1 comments about Mrs. Pollifax Pursued, By Dorothy Gilman, Unabridged 4 Audio Cassettes, Narrated By Barbara Rosenblat.

1. MRS. POLLIFAX PURSUED
   BY DOROTHY GILMAN
   NARRATED BY BARBARA ROSENBLAT
   Copyright 1995 by Dorothy Gilman Butters
   Performance Copyright 1995 by Recorded Books, Inc.
   Cover art by Dan Sweetman; C 1995 by Recorded Books, Inc.
   Recorded by arrangement with the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency
   
   Produced in the studios of Recorded Books Productions, Inc., New York.
   Unabridged 4 audio cassettes, 6 hours.
   
   "Ms. Gilman has a nice, relaxed style and an easygoing way of telling a story...should delight whether
   YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SMILES OR THRILLS."
   ---New York Times
   
   "It's a tale well told in print and, with the narration of Barbara Rosenblat, even better on tape."
   ---Indianapolis Star
   
   [from the back of case cover]

5 comments about Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist.

1. This entry in the Pollifax canon shares many traits with many of Gilman's other books, but still manages to entertain and intrigue. Yes, Emily has had to wait around a monument to meet an opposite number she's never before met. Sure, she's already been befriended by families and found refuge in the desert. But, somehow, the formula continues to work without feeling stale. An entertaining read throughout.



2. Mrs. Pollifax's friend Farrell asks her to accompany him on a mission to Jordan to retrieve the manuscript of a dissident author in Iraq. The author was a friend of Farrell's who was killed because he told uncomfortable truths about the reign of Saddam Hussein. On the flight to the Middle East, Mrs. Pollifax sits next to a man who turns out to be someone other than who he says he is. Farrell and Mrs. P. go through the requisite chases, shootings, and beatings until a happy conclusion is reached. I am curious about why Mrs. Pollifax married Cyrus in an earlier book in the series, because author Gilman manages to keep him well away from his wife's adventures. As always Mrs. Pollifax delights the reader and does not seem to need a leading man.



3. This book takes you on an adventure in the deserts of Jordan, with castles, multiple bad guys, camel rides, and a quaint old lady who is also a part time CIA operative. Our hero meets up with an unusual character on her airplane ride across the Atlantic, and the simple job isn't so simple anymore. This book is Murder She Wrote meets Lawrence of Arabia.



4. I haven't read or listened to any of the other Mrs. Pollifax books, but it seems other people's enthusiastic reviews of the book edition are based on their love of the characters rather than on the story itself. As someone new to this series, I have to say this audiobook makes me uninterested in the rest. My father and I had a long road trip and I borrowed this book from the library to pass the time. There were so many clumsy plot devices that I had to wonder how Mrs. Pollifax could be such a wonderful CIA agent yet be so completely dense that she thinks the item slipped into her luggage by the Jordanian man sitting next to her on the plane was merely a nice gift for him to give. Even I am suspicious enough to be alarmed when something I didn't pack shows up in my baggage... and I'm just an average middle-class traveler who has been cheated and swindled plenty while abroad. Even though Pollifax noticed that a car was following Ferrell and her, why didn't she tell her partner so that they could stick together at Petra, instead of letting her partner trot off ahead around a corner so that she was left alone with a stranger? My father and I turned the audiobook off in the middle of disc 3 (of 6) and I'm returning it tomorrow. Neither of us are interested in hearing what else happens or has happened in the previous 13 or so books.



5. Mrs. Pollifax never ceases to amaze and entertain me. She's hard at work again. A great adventure as always.

No comments about Mysteries by Female Authors: Margin of Error / Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer / The Cereal Murders.

No comments about Caravan.

5 comments about Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer : Mrs. Pollifax series #12.

1. While the story is interesting and Gilman does a good job of describing an African nation in the shaky position between "President for Life" and new king, the amount of attention paid to daily life in Ubangiba was a little boring for me. Toward the end of the book the story picked up a little and I was more interested, but "Lion Killer" is definitely not Gilman's best work. Still Mrs. Pollifax is a charmer and a Pollifax book that rates four stars is still head-and-shoulders above many five star mysteries by other authors!



