Last week I introduced you to mrs. Pollifax, parttime worker for the CIA. She stumbles into adventures, at times against her own wishes. Seven days ago she was on safari in Zambia.

This time there is an African link, but a more subdued one. In the end of the book she travels to a fictitious African country. There are rumours of war and mineral resources and American Big Spenders.

Mrs. Pollifax discovers a young girl in a closet in her house. The girl, Kadi, hides from people who want to abduct her. These people are still around and are looking for this girl. Mrs. Pollifax decides to bring the girl back home, a long journey, but they are being followed by the people looking for the girl. Kadi hails from the African country Ubangiba, just like her friend Sammy, who is the grandson of the first king of this country.

In the meantime the Big Man of an American finance corporation, mr. Bidwell, has disappeared. The CIA tracks his whereabouts and discover in his diary missing days with the note ‘flight 1192’. These flights were heading to Ubangiba.

Pollifax and Kadi go into hiding in a CIA-run circus, but even there safety is not guaranteed. In the end there is a flight to Ubangiba to find an end to the mystery. Mr. Bidwell wanted to run the country like King Leopold of Belgium ran Congo.

Just like the other book it is an easy read for a lazy afternoon.

Dorothy Gilman – Mrs. Pollifax Pursued – 1994