A Midnight Puzzle

What do a family curse, an old theater, and the Secret Staircase Construction crew have in common? Former stage magician Tempest Raj, returning for the third installment in Pandian’s popular cozy series (following The Raven Thief), is about to find out. Tempest’s home-renovation company is being blamed by former client Julian Rhodes for causing his wife’s “accidental” death. Meanwhile, the theater that Tempest has rented for her final performance appears to be haunted by the ghost of her mother. After Tempest finds Julian’s corpse at the theater, the body count climbs, and she and her friends must discover not only who is setting the deadly booby traps at the theater but also how these events are tied to the deaths of Tempest’s mother and aunt. The story arc of the Raj family curse concludes in this book, but there is still an opening for the series to continue with more magical illusions and classic mystery references to charm readers.