Part of Mrs. Pollifax, book 14
First published 2000
Amanda Pym thwarts airplane hijackers bound for the Middle East, rescuing all passengers and becoming an overnight sensation. Media swarms her as she disembarks in Damascus, but Amanda mysteriously disappears completely. The CIA fears she has been murdered or abducted. Mrs. Pollifax accepts a covert assignment, posing as Amanda's worried aunt to investigate her vanishing. She combs Damascus for leads, weaving through narrow streets and crowded bazaars. The trail pulls her deep into Syria's desert landscape. Hostile forces shadow her movements, advancing their own sinister agenda that threatens regional stability. Mrs. Pollifax races to stay ahead of her enemies and solve Amanda's disappearance before their scheme triggers worldwide chaos.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Damascus, Syria
Period: 20th-century
216 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Books