Mrs Pollifax is back, this time to help track down several pounds of plutonium that has gone missing. The CIA and Interpol have tracked it to a healthMrs Pollifax is back, this time to help track down several pounds of plutonium that has gone missing. The CIA and Interpol have tracked it to a health clinic in Switzerland, and now they need Mrs Pollifax’s help in discovering more information. Of course, Mrs Pollifax jumps in with two feet, and with the help of some friends manages to foil a distasteful plot to take over the world.
These books are delightful, and they’re the perfect palate cleanser of sorts between heavier books. Mrs Pollifax is fantastic, always with a really excellent take on all aspects of life and ready with some useful advice even aside from saving the world. I can’t wait to see what shenanigans Mrs Pollifax gets up to next!...more
Another winner featuring my favorite CIA agent! This time Mrs Pollifax is sent to Bulgaria to deliver some passports for resistance members who are beAnother winner featuring my favorite CIA agent! This time Mrs Pollifax is sent to Bulgaria to deliver some passports for resistance members who are being targeted by the secret police. Having been published in 1971, the book is somewhat dated; Bulgaria is no longer a communist nation, though the people are just as warm as they’ve always been (I’ve known quite a few Bulgarians and they’re all delightful). I also had to giggle when Mrs Pollifax met a group of young people in the Belgrade airport, and the American official in Sofia was despairing of their long hair and bare feet, lol. One forgets now that it was expected to dress up if one were going out in public.
I absolutely love this series. There are several times that I would find myself laughing quietly or snorting at something that a character had said. Mrs Pollifax is absolutely delightful, and I rather wish she were a real person I could hang out with. I do understand that the plot stretches the reader’s credulity, but it’s just so charming that I don’t mind.
I’m eager to read the next in this series. ...more
I have absolutely no clue how I came across these books, but I am loving them. They’re the perfect palate cleanser between some of my heavier books.
I I have absolutely no clue how I came across these books, but I am loving them. They’re the perfect palate cleanser between some of my heavier books.
I will say that these books are in no way realistic, but boy, are they fun! Mrs Pollifax is an absolutely delight as a secret agent, and the way she draws people to her that render her such valuable assistance is amazing. Because this is a cozy mystery of sorts, maybe more of a cozy thriller, you know everything is going to work out all right, but it’s such a wild and fun ride to get there!
One thing I really enjoy about this series is the nostalgia. I remember when WWII seemed like only a few years ago (45 years isn’t really that long ago), and books and movies and TV shows referenced the war often. I remember when people defected from the USSR and other nations behind the Iron Curtain. Reading Mrs Pollifax is a bit like watching Murder, She Wrote, only with espionage. ...more
While pottering around one of the libraries in my state, I saw the second book in this series on the New Books shelf. The blurb caught my interest, soWhile pottering around one of the libraries in my state, I saw the second book in this series on the New Books shelf. The blurb caught my interest, so I wandered around until I found the first book in the series, being this one.
This is definitely a cute, cozy mystery, a nice departure from the two sad boat books I read just prior to this one. Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy lives in one of her father’s hotels, the Pinnacle, right in New York City, and as the daughter of a very wealthy man she is quite spoiled. But she’s still a sweet person, not one of those folks who think absolutely solely of themselves, or someone who uses others for nefarious purposes. Evelyn comes across as more naive, though she manages to solve the whodunit quite handily.
This book won’t win any great literature awards, but it feels quite well-written. Sometimes when I read a cozy mystery, the writing feels clunky and elementary, and I never felt that with this book. There are a few inconsistencies, but nothing was so egregious that I was annoyed.
I look forward to reading the second book in this series, especially to see more of the relationship developing between Evelyn and Mac, and her adorable canine bestie Presley. ...more
Oddly enough, I can’t remember where I came across this book, but I’m so glad I did. I feel like this series will be my palate cleanser in between mucOddly enough, I can’t remember where I came across this book, but I’m so glad I did. I feel like this series will be my palate cleanser in between much heavier books.
