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Mrs. Pollifax #11
Mrs. Pollifax Pursued
Listening Length: 5 hours and 56 minutes
A missing salami leads Mrs. Pollifax to a shocking discovery: a woman is hiding in her house. Even more unsettling is the revelation that ever since the young woman had a chance encounter with the heir to the throne of Ubangiba, she has been followed by deadly hit men.
What do these men want?
A missing salami leads Mrs. Pollifax to a shocking discovery: a woman is hiding in her house. Even more unsettling is the revelation that ever since the young woman had a chance encounter with the heir to the throne of Ubangiba, she has been followed by deadly hit men.
What do these men want?
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 1995
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1174 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Gilman
120 books758 followersDorothy Edith Gilman started writing when she was 9 and knew early on she was to be a writer. At 11, she competed against 10 to 16-year-olds in a story contest and won first place. She attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and briefly the University of Pennsylvania. She planned to write and illustrate children's books. She married Edgar A. Butters Jr, in 1945, this ended in divorce in 1965. Dorothy worked as an art teacher & telephone operator before becoming an author. She wrote children’s stories for more than ten years under the name
Dorothy Gilman Butters
and then began writing adult novels about Mrs. Pollifax–a retired grandmother who becomes a CIA agent. The Mrs. Pollifax series made Dorothy famous. While her stories nourish people’s thirst for adventure and mystery, Dorothy knew about nourishing the body as well. On her farm in Nova Scotia, she grew medicinal herbs and used this knowledge of herbs in many of her stories, including A Nun in the Closet. She travelled extensively, and used these experiences in her novels as well. Many of Dorothy’s books, feature strong women having adventures around the world. In 2010 Gilman was awarded the annual Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Dorothy spent much of her life in Connecticut, New Mexico, and Maine. She died at age 88 of complications of Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by two sons, Christopher Butters and Jonathan Butters; and two grandchildren.
Series:
* Mrs. Pollifax
Series:
* Mrs. Pollifax
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 354 reviews
February 12, 2023
It is always emotionally rewarding when I read a Mrs. Pollifax adventure. The no-nonsense attitude mixed with her awe and respect for other cultures and her inquisitive nature makes her a character for the ages.
In this installment we see more of Carstairs. Gilman’s characters have a way of resurfacing into other books but in this installment only the duchess shines, the other characters did not leave an impression..at least to me.
In this installment we see more of Carstairs. Gilman’s characters have a way of resurfacing into other books but in this installment only the duchess shines, the other characters did not leave an impression..at least to me.
September 27, 2022
If you like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, you will love Mrs. Pollifax. She's a senior citizen who isn't satisfied with working in her garden and being part of the Garden Club, she happens to be a lady who often is asked by the CIA to take a role in a case they are pursuing. But this time the case shows up in her very own closet. From her home to Maine where she is hidden in a carnival, then off to Ubangiba in Africa, there is never a dull moment when Mrs. Pollifax is involved in one of her adventures.
Definitely an enjoyable cozy mystery read.
Definitely an enjoyable cozy mystery read.
March 17, 2015
I love the Mrs. Pollifax books, and have been a fan for many years. I found the first Mrs. Pollifax books in the Reader's Digest Condensed books. I bought a paperback sent of five of her books, many years ago. I have since bought several of her books from audible, and I like to listen to them as I go to sleep. I love the idea of a little old lady working for the CIA. 14 February 2015
I like to listen to books before I go to sleep, so I played this book again. I put it on the timer, and go to sleep while listening. The next night I put it back a little, and play it on the timer again. 16 March 2015
I like to listen to books before I go to sleep, so I played this book again. I put it on the timer, and go to sleep while listening. The next night I put it back a little, and play it on the timer again. 16 March 2015
July 25, 2022
A solid fast-paced mystery. This is another story that breaks the formula and was all the better for it.
February 12, 2022
This really should only have three stars, but something about how Gillman made some of Mrs. Pollifax's hijinks work in the US made me bump it up. It's totally ridiculous, and yet it's brilliant at the same time. And funny. Strange, the books with Kadi are two of my least favorite books but I LOVE her as a character. She's such a delight. Might have to rethink how I rate them.
Read it this time through Barbara Rosenblat's narration of it on audio.
Read it this time through Barbara Rosenblat's narration of it on audio.
Read
August 9, 2018A big jump here from the first book, but the eleventh in this series retains much of the charm and verve of the first book. It's a pity most of these aren't available to me in audio.
