Kaleidoscope

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780345448217
• Mould: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Aplomb, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and secondment to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

Next to the incomparable Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman’s best-loved character is the mysterious Madame Karitska, who is blessed with a powerful gift of clairvoyance that attracts to her a stream of men and women craving help with their misfortunes, desperate to know what the future holds. . . .

When a brilliant young violinist dies in a horrific accident, Madame Karitska has only to hold the victim’s instrument in her hands to perceive the shocking truth. But when an insecure wife asks whether her husband will abandon her to join a sinister cult, Madame Karitska–as wise as she is lovely–chooses not to reveal all that she foresees. And when an attaché case is suddenly dropped into her lap by a man fleeing a crowded subway, she knows it’s time to consult her good friend Detective-Lieutenant Pruden.

A nine-year-old accused of murder, a man dying a slow death by witchcraft– for the hunted and the haunted, Madame Karitska’s shabby downtown apartment becomes a haven, where brilliant patterns of violence, greed, passion, and strange obsessions mix and disintegrate with stunning, kaleidoscopic beauty.

Once again Dorothy Gilman exercises her own uncanny power to render readers spellbound.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

The Amazing Madame Karitska
This recent novel is a sequel to "The Clairvoyant Countess", written in the 60s.
Both books are pleasant, easy reads that are still fascinating, with great characters and situations. The author has a gift for writing simply yet creating wonderful people. The psychic Madame K. resolves several problems, several of which end up being related, yet the book flows well and doesn't feel disjointed. It was a bit difficult for me to remember some of the characters from the first book, so I'd recommend reading that first, even though eventually all is explained. I would love to read more about her.

2010-01-29 | thehunter8 (Cambridge, MA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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GREAT!!
DOROTHY GILLMAN IS A GREAT WRITER! HER MRS POLLIFAX SERIES, SHE HAS GONE INTO MORE DETAIL FOR, BUT THE CLARVOIANT COUNTESS COULD EASILY, IN ONE BOOK, BE SPUN INTO 2 TO 4 BOOKS. THIS IS HER 2ND COUNTESS BOOK AND I HOPE SHE DOES MORE; ALSO HOPE MRS POLLIFAX KEEPS ON COMING!

LINDA

2008-05-24 | Kubda (Minnesota-USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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More of the Countess!
This was exactly what I was hoping for - More of the Countess Karitska!
This was every bit as good as The Clairvoyant Countess. Keep them coming!

2008-04-20 | Pati (Mishawaka, IN USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Most enjoyable reading!
I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed the first book. I would like to see more Countess Karitska novels written, that I may joy in reading her next adventures.

2007-06-19 | ltom (Salt Lake City, UT USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Dorothy Gilman has another winner
Sequel to "The Clairvoyant Countess" Gilman's protagonist, Madam Karitska touches the lives of a wide variety of people including that of Detective-Lieutenant Pruden again.

The book is once more a connected series of short stories about her clients and several aquaintances. Some story lines touch only briefly on Madam Karitska before progressing to their conclusions but she has her effect on the outcome.

I liked the book and its predecessor, but then, I haven't yet read anything by this author that failed to entertain me. 4 stars because I don't want to go over the top in my recommendations.

2007-03-31 | Pernickety Critic (Noble Park, Victoria Australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries)

Product Details

• Make ready: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Boldness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and aid to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780449150047

Description

"THE PACE NEVER FLAGS, bolstered by the shrewd Mrs. P. and a host of well-defined characters who all work their surprising wiles."

--Publishers Weekly

In response to a desperate SOS, Kadi Hopkirk flies to the African country of Ubangiba, where her childhood friend, Sammat, is soon to be crowned king. Mrs. Pollifax, reluctant to allow the girl to venture alone into what she fears may be grave danger, crashes the party.

On arrival, Kadi and Mrs. P. soon discover that Sammat has dangerous enemies. Rumors are springing up that he is a sorcerer who 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. So 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. . . .

A MAIN SELECTION OF THE MYSTERY BOOK CLUB

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Customer Reviews

Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer
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.

2010-03-28 (Shoreview, MN USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Books
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!

