What do you think?
Rate this book
Mrs. Pollifax #8
Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle
Although Mrs. Pollifax is determined to give up spying for good, she can't help but agree to carry a small object to an agent in Thailand, and get one in return. The moment she lands, however, Mrs. Pollifax is horrified to find her contact dead and her husband kidnapped. The next thing she knows, she's tramping through the ominous Thai countryside, led by a curious fellow who may be trying to help her find her husband. Or he may have other, more sinister plans....
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
242 people are currently reading
1,201 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Gilman
119Ìýbooks719ÌýfollowersDorothy Edith Gilman started writing when she was 9 and knew early on she was to be a writer. At 11, she competed against 10 to 16-year-olds in a story contest and won first place. She attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and briefly the University of Pennsylvania. She planned to write and illustrate children's books. She married Edgar A. Butters Jr, in 1945, this ended in divorce in 1965. Dorothy worked as an art teacher & telephone operator before becoming an author. She wrote children’s stories for more than ten years under the name
Dorothy Gilman Butters
and then began writing adult novels about Mrs. Pollifax–a retired grandmother who becomes a CIA agent. The Mrs. Pollifax series made Dorothy famous. While her stories nourish people’s thirst for adventure and mystery, Dorothy knew about nourishing the body as well. On her farm in Nova Scotia, she grew medicinal herbs and used this knowledge of herbs in many of her stories, including A Nun in the Closet. She travelled extensively, and used these experiences in her novels as well. Many of Dorothy’s books, feature strong women having adventures around the world. In 2010 Gilman was awarded the annual Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Dorothy spent much of her life in Connecticut, New Mexico, and Maine. She died at age 88 of complications of Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by two sons, Christopher Butters and Jonathan Butters; and two grandchildren.
Series:
*
Series:
*
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
July 14, 2014
I love the Mrs. Pollifax book. They are, as I've said before, some of my favourite comfort reads. When I need an old friend, this senior citizen CIA spy is one of my favourite companions.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
May 2, 2020
Still recovering from her traumatic experiences at the end of her previous adventure, in
, our intrepid grandmotherly spy is looking forward to a trip to Thailand with husband Cyrus. It's to be a trip as a genuine tourist this time, until Bishop shows up and asks Mrs. P to do a simple job, picking up a letter in a town in northern Thailand. This being a Mrs. Pollifax adventure, not all goes as planned, and Cyrus is kidnapped. Hot in pursuit, our heroine treks through the rainforest with an unexpected ally, in the form of local teak smuggler Bonchoo. She visits a Akha village, sees a forgotten monastery, now inhabited by a Buddhist mystic, and meets an unpleasant American masquerading as a photojournalist. As always, all is not as it seems, but fortunately Mrs. Pollifax does find Cyrus in the end...
I've always enjoyed Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, which is the eighth entry in the Mrs. Pollifax series, which I reread many times as an adolescent. The setting is fascinating, and as always, I found myself longing to visit the places the heroine does. The travelogue aspect of these books is one of their chief charms, as is the main character herself - a cozy grandmother in a distinctly non-cozy world. I appreciate the open and accepting way that Mrs. Pollifax approaches the wide world, her sense of wonder, at discovering new things. I don't know that these later books in the series are as amusing as prior ones - the first three are the most hilarious, in my view - but they are engaging. This one is the last that I tended to reread, when younger. The subsequent six titles have been read once, but never revisited, and I'm debating whether I'll reread them now, during this pandemic comfort reading project. Perhaps so, perhaps not. In any case, this is one I'd recommend to readers who have enjoyed previous entries in the series.
I've always enjoyed Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, which is the eighth entry in the Mrs. Pollifax series, which I reread many times as an adolescent. The setting is fascinating, and as always, I found myself longing to visit the places the heroine does. The travelogue aspect of these books is one of their chief charms, as is the main character herself - a cozy grandmother in a distinctly non-cozy world. I appreciate the open and accepting way that Mrs. Pollifax approaches the wide world, her sense of wonder, at discovering new things. I don't know that these later books in the series are as amusing as prior ones - the first three are the most hilarious, in my view - but they are engaging. This one is the last that I tended to reread, when younger. The subsequent six titles have been read once, but never revisited, and I'm debating whether I'll reread them now, during this pandemic comfort reading project. Perhaps so, perhaps not. In any case, this is one I'd recommend to readers who have enjoyed previous entries in the series.