September 12, 2025
A very mediocre episode in Mrs Pollifax’s adventures, I’m afraid. It’s mostly set in the northern US states, mainly Maine, although the last few chapters take us to the fictional country of Ubangiba in Africa.
Emily Pollifax discovers Kadi hiding in her hall closet. Kadi tells her she is being followed and so the two women leave the house to try to evade those chasing the younger woman. For once, Mrs Pollifax is not recruited by the CIA for a job, she calls on them to rescue her whereupon she and Kadi are taken to a safe house, which is, in fact, a carnival in Maine.
This is a really contrived story. Usually Mrs P’s travels are an opportunity to learn a little about another country and its culture but, as this is a fictional country, there is only a brief history lesson on King Leopold of Belgium to compensate.
3 stars - I enjoyed it to an extent but it’s far from the best in the series. Perhaps the author was running out of ideas?
Emily Pollifax discovers Kadi hiding in her hall closet. Kadi tells her she is being followed and so the two women leave the house to try to evade those chasing the younger woman. For once, Mrs Pollifax is not recruited by the CIA for a job, she calls on them to rescue her whereupon she and Kadi are taken to a safe house, which is, in fact, a carnival in Maine.
This is a really contrived story. Usually Mrs P’s travels are an opportunity to learn a little about another country and its culture but, as this is a fictional country, there is only a brief history lesson on King Leopold of Belgium to compensate.
3 stars - I enjoyed it to an extent but it’s far from the best in the series. Perhaps the author was running out of ideas?
March 26, 2024
Mrs. P is excellent as always...just didn't grab me as much as some of the others in the series.
April 15, 2025
2025: Enjoyable relisten, and it's somehow wormed its way into my 5 stars, favourite repeat, listens.
2024: 4 Stars. Repeat listen. This story in the series has the daughter of slaughtered missionary doctors as a central character. I really like how Dorothy Gilman has crafted her, not as a victim but as a resilient, lovely and loving, young woman.
2021: Repeat, late-night, listen. This Mrs. Pollifax mystery made for easier late-night listening that others in the series because the mystery, and being chased, was rather far-fetched.
2020: Relisten
A few years back, I really liked Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax’s developing relationship during my first listen through this book and so that aspect has made for an enjoyable relisten.
2024: 4 Stars. Repeat listen. This story in the series has the daughter of slaughtered missionary doctors as a central character. I really like how Dorothy Gilman has crafted her, not as a victim but as a resilient, lovely and loving, young woman.
2021: Repeat, late-night, listen. This Mrs. Pollifax mystery made for easier late-night listening that others in the series because the mystery, and being chased, was rather far-fetched.
2020: Relisten
A few years back, I really liked Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax’s developing relationship during my first listen through this book and so that aspect has made for an enjoyable relisten.
August 21, 2018
I love the Mrs. Pollifax series; they're solid. This wasn't my favorite, but I still round up to four stars. There was way too much coincidence in this one, but still an entertaining read.
May 4, 2024
Another excellent adventure with Mrs. P.
October 4, 2024
I liked the start of this one a lot. I was hooked from the beginning when Mrs. P finds a girl hiding in her closet. And there’s a carnival. 🎡
December 14, 2023
In this book, elderly spy Mrs. Pollifax isn't actually sent on a CIA mission. While preparing for a Garden Club luncheon, she notices a suspicious van with the misspelled moniker "Chigi Scap Metal" on the side circling her neighborhood. Then, after several food items go missing from her house, she discovers a young woman named Kadi hiding in a closet. Kadi found herself pursued by apparent hitmen following a chance reunion with a childhood friend, Sammy, who covertly let her know he was being guarded and held captive at university. And Sammy (Sammat) happens to be the heir to the throne of Ubangiba (a fictitious African nation) where the two grew up. After the hitmen show up at Mrs. Pollifax's house, she and Kadi make a break for it, driving through New England states until she chances a call to the CIA's Bishop for help. They arrange for her to get to a safe house of sorts: a traveling circus secretly funded by the CIA and currently in Massachusetts. But their troubles are just beginning when it turns out that a spy in hiding there is stabbed and critically wounded just as Mrs. Pollifax and Kadi arrive.
A unique entry in the series, this book only takes place in the U.S. It's an interesting plot, mostly focusing on the solution to the murder. Then the ending chapters return to some spy stuff, with CIA's Carstairs leaving his desk to assist Mrs. Pollifax. My favorite characters are the CIA staff: Carstairs, Bishop, Mornajay. So whenever they play a larger role in events, I'm happy.
