Guest Post

Guest Chick: Gigi Pandian

We Chicks are always excited to host one of our fave authors and people, Gigi Pandian. In honor of her brand-new mystery THE LIBRARY GAME, Gigi gives us a behind-the-scenes peek at murder mystery dinner parties–whatever might go wrong?

A Behind the Scenes Look at THE LIBRARY GAME: Murder Mystery Dinner Parties Gone Wrong

Have you ever attended an interactive murder mystery dinner theater show, or hosted a party at home with a murder mystery in a box?

If so, you know how fun it can be to act out a mystery like the ones we love reading, where clues are hidden in plain sight and everyone around you is a suspect.

Haven’t tried one yet? Let me set the scene: Whether it’s a theater or a home, little touches are added to make it an immersive experience, like stepping into the 1930s via a backdrop of library filled with classic crime novels, costumed actors, and drinks made with ice from an old fashioned block of ice. But suddenly, someone is murdered (fictionally, of course!), and you and your fellow guests must help solve the crime. If you’re reading this, I know you’re a fellow mystery lover, so you can imagine how that makes for a delightful night out!

I started writing scripts for my own murder mystery dinner parties during middle school. My favorite was one where my friends and I made a six-foot-tall gold spray painted pyramid as one of the props—as you might have guessed, I had just discovered Elizabeth Peters and her Egyptologist sleuth Amelia Peabody! (It was made of cardboard and lasted a few years in the garage.) Years later, as an adult, I had fun acting in a murder mystery play as a character who was a lot like Nancy Drew.

So yes, I have a long history with loving this form of mystery. It was about time I got it into one of my novels! As I was drafting my next book, the setting at a new library devoted to classic detective fiction gave me a perfect opportunity to incorporate an interactive murder mystery dinner theater into the plot.

In The Library Game, Tempest Raj and the Secret Staircase Construction crew are renovating a grand old mansion and transforming it into a public library specializing in classic detective fiction. The vision is for the library to become a true community hub. For publicity, Tempest and her friends are tasked with creating both a literary-themed escape room and an interactive murder mystery play. The performance will transport guests back to the 1930s for an evening of fun—except during the rehearsal, you can guess that something goes terribly wrong.

I’ve read terrific mysteries where an actor is killed during a play, so how could I do something unique? Because I write locked-room mysteries, also known as impossible crime stories, I always run through lots of ideas before landing on an adequately devious puzzle. I love adding layers of mystery, so not only is an actor murdered—but the body vanishes. The problem? Nobody left or entered the library. I loved the scenario so much that I had to figure out how it was done. I hope you enjoy the puzzle I created at the library.

Thanks for joining me for this behind-the-scenes peek into the inspiration behind my latest book!

ABOUT GIGI:

Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling author and locked-room mystery enthusiast who’s been awarded Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and been a finalist for the Edgar. She writes the Accidental Alchemist mysteries (humorous mysteries with a touch of magic), the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries (lighthearted adventures steeped in history), and the Secret Staircase mysteries (locked-room mysteries called “wildly entertaining” by the New York Times). She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the backyard garden.

Learn more and sign up for her email newsletter—which includes a free mini cookbook and a free copy of her Edgar-nominated short story “The Locked Room Library”—at www.gigipandian.com.

About THE LIBRARY GAME:

There’s a body in the library—and everyone is a suspect.

In The Library Game, Tempest Raj and Secret Staircase Construction are renovating a classic detective fiction library that just got its first real-life mystery.

Tempest Raj couldn’t be happier that the family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Known for enchanting architectural features like sliding bookshelves and secret passageways, the company is now taking on a dream project: transforming a home into a public library that celebrates history’s greatest fictional detectives.

Though the work is far from done, Gray House Library’s new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner and literary themed escape room. But when a rehearsal ends with an actor murdered and the body vanishes, Tempest is witness to a seemingly impossible crime. Fueled by her grandfather’s Scottish and Indian meals, Tempest and the rest of the crew must figure out who is making beloved classic mystery plots come to life in a deadly game.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250880238

READERS: Have you attended an interactive mystery play or a mystery dinner party where you got to help solve the mystery? What did you think?

31 thoughts on “Guest Chick: Gigi Pandian”

    2. LOL! Fleur, I came on here to say the same thing! Great minds, eh?

      Gigi, I wish we had more time to hang out at LCC. And I forgot to tell you how much I love your locked room mysteries. Honestly, I’m in awe. I don’t know how you do it!

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      1. Thanks, Becky! I know, it’s so hard getting pulled so many directions at a convention, but glad our paths crossed at least briefly. And thanks for the kind words about my locked room mysteries. They’re so FUN to play with! But yes, the hardest of my books to write 😉

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  5. Hi Gigi!

    I am glad that I was able to tell you in person at Denver LCC that I enjoyed reading an ARC of A Library Game.

    I have never participated in an interactive murder mystery dinner. Sounds like it would be a lot of fun!

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  6. Hurrah on your book birthday, Gigi! Happy to celebrate The Library Game with you!

    I’ve attended murder mystery parties in a theater, on a cruise, and at a friend’s home. I also crafted a mystery dinner for one of my kiddo’s birthday parties. (Side note: Funny story I heard about a murder mystery; the author had orchestrated the whole thing at a hotel, but some of the staff there didn’t realize a game was going on! 😮)

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    1. Thanks, Jen. You’re old hat at this! And I love that you wrote one for your kiddo! That’s hilarious about the hotel murder mystery—Ellie Alexander and I actually walked into a similar situation at a hotel for a library event, and we didn’t know at the time a murder mystery dinner was taking place there that night, since we were there for a different event!

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  7. Congratulations Gigi! This sounds like so much fun. Is it wrong that after you mentioned the old fashioned block of ice, all I can think of is an ice pick?

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  10. Three cheers to you on the new book, Gigi! Unfortunately, I’ve never attended a murder mystery dinner. I need to change that. For research, of course. 🙂

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  11. The best one I ever attended took place on a houseboat we rented for a few days in the Delta near Sacramento. The story took place at a French winery, and it was loads of fun!

    Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, Gigi, and congrats on “The Library Game”! I so admire those who can write locked room mysteries, and yours are the best!

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  13. Gigi, I absolutely love the cover of this book. It draws attention to the protagonist’s struggle and yet is also colorful and fun. Best of luck with THE LIBRARY GAME ( ;

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  14. Hi Gigi: So sorry to be late to the party–back to school was a flurry. Cannot wait to read this book! Wrote a murder mystery dinner party in the first Starlit book, and it was so much fun to consider the possibilities of the game and how it might go over the course of the evening. So many details to think about! How did you decide on the theme of the mm party?

    Love that you have such a long history with the genre too…and I would have loved to talk to you about Elizabeth Peabody in the shadow of the golden pyramid back in the day. 🙂

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