Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled

 

Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled / Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblat
Recorded Books, 2023, c2000.

So I have come to the end of my Mrs. Pollifax adventures. This is the final book in the series, although it doesn't read like a final book - the author died before she could write any more, so there is no big tying up of any story here. It gives us the opportunity to imagine Mrs. P continuing on with her many adventures. 

In this book, Mrs. P and John Farrell are once again travelling together. They are heading to Syria, where Mrs. P is posing as an American lady looking for her missing niece -- a girl who averted a terrorist attack on a plane, got off in Syria, got into the wrong car at the airport, and hasn't been seen since. The CIA isn't sure whether she was kidnapped or part of the plot. Mrs. P. has to find out. 

She and Farrell are supposed to be working together, but he gets himself arrested almost immediately, leaving Mrs. Pollifax to continue on her own. She can't give up on this delicate mission. This gives us a chance to really revel in Mrs. Pollifax alone on a mission, finding ways to get to where she needs to be. Her strength at really connecting with people is so key here - she gets help from locals who she is kind to, who she simply talks to, and they always know someone to help her out. And she always seems to have what she needs to trade with others to smooth the way. 

Eventually she and Farrell are reunited, they find out where the girl is being held (in a camp in the middle of absolutely nowhere) and come up with a slightly ridiculous rescue mission, one involving a lot of sheep. Fortunately there is a camp of archeologists nearby, and Mrs. P's age makes her the perfect 'visiting aunt' who crashes the camp with the help of one of the young scientists, giving her a base of operations. 

It's a fine close to Mrs. Pollifax's adventures. It highlights her on her own, it ties in with her previous adventures with Farrell, and it really gives her a chance to both shine individually and reminisce about her past adventures right in the middle of this one. I really liked this one, with the only letdown being that is the last fresh Mrs. P. book I will ever read for the first time. I feel that this is a series I will reread in a few years, though! 

Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist

 

Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblat
Recorded Books, 2011, c1997.

Nearing the end of the Mrs. Pollifax series, and feeling a little sad at seeing Mrs. P to her finale. But this one is well suited for nearly the end -- here Mrs. P meets up with old friend John Farrell, to take an "off the books" trip to Jordan, where he hopes to retrieve a manuscript smuggled out of Iran. 

Jordan plays a big role in the story; Mrs. P is almost run away with by an out-of-control horse on the road to Petra -- current events are mentioned (Saddam Hussein, which puts the series timeline out of whack and would make Mrs. P nearly 90 in this book if it was going by the beginning novel -- so you have to let the suspension of disbelief stay strong here!) -- and the political status of borders and politicians is so important here. We do get to see various 'sights' of Jordan via Mrs. Pollifax's travels, and she and Farrell reminisce quite a bit about their past adventures together. For someone who has read the whole series in order, this is a nice way to recap some of the earlier books and see Mrs. P's character development. 

The plot is a bit weaker than earlier books, and Mrs. P doesn't really save the day here - she is more being saved, which is a bit of a letdown. But there are some great local characters who take her and Farrell to the desert, and their time at a Bedouin camp is a wonderful element. This really adds to the atmosphere of the book - Gilman is back to embedding real places and politics into the series, which is very welcome after the imaginary African country of the last two books. 

I enjoyed this one and am only sad that the series is concluding in one more installation... 

Crafting a Knock-Off

 

Crafting a Knock-Off / Barbara Emodi
Concord, CA: C&T Pub., c2026
232 p.

I love this series of cozy mysteries set in Nova Scotia, written by a Canadian craft legend :) When book 7 became available, I grabbed it! This details the further adventures of Valerie Rankin, middle aged craft and general store owner, as she once again gets involved in a mysterious death -- and like usual, goes off on many misguided suspicions before the truth is revealed. 

In this volume, she encounters Murray Nunn, a big talker who is trying to push business development and an export scheme. He won't leave anyone at the local craft fair alone, and while Valerie is talking to him, he suddenly drops dead. On camera. She has a wide range of suspects, from local craftspeople to those who have just arrived in Gasper's Cove for their own purposes, and even including her boyfriend's nephew -- which causes some relationship bumps. 

