Dorothy Gilman is one of my friends that I enjoy spending time with. Or at least, Mrs. Pollifax, Madame Karitska, and Sister John are old friends. Dorothy Gilman is mostly known for her Mrs. Pollifax series. It is a series that you should definitely start with the first story: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. If you like cozy mysteries, this is a cozy spy story. Mrs. Pollifax is a member of The Garden Club and the Women’s Auxiliary where she volunteers pushing a book cart at the hospital. She also volunteers as a spy for the CIA and has lately taken up karate. With only the wisdom that comes from an ordinary life well-lived and some unexpected friends, she overcomes evil plots in exotic locations. Her adventures are full of fascinating characters, unexpected twists and humor. I particularly like the first five books in the series and always read them in order.
I find that The Clairvoyant Countess and Kaleidoscope are equally fascinating and regret that there are only two books in this series. In A Nun in the Close, cloistered nuns, hippies, and the mafia collide in a haunted house and the results are just fun.
I hope this is enough enjoyable reading to get me through a wet spring.
~Review by Janet T., reference librarian
