When the tumblers move more slowly, it's very easy for me to break a pick because I had trouble recognizing when the tumbler had been depressed too far and was starting to exert a lot of resistance. Advanced and master level locks are usually a lot easier for me to pick, because the tumblers are so much more responsive. The difficulty of the lock is also a factor in how long it takes to pick the lock. But if you succeed on the second attempt, it's usually still faster than picking the lock. If trying to force the lock fails more than once, then yes, it can take longer than just picking the lock because of the cooldown between attempts. It's more economical to pick the lock, but forcing it usually works the first time- if you've invested in the appropriate passive ability- so it's a lot faster, which can be important in certain situations. I didn't realize that right away, and was confused the first time I went from having a small stack of them to suddenly being out of picks. (Mar.)ĭue to a production error, this review originally published without its star.Yeah, forcing a lock uses up 1 lock pick per attempt. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. Lovers of traditional mysteries with quirky characters will be well rewarded. Never mind that the solution of the impossible murder isn’t more central to the story.

Pandian negotiates the fine line between the magician’s pledge not to reveal their secrets and the mystery writer’s equally important promise to play fair with the reader by keeping most of the magic tricks offstage. Could Tempest have been the intended victim? As Tempest struggles to solve the puzzle of Cassidy’s death, she reconnects with her family-largely through her grandfather’s cooking and a host of lovingly described plant-based recipes that will make even a non-vegan’s mouth water. Tempest’s family runs a business, Secret Staircase Construction, which specializes in constructing houses with secret passageways, sliding bookcases, and hidden entrances, and on the site of her father’s latest job she discovers Cassidy’s body inside a wall that’s been sealed for decades. Pandian (the Accidental Alchemist mysteries) is in top form in this thoroughly enjoyable series launch starring 26-year-old Tempest Raj, a Las Vegas, Nev., magician, who returns home to California after a stage accident-engineered, she’s sure, by her stunt double, Cassidy Sparrow-destroyed her career.

Under lock and skeleton key