Verdict
A fun read, but a bit disjointed since the murder mystery and spy mystery remain fairly separate and feel like two different books at times.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Not for newcomers to the series. But anyone who enjoyed past entries in the series should continue with this one!
Others in series
Book 1: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★★
Book 2: The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★★
Book 3: The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★☆
Book 4: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★★
Book 5: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ★★★★☆
Book 6: Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station ★★★★☆
Book 7: Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha ★★★★☆
Book 8: Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle ★★★★☆
Book 9: Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish ★★★★☆
Book 10: Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief ★★★☆☆
A unique entry in the series, this book only takes place in the U.S. It's an interesting plot, mostly focusing on the solution to the murder. Then the ending chapters return to some spy stuff, with CIA's Carstairs leaving his desk to assist Mrs. Pollifax. My favorite characters are the CIA staff: Carstairs, Bishop, Mornajay. So whenever they play a larger role in events, I'm happy.
Verdict
A fun read, but a bit disjointed since the murder mystery and spy mystery remain fairly separate and feel like two different books at times.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Not for newcomers to the series. But anyone who enjoyed past entries in the series should continue with this one!
Others in series
Book 1: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★★
Book 2: The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★★
Book 3: The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★☆
Book 4: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★★
Book 5: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ★★★★☆
Book 6: Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station ★★★★☆
Book 7: Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha ★★★★☆
Book 8: Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle ★★★★☆
Book 9: Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish ★★★★☆
Book 10: Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief ★★★☆☆
October 21, 2023
This may well prove to be my favorite book in this series!!
June 27, 2021
2021: oh my, so much better read by Barbara Rosenblat, that the whole book is better. This is the one that feels like it must have been written all in a rush with the next and then divided up. The plot is a bit messy but it’s nice to see Carstairs in action.
2009:I've been re-reading Mrs. P via audiobooks. This one, a performance by several actors from Brilliance, is the worst audio book I've read, perhaps just because Barbara Rosenblat is so good at the others. I suppose you could listen to it on purpose if you have always imagined Carstairs sounding like Jack Nicholson. Otherwise get a different version.
Gilman rarely disappoints, even though Emily was getting a bit stale by the mid-nineties. Here, after dropping Cyrus off for a conference, she finds a terrified girl hiding in their house and Mrs. P and Kady must evade Kady's pursuers while trying to figure out why she's in such danger. The sweet part is that they end up in a carnival, which is quite fun. However, Mrs. P suffered once her audience was no longer so ready to believe in new ageyism, and the character herself was never quite the same after being tortured way back in Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha.
2009:I've been re-reading Mrs. P via audiobooks. This one, a performance by several actors from Brilliance, is the worst audio book I've read, perhaps just because Barbara Rosenblat is so good at the others. I suppose you could listen to it on purpose if you have always imagined Carstairs sounding like Jack Nicholson. Otherwise get a different version.
Gilman rarely disappoints, even though Emily was getting a bit stale by the mid-nineties. Here, after dropping Cyrus off for a conference, she finds a terrified girl hiding in their house and Mrs. P and Kady must evade Kady's pursuers while trying to figure out why she's in such danger. The sweet part is that they end up in a carnival, which is quite fun. However, Mrs. P suffered once her audience was no longer so ready to believe in new ageyism, and the character herself was never quite the same after being tortured way back in Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha.
July 17, 2015
The last thing Mrs. Pollifax expected to find that day was a young woman hiding in her closet. Kadi is afraid of the men who have been driving by in a van for the last couple of days, and Mrs. Pollifax’s efforts to sneak her out of the house end with both of them on the run. A call to Carstairs at the CIA leads them to an unusual safe house and another mystery. Are the two related?
This is a bit of an unusual entry in the series since it takes place mostly in the US and Carstairs plays a much more active part in the story. However, I like it for that change of pace. The plot relies a bit more on coincidence than is normal for the series (which is saying something), but all the various threads do wind up playing a part in the end. Overall, another great entry in the series.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
This is a bit of an unusual entry in the series since it takes place mostly in the US and Carstairs plays a much more active part in the story. However, I like it for that change of pace. The plot relies a bit more on coincidence than is normal for the series (which is saying something), but all the various threads do wind up playing a part in the end. Overall, another great entry in the series.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
October 21, 2014
I enjoyed the story. I have been listening to the audio book on my drive to work. It made me laugh and escape from the real world for awhile. For me that is what a good book will do. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
July 16, 2024
OK, maybe a little less than a 4, but Carstairs was kicking butt and taking names! The narration continues to be very enjoyable, like spending time with old friends. Look forward to seeing them again in the one!