But Valerie must continue on her sleuthy ways no matter what, and with the involvement of the local RCMP and her crafting ladies, they eventually solve the mystery, and Valerie's fears of the end of her relationship prove unfounded. 

I love these books for their characters and the Nova Scotia setting -- and of course the inclusion of craft content! There are upcycled quilted coats, tartans and kilts, piecework sewing and craft fairs as integral parts of this mystery, and they are important. I thought this one was well constructed and entertaining. Always a treat to revisit Gasper's Cove! 

(Review first appeared at Following The Thread)

Short Canadiana Mentions

As some of my readers may recall, I also review books for work, in Library Journal. I can't review those ones fully here because of that, but I wanted to mention some of the Canadian titles I've read for them in the last while. You can read bits of the original reviews at LJ, just follow the links :) 

Definitely Thriving by Kerry Clare 

This is a modern "women's novel", inspired by the work of Barbara Pym. Anyone who can mix Bridget Jones with Barbara Pym has a unique viewpoint! Set in Toronto, this is an entertaining book with some thoughtful themes. Clementine Lathbury gets divorced, moves back to TO and a crummy apartment of her own, gets a part-time job in a book store and tries to figure out her "Eat Pray Love" journey, without the "love" part. Things get complicated!

The Mystic & The Missing Girl / Vikki VanSickle

This one isn't released until September 8, and my review isn't up yet for LJ. But I just read this one and wanted to let you know about it -- it was such a fun read! Drew Benson goes home to her small town to take over her late Aunt's metaphysical shop. And she gets involved with a cold case going back 20 years, while discovering her own psychic abilities. This one was unique and entertaining and will be particularly interesting to readers who are into psychics, tarot etc. 

Leave our Bones Where They Lay / Aviaq Johnston

Memorable read for sure! This collection of linked short stories follows Jupi, an old man who must tell a story to a demanding spirit, Kupik, each solstice. He's getting old so brings in his young granddaughter to train her in the family tradition. Fabulous look at the contemporary North. I thought it was fresh, unusual and a fascinating read.

A Box Full of Darkness

A Box Full of Darkness/ Simone St. James
NY: Berkley, c2026.
337 p.

I'm a big fan of fellow Canadian author Simone St. James. I read all of her books as they come out. This one is another spooky story told in her ghostly family drama style. But it's even more about families than usual. 

St. James returns to Fell, NY, the site of her previous novel The Sundown Motel (a fave for me). Strange things happen in Fell. There are drownings, children having heart attacks at far too young of an age, and finally the disappearance of six year old Ben, the youngest sibling of the three Esmies, a family who left Fell 18 years previously but are now reconvening thanks to a reported sighting of a ghost who may be Ben. 

The three siblings have all dealt with their childhood trauma differently -- Violet, the oldest, sees dead people and has had her life upended because of it in so many ways. Vail, the middle, used to be a diver but he is now a UFO true believer and drifts around the country searching for proof of aliens. Dodie, the youngest, is a brittle personality, living in NY City and working as a hair and hand model, but keeps people far away from her, emotionally. They have to come back to Fell and face up to who they were then and in the intervening years when they didn't really stay in contact too effectively. 

I really liked this. The characters were interesting - the interactions between siblings was unsettling, they were all so prickly and independent, but had to depend on one another as they are pulled back into their childhood trauma. Returning to a childhood home is always a great plot device but here it is to a mostly abandoned, haunted childhood home -- even less likely to lead to warm fuzzies! It had ghostly bits that were scary, but also real life encounters with nasty people. And the need for the siblings to break down and be honest with one another was another plot driver. It was fun read even if the plot wasn't quite as tight as some of her earlier books. 

I Think We've Been Here Before: Facing the End of the World, in Saskatchewan

I Think We've Been Here Before / Suzy Krause
Regina, SK: Radiant Press, c2024.
309 p.

It's the end of the world -- with advance notice. Scientists have discovered some kind of cosmological burst that will reach Earth in two months, just around Christmas time. They announce it to the world. So, prepare for the end. 

