Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist

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.

Having a few hours at my disposal this morning, I picked up this, my first Mrs Pollifax, which I'd been given as a gift, but never read. Imagine my surprise when what I thought would be an insubstantial bit of fluff turned out to be a well-plotted, riveting introduction to a woman whose further acquaintance I shall certainly pursue.Mrs Pollifax's adventures in Jordan have nothing of the implausible about them, a neat trick when one considers that the premise is so fantastic: a grandmotherly gardening enthusiast who just happens to be a well-trained CIA "asset." Her lively approach to what life brings her is utterly charming; beware, Mrs Pollifax will steal your heart away.

Through the streets of Amman, Emily Reed-Pollifax has escaped danger and put the world in curious suspicion of the gray-haired grandmother yet again, and will continue to do so.

Innocent tourist is another in a series of wonderfully written books. It's just the right amount of mystery, comedy, and action to give all of her readers a good time.

Has Gilman ever written a bad or dull mystery? In all these years, I cannot recall one. The visits we take with Mrs. Pollifax remain interesting. This time it is the Middle East and Jordan and desert, and camels. And always the intrigue and the incredible stamina of this brilliant solver of international complexity.