Product 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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #284750 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11-27
• Released on: 1996-11-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780449150047
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
The elderly investigator assists a young man who is about to be crowned king of an African country.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gilman has a fiercely loyal following, so this latest entry in her highly popular Mrs. Pollifax series is sure to be a hit. Emily Pollifax, the intrepid undercover agent, is off to Africa with newfound friend Kadi Hopkirk, the daughter of martyred African missionaries. Kadi's lifelong friend Sammat is in line to become king of Ubangiba, the country where Kadi's parents were murdered in the dangerous days before a series of political coups brought young Sammat to power. But Sammat has run into serious problems, and it looks as if he may not be crowned king after all. A trio of brutal murders where the victims are supposedly clawed to death by a lion has generated rumors that Sammat is an evil sorcerer who's somehow causing the deaths. With the Ubangiban people terrified and suspicious, Sammat begs Kadi to come back to Africa to provide moral support, and naturally, Mrs. Pollifax goes along to see if she can help put Sammat's enemies behind bars. Silly enemies--don't they know that no one can outwit Mrs. Pollifax? Emily Melton

Review
Mrs. Pollifax accompanies her young and vulnerable friend Kadi back to Africa, where her childhood friend is destined to be crowned king - unless a dangerous band of killers stops him. Rumors spread of the king's unnatural evil powers as murders plague the country and send Mrs. Pollifax on a mission of investigation. -- Midwest Book Review

Customer Reviews

a way to pass the time
I hadn't read the previous book, Mrs. Pollifax Pursued, where she apparently meets Kadi and Sammy, her main cohorts in this story. Kadi finds out that Sammy is having difficulties and so she and Mrs. Pollifax hop on the first available flight to Ubandiba, where Sammy is the current ruler. The people are terrified by the rumors and murders of the Lion Killer, all of which point to Sammy. Kadi, daughter of murdered Ubandiba missionaries, becomes a target of the Lion Killer and Mrs. Pollifax must use her resources and ingenuity to save them all. I listened to this book, and it was a pleasant diversion on a long drive.

Ubangiba may elicit yawns
While the story is interesting and Gilman does a good job of describing an African nation in the shaky position between "President for Life" and new king, the amount of attention paid to daily life in Ubangiba was a little boring for me. Toward the end of the book the story picked up a little and I was more interested, but "Lion Killer" is definitely not Gilman's best work. Still Mrs. Pollifax is a charmer and a Pollifax book that rates four stars is still head-and-shoulders above many five star mysteries by other authors!

Sequel to "Mrs. Pollifax Pursued"
In Dorothy Gilman's previous book, "Mrs. Pollifax Pursued", she introduces us to Kadi, the daughter of Ubandiba missionaries, and her college friend Sammy, who is now trying to rule the country after many years of dictatorship. Sammy calls upon Kadi for help and Mrs. Pollifax decides to accompany her. There have been a series of violent deaths at the hands of a "lion killer", one who dons a lion costume, and Sammy's enemies have accused him of being behind the murders. When Kadi arrives in Ubandiba, she becomes the target of an old enemy, and Mrs. Pollifax does her best to protect the young girl. A potential archaeological dig and the hint of romance for Kadi combine with political intrigue and murder to create another satisfying story of Mrs. Pollifax.