Laughs and Thrills
It’s no secret that I love the Mrs. Pollifax series. I’ve even taken the Carstairs part of my blog name from one of the characters in that series. And yet, I’ve never read any of Dorothy Gilman’s non-Mrs. Pollifax novels. I decided I needed to fix that this year, so I grabbed one of the few I’d bought years ago – A Nun in the Closet.
The nuns in the Abbey of St. Tabitha are shocked when they are left a house and estate in New York State, several hundred miles from where they live in cloister. However, they must decide what to do with it, so Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are elected to head up there and get a feel for what they’ve been left. Within hours of arriving, they’ve discovered a suitcase full of cash in the well and a man bleeding out from a gunshot wound in an upstairs closet. What is happening on this property? Why was it left to the nuns?
Having read the Mrs. Pollifax series, I had an idea what to expect here, and I wasn’t that surprised as I read the book. Several of the plot twists and revelations are obvious early on, and I think even some of the characters are ahead of the official revelations. However, I didn’t have all the twists figured out. And I didn’t mind in the least because there is so much happening, I was never bored. This is a case where I knew a few pieces of the bigger pictures, but the path to get there was entertaining and surprising.
The characters are good. I wouldn’t say they are fully developed, but they work for this book. We certainly come to care for them, and I enjoyed spending time with them as the book progressed.
The book came out in 1975, and it works in some social and political issues of the time. It does date the book, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. I also appreciated the way these issues were worked into the plot. Because of that, the end result doesn’t feel like the lecture I thought we were going to get a couple of times.
All of this is mixed together with a huge helping of humor. Again, this is no surprise to anyone familiar with author Dorothy Gilman. Much of this comes from the nuns’ reaction to the world around them, but sometimes it is from others’ reactions to them. All of this is done without a mocking tone. I laughed throughout the book, and any time I got to pick it up, I had a smile, knowing I was in for some fun.
A lesser author wouldn’t have been able to pull all these elements together, but Dorothy Gilman makes it seem effortless. If you are looking for some fun, you’ll be glad you picked up A Nun in the Closet.
I am working my way through the Mrs. Pollifax books and really enjoy them. I had no idea Gilman had written other books.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Mrs. Pollifax novels I read years ago. I want to reread them, and try some others by Dorothy Gilman. Great review, I will look out for this book.
ReplyDeleteSome of her best books are not about Mrs. Pollifax. I even have some of her children's books - I am a big fan. One of my big regrets is being at a party with Dorothy Gilman but not realizing it until after she left. I meant to write her a note but did not get around to it before she died.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading the Mrs. Pollifax series over the past year or two and have absolutely loved them. I have bought a few of her non-Mrs. Pollifax books but haven't read them yet. This sounds absolutely delightful but I would except no less from Gilman!
ReplyDelete