August 27, 2012
After a few months to recover from the events in Hong Kong (which still haunt Mrs. Pollifax psychologically) she and her husband Cyrus are taking off to Thailand...on vacation, this time! But just as they're getting ready to leave, Bishop shows up on their doorstep and asks them to handle just a small delivery for the CIA while they're there. No big deal, right? Easy as pie - collect some secret documents from an informer, and give him his payment - and then on with the vacation. Nothing to it.
Right :)
Everything goes wrong almost before Mrs. Pollifax realizes what is happening, and the most frightening part of all is that her husband Cyrus is kidnapped right before her very eyes, and without a moment's hesitation she has to plunge back into a world of unknowns, a world of suspense, and a world of adventure.
I really liked this book, for a number of reasons. Mrs. Pollifax herself is always at the top of the list, of course. She is, hands down, one of my favorite fictional characters ever, and she's in her glory here, for all the tension and anxiety that she has to live with as she tries to track and rescue Cyrus. Her spirits were flagging for a bit after being tortured in Hong Kong (in the last book) but she herself says that the best way to get over it is to "get right back in the saddle." As she plunges right into the thick of things - right through the savage jungles of northern Thailand - I can't help but wish I was there with her. She is such an inspiration, and this book in particular makes me shake my head in wonder and appreciation for the excellent character that Dorothy Gilman has created. Even today - over twenty years after the book was written - there are almost no other strong, adventuresome roles for a female character in her sixties. Mrs. Pollifax is just what this world needs, and she definitely rocks.
This book also brings back one of the things I enjoyed about the earlier books and had missed in the last few (where it was conspicuously absent) and that is the cut scenes of Carstairs and Bishop, in Carstairs' office at CIA headquarters, going over the events as they try to keep up with the action. I always look forward to those little scenes and I love their reactions. Good stuff.
And the adventure is back...the last few installments in the series had a lot of adventure too, no denying that, but especially in the last one, all of the action took place in an urban setting. This time, Mrs. Pollifax is back out in the middle of nowhere, striding through the jungle and ready to take on anything that gets in her way. I like that. And the settings were great. The wild jungle...the Akha village...and of course, my favorite, the forgotten temple deep in the jungle. Yes, it does sound like the backdrop for a 1980s action movie, but that's just fine by me, because it works, and it works wonderfully.
My favorite scene happens at the forgotten temple...where Mrs. Pollifax wakes in the night, and goes outside under the full moon and the stars and sees the holy man sitting in yoga stance, and she does the same, and there's that rare moment of clarity and harmony that we all experience in our lives from time to time, though we may not really understand how momentous of a moment it is until it has already passed.
My only misgiving was that there were a few loose ends that weren't tied up...
This is one of the better books in the series...I really enjoyed it.
Right :)
Everything goes wrong almost before Mrs. Pollifax realizes what is happening, and the most frightening part of all is that her husband Cyrus is kidnapped right before her very eyes, and without a moment's hesitation she has to plunge back into a world of unknowns, a world of suspense, and a world of adventure.
I really liked this book, for a number of reasons. Mrs. Pollifax herself is always at the top of the list, of course. She is, hands down, one of my favorite fictional characters ever, and she's in her glory here, for all the tension and anxiety that she has to live with as she tries to track and rescue Cyrus. Her spirits were flagging for a bit after being tortured in Hong Kong (in the last book) but she herself says that the best way to get over it is to "get right back in the saddle." As she plunges right into the thick of things - right through the savage jungles of northern Thailand - I can't help but wish I was there with her. She is such an inspiration, and this book in particular makes me shake my head in wonder and appreciation for the excellent character that Dorothy Gilman has created. Even today - over twenty years after the book was written - there are almost no other strong, adventuresome roles for a female character in her sixties. Mrs. Pollifax is just what this world needs, and she definitely rocks.