2009-11-11 (Seville, Ohio) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Hilarious!
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!!

2009-04-06 (Michigan) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer
Enjoy the traveling with Mrs. P as she once again helps to unravel a conspiracy. This one was very tense at times with little leavining of humor. A good book if you are a Mrs. P fan

2009-03-23 | lucetta (Valdez, Alaska) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Mrs. Pollifax novels
[[ASIN:0449150046 Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries) This book is one of a series of books that reminds me of the Miss Marple mysteries of Agatha Christie with the added bonus of action and intrigue in exotic places. It is very well written, the characters are very unique and believable. If you like mysteries,and action/adventure novels, you will like this series. All of the books that I have read have been well worth reading.

2008-06-09 (Maryland) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Uncertain Voyage

Description

With a broken marriage and a nervous breakdown barely behind her, Melissa sails for Europe. When a strange traveler urgently asks her to deliver a book to a secret address, Melissa agrees -- much against her better judgment. Soon Melissa realizes she's being followed. Her life is suddenly in danger. And as she finds herself forced to fight alone against an enemy she cannot understand, Melissa discovers something extraordinary about herself, something she never suspected . . .

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Customer Reviews

Slow start, spell binding conclusion
I had only read Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax books before this book. Melissa, the main character, was so self absorbed and that made the beginning tedious. That didn't last long. I soon knew that real action was forthcoming; a man she hoped would provide some excitement in her life just asked her to do an errand for him. His short lived appearance promised that Melissa would encounter real trouble later on. The "real trouble" was foreshadowed repeatedly, and skillfully.

Melissa did find romantic excitement. I didn't appreciate one aspect of the romance (others wouldn't be so disproving) but the feelings that Melissa and the man developed for each other were heartwarming in view of the trauma they had both had in prior relationships and childhoods.

The story became spell binding when Melissa was again on her own and was snagged by the villains. How she dealt with this was amazing. The conclusion may seem implausible, but having managed some physical feats as a middle aged woman, I can believe it possible. Melissa is a great example of rising to the occasion after conquering her own emotions.

2010-04-24 | Nan Barnard White (Albq, NM USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Uncertain Voyage
Fast service and good packaging!! Thank you. I had not read other Dorothy Gillman novels other than the Mrs. Pollifax series, but enjoyed this one too!

2009-11-11 (Seville, Ohio) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Dorothy Gilman fan
As a Dorothy Gilman fan, I liked this book. But it is quite different in that, although there is a mystery involved, this book is more of a character study. I would have like more intricacy to the mystery and less character study.

2008-04-20 | Pati (Mishawaka, IN USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Disappointing
I have long been an avid reader and supporter of Dorothy Gillman's' work and have enjoyed every book until I read this one. This book is about a pitiful woman trying to get her life back on track, but all she does is whine and feel sorry for her past, present and future life. Nearly the entire story is filled with her self-doubt and insecurities. She is afraid of everything and nearly everyone. I believe this could have been established without beating us over the head with her continual annoying repeated "woe is me dialogue". I had a hard time just finishing this book and the ending leaves a lot to be desired.

I will still read Ms. Gilman's' work, but wish had not purchased this book - it will forever make me wonder, when I read one of her books, if I will regret getting it.

If you aren't into self-loathing then pick up the Mrs. Pollifax series and have fun escaping. (The reason I pick up mysteries in the first place).

2008-02-21 | jh (Irvine, Ca USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Laborious read
The main character in the book, Melissa, is truly an idiot. While traveling alone through Europe she is stalked - and she is very aware that she is being stalked. Instead of seeking help from the police or the American embassy, she moons about town dreaming of a man she knew for only a few days. When she finally walks out of her dream world into the traffic of reality, she is hit by a truck even a possum would have avoided.

Maybe this is an accurate portrait of someone seeking a self - I don't know. But I do know that psychiatrists get paid for wading trough this kind of drivel.

If you must read, get the Cliff Notes version.

