Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > Under Lock & Skeleton Key

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

First off: This book will require you to suspend some of your disbelief and not be overly invested in being cynical and overanalyzing every little thing.

Second: Give this book a chance and do exactly all of this and you will have a fun time reading this amateur sleuthing novel with a hefty handful of stage magic, illusions, sleight-of-hand, mentalism, and magical stories with hidden meanings.

I have to admit that I was pretty lost for about the first 25-30% of the book. I think I might have been in chapter 8 or 9 when I actually became invested in the book. Before that point, the book was a bit of a hot mess. Too many characters being introduced in too few pages, too much exposition to set up the world of the book in that same time period as all those characters are being introduced, and barely any time at all to get to know our protagonist, Tempest (which is such a cool name). But once the plot and the players are in place, it stops being such a hot mess and just becomes an escapist sleuthing mystery with plenty of twists, turns, red herrings, and magical fun.

I’m loath to admit it, but the character I liked the most was actually the family business: Secret Staircase Construction. Some may not agree the company itself counts as a character, but in my opinion it looms too large and permeates too much of the story for it to not be a character. And boy is it an interesting one! The combination of amazing carpentry and the know-how of a stage illusionist come together to create a company building hidden passages, stairways, rooms, and other secret things? That’s my idea of a kick-butt business!

So lock the door on your cynicism and skepticism and throw the key into a desk drawer before you read this book. Then allow yourself to escape and enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Minotaur Books for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.