UNDER LOCK & SKELETON KEY

Narrator Soneela Nankani introduces listeners to Tempest Raj in this first installment in a new mystery series. After a near-death experience derails her career in magic, Tempest moves home to Hidden Creek, California and begins working for her father's company, Secret Staircase Construction. But then Tempest finds her former assistant murdered inside a closed wall. Is it the Raj family curse? Or is someone trying to kill her? A large cast of characters sometimes slows the story's pace as the author sets up their backstories. The minimal romance paired with magic tricks and hidden rooms gives this audiobook a Young Adult vibe. But Nankani executes a lovely Scottish lilt and makes each voice easily distinguishable in conversation. The narration takes on a suspenseful tone as the story intensifies. E.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]