2006-11-30 (Indianapolis, IN) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Incident at Badamya

Description

In the wilds of 1950s Burma, the teenage orphan of an American missionary sets out to meet her destiny in a wild jungle teeming with armed insurgents. Captured by Red Chinese forces, she makes friends with a fellow prisoner--a mysterious Burmese puppet master who holds the secret to her mystical gifts. HC: Doubleday.

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Customer Reviews

Not as expected
I was surprised that this was an old library book. The pages were very yellow and it smelled musty.

2010-05-22 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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A "must have" book
This is another of Gilman's books that's not, essentially amusing. It's more intense, and, if you even think about "magic" and "reincarnation" as possiblities, VERY realistic. A good insight into Africa, especially "Burma", during their wars for independence.

2009-10-05 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Incident at Badamya
Ms. Gilman is always a great escape. It's easy to get lost in the story and feel as if you were really there. Not as good as her "Mrs. Pollifax" series but keeps you interested.

2009-05-08 | Mystery Bug (Mansfield, Texas USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Incident at Badamya
The book came quite quickly but I got a paperback book and I'm sure I ordered a hardback.

2008-11-30 | Writer & Book Lover (Suffolk, VA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Intriguing and Captivating
I have thoroughly enjoyed Gilmore's books and this one is a favorite and a keeper. Gilmore has a skill in her descriptions of not only the characters, but the scenery as well. I felt like I was there and the art of producing a story of plumbing the depths of the character's secrets is superb. I never felt a boring moment while reading this. It is also a book that is hard to put down and when the final ending came, I felt sad that my trip had ended. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

2007-10-30 (Pacific Northwest) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Poise, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and waiting to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Accustom: New
• ISBN13: 9780449006702

Description

After facing down hijackers on a flight to the Middle East and saving the lives of the passengers on board, a young American woman steps off the plane in Damascus in a blaze of celebrity and disappears. The CIA believes Amanda Pym was kidnapped, possibly murdered.

Masquerading as Amanda Pym’s worried aunt, Mrs. Pollifax begins her determined search, slipping through Damascus’s crooked streets and crowded souks . . . and trekking deep into the desert. Yet she is shadowed by deadly enemies, whose sinister agenda threatens not only Mrs. P. but the fragile stability of the entire Middle East. Only a miracle–or a brilliant counterplot– can forestall a disaster that will send shock waves around the world.

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Customer Reviews

Mrs Polifax Unveiled
Great book - enjoy Gilman's characters very much - would like to see more of her works

2010-02-06 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A great mystery and geography lesson in one
Gillman's Mrs. Pollifax is always a joy if you are not looking for gore and want a light and quick mystery and spy novel. The research done on each of her books is thorough and puts you in a part of the world you may know little about. This book is just as good as the others in the series. Gillman and Pollifax haven't lost their touch..

2009-07-12 | Theatrician (El Paso, TX) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A bit of a disappointment
I am a big fan of the Pollifax series and have read all of her adventures. But this contribution was dull, uneventful, and a bit of a disappointment. Mrs Pollifax's strength is her ability to make emotional connections with strange people in strange lands, but there is little emotional connection with others in this novel. Thus, the book lacks one of the strongest attractions of previous books. Her sidekick Ferrell adds little to the story and just seems to be alone for the ride. The kidnap victim, Amanda Pym, who is the focus of the story is colorless and evokes little sympathy from the reader. I keep waiting for a twist in the plot, but in vain. This book lacks many of the attractions of the previous contributions to the series and was a bit of a disappointment.

2009-04-10 (Tennessee, USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 3

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Gotta love Mrs. P!
I look forward to new Mrs. Pollifax adventures like a kid in a candy store. Opening a new Mrs. Pollifax book is like joining an old friend. Although her earlier adventures are a little more fun, I suspect it is because she was more "unexpected" ;-) at the beginning. Still, as always, it is a fun, enjoyable, entertaining romp!

For anyone new to the Emily Pollifax series, start at the beginning with "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" and read them in order!

