Reviews
I really, really enjoyed this book. Before I was halfway through I had added more of Gigi Pandian's books to my plan to read list. I love that it provides a complex mystery while still maintaining the cozy vibes that I'm here for. The premise of a family of magicians who build secret staircases and moving bookshelves is really fun. I like that the magician thing isn't just a gimmick, but that it dates back through the history of the family and the tricks of the trade are used to solve the murder. I had not read the first book in the series yet, but I did not at all feel like I was missing important chunks of information because of that. The relevant details were provided in a way that didn't feel like it was totally rehashing the previous story or pandering to a forgetful audience. I look forward to reading the previous book and getting those details fleshed out, but I didn't miss them while reading this one. I adore all of the characters and found the setting charming. Highly recommend for fans of cozy mysteries.