This book also brings back one of the things I enjoyed about the earlier books and had missed in the last few (where it was conspicuously absent) and that is the cut scenes of Carstairs and Bishop, in Carstairs' office at CIA headquarters, going over the events as they try to keep up with the action. I always look forward to those little scenes and I love their reactions. Good stuff.
And the adventure is back...the last few installments in the series had a lot of adventure too, no denying that, but especially in the last one, all of the action took place in an urban setting. This time, Mrs. Pollifax is back out in the middle of nowhere, striding through the jungle and ready to take on anything that gets in her way. I like that. And the settings were great. The wild jungle...the Akha village...and of course, my favorite, the forgotten temple deep in the jungle. Yes, it does sound like the backdrop for a 1980s action movie, but that's just fine by me, because it works, and it works wonderfully.
My favorite scene happens at the forgotten temple...where Mrs. Pollifax wakes in the night, and goes outside under the full moon and the stars and sees the holy man sitting in yoga stance, and she does the same, and there's that rare moment of clarity and harmony that we all experience in our lives from time to time, though we may not really understand how momentous of a moment it is until it has already passed.
My only misgiving was that there were a few loose ends that weren't tied up...
This is one of the better books in the series...I really enjoyed it.
March 11, 2021
Well, I think we (that's me and my spouse) are pretty much done with Mrs. Pollifax at this point.
The novelty has worn off ... for us. Yes, yes ... we realize that the attraction remains (or remained) for legions of readers, but we both found this one to be (not just silly and in no way believable) just not that entertaining to the point where it felt like a slog getting through it.... Alas.
As period pieces ... a lighter, fluffier, more travelogue-oriented slice of Cold War espionage genre ... goes, well, they have (or, at least for us, had) a certain attraction. And Mrs. Pollifax was definitely cute and unexpected and surprising ... until (for us) she wasn't fresh or new ... or interesting or captivating any more.
Moreover, I've increasingly found the books dull, with the travelogue aspects feeling particularly (really) disappointing. I found almost nothing remotely recognizable - visually, culturally, ... or at the dinner table ... in the last few books (despite having spent time on location), which seems strange to me to the extent that, apparently, the author, Dorothy Gilman, traveled extensively and based the books on her own travels. OK, OK, it was a different era, but ... but ....
My spouse frequently remarked that - in this book - it felt like too much tell and not enough show - and that resonates.
The novelty has worn off ... for us. Yes, yes ... we realize that the attraction remains (or remained) for legions of readers, but we both found this one to be (not just silly and in no way believable) just not that entertaining to the point where it felt like a slog getting through it.... Alas.
As period pieces ... a lighter, fluffier, more travelogue-oriented slice of Cold War espionage genre ... goes, well, they have (or, at least for us, had) a certain attraction. And Mrs. Pollifax was definitely cute and unexpected and surprising ... until (for us) she wasn't fresh or new ... or interesting or captivating any more.
Moreover, I've increasingly found the books dull, with the travelogue aspects feeling particularly (really) disappointing. I found almost nothing remotely recognizable - visually, culturally, ... or at the dinner table ... in the last few books (despite having spent time on location), which seems strange to me to the extent that, apparently, the author, Dorothy Gilman, traveled extensively and based the books on her own travels. OK, OK, it was a different era, but ... but ....
My spouse frequently remarked that - in this book - it felt like too much tell and not enough show - and that resonates.
July 31, 2023
Very disappointing. To make matters worse, my e-copy was littered with typos. Mrs Pollifax is light, frothy spy fiction but usually manages to achieve a good, suspenseful storyline interspersed with interesting facts about the location(s). There is little storyline at all this time, however, and although we do learn some interesting facts about Thailand, its people and its history, it was spoiled by the littering of the text with Thai words that may or may not be important. There is no link to translations and life is too short to Google Translate every word or phrase!
I’m hoping this is a one off disappointment and will keep an open mind for Mrs Pollifax’s next adventure.
I’m hoping this is a one off disappointment and will keep an open mind for Mrs Pollifax’s next adventure.