2. In Dorothy Gilman's previous book, "Mrs. Pollifax Pursued", she introduces us to Kadi, the daughter of Ubandiba missionaries, and her college friend Sammy, who is now trying to rule the country after many years of dictatorship. Sammy calls upon Kadi for help and Mrs. Pollifax decides to accompany her. There have been a series of violent deaths at the hands of a "lion killer", one who dons a lion costume, and Sammy's enemies have accused him of being behind the murders. When Kadi arrives in Ubandiba, she becomes the target of an old enemy, and Mrs. Pollifax does her best to protect the young girl. A potential archaeological dig and the hint of romance for Kadi combine with political intrigue and murder to create another satisfying story of Mrs. Pollifax.



3. I hadn't read the previous book, Mrs. Pollifax Pursued, where she apparently meets Kadi and Sammy, her main cohorts in this story. Kadi finds out that Sammy is having difficulties and so she and Mrs. Pollifax hop on the first available flight to Ubandiba, where Sammy is the current ruler. The people are terrified by the rumors and murders of the Lion Killer, all of which point to Sammy. Kadi, daughter of murdered Ubandiba missionaries, becomes a target of the Lion Killer and Mrs. Pollifax must use her resources and ingenuity to save them all. I listened to this book, and it was a pleasant diversion on a long drive.



4. I never got fully engrossed in this book. The characters were hard to understand, and the whole reason why Mrs Pollifax felt compelled to go to Africa didn't quite make sense. I expected more intrigue associated with the economic development of the mythical African country, but it never happened. And to top things off, when the killer was finally unmasked (literally!) I found it kind of hard to believe it was this character. The whole kidnapping part of the story was weak too. Sorry - just didn't work for me.



5. [[ASIN:0449150046 Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries) This book is one of a series of books that reminds me of the Miss Marple mysteries of Agatha Christie with the added bonus of action and intrigue in exotic places. It is very well written, the characters are very unique and believable. If you like mysteries,and action/adventure novels, you will like this series. All of the books that I have read have been well worth reading.

5 comments about The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax.

1. If you're new to the Mrs. Pollifax series of mystery books - this is the very first. As such, it's a great place to begin. You'll be completely entertained learning how this grandmother goes to work - undercover - for the United States government. She really is unexpected, as the title declares. She's everything you would wish a grandmother to be - but she's extraordinarily clever, notices details on the fly and incredibly resourceful. If you enjoy Miss Marple from Agatha Christie - you'll also love Mrs. Pollifax. (Although I'd never say the two are interchangeable - they seem to go at detection in entirely different ways). We get into the characters thoughts often - rather than just being pulled through a story's actions blindly. It makes her escapades all the more harrowing when you develop such a feeling for what each side is thinking. Very entertaining. A great bed time read.



2. I've read this book many times as well as listened to the version narrated by Barbara Rosnblatt. I highly recommend both. This book is what whodunit mysteries should all have; a likeable character, strong storyline, suspense, humor and good pacing. All the characters in the book are quite real. Even when the storyline seems hard to believe, you believe it because Mrs. Pollifax says it is so. Emily Pollifax also develops as a character not only within this book but within the whole series.
   
   This book isn't as much a mystery as an adventure/suspense. It's also lighthearted, because Mrs. Pollifax sees this it as an adventure. She was willing to give her life to her country but isn't willing to give in easily!
   
   Though I'm far from retirement age, I felt a kinship with Mrs. P. I think that's the feeling most people get from reading these books. She's the woman next door, the lovable grandmother/aunt figure who also can surprise you. In fact, a lady I talked to said she wanted to be Mrs. Pollifax. My only disappointment is that this book is so short. But then, Dorothy Gilman is a writer who knows when to quit, which only adds to her writing.



3. This is the second Mrs. Pollifax book I have now finished and I adore them. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is a delight in her adventures and this one is full of thrilling adventures. I am now hooked and will be reading every Mrs. Pollifax book there is. They are thoroughly enjoyable...



4. I thought this might be cheesy. It was fantastic! After having loved Ian Fleming, this was a great substitute. I look foward to reading the rest of the series.



