Part of Mrs. Pollifax, book 10
First published 1993
Mrs. Pollifax receives what seems like a simple assignment. She must photograph a funeral near Washington and deliver the pictures to Sicily. Her contact is Farrell, a former CIA operative who now deals in art. He waits for her in Palermo with growing anxiety. The mission turns dangerous immediately. Mrs. Pollifax arrives in Sicily to find hostile watchers and an unexpected CIA agent. Enemy forces track her meeting with Farrell in a remote mountain village. Weapons appear and threats multiply. She and Farrell must run for their lives. They seek refuge at a fortified villa in the countryside. The estate belongs to a former Madison Avenue executive who now plays the role of eccentric chatelaine. This woman offers protection from their pursuers, but her strange behavior creates new anxieties. Mrs. Pollifax discovers that safety comes with its own peculiar dangers. The villa becomes both sanctuary and prison as mysterious enemies close in around them.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Washington, Palermo, Sicily, Madison Avenue
Period: 20th-century
208 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Fawcett