December 14, 2023
After her last misadventure thwarting a dangerous terrorist group, Mrs. Pollifax has some misgivings about life as a Cold War spy. Now she’s trying to put that life behind her and plans to vacation in Thailand with her husband, Cyrus Reed, and actually be an innocent tourist. However, the CIA isn’t quite ready to give her up, and Carstairs� secretary Bishop begs her to take on a simple job picking up a packet of information from Ruamsak, a new informant in Thailand. However, nothing is ever simple for Mrs. Pollifax and quite soon things take a turn when she finds a body where she’s supposed to meet Ruamsak and Cyrus is suddenly kidnapped. A man at the scene who gives his name as Bonchoo teams up with Mrs. Pollifax as they attempt to track down Cyrus in the dangerous northern area of Thailand and flee from menacing pursuers.
This is a great book because it introduces the so-called “Upstairs� at the CIA. Upstairs employee Lance Mornajay interferes with the Thailand task by sending computer expert McAndrews to keep the informant under surveillance. Mornajay becomes one of my favorite recurring characters even though he’s usually only briefly mentioned or a periphery character. Like Carstairs, he has an interesting past that becomes relevant. In this book, he receives a mysterious call from a woman in Bangkok and goes AWOL, later turning up in Thailand. These events end up connecting somewhat to the decade-old disappearance of John Lloyd “Joker� Matthews, a U.S. diplomat in Bangkok. Matthews is also known to Cyrus, who went to college with him. This strange web also weaves together with the events surrounding Mrs. Pollifax. It all seems complicated, but it comes together perfectly and makes for a fun book. (Also, McAndrews is an endearing character.)
Verdict
Like every book in this series, it's a highly fun read that will bring joy.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who wants a lighthearted spy thriller.
Others in series
Book 1: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 2: The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 3: The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 4: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 5: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ★★★★�
Book 6: Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station ★★★★�
Book 7: Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha ★★★★�
This is a great book because it introduces the so-called “Upstairs� at the CIA. Upstairs employee Lance Mornajay interferes with the Thailand task by sending computer expert McAndrews to keep the informant under surveillance. Mornajay becomes one of my favorite recurring characters even though he’s usually only briefly mentioned or a periphery character. Like Carstairs, he has an interesting past that becomes relevant. In this book, he receives a mysterious call from a woman in Bangkok and goes AWOL, later turning up in Thailand. These events end up connecting somewhat to the decade-old disappearance of John Lloyd “Joker� Matthews, a U.S. diplomat in Bangkok. Matthews is also known to Cyrus, who went to college with him. This strange web also weaves together with the events surrounding Mrs. Pollifax. It all seems complicated, but it comes together perfectly and makes for a fun book. (Also, McAndrews is an endearing character.)
Verdict
Like every book in this series, it's a highly fun read that will bring joy.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who wants a lighthearted spy thriller.
Others in series
Book 1: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 2: The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 3: The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 4: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax ★★★★�
Book 5: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari ★★★★�
Book 6: Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station ★★★★�
Book 7: Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha ★★★★�
May 13, 2020
emily adds sleight of hand to her arsenal, then climbs back on a horse;
the next book should be fun (unfortunately, this one's a bit tame but understandably so)
the editorial mistakes i found are annoyingly many
p23: after pondering this she decided that she still had scruples and, virtuously, that being aware of how the criminal mind worked was just as important as making blancmanage and growing geraniums in her more conventional life.
p127: "...they had just begun to see how poor the rest of the country was, so they marched and made noises and the government listened, it was scared."
p130-131: its visible length was something like seventeen inches, which implied an arrow much longer, yet even as she stared at it she could note its nstrange beauty, the fletch fashioned out of thin strips of bamboo folded with exquisite craftsmanship to lengthen and hasten its flight.
p138: she lifted out the gun and unwrapped it: it was a 41 magnum revolver.
p149: in a corner stood a small pile of kindling for the fire, and above it a finger of bananas hanging from a nail.
p193: it was also bonchoo who insisted on escorting them to the airport for the plane to bongkok.
the next book should be fun (unfortunately, this one's a bit tame but understandably so)
the editorial mistakes i found are annoyingly many
p23: after pondering this she decided that she still had scruples and, virtuously, that being aware of how the criminal mind worked was just as important as making blancmanage and growing geraniums in her more conventional life.
p127: "...they had just begun to see how poor the rest of the country was, so they marched and made noises and the government listened, it was scared."
p130-131: its visible length was something like seventeen inches, which implied an arrow much longer, yet even as she stared at it she could note its nstrange beauty, the fletch fashioned out of thin strips of bamboo folded with exquisite craftsmanship to lengthen and hasten its flight.
p138: she lifted out the gun and unwrapped it: it was a 41 magnum revolver.
p149: in a corner stood a small pile of kindling for the fire, and above it a finger of bananas hanging from a nail.
p193: it was also bonchoo who insisted on escorting them to the airport for the plane to bongkok.