January 17, 2018
Dorothy Gilman, always at her best. A reread for me.
December 17, 2018
This is another entertaining book in the Mrs. Pollifax series.
January 17, 2019
Best safe house ever!
July 25, 2024
“Mrs. Pollifax Pursued” opens with one of my favorite suspense tropes: Being hunted, having to hide in plain sight, dodge your tail, and eventually leave your pursuers behind. This section ends with a very satisfying getaway.
I also love how the first chapters of the book sprinkle the passages of intrigue with quaint descriptions of Mrs Pollifax caring for her garden. This eases us into this world of grandmother-turned-CIA-agent at a relaxed, enjoyable pace.
The bulk of the story takes place at a traveling carnival. While not my favorite setting, with its seedy atmosphere and oddball characters, Mrs. Pollifax and friends find a way to fit in, and end up helping to nab the villians in what turns out to be an international crime scheme.
We get an inside peek at the CIA as chapters also alternate between Mrs. Pollifax and her CIA comrade, the venerable Mr. Carstairs, as he pulls strings behind the scenes.
I found the laissez faire relationship between Mr. & Mrs. Pollifax to be hilarious, as our CIA grandma breezily travels the world, pausing only occasionally to leave a message for Cyrus, so he doesn’t get too worried about her. Apparently he’s fine with that.
~Jen
I also love how the first chapters of the book sprinkle the passages of intrigue with quaint descriptions of Mrs Pollifax caring for her garden. This eases us into this world of grandmother-turned-CIA-agent at a relaxed, enjoyable pace.
The bulk of the story takes place at a traveling carnival. While not my favorite setting, with its seedy atmosphere and oddball characters, Mrs. Pollifax and friends find a way to fit in, and end up helping to nab the villians in what turns out to be an international crime scheme.
We get an inside peek at the CIA as chapters also alternate between Mrs. Pollifax and her CIA comrade, the venerable Mr. Carstairs, as he pulls strings behind the scenes.
I found the laissez faire relationship between Mr. & Mrs. Pollifax to be hilarious, as our CIA grandma breezily travels the world, pausing only occasionally to leave a message for Cyrus, so he doesn’t get too worried about her. Apparently he’s fine with that.
~Jen
June 4, 2025
Not my favorite of the series, most of the scenes in this book take place in the US. Cyrus is away and Emily is getting ready for a Garden Club luncheon. Taking a break for a cup of coffee, she scans the newspaper headlines among which include “Foot riots in Ubangiba” and the abduction of an American millionaire (perhaps even a billionaire) who was abducted and taken away in a van with the words Chigi Scrap Metal on the side. So when she sees a white van in her neighborhood, she takes note.
Then she discovers that a teenage girl has been hiding from men in that truck and that the girl is hiding in Emily’s house!
Then she discovers that a teenage girl has been hiding from men in that truck and that the girl is hiding in Emily’s house!
September 21, 2012
Instead of Mrs. Pollifax setting off to find adventure, this time, the adventure comes to her. Cyrus is off at a convention, a mysterious and conspicuous van keeps showing up around the neighborhood, and a young woman shows up in Mrs. P’s house, begging for help. After a fast-paced car chase, Mrs. P and her new companion Kadi need to find a place to go to ground and get rid of their pursuers…so it’s a good thing she has “connections.” The CIA get her to a safe house, no questions asked—at first. But when the questions do come, it appears that Mrs. P may have stumbled upon something that is a lot bigger than she had first assumed.
This book had a lot going on. A lot. Far too much, if you ask me. The Mrs. Pollifax series is one of my favorites, but this book is the weakest one so far, in my opinion. There are lots of good ideas, but they’re all jumbled together in a way that doesn’t really make the sum of the whole greater than that of the parts. There were several story ideas in here – a kidnapping of a wealthy businessman, the political drama of a developing African nation, life in a carnival – to name a few, and they just did not mesh well together.
First – much of the action (more than three-quarters of the story) took place within the United States. This is a departure from previous adventures which are international in nature, and feature Mrs. Pollifax, and American agent, going abroad to many colorful, exciting, and exotic destinations (to the American palate). That was the audience these books were written for, and up until now they have done well with that. It is exciting to think of Mrs. Pollifax going off the beaten path in Turkey, or to mountain lookouts in Bulgaria, or to the jungles of Thailand or the far reaches of mainland China, but…Massachusetts? Maine?! Something just…falls flat, although it is not the destination itself. This is something I gave a fair amount of thought; one of the pillars of Mrs. Pollifax adventure stories are the exotic destinations and the colorful people she meets. Could it work as well on home territory? I think it could, but it just didn’t, here. What about exploring a remote, secluded part of the Grand Canyon? Or the Badlands? Or the Everglades? Or the creepy cemeteries of old Louisiana? There is no shortage of exotic locales here within the USA, but for me, a carnival in rural New England just didn’t cut it.