Marlen and Hilda Jorgensen receive this news differently. Marlen has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, so for him it's the end either way; his wife is struggling with their own reality, never mind the apocalypse. Their daughter is in Berlin, and it's not certain she'll be able to return home, what with transportation being knocked off-kilter by the panic and chaos. She has her own issues, meeting someone in Berlin who feels strangely familiar to here. Meanwhile, Hilda's sister is in complete denial, which makes it hard for her husband and teen son to cope, never being allowed to talk about it. 

This was a very unusual take on the end of the world. Set mostly in rural Saskatchewan (with side scenes in Berlin), it focuses deeply on the emotional state of its characters. There is a certain numbness which permeates the story; the world around these characters is quiet -- even in Berlin, we don't really see, hear from, or interact with other characters. It is like these particular characters are insulated somehow. 

But I found this thoughtful, with some intriguing elements that would be very discussable. There are funny bits, and touching bits, too. I loved the daughter's story, and found this an engaging read. I am originally from Saskatchewan so it is nice to see a story like this taking place, rooted in small town Saskatchewan. For me, this was fresh and interesting, even if I'm still not quite sure about that ending! Well worth searching this one out, in my opinion. 

 

Two Mrs. Pollifax

More Mrs. Pollifax in my quest to read the whole series - this time two books that work together almost as two volumes of the same story. They take place both in the US and an imaginary African country, Ubangiba. I thought it was a bit unusual to have this imaginary country, rather than the finely evoked real places in all of her other books. But listening to a lengthy author interview, I discovered that these two books were written during a time that she was suffering from a form of agoraphobia, and couldn't travel for research. So this choice makes more sense. I didn't feel that same sense of exploration and interest, though, because of the imaginary nature of the country. Still, these worked together well and had some new, intriguing characters. 

Mrs Pollifax Pursued / Dorothy Gilman
Recorded Books, 2011, c1995
read by Barbara Rosenblat 

This first story sets up the premise - Mrs Pollifax drives her husband Cyrus to the airport and when she gets home and feels something is up, she searches the house and discovers a young woman, Kadi Hopkirk, hiding in a utility closet. She had escaped from men trailing her a couple of days before. Mrs. Pollifax is of course interested in the story and decides to rescue Kadi, driving her back to NY City. But things go wrong, as Kadi's pursuers catch sight of them and trail them. Mrs. P, fortunately, has important friends -- and thinks quickly. She pulls in to a busy hospital and calls her CIA contacts from the ER. 

They rescue and deliver Mrs. P and Kadi to an unexpected safe house: a travelling carnival. The story has a lot of fun with the characters and the setting of a carnival, and Mrs. P discovers new depths to herself! She also puzzles out why Kadi was being watched (her connections to Ubangiba, where she grew up thanks to her parents medical mission) and they end up travelling to Ubangiba to see the conclusion of Kadi's involvement. This one felt really escapist and light, thanks to the imaginary political setting of this invented African country. I loved the carnival and some of this story, but didn't find it as engaging as the others so far in the series. Still, the next book carries on this tale.
 

Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer / Dorothy Gilman
Recorded Books, c1996.
read by Barbara Rosenblat

Mrs. Pollifax and Kadi head back to Ubangiba to see the coronation of Kadi's childhood friend Sammat. They are special guests of the government, but that doesn't mean there aren't shenanigans to deal with. There have been a rash of violent killings in the capital, where the victims are slashed with what looks like lion's claws. The catch is that there are no lions in Ubangiba. Rumours of supernatural causes abound, causing Sammat political difficulties. 

Mrs. P is on the case - she explores the area quite fearlessly, and gets involved with locals in the way that she always does. And thank goodness, because the silent, grim bicycle seller named Moses turns out to be integral to the plot, and their survival! There isn't that much of a mystery going on here, and definitely not the exciting spy thriller sense of the other books -- this is an imaginary country, and there is no CIA involvement here. This duo of books is probably the weakest in the series because of these elements. Mrs. Pollifax is always delightful to read about though, so while they are not the best of this series, I still liked them well enough.