Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer [Hardcover]

Dorothy Gilman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 1996

As millions of readers know, that intrepid charmer and part-time CIA agent Emily Pollifax is a joy, with a warm heart, nerves of steel, and manners as impeccable as her karate. The New York Times calls her "an enchantress," and Publishers Weekly describes her deeds of derring-do in exotic places as "sheer pleasure."
In her new adventure, Mrs. Pollifax accompanies her young friend Kadi Hopkirk to the African country of Ubangiba, where Kadi's childhood friend, Sammat, is soon to be crowned king. This impromptu journey is a response to an S.O.S. from Sammat to Kadi; and Mrs. P., reluctant to allow the girl to venture alone into what she fears may be grave danger, crashes the party.
Sunny little Ubangiba is no great shakes as nations go. Under Sammat's selfless leadership it is recovering from the devastation wrought by two greedy presidents-for-life who preceded him in office. But Sammat has dangerous enemies. Everywhere rumors are springing up that he is a sorcerer and that his evil power is responsible for a rash of shocking murders in which the victims appear to have been clawed to death by a lion. These crimes are especially terrifying because there are no lions in Ubangiba.
Without the comforting backup of the CIA, Mrs. Pollifax wades into the fray, hunting for the source of the bloody terrorism that threatens Sammat and Ubangiba. Not to mention Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax. Home has never looked so good, or seemed so far away.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Emily Pollifax, the elderly and polite part-time CIA agent, needs all her skills in this swift adventure when she takes a busman's holiday to the emerging and troubled African nation of Ubangiba. Emily accompanies 19-year-old Kadi Hopkirk (whom she found in her closet in Mrs. Pollifax Pursued), who's been summoned by her old friend Sammat, the young heir to the throne. Kadi grew up in Ubangiba, where she witnessed the murder of her missionary parents by a trio of assassins. The killers, who were never caught, may now be part of a plot to overthrow Sammat, who is to be crowned in a few weeks and offers much-needed reform after years of official corruption. But insidious rumors are circulating that Sammat is a sorcerer and is responsible for five gruesome deaths that resemble maulings by a lion. But there are no lions in Ubangiba. The pace never flags, bolstered by the shrewd Mrs. P. and a host of well-defined characters (soothsayers, wise men, archeologists) who all work their surprising wiles. Mrs. Pollifax may be recovering from the flu, but her story is strong and vigorous. Mystery Guild selection; Reader's Digest condensed book.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gilman has a fiercely loyal following, so this latest entry in her highly popular Mrs. Pollifax series is sure to be a hit. Emily Pollifax, the intrepid undercover agent, is off to Africa with newfound friend Kadi Hopkirk, the daughter of martyred African missionaries. Kadi's lifelong friend Sammat is in line to become king of Ubangiba, the country where Kadi's parents were murdered in the dangerous days before a series of political coups brought young Sammat to power. But Sammat has run into serious problems, and it looks as if he may not be crowned king after all. A trio of brutal murders where the victims are supposedly clawed to death by a lion has generated rumors that Sammat is an evil sorcerer who's somehow causing the deaths. With the Ubangiban people terrified and suspicious, Sammat begs Kadi to come back to Africa to provide moral support, and naturally, Mrs. Pollifax goes along to see if she can help put Sammat's enemies behind bars. Silly enemies--don't they know that no one can outwit Mrs. Pollifax? Emily Melton

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 202 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett; 1st edition (January 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449909557
• ISBN-13: 978-0449909553
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #582,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dorothy Gilman is the author of thirteen Mrs. Pollifax novels, beginning with The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax and continuing through Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist. She lives in Westport, Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ubangiba may elicit yawns, July 18, 2001

By 

Bradley Cooper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

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!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a way to pass the time, September 18, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Slater (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Nova Audio Books) (Audio Cassette)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to "Mrs. Pollifax Pursued", May 1, 2003

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries) (School & Library Binding)

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.