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James, beloved father, brother, and uncle, has just perished in a boating accident. His two daughters, Bede and Hera, and his sister, Meredith, are now left to run the family business, a worldwide successful botanical company.
Several weeks after James' death, Bede, Hera, and Meredith begin having disturbing dreams, like premonitions. Now convinced James was murdered, his daughters begin to investigate the family's secrets; secrets only Meredith can clarify. However, Meredith is holding back the truth. The family, as the girls learn, has a deep past including several inter-family marriages and dark secrets of criminal activity dating back centuries. Who in the family killed James and why?
According to Meredith, since the girls were born, James cut all ties from the criminal side of the family business, but did he ever truly leave that part of his life behind? In order to find the truth, Gabriel and Martin, twin nephews of James and the "fixers" of the family, are called in to investigate. Gabriel and Martin find leads and suspects everywhere they look in the family.
A Conundrum is an action-packed, fast-paced read with twists and turns in every chapter. Peacock effectively mixes the elements of murder, family secrets, romance, and lies into an unpredictable and engaging plot. Most of the story is contained on the homestead in Western Australia, but travel is necessary to narrow down the suspect pool. Peacock gives vivid details in each setting she employs. Each chapter brings new insight into a multitude of characters as well as the family's criminal background, keeping the reader pondering who killed James to the very end, unlike many predictable mystery novels. This read is packed full of intrigue, shock, and suspense.