Mrs Pollifax Unveiled

It is so soothing to be in Emily Pollifax's presence: we know that, at any time, she may leave her tidy existence in Con... (more)

It is so soothing to be in Emily Pollifax's presence: we know that, at any time, she may leave her tidy existence in Connecticut (complete with geraniums and an understanding husband) and venture forth, with manners and nerves of steel, to do whatever the CIA has planned for her. This time, with her rakish cohort Farrell, she's sent to Syria. An American girl named Amanda Pym has faced down a handful of skyjacking terrorists and then vanished. Mrs. P and Farrell track Amanda down with the barest of clues, through souks and tourist destinations, through the desert and an archaeological dig where an earnest young professor named Joe manages to assist with borrowed vehicles, large numbers of sheep, and other tools. It's wonderful to watch Mrs. Pollifax manage it all with clear thinking and the midlife woman's ability to fade into the scenery as someone's aunt or mum. Along the way, there's lots of local color, a bit of politics, useful phrases in Arabic, and some really elegant use of ancient Babylonian verse. (less)