I'm immediately enamored with the mysteries established in this excerpt as well as the style, it's both direct and sophisticated and feels very fitting for the character. I also really enjoy reading about an older woman, I feel like the vast majority of protagonists I come across are very much young people so this is very refreshing. I'm also really enjoying the extremely vivid descriptions of the setting so far! And how established Iris/Sylvia's life feels. I can't wait to see her past unravel!