Mrs Pollifax is a mother of two, as well as a widow and a grandmother, but she feels like something is missing in her life. So she does the only sensible thing she can think to do — she waltzes into the headquarters of the CIA to ask for a job as a spy. And thus kicks off quite the adventurous three weeks in which Mrs Pollifax and her companion in espionage Farrell are abducted by Communists and taken to a remote location.
Keep in mind this book was initially published in 1966. Of course the Cold War was raging, and the Iron Curtain firmly in place. Communism was an evil the United States was committed to eradicating. What I found interesting is that the different flavors of Communism, that of the Chinese and that of the Soviets, were not compatible. I suppose I assumed they were on the same side.
There are only a few cringey instances in this book, most particularly when Mrs Pollifax first meets the person she christens the Genie. Unfortunately it is a risk one takes when one reads a book published 60 years ago.
This book is a rollicking good time, well paced and full of amusing bits. Mrs Pollifax is so much stronger than most people would give her credit, considering she is an older woman with no real skill set — or so folks would assume. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series....more
Georgia Thackery is a single mom, working as an adjunct professor at the university where both her parents have tenure. As a result, she has little spGeorgia Thackery is a single mom, working as an adjunct professor at the university where both her parents have tenure. As a result, she has little spare cash, so she moves back into her parents’ home while they’re away on sabbatical, leading her to reconnect with her childhood best friend Sid, the family skeleton. But when a fellow professor ends up dead, and Georgia has Sid examined by an anthropologist, it’s clear there is mischief afoot.
Not going to lie, I wasn’t expecting this book to be as good as it was. A lot of cozy mysteries have rather weak writing, but this one was delightful. It’s absolutely not great literature, but it’s sweet and witty and charming, and now I want a talking skeleton of my own.
I am looking forward to reading more from this series, although I find it odd that while I can check out the ebook versions from my library, they’re not available when I go to download them onto my Kindle. I can’t complain too much, as reading a physical books means fewer distractions....more
After seeing these novels in every mansion gift shop and every independent bookstore on the island (yes, I live in Newport), I decided to finally giveAfter seeing these novels in every mansion gift shop and every independent bookstore on the island (yes, I live in Newport), I decided to finally give these books a chance when I learned of the upcoming movie. I admit I didn’t hold much hope that this would be super good, so I wasn’t terribly disappointed to find out for myself that this is at best mediocre.
What I did really love about this book is that Maxwell is clearly a local. I’ve read plenty of other books set in Newport in which it was obvious that the author had probably never set foot on the island. Maxwell knows Newport intimately, and sprinkles the novel with actual street names and neighborhoods so that other locals will spot where the action is taking place. Because I live here, I could clearly see in my mind’s eye all the places that Maxwell described for her readers.
The issue is the execution of the plot, especially with the reveal of the villain. While the rest of the book kept my interest, and the pacing encouraged me to turn pages, the characters spoke like 21st century Newporters instead of folks living at the end of the 19th century. Too often Maxwell had them using modern turns of phrases, and the only way the reader would be reminded that the book takes place in 1895 is that Emma would be jumping into her carriage again.
I also didn’t feel the “romance” between Emma and Derrick Anderson. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two aside from Emma’s heart starting to race when Derrick’s hand got close to hers. I also don’t think that any man of the era would casually touch another woman, even absent-mindedly, as Derrick was wont to do, considering how forward that would have been of him. It felt more like Maxwell decided a romance was needed when it definitely was not.
The reveal of the villain was entirely too melodramatic for my tastes. It was your classic bad guy spewing out all of their motives to the hero in the film right before the villain is apprehended — just like in a bad made-for-TV drama, and that’s exactly what happened.
While I appreciate that Maxwell does an excellent job of bringing Newport to life for both those that live here and those that may never have the chance to visit, I am not sure I will continue on with this series....more
I’ve enjoyed Jane Austen ever since I first saw the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice when I was a teen. I immediately fell in love with the Bennet I’ve enjoyed Jane Austen ever since I first saw the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice when I was a teen. I immediately fell in love with the Bennet family, even as annoying as most of them are (thank god, my mom was nothing like Mrs Bennet).
