Bright sunlight is streaming in through the window in my bedroom, a room that’s only accessible through the secret staircase activated by a stone dragon that hides a lever.

It’s six o’clock in the morning. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me I’d be waking up at dawn on a regular basis. As a stage magician, my work days used to end around midnight, after which I’d wind down and maybe eat a light meal before going to bed. But now? Everything is different since the act of sabotage that ruined my show.

I’m Tempest Raj. You might know me by my stage name, The Tempest. Following in the footsteps of my mom and several generations before her, I’m an illusionist—at least I used to be.

Now, after losing my house in Las Vegas and just about everything else, I’ve moved back to my childhood home in Hidden Creek, California, where my dad, Darius, runs Secret Staircase Construction. He manages a small crew in building things like sliding bookcases and hidden reading nooks into peoples homes. He started the business with my mom. Here’s the seed of the idea that became their business: What happens when a carpenter and a stage magician fall in love? They form a Secret Staircase Construction business to bring magic to people through their homes.

My mom vanished five years ago, so now the family business is run by my dad—and now he wants me to come work with him. Waking up this early isn’t so bad. . . it’s getting used to everything else that’s been a challenge.

Still, there are some definite perks. My old best friend, Ivy, works for Secret Staircase Construction. My friend Sanjay, who you might know as stage magician The Hindi Houdini, is in between tours and lives just across the Bay in San Francisco. And my curmudgeonly lop-eared rabbit Abra (short for Abracadabra) is enjoying the attention he gets from my grandparents who live in the exquisite two-story tree house in the backyard.

My Grandpa Ash loves cooking for both our family and the construction crew, so I have a feeling that as soon as slip on my ruby red sneakers, climb down my secret staircase, and trek up the steep hillside to the tree house, a steaming bowl of either Scottish porridge or poori masala (a South Indian potato-based breakfast) will be waiting for me.

Or maybe not. With the strange occurrences that have been going on lately, I wonder what today will hold. . .

Under Lock & Skeleton Key, A Secret Staircase Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: March 2022
Purchase link

Known for her wonderfully addictive characters, multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian introduces her newest heroine in this heartfelt series debut. Under Lock & Skeleton Key layers stunning architecture with mouthwatering food in an ode to classic locked-room mysteries that will leave readers enchanted.

An impossible crime. A family legacy. The intrigue of hidden rooms and secret staircases.

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. Though she resists, every day brings her closer to the inevitable: 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.

About the author
Gigi Pandian is the USA Today bestselling and multiple award-winning author of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and several locked room mystery short stories. Her works have won her the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and her debut novel was awarded the Malice Domestic Grant. A breast cancer survivor and accidental almost-vegan who adores cooking, Pandian lives with her husband in Northern California. Under Lock & Skeleton Key is the first in a new series. Read more and sign up for Gigi’s email newsletter at gigipandian.com.

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