And about the carnival. Reading this book, it seems to me that Dorothy Gilman probably wanted to work a carnival, and the carnival life, into a book somehow. Any writer, amateur or professional, sometimes has something cool or interesting happen in their lives, or they see something while they’re out and about, and they think “Hey! I need to work that into a story.” Though I am by no means comparing myself to Dorothy Gilman, I’ve had that same thought hundreds of times. But sometimes it just doesn’t work, and this was one of those times. I say that objectively and not just because the carnival life is not really all that interesting to me (which it isn’t, at least not in a Mrs. Pollifax adventure). There was a great description of the life behind the scenes, of what it’s like to be on the working end of a carnival, and in true Dorothy Gilman style there are unforgettable, vibrant characters and even some new vocabulary words to learn. But I was shaking my head in confusion when Mrs. P and Kadi arrived at the carnival, and was still shaking my head when they left.
The carnival scenes made me feel like someone had changed the channel in the middle of a film that I was just getting into, and now I was stuck watching something I didn’t really want to watch but had to because I didn’t have any other choice.
By the end, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up…and very few of them really got tied up. I know that the next book focuses on some of those loose threads because this story isn’t over, but at the end of this book I was left with wanting more out of this installment than there really was. This wasn’t about Mrs. P saving the day; she just happened to get caught up in a big multi-plot whirlwind of stuff and she didn’t even really have a huge hand in how things turned out. A bit disappointing, that, as I always look forward to Mrs. P outsmarting the bad guys and saving the day.
This book had a lot going on. A lot. Far too much, if you ask me. The Mrs. Pollifax series is one of my favorites, but this book is the weakest one so far, in my opinion. There are lots of good ideas, but they’re all jumbled together in a way that doesn’t really make the sum of the whole greater than that of the parts. There were several story ideas in here – a kidnapping of a wealthy businessman, the political drama of a developing African nation, life in a carnival – to name a few, and they just did not mesh well together.
First – much of the action (more than three-quarters of the story) took place within the United States. This is a departure from previous adventures which are international in nature, and feature Mrs. Pollifax, and American agent, going abroad to many colorful, exciting, and exotic destinations (to the American palate). That was the audience these books were written for, and up until now they have done well with that. It is exciting to think of Mrs. Pollifax going off the beaten path in Turkey, or to mountain lookouts in Bulgaria, or to the jungles of Thailand or the far reaches of mainland China, but…Massachusetts? Maine?! Something just…falls flat, although it is not the destination itself. This is something I gave a fair amount of thought; one of the pillars of Mrs. Pollifax adventure stories are the exotic destinations and the colorful people she meets. Could it work as well on home territory? I think it could, but it just didn’t, here. What about exploring a remote, secluded part of the Grand Canyon? Or the Badlands? Or the Everglades? Or the creepy cemeteries of old Louisiana? There is no shortage of exotic locales here within the USA, but for me, a carnival in rural New England just didn’t cut it.
And about the carnival. Reading this book, it seems to me that Dorothy Gilman probably wanted to work a carnival, and the carnival life, into a book somehow. Any writer, amateur or professional, sometimes has something cool or interesting happen in their lives, or they see something while they’re out and about, and they think “Hey! I need to work that into a story.” Though I am by no means comparing myself to Dorothy Gilman, I’ve had that same thought hundreds of times. But sometimes it just doesn’t work, and this was one of those times. I say that objectively and not just because the carnival life is not really all that interesting to me (which it isn’t, at least not in a Mrs. Pollifax adventure). There was a great description of the life behind the scenes, of what it’s like to be on the working end of a carnival, and in true Dorothy Gilman style there are unforgettable, vibrant characters and even some new vocabulary words to learn. But I was shaking my head in confusion when Mrs. P and Kadi arrived at the carnival, and was still shaking my head when they left.
The carnival scenes made me feel like someone had changed the channel in the middle of a film that I was just getting into, and now I was stuck watching something I didn’t really want to watch but had to because I didn’t have any other choice.
