I reviewed “Kaleidoscope” a few weeks ago, which is the sequel to “The Clairvoyant Countess.” I enjoyed it so much, of course I had to go back and find the original. I wasn’t disappointed at all.
We meet Madame Karistska, clairvoyant, who has lived a fascinating life. She came from money but because of political upheaval in the countries where she lived, she came to America as a pauper. She has never used her clairvoyance for profit, but having to rely on her own skills to make it in the world, she decides to go into business for herself. She feels led to take an apartment in a certain building, and soon she has a clientele.
The book is mostly made up of small, quick instances in the lives of her clients. She meets with them, offers advice and a glimpse into themselves or their situations, and it’s quickly resolved. A few other storylines carry throughout the whole book, including the way in which she meets and becomes friends with Pruden of the police.
He’s a skeptic and he’s not ashamed to admit it. But he can’t help but be amazed with Madame Karistska when she proves most helpful in solving one of his cases. He finds himself drawn to her and comes back for more information later on, and is rather shocked when she tells him that he’s about to meet the love of his life. He does, toward the end of the book, when Madame Karitska’s visions lead him to the rescue of a girl who has come up missing.
This book is a fun, light read, enjoyable even to those readers (like me) who don’t necessarily ascribe to clairvoyance. But I’m always up for a good cozy mystery, and that’s what Dorothy Gilman delivers every single time.
(This book was published in 1975 by Fawcett Crest.)
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