Not sure why Ms. Gilman's Pollifax series keeps landing in the cozy mysteries genre in some places. They aren't really. More like travel and spy adventures.

Nevertheless, this was worth the wait (from the Interlibrary Loans) for the tons of atmosphere and excitement. My favorite thing now is to follow along with Google Maps, which includes various tourist photos of the local sites.

So I traveled along from Bangkok, to Chiang Rai, to Chang Mai, to the hill people of the Akah, to lost monasteries in the jungle. Such fun!

And that's why I gobbled this down in just a day! Now to await the next interlibrary loan. :) ( )

2019 reread via Recorded Books audiobook narrated by Barbara Rosenblat ( )

I don't know, it seems like the Mrs. Pollifax books are losing their edge a bit. I so thoroughly enjoyed the first 3 or 4, but these last couple, not so much. They seem to be not so imaginative and laugh-out-loud as they were. They're still fairly good as adventure books, and fun, light reads. I am attached enough to the series to continue on and hope that they pick up again!
This one did have a couple of interesting "ah-ha" moments, like the true identity of the holy man and the role of the CIA guy that everybody thinks has gone rogue, but the plot and resolution overall felt sub-par. ( )

So much fun. And I'm trying to lower my currently reading count. ( )

smuggling, murder, Thailand, espionage, abduction, betrayal****

This book was written in 1988, that makes it historical in nature without any research of the time.
If you never read any of the series or didn't catch it in the blurb, Mrs P is an over 60 widow who presented herself to the CIA in 1968 looking to be useful to them. She certainly has! She even met and married a retired judge and they had planned a vacation in Thailand when they were advised that another courier job needed doing in Thailand! Good tale, even going to people and places familiar to Dr Siri Paiboun. Enjoy the ride!
Reread via Recorded Books audiobook narrated by Barbara Rosenblat
Voice actor Barbara Rosenblatt always does a wonderful job with all the voices and really acts out the story and not just read it. Her voice brings the characters to life with her inflections entirely suited the situations and characters. ( )