Gilman returns from the fairy-tale purlieus of Thale’s Folly (p. 107) to the more-well-trodden paths of Emily Pollifax, whose status as unlikely secret agent is being seriously undermined by her durability (this 14th title ties her with Ian Fleming’s James Bond). This time, Mrs. Pollifax is searching for Amanda Pym, who foiled an airline hijacking only to vanish among a sea of popping press flashbulbs after her plane touched down in Damascus.
