Conundrum

Iris Reid Mysteries, Book 1

By: Susan Cory

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

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.

©2012 Susan Cory (P)2014 Susan Cory

Critic reviews

"An exciting, engrossing tale of greed, deceit and murder." (The Kirkus Review)

Quite the Conundrum!!!

What did you love best about Conundrum?

Iris and her dog Sheba!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Iris, she was determined to figure this whole thing out!

What about Lisa Flanagan’s performance did you like?

Lisa is a great narrator....I would listen to her anytime!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beginning, when Keri dies....Iris witnessed it all....how terrible!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

This is a cozy mystery, set in Cambridge....Iris is an architect who 20yrs prior while in grad school witnessed her good friend Keri's death....well the killer was never caught and now there is a reunion...her and her friend Ellie are still determined to figure out who murdered there friend....well as the details start to unfold and even more murders happen...it all boils down to a deadly situation for Iris...there is some romance and a ton of intrigue and I was never ever sure who the killer was...I like that...I never even guessed till it was revealed!
Good story and I will continue this series..if you like mysteries this is well worth a listen and a credit!

Thank you Audiobookblast(dot)com

"Clever mystery and a talented narrator"

Where does Conundrum rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I didn't want to leave my car b/c I was caught up in the story.I liked the characters and the setting

What was one of the most memorable moments of Conundrum?

I kept suspecting different people but the ending made sense

Which character – as performed by Lisa Flanagan – was your favorite?

ris Reid, the protagonist and her loyal friend, Ellie

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked the interaction between the architects in the dinner party scene. it was hysterical

Any additional comments?

The narrator is great. She reminds me of the fabulous Barbara Rosenblatt

Great mystery.

This is one of those stories that I did n9t have a clue about the ending! Well written story. Great narration. The narrator provided this review copy. I will listen to another book by this author and natrator.

Conundrum

What made the experience of listening to Conundrum the most enjoyable?

This audiobook will immerse you in a new world while keeping you amused and entertained,.. I loved following the main character's adventure, rooting for her to work out the puzzle of who-dunnit. Full of suspense.

Conundrum

I LOVED this book!It was fresh and kept me interested all through!
20 years ago Iris graduated from Architecture school at Harvard.On the night of the party her best friend dies at her feet.She has been trying to find out who might have killed him ever since.Present day and it's reunion time.She's building a house for one of her former classmates and he is holding the festivities.Iris and her friend hope to figure out 'who dunnit'. The twists and turns and even more deaths lead us on a merry chase.
Lisa Flanagin does a wonderful job mnarrating!"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast or MalarHous

Great story narrated by my new favorite narrator

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely. Loved the insider view of architecture, architects and their world.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Absolutely, I never put it down.

Which character – as performed by Lisa Flanagan – was your favorite?

Iris Reid, the main character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The chase scene in Mt. Auburn Cemetery when Iris must harness all her courage to escape the killer.

Any additional comments?

Loved the way the author brings the setting of Cambridge, Massachusetts to life as a character in the book. Also loved the insider peek at the competitive world of Harvard trained architects

An Iris Reid Mystery

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.
This audiobook was provided by the narrator at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com

Short Cozy Mystery

Really enjoyed listening to this story of Iris Reid, an architect, who lost a Harvard classmate twenty years ago under quite suspicious circumstances. Then as a reunion is planned, strange happenings turn her world upside down. With the help Ellie, Luke, and Sheba, Iris is determined to narrow her suspect list to discover the murderer. A strong female character, murders, a little romance, interesting discussions of architecture, and absolutely fabulous narration~this book has it all....Highly Recommended

Audiobook provided for an honest review

A Good Murder Mystery and Start of a Series

CONUNDRUM was a good murder mystery set in Cambridge where a twenty year reunion is about to take place. Iris is the architect who designed the house where the reception is to be held before the reunion and she's also one of the alumni. Her ex was planning to attend but turned up dead. This set off a chain of events including two more murders that make it look as if someone is setting Iris up.

When I first began this audiobook, I thought it had a strange, almost tense feel to it but I quickly found myself drawn into the characters and the story. Like the Riesling, it had a dry but sort of sweet flavor to it. I thought the idea of it being an architectural mystery was fresh and it was cohesive with the title.

I'd recommend giving this a listen. SUSAN CORY did a nice job with this book. I was very pleasantly surprised and the narrator was a bonus. I look forward to listening to more in the IRIS REID MYSTERIES.

LISA FLANAGAN did a terrific job reading this audiobook. I enjoyed her approach. Again, I compare it to the Riesling. She had wonderful voice inflections and made this a suspenseful listen with her narrative style. I'll look for more audiobooks read by her.

Audiobook received in exchange for an honest review from audiobookblast dot com