14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More like an novel steeped in mystery than a regular mystery, July 12, 2000
I adored this book. This was the first book of Ms. Gilman's that I have read and I can't wait to get my hands on some others soon. I thought that The Clairvoyant Countess was truly well written and wonderfully entertaining.
While this is not your average mystery as the book is more about the interaction between Madame Karitska and Detective Pruden than it is about the mysteries that they solve - it is still a great read for mystery lovers.
At the start of the book the readers are introduced to the clairvoyant Countess Madame Kartiska. We learn about her gift and how she uses it, we meet some of her clients and through this we learn of their fates. The reader becomes intimately involved with some of her clients as through one of them, we also meet Detective Pruden who comes across the countess' name during an investigation.
She helps him in several different ways, she aids him in solving several crimes and she introduces him to a side of himself that he never knew. We also have the opportunity to meet several other clients that she introduces to one another and we can watch their relationships grow.
There are several mysteries woven in through the plot and the reader discovers that who dunnit isn't always the reason to read on.
The Clairvoyant Countess won't appeal to every mystery lover but for those who take the plunge it is very refreshing and highly enjoyable. IT is really a shame that Ms. Gilman has not made this into a series as well as her Mrs. Polifax series as I would love to continue to watch these characters grow.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to classify, but great fun anyway., August 19, 2000
Not exactly a series of short stores nor yet exactly a novel, this book is the story of a clairvoyant and the way she worked with one particular policeman, Lieutenant Pruden (prudent=sensible=skeptical?), who doesn't know exactly how much he believes her, but is willing to work with her to get results. The small series of mysteries they work on overflow outside one chapter apiece, but there is no one overarching plot, hence the classification difficulty. Once again Gilman has created if not believable (i choose to see as fictional this kind of clairvoyance) at least very attractive and readable characters.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
clairvoyant countess, November 28, 1999
ive only read this book about 10+ times, on the the other hand ive read everything dorothy gilman has written, several many times. i have always liked the clairvoyant countess and wondered many times why no sequels? there are some movies,books,plays that can be enjoyed many times over and this is one. a cold day, a fire place, cup of tea, afgan and a good book how good it is.
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