2007-11-13 | scubafiend (St. Petersburg, FL USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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A Thriller Cozy?
My first "Mrs. Pollifax" novel. With little buildup, the reader is in Syria with Mrs. Pollifax, a CIA biddy, and her sidekick. Their mission is to find and rescue an American girl who has saved a planeload of passengers and then disappeared. They have various adventures until they land in an archeological dig. This was an odd book, and it finally dawned on me that there's minimum violence, in spite of one murder, off screen, and that it's actually a cozy. If Mrs. Pollifax did a bit of knitting and had a cat, the genre would be complete. Instead we have sheep and an unlikely rescue. In spite of the oddball, bloodless scenarios and capers, I rather enjoyed the escapade, and came to like Mrs. Pollifax who seems to be a rather clever old bat.

2007-09-19 | Judy (New England) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist (Mrs. Pollifax Mysteries)

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780449183366
• Working order: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Boldness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and care to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

Working with her retired CIA friend John Farrell, Mrs. Pollifax must smuggle a manuscript out of Jordan, a document that encodes the shocking truth of Saddam Hussein's reign.

Hardly are the two airborne when the coils of Middle Eastern intrigue begin to unwind. Mrs. Pollifax's seatmate is not the affable Arab businessman he pretends to be. It is not imagination that persuades Mrs. P. that wherever they go, she and Farrell are followed. To elude their pursuers in such a politically volatile country isn't easy. In fact, it can be downright deadly. . . .

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Customer Reviews

Wonmderful story, wonderful buying experience
I love all of the Mrs. Polifax books. I think we all have a bit of her desire for adventure in us all. This one is particularly clever and a fun read all the way through...Sheiks, dangerous villains, constant danger, new adventures...great stuff.

2009-09-12 (Crofton, MD United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The incredible Mrs. Pollifax!
Mrs. Pollifax never ceases to amaze and entertain me. She's hard at work again. A great adventure as always.

2008-04-20 | Pati (Mishawaka, IN USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Not smart enough to be a CIA agent
I haven't read or listened to any of the other Mrs. Pollifax books, but it seems other people's enthusiastic reviews of the book edition are based on their love of the characters rather than on the story itself. As someone new to this series, I have to say this audiobook makes me uninterested in the rest. My father and I had a long road trip and I borrowed this book from the library to pass the time. There were so many clumsy plot devices that I had to wonder how Mrs. Pollifax could be such a wonderful CIA agent yet be so completely dense that she thinks the item slipped into her luggage by the Jordanian man sitting next to her on the plane was merely a nice gift for him to give. Even I am suspicious enough to be alarmed when something I didn't pack shows up in my baggage... and I'm just an average middle-class traveler who has been cheated and swindled plenty while abroad. Even though Pollifax noticed that a car was following Ferrell and her, why didn't she tell her partner so that they could stick together at Petra, instead of letting her partner trot off ahead around a corner so that she was left alone with a stranger? My father and I turned the audiobook off in the middle of disc 3 (of 6) and I'm returning it tomorrow. Neither of us are interested in hearing what else happens or has happened in the previous 13 or so books.

2006-01-31 | miriko (USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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innocent CIA agent
This book takes you on an adventure in the deserts of Jordan, with castles, multiple bad guys, camel rides, and a quaint old lady who is also a part time CIA operative. Our hero meets up with an unusual character on her airplane ride across the Atlantic, and the simple job isn't so simple anymore. This book is Murder She Wrote meets Lawrence of Arabia.

2005-10-01 (Manassas, Virginia United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Mrs. Pollifax goes to the Middle East
Mrs. Pollifax's friend Farrell asks her to accompany him on a mission to Jordan to retrieve the manuscript of a dissident author in Iraq. The author was a friend of Farrell's who was killed because he told uncomfortable truths about the reign of Saddam Hussein. On the flight to the Middle East, Mrs. Pollifax sits next to a man who turns out to be someone other than who he says he is. Farrell and Mrs. P. go through the requisite chases, shootings, and beatings until a happy conclusion is reached. I am curious about why Mrs. Pollifax married Cyrus in an earlier book in the series, because author Gilman manages to keep him well away from his wife's adventures. As always Mrs. Pollifax delights the reader and does not seem to need a leading man.

2003-05-02 (Lake Jackson, Texas) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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