By the end, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up…and very few of them really got tied up. I know that the next book focuses on some of those loose threads because this story isn’t over, but at the end of this book I was left with wanting more out of this installment than there really was. This wasn’t about Mrs. P saving the day; she just happened to get caught up in a big multi-plot whirlwind of stuff and she didn’t even really have a huge hand in how things turned out. A bit disappointing, that, as I always look forward to Mrs. P outsmarting the bad guys and saving the day.
March 19, 2025
Still enjoying this series.
This one is different because Mrs. Pollifax does not get a CIA assignment this time, but rather gets into something and has to call her contacts for help.
Also this book involves a fictional African country. It fits the storyline of some real African countries.
This one is different because Mrs. Pollifax does not get a CIA assignment this time, but rather gets into something and has to call her contacts for help.
Also this book involves a fictional African country. It fits the storyline of some real African countries.
July 13, 2024
A weak book in the series. Very little tension.
Read
September 13, 2024Mrs P still kicking butt and solving international crime one karate chop and salami sandwich at a time.
March 27, 2024
I love a good Mrs. Pollifax story. This one was pretty good, but I would have liked less chapters devoted to the CIA involvement and more on Kadi and Mrs. Polllifax
August 15, 2021
Now where did that salami go? And who ate the sardines?
Mrs. Pollifax discovers Kadi, a 19 year old girl, hiding in her pantry. Kadi tells her she hid after she escaped from two men who grabbed her after she ran into a friend of hers from her childhood in the African country of Ubangiba in New Haven where she had got to interview for a job. Mrs. Pollifax decides to help her and soon finds herself being followed. After evading the followers for awhile and taking refuge in a highway hotel, Mrs. Pollifax has to get creative when the followers arrive in the hotel parking lot. She calls Bishop, waking him in the middle of the night, and Bishop arranges for Mrs. Pollifax and Kadi to be taken to a safe house, or rather a safe place - a carnival in Maine. Kadi is soon assisting the magician in his "sawing women in half" act, and Mrs. Pollifax is helping carnival owner Willie find out who knifed another CIA agent hiding in the carnival.
There are a lot of "coincidences" in this story that lead Carstairs to realize that Kadi's African friend is the grandson of the last King of Ubangiba who is being co-opted into the scheme for a rich American man to own a country. Carstairs leaves his office and along with Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax (and an FBI agent) thwart the attempt.
Mrs. Pollifax discovers Kadi, a 19 year old girl, hiding in her pantry. Kadi tells her she hid after she escaped from two men who grabbed her after she ran into a friend of hers from her childhood in the African country of Ubangiba in New Haven where she had got to interview for a job. Mrs. Pollifax decides to help her and soon finds herself being followed. After evading the followers for awhile and taking refuge in a highway hotel, Mrs. Pollifax has to get creative when the followers arrive in the hotel parking lot. She calls Bishop, waking him in the middle of the night, and Bishop arranges for Mrs. Pollifax and Kadi to be taken to a safe house, or rather a safe place - a carnival in Maine. Kadi is soon assisting the magician in his "sawing women in half" act, and Mrs. Pollifax is helping carnival owner Willie find out who knifed another CIA agent hiding in the carnival.
There are a lot of "coincidences" in this story that lead Carstairs to realize that Kadi's African friend is the grandson of the last King of Ubangiba who is being co-opted into the scheme for a rich American man to own a country. Carstairs leaves his office and along with Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax (and an FBI agent) thwart the attempt.
April 23, 2011
Once again, Dorothy Gilman delights with more adventures for the wonderful Mrs. Pollifax. For those of you unfamiliar with Emily Pollifax, she is a senior citizen, member of the Garden Club... and operative with the CIA. This installment finds Mrs. Pollifax discovering a young woman hiding in her pantry after noticing a white van passing her house repeatedly. The young woman tells Mrs. Pollifax that the van began following her after she ran unexpectedly into a childhood friend. He managed to tell her that he was under guard before secretly giving her a package to hold for him. Naturally, Emily decides to help her. They sneak out of the house and onto the highway, only to be followed relentlessly by another car. Mrs. Pollifax enlists her friends at the bureau to take them out of harm's way... and the fun begins.
I listened to the audio version of this book and I have to give a shout out to Barbara Rosenblat, who does a marvelous job as narrator. Her many characters spring to life with her every inflection. This was a most enjoyable read!
I listened to the audio version of this book and I have to give a shout out to Barbara Rosenblat, who does a marvelous job as narrator. Her many characters spring to life with her every inflection. This was a most enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 354 reviews