John Dole

The Piffles of Pope: a Novel John Dole

The Piffles of Pope is the lighthearted story of ne'r-do-well Kelvin Pope, 64, living off inherited money in Los Angeles, collecting art, and pursuing a self-oriented existence behind the back of his lonely and frustrated wife, Penelope. Kelvin meets Lorilee, a 28 year-old redhead who perfectly fulfills his sexual fantasies, but blocks his adulterous advances at every turn. Suspicious Penelope cooks up a plan to expose her wayward husband, leading to comic complications involving a Private Investigator impersonating a lecherous Mexican art dealer and a librarian who was once a female bodybuilder. Thrown off his lustful obsession by a startling discovery about Lorilee, Kelvin embarks on a mad pursuit of the identity of the portrait of a mysterious woman on Lorilee's bungalow wall. His wild chase veers from Canada to Mexico, involving him in a series of ordeals including midnight grave robbing and the fury of a vengeful witch. His serendipitous misadventures lead to a frenzied climax, an emotional roller coaster for all the characters, reminiscent of A Comedy of Errors.