Book Review: The Mystery of Locked Rooms
July 15, 2025
OK, I’ll admit it, I was attracted to this book because of its cover and title. The two things we’re not supposed to use as criteria for judging a book. (Spoiler Alert: It worked out.)
Once I got a few pages into the story, the style seemed very familiar, and I realized that I had read two of the author’s earlier novels, Scritch Scratch and The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street. See my reviews of those books here and here.
I guess in some measure that makes me a fan of Lindsay Currie, but I’d prefer that you consider me to be an accidentally frequent reader. But, I will say, this is the most enjoyable of her books so far. That’s partly due to the protagonist being less angst-ridden, and that the author hasn’t forcibly tried to slip in slightly-off Chicago references.
The present volume under discussion is The Mystery of Locked Rooms.
You can get a copy of it at the Amazon, but I acquired mine at the local Barnes & Noble. In this story, young Sarah and her two friends are nerdy escape room enthusiasts, who basically turn professional in an attempt to win a pile of money for Sarah’s needy family. Together, they face an onerous puzzle quest in a somewhat dangerous abandoned house in the far suburbs.
The writing is snappy, the relationships far less annoying than in her other books, and the challenges that the team faces are interesting. As the cover indicates this is “Book One,” so it’s safe to say that the group remains together to face more obstacles in future novels. (It remains to be seen if I will accidentally buy the next one, too.)
It was a fun read, and I decided to pass it on via a Little Free Library, but not before marking up some pages to offer future readers a secret message to decode. I guess you could say I was more than inspired by the story.
Are you wondering why I am reading a children’s book? (The publishers says it’s for “ages 8 and up”. I’m certainly “up.”) If this puzzles you, see my review of Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise.