Mrs. Pollifax on Safari [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Dorothy Gilman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 1978

"Mrs. Pollifax is the American cousin to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple."
TORONTO STAR
Mrs. Pollifax has been sent on safari by the C.I.A. and told only to take pictures of all of her companions, in order to find the international assassin whose next target is the president of Zambia. It sounded so simple, but shortly after Mrs. Pollifax started taking pictures, someone stole her film. And right after that she was kidnapped by Rhodesian terrorists. And right after that--well, read for yourself....

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

My grandmother is a big fan of the MRS. POLLIFAX mysteries by Dorothy Gilman. I was at first hesitant
to try the books, because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to relate to mysteries featuring a suburban grandmother
working for the CIA. But because my grandmother's taste in literature has always been impeccable,
I decided to delve into Mrs. Pollifax's adventures. I began with THE UNEXPECTED MRS. POLLIFAX, the first
in the series, and immediately found them delightful. Mrs. Pollifax is just the kind of grandmother I'd
love to have: resourceful, intelligent, somewhat sly, and, of course, a secret CIA operative. Her
adventures take her to all corners of the globe: from an authentically described communist China
(MRS. POLLIFAX ON THE CHINA STATION) to an exhilarating safari across Africa (MRS. POLLIFAX ON
SAFARI). I've thoroughly enjoyed joining her on her adventures, and intend to read them all. I recommend them
to everyone who's interested in learning about different countries and cultures--and, obviously, espionage!

--Malinda Lo, Editorial Assistant --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

"Mrs. Pollifax is the American cousin to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple."
TORONTO STAR
Mrs. Pollifax has been sent on safari by the C.I.A. and told only to take pictures of all of her companions, in order to find the international assassin whose next target is the president of Zambia. It sounded so simple, but shortly after Mrs. Pollifax started taking pictures, someone stole her film. And right after that she was kidnapped by Rhodesian terrorists. And right after that--well, read for yourself.... --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 367 pages
• Publisher: Imprint unknown; Large type edition edition (January 4, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0860431282
• ISBN-13: 978-0860431282
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,369,394 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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cork hat and Umbrella, June 17, 2000

By 

Bradley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari (Mass Market Paperback)

Mrs. Polifax is a lovable charector. Her adventurs have always been mystifying and this one is no exception. Her African adventure is exciting. Plus her mission seems sweet and inocent. Take photographs. Soon however it turns for the worst. Her film is stolen, police make a surprise visit, and then she is Kidnapped. Whats next? Well.... no sorry that would give away too much. Sit down and read this masterpiece. You won't regret it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another fun outing for Mrs. Pollifax, February 1, 2002

By 

Kevin W. Parker (Greenbelt, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari (Mass Market Paperback)

(Based on the audiotape, no longer available (?) )

Mrs. Pollifax is called upon by the CIA to undertake another mission, this time to photograph members of a safari, one of whom is an international assassin, nicknamed Aristotle. She innocently posts an ad in the local newspaper trying to contact her old friend Farrell from the first book. This leads to major complications as Farrell is involved with the freedom fighters across the border and has made some enemies. Another entertaining outing and with a bit of romance as a fellow traveler takes a fancy to Mrs. Pollifax. Barbara Rosenblat does another excellent job reading, coming up with clear, distinct, and identifiable voices for a myriad of characters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book, July 13, 2006

By 

Bookworm "Bookworm" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari (Mass Market Paperback)

Fun, easy to read adventure/mystery book. Highly recommended as an entertaining way to spend a boring evening at home or a rainy day. Dorothy Gilman certainly has a gift of description: I could just smell and feel all the aspects of the safari she was describing. There's just one thing that bugged me, though:

WARNING - SPOILER BELOW! WARNING - SPOILER BELOW!

I found it rather silly that Mrs. Pollifax - a woman who has done CIA work in the past - would advertise for her friend in the local NEWSPAPER! Even though the man was supposedly retired, she should have realized that he'd still have contacts and enemies everywhere. She should have known better than to a) blow his cover and b) endanger her mission and her life by casually advertising for him in the newspaper. Yikes, Mrs. Pollifax. That's the only thing that kept me from giving the book 5 stars. It just didn't ring true that clever-as-a-fox Mrs. Pollifax would make such a careless mistake.

Other than that, it was a delightful little book.