The Clairvoyant Countess by Dorothy Gilman

Not all the puzzles Madam Karitska encounters end on a positive note for all concerned, but all are resolved in one way or another. She is perceptive, generous and optimistic: a most attractive personality.Īs the novel progresses, Madame Karitska collects an unusual assortment of friends and colleagues: a skeptical policeman (hence some of the mysteries), a middle-aged businessman, a schoolboy, and a rising music star. And Madame Karitska’s very real psychic abilities-she is clairvoyant, and works best through psychometry-have given her insight, compassion, and a willingness to look beyond outward appearances, beyond the obvious. A past rich in experiences (though not always in funds) and a very open mind have left her with a wisdom and an ability to accept and enjoy life as it comes that are rare in someone in their seventies, let alone a widow in her late forties. The character of Madame Karitska, the titular clairvoyant countess, is what holds the book together. But there’s something captivating about it, in spite of or perhaps because of its genre-defying qualities. It is episodic, but more cohesive than a collection of short stories within a frame. It’s not a typical mystery novel, though there are several mysteries within it.

It’s hard to know how to classify Gilman’s The Clairvoyant Countess.

But when a chance encounter with Detective-Lieutenant Pruden of the Police Department catapults her into the unforseen, she must use all of her resources to keep danger-and death-at bay. Pollifax, Thale's FollyĪs a psychic to the public, Madame Karitska has seen a lot. Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop | Barnes & NobleĪlso by this author: The Amazing Mrs. Genres: Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal mystery Published by Fawcett on (first published 1975) ★★★★ The Clairvoyant Countess by Dorothy Gilman The Clairvoyant Countess (Dorothy Gilman)