5. Bored and in excellent health for a woman who is retired with nothing more to look forward to than her gardening meetings, Mrs. Pollifax decides that there are only two choices in her life. Take one giant step off the roof of her building in New Brunswick, New Jersey or pursue a dream that she has had since childhood. With the decision made she boards a bus for Langley, Virginia and decides to be a spy for the CIA. Taking place during the cold war, Emily Pollifax is sent to Mexico to retrieve important documents, that doesn't seem difficult until she is forced to outsmart Red Chinese military men with nothing more than a pocketknife and a Christmas tree. This woman could definitely give MacGyver and Forrest Gump a run for their money.

5 comments about Mrs. Pollifax & the Second Thief.

1. The first 4 or 5 books in the Pollifax series are wonderful. This is the worst of those that follow. I think the problem that I am having is that Mrs. Pollifax no longer seems to be the author of her own success. Lucky chance may be the reason she wins through in the end, or some individual she meets up with does it all for her. And I don't care for these partnerships, especially with Farrell. The wonderful thing in the past was how Mrs. Pollifax would come to a case with lovely excitement and by being herself assemble a group of unusual people around her and inspire them to great things. The recent Pollifaxes have seem tired and dependent.



2. Of course, I love all of Mrs. Pollifax's adventures! I want to be her when I grow up;) But this one had wonderful, colorful (to say the least) characters, plot twists, and bits of Sicilian culture that made for a overall very enjoyable read.



3. Mrs. Pollifax, intrepid Garden Club member and holder of a brown belt in karate, has gone on several assignments to exotic places for the CIA. In this book, she is called by old friend John Farrell to help him in his latest predicament. He is a former CIA agent who is now an art dealer and he has been asked to authenticate the signature of Julius Caesar on a document. In the process of doing so, he has been chased and shot at and he is currently in hiding. Mrs. Pollifax shows up with a young woman named Kate who has been assigned to help her. When they have trouble finding a safe haven, Kate takes them to her aunt's house. Mrs. Pollifax finds all sorts of interesting activities going on there and learns more about the people who are chasing Farrell. This story has the amusing complication of having Carstairs assign a person to follow and protect Mrs. Pollifax. She is not aware of this and she levels the poor man with a well-placed karate chop. Mrs. Pollifax fans will not be disappointed in this entry in the series.



4. I just finished listening to Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief on audio, and I must say, I was disappointed. I had to force myself to listen to it all the way through. This is definitely the worst Mrs. P, book I've listened to.. Why? Too many irritating minor characters. Not enough suspense, and, unbelievably stupid villains. Usually I can expect a TAD more realism than this from a Gillman book, but, this book was just plain silly and tried too hard to be cute.

   Yes, it starts out okay, with Mrs. P, getting involved in the rescue of an old friend, Farrell, who owns an art gallery. We are led to believe that Farrell is some sort of super-agent, and super handsome, but instead he's just super annoying. Mrs. P, teams up with a spunky blonde agent, soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery surrounding an ancient roman scroll, art theft, and murder. Can Mrs. P and her gang of friends save the day?

   By the end of this novel, I just didn't care. Farrell, was the world's most irritating character.All he does is whine and complain. The spunky blonde agent who was Mrs. P's sidekick would never pass any Intelligence Agency's background check with a family like hers... And Aristotle? This villain was silly, *choke* get real.

   Overall, I'd give this one a pass. I've listened to much better Gillman books, and this one was beyond disappointing.




5. Dorothy Gilman is one of my favorite mystery writers. I've read all of her first nine books many, many times, and highly recommend them. In this book and the ones that follow the author's voice shifts so completely, I wonder if she is actually the one continuing to write them. Mrs. Pollifax's character changes, she is "cross" several times in the first few chapters and the old Mrs. Pollifax was curious and philosophical and observant. This philosophical bent disappears entirely from these later books.
   
   The adventures no longer sizzle along. An early chase in this book is poorly crafted; as it happens it is described without enough detail to make it interesting or suspensful and we are told Mrs. Pollifax looks back on it as a "nightmare," when there is no basis for this in the story. The earlier Mrs. Pollifax would roll with the punches and reserve "nightmare" for full fledged torture. These later books are so disappointing because the first nine are so wonderful....

