Conundrum:Iris Reid Mysteries, Book 1
- Narrated by:
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release Date:08-29-14
- Publisher: Susan E. Cory
- Available from Audible.com
- 4 Star Review
- SUMMARY
When a Harvard Architecture School superstar plunges off the balcony at a graduation party, the police see an accident, not foul play. But fellow-student Iris Reid knows that any jealous member of the ruling clique would have relished pushing him off. Twenty years later, a reunion is luring the same cast of characters back to Cambridge. The opening night dinner is being held in a Modernist house that Iris has designed. She hopes to untangle the events that led to her friend's death. But the murderer has other plans.
When a long-ago boyfriend turns up dead the night of the dinner, all the incriminating evidence points to Iris. What began as an attempt to avenge her old friend turns into a desperate race to avoid being framed by the clever killer - a killer capable of twisting the truth into a bloody conundrum.
MY REVIEW
I must say, it did take me a little while before I was hooked in to this story, but half an hour in, things picked up pace and became more interesting. The up coming Harvard twenty year reunion is to be held at a house designed by Iris for her old classmate Norman, the house is fitted out with Normans' latest ecological features. Iris must oversee the finish before the house will be completed ready for the reunion. Both Norman and Iris attended Harvard with a young man, Corey, who supposedly committed suicide by jumping of a balcony. Iris was never convinced of the suicide verdict, she believed he was murdered and, as the reunion draws closer, her suspicions and uneasy feelings are revived. When another murder occurs Iris is convinced it is related to Corey's death, she involves herself in the hunt for the truth. As the story unfolds, the true personalites of her old college friends are revealed, the good and the bad, Iris discovers some shocking truths.
Conundrum is an entertaining story with some interestingly drawn characters, but I did lose the thread once or twice as it is complicated by a large cast of players. It's also quite short, so the author had to pack an awful lot of information into a small space, sometimes at the expense of clarity. The architectural and ecological details add a little extra push to the interest level, and there just might be the start of a romance for our heroine! I liked Iris because the author hasn't bestowed upon her the usual annoying charactistics of the female sleuth, you know the sort of thing: "I am stupid, therefore I will place myself in a ridiculous and dangerous situation". If you don't know what I mean, well, you haven't read enough Cozy Mysteries!
Narrator
Lisa Flanagan is a new name to me, this is the only work by her that I can find, but having listened to her, I can't understand why she isn't all over The audiobook world. Lisa has a really rich, beautiful golden voice, so easy on the ear, such a pleasure to listen to. She gives us a performance of perfect timing, credible characters and gender changes, she portrays the emotions perfectly without being all actressy about it. Her real skill, well, gift really, is her voice and her delivery techniques. She is a storyteller, up there with the best of them and I'm certain she is destined to become an audiobook star.
No comments
Post a Comment