A Hint of Strangeness

By: Susan Isaacs

Narrated by: Laurence Bouvard

The Washington Post said, "Nobody does smart, gutsy, funny, sexy women better than Susan Isaacs". Add to that praise the adjective "strong", and you've got Susan's latest protagonist, Marianne Kent. Her life may not seem thrilling - living with her widowed mother, majoring in economics, working in an elegant dress store after classes to put away money for graduate school - but she's determined to make a better life for herself and her mom.

One night, she comes home to see the light is out again over the door. That old fuse box? Again? Except when Marianne gets inside, she stumbles over something, and it's immediately clear what has happened: Her mother has been murdered. The NYPD is stumped. Marianne's father, an army captain, was killed in battle when she was a year old, and whatever other family she has are so distant she's never met them. Whom can she turn to? Marianne does what strong women always do: She turns to herself. With help from Laurie Fishbein, her BFF since second grade, she becomes her own private detective to solve the case of her lifetime.

Susan Isaacs was dubbed "Jane Austen with a shmear" on NPR's Fresh Air. Among her 13 novels are Almost Paradise, Shining Through, and After All These Years. She has written screenplays for two films, Compromising Positions (adapted from her novel) and Hello Again, as well as a nonfiction work, Brave Dames and Wimpettes: What Women Are Really Doing on Page and Screen. Currently, she serves as chairman of the literary organization Poets & Writers.

A member of the National Book Critics Circle, she has reviewed for New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and Newsday. She is a past president of Mystery Writers of America and belongs to the Creative Coalition, PEN, and the International Association of Crime Writers. Susan is a trustee emerita of the Queens College Foundation and on the board of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Among her honors are the John Steinbeck award, the Writers for Writers award, and the Marymount Manhattan Writing Center prize. She has worked gathering support for the National Endowment of the Arts Literature Program and on many anticensorship campaigns. She lives on Long Island, where she's at work finishing her new novel, Violet Hopkins.

©2015 Susan Isaacs (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

A hint of strangeness

I thought this audio book was going to be ridiculous, but I enjoyed it. it was a murder mystery that had some interesting clues and a story to it.

Nicely developed who and how dunnit

The mystery is very well constructed. No Gothic “damsel in distress”. Likable characters and interesting, logical plot. I’m going to follow this author because I hope she will continue writing stories like this.

A great short story

Excellently narrated story about a young intelligent lady who with good manners and street smarts helps solve a crime. Very enjoyable

Seemed phoned in by writer and narrator

This was my first Susan Isaacs book, so I really didn’t know what to expect. The story was interesting at first and then seemed to drag on. The ending was underwhelming. The narrater was just kinda going through the motions, I’ll try another book from this author, but this be wasn’t good.

A 50’s Nancy Drew in Queens NY

I’ve never read any other Susan Isaacs books before so I had no idea what to expect. I loved everything about this book immediately- the intelligent and self possessed heroine, her very “Queens” friends and neighbors, and the late 50’s (early 60’s?) setting. It reminded me a lot of Nancy Drew books but more modern and urban. It’s jam packed with quick dialogue and interesting descriptions very specific to the period and location. The narrator is fantastic. It was like listening to an old time radio drama. The mystery is almost secondary and it’s not one of those stories that dramatically explains everything at the end like Agatha Christie, but I had a ton of fun anyway.

Interesting story

The story was interesting. Drawn out a bit but I did listen until the end.

A murder in genteel surroundings

Instead of guns and espionage, Ms. Issacs makes a case for a totally believable heroine assisting in the solution of a heartbreaking crime.

4

For "3 hours," I thought I can give this a go.
It is good a good one!:"" It is more than 3 hours, however, several parts begged to be replayed.

A great short stiry

This story kept me riveted the entire time from the beginning to the end. And the descriptions of the 60s clothes and events took me back vividly. I love Susan Isaacs.

Ms Isaacs always entertains!

The story was clever and the narrator was exceptional. I was captivated by the young girl and her acute observations. A truly enjoyable listen.