February 16, 2023
After all the bad stuff that had happened to the old lady with the weird hats that works for the CIA (Mrs Pollifax), in the previous books, she now goes for a well deserved holiday in Thailand with her new husband. But can she maybe deliver just a small parcel and retrieve some information since she’s going to be there anyway?
That was a fun story set in the borders between Thailand-Burma (Myanmar now) and Laos. Is set in 1962 when a coup d'état happened. I saw that in 2021 happened one, again 😔
There was nothing like the prospect of facing bandits, opium smugglers and hill-tribe people to exorcise an experience in the past.
That was a fun story set in the borders between Thailand-Burma (Myanmar now) and Laos. Is set in 1962 when a coup d'état happened. I saw that in 2021 happened one, again 😔
May 3, 2024
It's been a while since I read the previous Mrs. Pollifax book. This was another fun, adventurous installment, but my favourites are numbers 1, 3 & 7 which I gave 4 stars to (this is number 8). The blurb tells you all you should know going into read the book, other than that since it's a Mrs. Pollifax, things don't go off smoothly, so there is plenty of action and adventure. Some call this a cozy and some a thriller, so it's really up to you to decide which end you think this should go on. There are fun characters and at least one twist (every book has at least one, so that's fair game to mention.) Even I didn't read the ending before I was done and I usually do that--best not to, IMO. I do plan to continue this series which was written over a span of 34 years.
October 21, 2020
I read this book #8 before reading any of the previous installments, so I think I might've lost a bit but I had no problem following it. I love that it was set in Thailand, a country I'd love to visit. It had suspense, some humor, and espionage. Mrs. Pollifax is a newlywed, and while in Bangkok her husband is kidnapped. I love what a strong female character she is to go through what she did do save her husband from a bunch of pretty bad criminals.
The characters were likeable, well-developed, and the plot kept me engaged. I think this is one book read out of order that I will definitely need to go back and start from book #1.
The characters were likeable, well-developed, and the plot kept me engaged. I think this is one book read out of order that I will definitely need to go back and start from book #1.
December 10, 2022
Good but not great entry in the series - and probably my last, as this is the third and final "Mrs. Pollifax" set in Asia.
Gilman made a good decision moving the story quickly out of Bangkok (a fascinating city, but too crowded to have much action taking place) and up-country to the northern highlands. So 4-stars for the setting, which cleverly incorporates characters based on Jim Thompson (who went missing in nearby Malaysia's Cameron Highlands in the mid-60s) and drug-running Shan warlord Khun Sa, who was kind of a big deal (at least in Southeast Asia) when this book was written in the mid-80s.
But then barely 3-stars as a spy story, in part because (as with the previous book, ) the plot hinges largely on a McGuffin, but more importantly because for the first time (at least in the books I've read) she portrays the CIA as a fairly unprofessional - if not outright bumbling - organization. Sending an inexperienced analyst off to run a complex surveillance operation single-handedly, while any reader of almost ANY spy fiction knows that effective surveillance requires at least a 3-6 person team; and then later having a senior CIA official suddenly take off after a mysterious phone call, only to be spotted in a Bangkok bar several days later...to which his CIA colleagues respond with a simple "huh, that's weird - wonder if we should tell anyone about this?"
Also, Gilman strains credibility here well-beyond the breaking point (even for a Mrs. Pollifax story!) in having her cast of characters constantly stumbling across each other in the jungle, making the vast Northern Thailand wilderness seem more like a shopping mall where you might bump into friends on a weekend.
Anyway - a fun diversion for fans of the Pollifax series, jungle stories, or Thailand in general; but otherwise not the best introduction to this still-delightful character.
