Customer Reviews

Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

Gilman's charming spy is back, this time in a book that is more of a sequel than another series entry. Even if you don't normally read series books in order like I do, I strongly suggest you meet Kadi and friends in MRS POLLIFAX PURSUED before reading this one. Now our beloved Emily Pollifax is traveling to Kadi's home turf, Ubangiba, to untangle a web of political intrigue with her usual clever style.

There was a noticeable lack of CIA presence in this book that made me wonder if Emily had made a copmlete break from the agency, but then I noticed INNOCENT TOURIST and UNVEILED both come after this one and seem to involve the CIA again. I found the clues a little easier to spot in this book than in earlier stories, but it was great fun putting them together for a satisfying conclusion. All in all, another great Mrs. Pollifax adventure.

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.

If you haven't discovered Dorothy Gilman, you are in for a treat.
Be sure to read CARAVAN also.
Very good book & Mrs. Pollifax is terrific!!!!!

I gave this 3 stars only because I have a soft spot for Mrs. Polifax.

I love mysteries, and this is an enjoyable and relaxing series, but one of my expectations is that I will be surprised by the ending. Not so with this book. I figured out who the bad guy was very early on (I thought the author made it very obvious) and was disappointed to find out I was right.

Maybe I missed Carstairs............

This book is good clean fun that can be enjoyed by all ages. My daughter and I both enjoy this series. The reader, Barbara Rosenblat, is very expressive and listening to her is quite enjoyable. Mrs. Pollifax is a little old lady who decided to serve her country by working for the CIA. She is constantly being underestimated. After all, who would expect a little old lady to know karate? In this book, she travels to Africa to help keep a small country from being overthrown. Is there really a lion? You'll have to read or listen to this book to find out.

Of course the story is great, which is why I wanted it. Condition really good and I received it FAST!! Nice work from the seller, thank you!

Mrs. Polifax is a very funny book series! If you've ever thought you were too old or too tired to do anything, channel the spirit of Mrs. Polifax and you won't be disappointed. Great read!!