged her. But was Cassidy truly the intended victim or was Tempest meant to die? Tempest starts to see and hear things that aren't there. It must be an illusion. Or could it be the Raj curse? "The eldest child dies by magic." Tempest is determined to uncover the truth.
I'm absolutely enchanted with Tempest's family home. What an incredible place I'd love to visit and explore. The idea behind it was also great and I would love to hire her father's construction crew to create some magic in my own home. I want a secret room! I also love the family bonds that are shown here, and truly the love, especially between Tempest and her grandfather, makes the book extra special. I certainly wouldn't say no to some meals cooked by Ash! I love Abracadabra and, of course, as a huge fan of the Jaya Jones mystery series I was thrilled to see Sanjay, the Hindi Houdini.
UNDER LOCK & SKELETON KEY has all the elements of a fantastic read. I should have loved it, instead I only liked it. I'm still not completely sure why, but I think it boils down to the following. The story line is not always linear as important backstory is slowly
revealed. That aspect, as well as a large cast of characters and an
incredibly complex mystery made it difficult to get truly absorbed into
the story. There was just too much going on. That being said, I really did like it. Now that the groundwork is laid, future books are sure to be less cumbersome.
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