Gilman made a good decision moving the story quickly out of Bangkok (a fascinating city, but too crowded to have much action taking place) and up-country to the northern highlands. So 4-stars for the setting, which cleverly incorporates characters based on Jim Thompson (who went missing in nearby Malaysia's Cameron Highlands in the mid-60s) and drug-running Shan warlord Khun Sa, who was kind of a big deal (at least in Southeast Asia) when this book was written in the mid-80s.
But then barely 3-stars as a spy story, in part because (as with the previous book, ) the plot hinges largely on a McGuffin, but more importantly because for the first time (at least in the books I've read) she portrays the CIA as a fairly unprofessional - if not outright bumbling - organization. Sending an inexperienced analyst off to run a complex surveillance operation single-handedly, while any reader of almost ANY spy fiction knows that effective surveillance requires at least a 3-6 person team; and then later having a senior CIA official suddenly take off after a mysterious phone call, only to be spotted in a Bangkok bar several days later...to which his CIA colleagues respond with a simple "huh, that's weird - wonder if we should tell anyone about this?"
Also, Gilman strains credibility here well-beyond the breaking point (even for a Mrs. Pollifax story!) in having her cast of characters constantly stumbling across each other in the jungle, making the vast Northern Thailand wilderness seem more like a shopping mall where you might bump into friends on a weekend.
Anyway - a fun diversion for fans of the Pollifax series, jungle stories, or Thailand in general; but otherwise not the best introduction to this still-delightful character.
March 27, 2024
Love Emily and Cyrus. Such fun, cozy mysteries. I don't even mind that they are dated.
June 26, 2024
This book started out a bit of a mess. It took me weeks to get through the first 5 chapters. It wasn't engaging and it just seemed very disorganized. And worst of all, boring.
It improved, but not much. Our Mrs. Pollifax goes from Jungle Location to Jungle Location to find her kidnapped husband. There are some ridiculous coincidences that beggar belief. The two mysteries are wound up in the last two chapters, and there are no real stakes.
I think I'm done with these for now. I just have lost interest.
It improved, but not much. Our Mrs. Pollifax goes from Jungle Location to Jungle Location to find her kidnapped husband. There are some ridiculous coincidences that beggar belief. The two mysteries are wound up in the last two chapters, and there are no real stakes.
I think I'm done with these for now. I just have lost interest.
September 11, 2012
In Mrs. Pollifax's 8th adventure, readers find her in the jungles of Thailand, encountering hidden tribes of people, a decaying Buddhist monastery, and quite a number of people with alias names and jobs, not to mention the fact that her husband was inexplicably (until near the end of the book) kidnapped. Of the 8 books in this series I've read so far, this one is the most unbelievable and I felt almost exhausted by her trek through the jungle. For me, this was not as good as the other stories, and I hope future episodes will return to the lighter quality of the first few books.
August 16, 2021
As delightful as most of the Pollifax boks - this one finds Mrs. P. and her newish husband Cyrus heading to Thailand for a "relaxing vacation". Of course Mrs. P's handlers at the CIA step in and ask her to pick up one itty, bitty letter - this leads to Cyrus being kidnapped, and Mrs. P traipsing through the jungle to look for him. This will NOT make you yearn for a hike through the jungle, but as always, you'll be impressed by Mrs. P's bravery, loyalty, humor, intelligence and as Cyrus mentions toward the end - her optimism. Everyone needs a dose.
December 21, 2022
If you've ever thought an adventure story with an old lady as the main character would be silly, you're dead wrong. This is my first Mrs. Pollifax book and it was such an exciting read. I've read this about four times and I always read it in one sitting. There is so much action and intrigue that I was kept on my toes the entire time. A fun ride and a page-turner. Highly recommended.
March 23, 2024
A great installment in the series set in Thailand, which I recently visited so I really enjoyed that part. I love how these books give you a glimpse into different countries. Gilman handles different cultures respectfully (which is really nice from books written in the 60’s-80’s). I love how Mrs. Pollifax always finds allies and fiends in the people she’s meets on her missions and adventures. This is as my favorite of the last few books in the series.
