The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

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Summary: Delightful lead character in an entertaining adventure
Review: (Book encounted in audio form, evidently no longer available.)

Mrs. Pollifax is an elderly widow who has come to find life dull and is almost ready to end it all out of sheer boredom. But she decides to apply for a job as a spy at the CIA.

Meanwhile, Carstairs at the CIA is looking for someone who can pass himself or herself off as a tourist in order to pick up some important microfilms in Mexico City. Due to a slight confusion, he thinks Mrs. Pollifax is one of the candidates and decides that she is ideal.

So with a minimum of explanation she is ushered off to Mexico City, there to do a "Mission Impossible" shtick with a bookstore owner, exchanging code phrases and going off with a book containing the microfilm.

Of course, it does not go as planned, and Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in a prison in Albania, facing harsh questioning and possible torture. But she proves to be unusually resourceful and - well, any more would be telling. Suffice it to say that there is both drama and humor along the way.

This isn't a great book, but it's an entertaining one, and Rosenblat does a marvelous job with the various voices, even though Mrs. Pollifax occasionally comes off sounding like Witch Hazel from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.

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Summary: Unusual Premise
Review: A wonderful and origional story of espionage carried out by an older woman who is feeling bored and useless.This delightful older heroine and wanna-be spy really captured my attention. Not only is the story interesting and well-done, but I love the statement the author makes by using an older woman. It sort of made me less afraid of getting old to see an example of how one really can continue to live to the fullest, as long as one is willing to still take a few risks. Although I normally prefer characters near my own age, this novel I think has appeal for any age, and besides, I always sort of wanted to be a spy too.

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Summary: AN ENCHANTING SERIES
Review: All of the books in the Mrs. Pollifax series (as well as the whole of Mrs. Gilmans' works) are truly delightful. The reader will be swept away by the adventure, humor and intrigue, all the while learning about the customs and history of foreign lands. You can start with any book in the series, but if you have the chance, read them all. They are not to be missed!

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Summary: All Mrs. Pollifax are the GREATEST!
Review: All of the Mrs. Pollifax books are delightful. I have read them all a minimum of 5 or 6 times, and usually do so in an afternoon. However, you have the title wrong! It's the UNEXPECTED Mrs. Pollifax....

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Summary: This book keeps you glued to your seat!
Review: Dorothy Gilman is a very successful author of many children's novels, including the Mrs. Pollifax series. The accomplished author was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on June 25, 1923, to James Bruce, who was a minister, asd Essa Gilman. After a while Dorothy fell in love with a man named Edgar A. Butters Jr. and married him on September 15, 1945; she was 22. She had two children by him, Christopher and Jonathon, but unfortunately her marriage ended in a divorce in 1965. In her career as an author she earned many awards for her various writings. Dorothy Gilman is a democrat and her religion is Congregational. Today, in her spare time she contributes to many magazines. Some of the are Redbook, Good Housekeeping, and Lady's Home Journal. Today Dorothy is in her mid-seventies.

In the book that we read, 'The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax,' the main character, Mrs. Emily Pollifaxfaces many obstacles. If you were to take one look at her you would think she would be just an average granmother. Well, your wrong; this middle aged widow, mother of two, and grandmother of of three is very active volunteering at the hospital rolling bandages and working in the gift shop. Always wanting to be a spy, Mrs. Pollifax went to the CIA hoping to take a job in espionage. Luck was with her that day and she got the job. Some examples of how Mrs. Pollifax is risky is her time spent planning an escape route inside her cell, running from a burning car about to explode, dodging bullets as they tried to escape, and hiding in ditches neat the sea that occasionally filled with water that could of easily drowned her. An example of when she was lovable was when she became friends with Senor DeGamez, the person in charge of the Parrot Bookstore. We think Mrs. Pollifax is a very charming, sweet, proper, and adventurous lady. We recommend 'The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax' to anyone.

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Summary: Expect Fun
Review: Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax is one of the best characters in spy fiction. This little old lady (not quite so old, actually) deconstructs all expectations inherent in the spy genre, all by her little self. If you get a chance, read this and any of the Mrs. Pollifax books. Or, if you want a real treat, get the audio version narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt, a truly monumental talent. The combination of Rosenblatt and Gilman is unbeatable, just like Mrs. Pollifax.

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Summary: Hilarious! Very highly recommended
Review: I am a huge fan of Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series (especially through and including Mrs. Pollifax on Safari -- although I still buy and read each one as soon as they're published). And this is a real winner. Very witty and entertaining. Although I usually give away mysteries after reading them, I can't bear to part with this series (through and including Mrs. Pollifax on Safari), and love rereading them over and over again. VERY highly recommended.

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Summary: Mrs. Pollifax is great reading
Review: I have read most (maybe all) of Mrs. Pollifax's adventures, beginning with the Unexpected. I started in my mid teens and am now 25. I recommend every Mrs. Pollifax adventure to anyone of any age, but it would be helpful to start at the beginning and follow the adventures in order. You will fall in love with the character of this dear old grandma who is not really so old in her heart. She is genuine, lovable and funny. Enjoy your time with CIA agent Mrs. Emily Pollifax.

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Summary: An "unexpectedly" great read!
Review: I read a lot of "cozy" mysteries, and I must say that I enjoyed this book immensely. Mrs. Pollifax is wonderful! She's very likeable with her naive, yet adventurous ways. Dorothy Gilman's descriptions and characterizations are very well-written. The story was suspenseful and fun. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

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Summary: A Lot of Fun
Review: I recently reread Dorothy Gilman's "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" for the first time in over a decade. I remembered loving the Pollifax series, but I had forgotten just how much fun the books are to read! The reader just cannot stop turning the pages to see what the elderly, quick-witted spy is going to do next. Don't let the heroine's advanced age turn you off. I first read the book when I was about ten or twelve years old, I'm now twenty-five. Just a wonderful reading experience and highly recommended to any audience.