Book Review: The Clairvoyant Countess (Madame Karitska #1), by Dorothy Gilman

Genre: paranormal mystery
Date Published: 1975
Publisher: Doubleday & Company
# Of Pages: 179 pgs

Goodreads

Synopsis: Another irrepressible heroine by Dorothy Gilman, who has already captivated thousands of readers with the zany adventures of the CIA's sprightly and most unorthodox spy, Mrs. Emily Pollifax.
But Madame Karitska, the "clairvoyand countess", has a style all her own: the unpredictable result of psychic powers, an exotic past, and enough eccentricities to prepare everyone she meets to expect the unexpected.
Madame Karitska has just set up shop reading fortunes in her small apartment when a when a chance encounter with Detective-Lieutenant Pruden of the Police Department embroils her in an exciting swirl of intrigue, mystery, and mayhem. A skeptical lieutenant soon discovers an extraordinary woman.
Murder, robbery, voodoo possession, a witch's curse, a missing person--Madame Karitska can and does handle them all, to the consternation and amazement of everyone concerned.

My Rating:

 ★★★★★

.....For being a very enjoyable paranormal mystery novel with a memorable protagonist

My Thoughts:

This is another mystery novel that I first picked up when I was just a teenager. I was (and still am) enchanted by Madame Karitska and her serene optimism for life, her confidence in the belief that there are no coincidences. The other characters were great too, but Madame Karitska is my favorite by far.

There's something to be said about the plot as well. It's not one main mystery, but a handful of smaller ones, cases where Madame Karitska uses her clairvoyance to help Detective-Lieutenant Pruden solve them. This setup makes this short read feel both rich and full, as well as intriguing. I find I can't put this book down; every time I re-read this story, I finish it within a matter of a couple of days. It doesn't matter that I know the story forwards and backwards, I still love reading it over and over again!

I'm not sure everyone would agree with me that this is a great mystery read, but I've always loved it, and I will continue to love it in the years to come.