February 12, 2022
My second-to least favorite, and only because it was just a little too coincidental a little too often. I still enjoyed it, cracked up at Cyrus, and got a kick out of... was it Bancho? Something like that. As usual, the story wasn't crazy plausible, but you don't read Pollifax for realism but to be steeped in another culture while being taken along for a hilarious ride!
December 30, 2021
Wasn't feeling well today, so another Mrs. P fit the bill. Diverting, as always, and blessedly free of the nastiness I disliked in the last one. Our heroine truly is a twentieth-century Methodist. Doesn't hold her supposed faith any dearer than any other brand of spiritually she stumbles across. But as long as the author isn't trying too hard to persuade me to think likewise, I've no problem just rolling my eyes and ignoring that bit of nonsense.
December 21, 2018
After the disastrous turn of events in Hong Kong, Mrs. Pollifax is off on an actual vacation! Until Bishop arrives, that is. He has another job for her that SHOULD be completely safe. Again. This time, she follows her new husband after he is kidnapped, through the jungles of Thailand.
What I like about these books is the fact that they don't really waste much time filling in the background and political landscape. We are really just along for the adventure and it doesn't matter what is going on in the world.
What I like about these books is the fact that they don't really waste much time filling in the background and political landscape. We are really just along for the adventure and it doesn't matter what is going on in the world.
March 10, 2020
There's much to be said about reading a series in sequence, especially if the characters reappear in subsequent books. Again, Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in danger, while she and Cyrus are doing a 'simple errand' for the CIA in Thailand, as a side to their much needed vacation. It seems that she finds herself in remote areas, pursued by killers, and relying on her intuition. She has endured more misadventures, torture treatments (this time bloody blisters on her feet), exasperating treks through the jungle, days of not brushing her teeth and wearing the same cotton dress. At the same time discovering amazing scenery and sites, lovely and warm natives and generous and mediative spirits that keep her going. Mrs. Pollifax endures, conquers and keeps her wits about her which is the charm of the series.
August 12, 2011
"She became aware-and knew-that she truely sat in the presence of a holy man because she had never before felt so at peace, or felt such love and serenity flowing into her from him."
I love the insight that Dorothy brings into the story. There is one in every book that shows a depth of thought and insight into the human nature. This particular thought reminds me that this is what I feel in the presence of the Prophet or when I feel the spirit, or when I am in tune doing what I should be with my life.
I love the insight that Dorothy brings into the story. There is one in every book that shows a depth of thought and insight into the human nature. This particular thought reminds me that this is what I feel in the presence of the Prophet or when I feel the spirit, or when I am in tune doing what I should be with my life.
March 8, 2024
2024: Repeat listen. 4 stars.
I'm finding relistening through this series, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, is making for good comfort listening. I know exactly what is going to happen in each book so no extra investment is needed beyond enjoying the relisten.
2019: Repeat listen. 3 stars
After having just finished Rudyard Kipling's book Kim it was a delight to have it used as a source to solving a mystery, and to see why a Buddhist priest (?) would have it as one of his few books.
I'm finding relistening through this series, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, is making for good comfort listening. I know exactly what is going to happen in each book so no extra investment is needed beyond enjoying the relisten.
2019: Repeat listen. 3 stars
After having just finished Rudyard Kipling's book Kim it was a delight to have it used as a source to solving a mystery, and to see why a Buddhist priest (?) would have it as one of his few books.
July 26, 2010
Still good, I'd drop from 4.5 to 4 here possibly, but since we don't have half stars that doesn't really matter here.
Things get a little sillier here and credulity gets strained a little more than usual (and that's saying something in this series of novels)... but the humor hangs in there. Some drug smuggling, kidnapping, rather bumbling agents and geriatric martial arts spice up this one. Read it for fun.
Things get a little sillier here and credulity gets strained a little more than usual (and that's saying something in this series of novels)... but the humor hangs in there. Some drug smuggling, kidnapping, rather bumbling agents and geriatric martial arts spice up this one. Read it for fun.
