Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief

Dorothy Gilman

Mrs Pollifax...an older woman who looks like she belongs in a garden club but is often found assisting the CIA. She is not what she seems, and surprises even those she has worked with before.

A friend of hers, John Farrell, sends a mystery emergency telegram to the CIA requesting Mrs. Pollifax and her husband, Cyrus, join him in Sicily. Cyrus could not go. Mrs. Pollifax consented immediately. But what was Farrell doing in Sicily? He had left the CIA and was now running an art gallery in Mexico City. And what was the emergency that needed them urgently? Why did she have to first take pictures at a funeral in Virginia?

When she meets Farrell in Sicily, he has been shot and is in hiding. Along with the CIA agent who joined them in Sicily, Kate Rossiter, they escape the three cars that followed them from their meeting place. Farrell no longer knows who he can trust other than Mrs. Pollifax. He is sure he has seen an assasin known as Aristotle there in Sicily. Yet they both knew Aristotle was safely away in a French prison, wasn't he?

This is a light, enjoyable mystery. Parts are predictable and parts are not. Mrs. Pollifax is an interesting character. This book is a fun way to while away some hours that you would like to read something that is not too challenging, but still makes you try to reason out what will happen. There are enough surprises to keep anyone going.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax
A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax
Mrs. Pollifax on Safari
Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station
Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha
Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish
Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief
Mrs. Pollifax Pursued
Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist
Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled