Kaleidoscope (Madame Karitska #2), by Dorothy Gilman

Genre: Paranormal mystery
Date Published: 2002
Publisher: Ballantine Books
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 256 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: Next to the incomparable Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman’s best-loved character is the mysterious Madame Karitska, who is blessed with a powerful gift of clairvoyance that attracts to her a stream of men and women craving help with their misfortunes, desperate to know what the future holds. . . .

When a brilliant young violinist dies in a horrific accident, Madame Karitska has only to hold the victim’s instrument in her hands to perceive the shocking truth. But when an insecure wife asks whether her husband will abandon her to join a sinister cult, Madame Karitska–as wise as she is lovely–chooses not to reveal all that she foresees. And when an attaché case is suddenly dropped into her lap by a man fleeing a crowded subway, she knows it’s time to consult her good friend Detective-Lieutenant Pruden.

A nine-year-old accused of murder, a man dying a slow death by witchcraft– for the hunted and the haunted, Madame Karitska’s shabby downtown apartment becomes a haven, where brilliant patterns of violence, greed, passion, and strange obsessions mix and disintegrate with stunning, kaleidoscopic beauty.

Once again Dorothy Gilman exercises her own uncanny power to render readers spellbound.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a fun (if slightly disorienting) sequel

My Thoughts:

This is a sequel to Dorothy Gilman's The Clairvoyant Countess, and was published at least 20 years after it's predecessor. In the story's timeline, however, only a year has passed between the two books. This creates some confusion because the first book is clearly taking place in the 70's, while this book is clearly in the Y2K era. It's a little disorienting, but I choose to ignore it, because I still enjoy this book.

Like many sequel books, I don't feel like this one is quite as good as the fist book, but I still love reading about Madame Karitska. She's such a lovely character. The storyline is also pleasantly quick, feeling more like a bunch of little stories put together into one big story.

Overall, I'd say this makes for the perfect beach read!