August 19, 2024
Not the best of the series, but still fun. I think the problem here is that Mrs. P. spends all her time reacting to others and being led around by them. At no point is she confronted by a problem, coming up with a plan, executing and adapting, as she usually does. So it just doesn't feel as interesting or exciting to me. It does still have that great sense of humanity, and also of setting, though. Plus, I especially like that Emily and Cyrus both play important parts in the story.
August 6, 2015
Dorothy Gilman has all the skills a writer needs and she uses them to great effect in Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle. With subtlety and pathos she weaves a CIA story every bit as complex as one from Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum. Mrs. Pollifax looks like an ordinary person but has extraordinary skills, not the lest of which is courage and ingenuity. These books can be mistakenly presumed to be, as can the heroine herself, a bit bland and prosaic, not so!
October 28, 2018
Excellent. I enjoyed this better the second time I read it. There are a lot of characters in the beginning, many have no names, that are so ambiguous in character it is hard to keep up with them or keep them separate. You find out their identities toward end of book. 2nd time through you know who they are so the story is easier to follow.
June 7, 2016
I just love all the Mrs. Pollifax series, ever since I was a kid. She is such a spunky old gal, I hope I have that spunk when I am a senior.
February 19, 2025
Dorothy Gilman has done it again. I don’t know how she kept writing these fabulous books featuring a strong, capable, indefatigable heroine in her 60s, and yet each one feels fresh and full of excitement.
In this installment, Mrs Pollifax is still recovering from her travails in Hong Kong, and the emotional and psychological scars are still fresh. She and her husband Cyrus Reed are off to Thailand for a much-needed vacation when Bishop shows up on the doorstep and asks if they could just drop off a package since they’ll be in the area anyhow. Of course, they agree� which leads to Cyrus being kidnapped and Mrs Pollifax having to effect a rescue.
One thing I find so appealing about these books is how sensitively Gilman wrote the people around Mrs Pollifax. Considering the first was published in 1966, I was fully expecting to cringe as I read descriptions of the residents of the countries to which Mrs Pollifax traveled. Instead, Gilman writes them with grace and sensitivity, and we learn more about the various peoples that perhaps we hadn’t head of before. This is very obvious in this particular novel; Gilman’s portrayal of the Ahka people is fascinating and informative.
I am looking forward to the nest book in this series!
In this installment, Mrs Pollifax is still recovering from her travails in Hong Kong, and the emotional and psychological scars are still fresh. She and her husband Cyrus Reed are off to Thailand for a much-needed vacation when Bishop shows up on the doorstep and asks if they could just drop off a package since they’ll be in the area anyhow. Of course, they agree� which leads to Cyrus being kidnapped and Mrs Pollifax having to effect a rescue.
One thing I find so appealing about these books is how sensitively Gilman wrote the people around Mrs Pollifax. Considering the first was published in 1966, I was fully expecting to cringe as I read descriptions of the residents of the countries to which Mrs Pollifax traveled. Instead, Gilman writes them with grace and sensitivity, and we learn more about the various peoples that perhaps we hadn’t head of before. This is very obvious in this particular novel; Gilman’s portrayal of the Ahka people is fascinating and informative.
I am looking forward to the nest book in this series!
October 5, 2022
I read a couple of Mrs. Pollifax's books like 30 years ago. I found them in the break room of the school I was working at and really enjoyed them, they were my lunchtime treat. I liked it just as much now as I did then. The character along with all the others is interesting and the adventures/cases that she goes on are not something you expect from a woman like her. The locations that she is sent to are both exotic and mundane, a trip around the world that I might otherwise not have.
Mrs. Pollifax is determined to give up spying but she can't help but agree to carry a small object to an agent in Thailand and get one in return. The moment she lands, Mrs. Pollifax is horrified to find her contact dead and her husband kidnapped. The next thing, she's tramping through the ominous Thai countryside, led by a curious fellow who may be trying to help her find her husband. Or he may have other, more sinister plans.
Mrs. Pollifax is determined to give up spying but she can't help but agree to carry a small object to an agent in Thailand and get one in return. The moment she lands, Mrs. Pollifax is horrified to find her contact dead and her husband kidnapped. The next thing, she's tramping through the ominous Thai countryside, led by a curious fellow who may be trying to help her find her husband. Or he may have other, more sinister plans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.