MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

Recovering nicely from a spot of torture (Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha), Emily and hew hubby Cyrus plan a Thailand vacation when who should pop by, four hours before their departure, but Bishop of the CIA with a small request: Would they detour to Chiang Mai, right in the neighborhood, really; find Ruamsak, and exchange this solid-gold Buddhist votive tablet for his vital info on an Asian coup? Sure thing. Only the person who-may-be Ruamsak has a very big Shall knife in his belly, Cyrus is kidnapped, and Emily's travails include a self-appointed guide named Bonchoo, who somebody tries to kill, twice; red shirt and yellow shirt, her motorcycle tail; a Buddhist holy man who just may be the US embassy official of the Judge Crater-like disappearance of several years back; Mr. Mornajay's encounter with a poison arrow; the ramshackle protection of McAndrews on his first CIA in-the-field assignment; secret Shun encampments; opium shipments; teak smugglers; generals with warlord attitudes; and a three-going-on-thirty-mile trek through jungle, forest, and hills to a slightly anticlimatic conclusion (the coup took place before Raumsak's message was found). Rather sweet, including Mrs. P.'s new hobby—performing magic tricks. A chipper pleasure for Pollifax die-hards as well as first-timers.