5 comments about Mrs. Pollifax Pursued (Bookcassette(r) Edition).

1. _Mrs. Pollifax Pursued_ is definitely candy for the mind. It's a very quick read, entertaining precisely long enough to be a treat, contains nothing challenging and nothing difficult. The characters are fun, the plot isn't too unbelievable, and the writing is excellent. It should be just the thing if you're in the right mood.
   
   Mrs. Pollifax finds young Kadi hiding out in her closet, and takes her on the run to escape her pursuers. The Bishop stashes them in a rather unusual safe house-- a carnival in rural Maine-- and together they need to discover why Kadi is in so much danger.



2. For a change, trouble finds Mrs. Pollifax instead of the other way around, when she finds a young woman hiding out in her closet. An extended chase ensues, ending up with Mrs. Pollifax and Kadi, the young woman, hiding out in a carnival subsidized by Mrs. P's CIA friends for just such a purpose. The threads are complex, and there are a few more coincidences than are comfortable, but it all boils down to a plot to take over the African country where Kadi grew up and where her friend Sammy has a politically prominent position.

   It's another enjoyable Pollifax romp, weakened a bit by the coincidences, but again brilliantly read by Barbara Rosenblat, whose skill I admire ever more increasingly with each new voice she comes up with.




3. This time Mrs. Pollifax begins her adventure right in her own back yard when she discovers Kadi, a young woman who is fleeing her pursuers and is hiding in Mrs. P's house. She tries to help the girl get away, but the pursuers are right on her tail, so she appeals to Carstairs, her CIA contact, who sends her to a "safe house". Much to her surprise the safe house turns out to be a carnival and Mrs. Pollifax and Kadi learn some new skills to become part of their new environment. Someone who is also on the run and is hiding in the carnival is badly beaten and Mrs. Pollifax has a new angle to explore. This is all tied in with Kadi's friendship with a young man from a small African country and the disappearance of a wealthy American businessman. Before it's over, Mrs. P. and Kadi are whisked to Africa and new problems surface before a satisfactory ending is achieved. This is a delightful romp with the intrepid 60-something heroine and most of it is set in the United States, a nice change of pace from her other adventures.



4. Mrs. Pollifax is an senior citizen who works for the CIA. When Mrs. Pollifax finds a college student hiding in her storage closet, she soon becomes the target of hitmen. Can Mrs. Pollifax elude her pursuers and protect Kadi (the college student) from harm?

   I am a big fan of Mrs. Pollifax, but I found Mrs. Pollifax Pursued to be a bit disjointed, and cluttered with too many annoying minor characters. I liked the circus theme, but I found Kadi very irritating and too helpless for my taste. She acts like an infant, rather than a college age adult. I also wished the author had stuck with the Circus theme. I found the dynamics of the sideshow much more interesting than the farfetched African theme. Overall, while I enjoyed Mrs. Pollifax pursued, I wished it had been a tad more realistic. This novel was too farfetched for me to find it as enjoyable as the other adventures.




5. There is a great difficulty in finding all the works of this author and that is a shame. They would be a great series especially for those of us entering retirement and preferring to listen to books rather then reading them. They are well written and fun and thoroughly enjoyable.The author needs to have all of the series put on tape or cd!!

5 comments about The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax.

1. In the follow-up to the charming debut novel, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman writes another book filled with intrigue and heroism. Mrs. Pollifax, a widow who enjoys teas and garden clubs, sets out on her second courier job for the CIA, a mission which starts in Istanbul. Searching for a missing woman (an agent with international ties), Mrs. Pollifax poses as a tourist to track down the woman and smuggle her safely out of the country. Protected by only an agent, who has no idea what her real mission is to be, Mrs. Pollifax must use her newly acquired knowledge of karate and her unflappable nature to charm her way out of some sticky situations. Hair-raising as always, Mrs. Pollifax's second adventure will leave you wanting more!