I really want to love these adaptations or extensions of the original story, especially since Jane Austen herself wasn’t able to write many novels before she died at the age of 41. The problem is, they rarely hold up. I’m not a reader that would demand a modern author to write in exactly the style Jane Austen did because that’s just a little too difficult; we don’t talk or think in the same ways as people in the Regency era. But while it is true that one could argue that not a lot happens in Jane Austen novels, there is quite a lot of character development which keeps the reader interested. This novel had none of that. There was nothing that really happened, except one murder that took such a long time to be solved, and then there was very little character development. It feels as though the author is trying to suggest that Mary is neurodivergent, but she’s doing so in a way that feels a bit stereotyped, like a neurotypical’s idea of what a neurodivergent person would act.
I spent two or three days reading this book, and to be honest, I can’t really remember what happened. All I can recall is that something at the end with everyone being spies for Britain against Napoleon. ...more
I adored this book. For me, it’s a little bit of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series (starting with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie mixed with a bit of BBC’s Grantchester TV series. You’ve got a small village in post-WWII Britain, with everyone dealing with austerity measures, and everyone knowing everyone else. But then Leo Page is sent to this small town to keep an eye on someone that might be dealing on the black market, and he must figure out why two people have ended up dead. It’s then that he meets the village’s doctor, James Sommers, and the two find solace in one another’s company, though they are both hurt and damaged people.
This is so well-written. I was never bored, and the usual trope of the police being incompetent wasn’t even mentioned. There are very good reasons as to why Page chooses not to be fully forthcoming with the information that he has, but it’s all revealed by the end to the readers. Along the way, not only do James and Leo fall for one another, but we get to know some truly charming characters, including Wendy, the orphan who was billeted to the town during the war, and Miss Pickering and Miss Delacourt, two adorable old spinsters who have taken in Wendy as their ward. Sebastian created this wonderful little town which seems like a lovely place to inhabit for 224 pages.
I feel like this is more of a cozy mystery that happens to have a romance, versus a true romance, which made it even more appealing to me (and I typically am not a cozy mystery reader). This book will definitely leave you feeling warm and fuzzy....more
Let me start off by saying I am not a cozy mystery reader. But since I’ve been getting into romance novels lately, I figured, what the heck, let’s tryLet me start off by saying I am not a cozy mystery reader. But since I’ve been getting into romance novels lately, I figured, what the heck, let’s try a cozy mystery too. It’s always good to try something new! Plus that cover is adorable, and I love food, so it looked like a perfect foray into this genre.
The thing is, I didn’t love this book. Initially, the writing did grab me, but then I started to feel that the writing got a bit choppy and elementary-sounding. I’d read a sentence and edit it in my head as I read, and I hate it when I do that. But my sentences would sound better to me than what I was reading. Perhaps this novel just needed a more ruthless editor, I don’t know.
This book also demands quite the suspension of disbelief. Of course the police are incompetent nincompoops that decide that Mr Feng’s death by shellfish allergy might not be all that suspicious, that it was just a terrible mistake that resulted in an accidental death. Obviously this means that Lana should be poking her nose into everyone’s business and asking invasive questions with no regard for her own safety or the fact that she’s literally ruining any real investigation, not to mention contaminating crime scenes. It also irked me that Chien is setting Lana up with Detective Trudeau; not only it is very cliche but it seems like a giant conflict of interest since Lana is, at least for a good chunk of the novel, a suspect since she’s the one who brought the dumplings to Mr Feng.
Or maybe I watch far too many true crime documentaries on Netflix. That is also a very real possibility.
The setting up of Kimmy as a suspect was so obviously a red herring that I was getting annoyed. Just because someone is bitchy doesn’t mean they’ve killed someone. Sigh.
All of that said, I will read a few more in this series because I feel like maybe all of these issues can be smoothed out in later novels as Chien hones her writing. One can hope....more
Loading...