   I was thrilled to read the second adventure of Mrs. Pollifax, and enjoyed every moment spent with her on the case. Mrs. Pollifax is not a person that you would initially feel would make a good CIA agent. She is elderly, loves to wear outlandish hats, and finds a way to talk and get to know everyone around her. But it is just these qualities that make her so invisible in the world of spies, and even the most cynical of agents falls under her spell. I loved the fact that Mrs. Pollifax learned karate (since she hates guns I worried about how she could plausibly protect herself) and that she was just as lovable yet determined as she was in the previous book. If you have not tried this series, pick up a copy of this book and the previous book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, and join the millions of others who are charmed by this beloved character! Enjoy!

   A Cozy Mystery Lover




2. Ms. Gilman has created a delightful character in Emily Pollifax - adventuresome and resourceful. Tough too. And always refreshing!



3. In the follow-up to the charming debut novel, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman writes another book filled with intrigue and heroism. Mrs. Pollifax, a widow who enjoys teas and garden clubs, sets out on her second courier job for the CIA, a mission which starts in Istanbul. Searching for a missing woman (an agent with international ties), Mrs. Pollifax poses as a tourist to track down the woman and smuggle her safely out of the country. Protected by only an agent, who has no idea what her real mission is to be, Mrs. Pollifax must use her newly acquired knowledge of karate and her unflappable nature to charm her way out of some sticky situations. Hair-raising as always, Mrs. Pollifax's second adventure will leave you wanting more!
   
   I was thrilled to read the second adventure of Mrs. Pollifax, and enjoyed every moment spent with her on the case. Mrs. Pollifax is not a person that you would initially feel would make a good CIA agent. She is elderly, loves to wear outlandish hats, and finds a way to talk and get to know everyone around her. But it is just these qualities that make her so invisible in the world of spies, and even the most cynical of agents falls under her spell. I loved the fact that Mrs. Pollifax learned karate (since she hates guns I worried about how she could plausibly protect herself) and that she was just as lovable yet determined as she was in the previous book. If you have not tried this series, pick up a copy of this book and the previous book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, and join the millions of others who are charmed by this beloved character!
   
   The first book in the series is called "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax". Enjoy!



4. After her first adventure, Mrs. Pollifax figured she'd never hear from the CIA again. Naturally, when Mr. Carstairs calls and asks her to do another bit of currier work, she's surprised. She recklessly agrees to go. And this time, Carstairs is taking no chances. He's assigning another agent to follow Mrs. Pollifax around and keep her out of trouble.
   
   A notorious Soviet agent has recently defected, and Mrs. Pollifax is to go to Turkey to meet her and help her get to US soil. Naturally, every agency in the world is after this agent, so the danger will be fierce.
   
   Her first night in Turkey, Mrs. Pollifax makes contact, only to be arrested by the local police. Then her shadow is murdered. Alone in a foreign land, Mrs. Pollifax has only her instincts and a young man she just happened to meet to help her. Can she get herself and the agent safely back to the States?
   
   While the first book needed time to set up the premise of the series, this book starts right away. Like Mrs. Pollifax, it can leave the reader a little breathless. Fortunately, there's a little set up before the plot starts in earnest, but once it starts, hold on! The pace is fast and the danger almost constant. Again, there are some plot points that seem a little far fetched, but the book is such fun the reader won't care.
   
   Part of the fun is the characters. Mrs. Pollifax herself is a dear. Her unique perspective on the world makes anything fun. She's taken up karate between books, a skill that comes in quite handy through the rest of the series. In this book, great characters surround her. The heroes are lovable and the villains menacing.
   
   This book was first written in 1970, a fact that is key to a few moments in the story. The historical context of the book helps bring things to an even more vivid life.
   
   While coincidence shows up a time or two, the overall effect is minor. This second book in the series is another winner. You'll be turning pages desperately trying to find out what danger awaits Mrs. Pollifax next.



5. I really like the Mrs. Pollifax series. They are interesting and fun reads. THey don't have a lot of the crude lanuage that other "spy novels" are full of. If you are looking for really in depth reads these are problably not for you. These books are an easy and fun read.

No comments about Mrs. Pollifax on Safari (Mrs. Pollifax Series).