✨ Series Title: Mrs. Pollifax

🧑 Author: Dorothy Gilman

🔄️ Translator: N/A

🌎 Country of Origin: United States

💬Language: English

🗓️ Published: 1966 – 2000

🖨️ Publisher: Double Day

𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀 ISBN: Varied

🔢 ASIN: Varied

#️⃣ Books in the Series️: 14

⌛Age Level:

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown, married children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. So, naturally, she became a CIA agent. Or rather, accidentally, she became a CIA agent. She was precisely what Mr. Carstairs was looking for and not at all who he thought she actually was.

In a case of mistaken identity and with the CIA remarkably short on “sweet older ladies who seem harmless”, Mrs. Pollifax finds herself setting off on an exciting international adventure to Mexico City. She was a bit disappointed to learn that her great foray into espionage wasn’t actually supposed to involve anything too exciting. But then the winds change and something goes terribly wrong. Suddenly Mrs. Pollifax is caught up in a murder and finds herself warding off dictators and combatant spies alike as her brief jaunt to Mexico suddenly changes to a whirlwind trip to unexpected lands.

Carstairs is fit to be tied. His assistant Bishop is pulling out his hair. And the enemy is discovering that maybe that sweet little lady with a penchant for gardening and funny little hats might just be more of a match than anticipated! Can Mrs. Pollifax save the day and what is up with this odd man imprisoned beside her?

“But isn’t there something you’ve always longed to do, something you’ve never had either the time or the freedom to do until now?” Mrs. Pollifax looked at him. “When I was group up — oh for years — I wanted to become a spy,” she admitted.
The Doctor threw back his head and laughed, and Mrs. Pollifax wondered why, when she was being her most serious, people found her so amusing.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Page 3).

There are two film adaptations of Mrs. Pollifax to date, although there is great potential for a full series.

• The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (staring Angela Lansbury)
• Mrs. Pollifax – Spy (starring Rosalind Russell)

Dorothy Gilman was an American author whose writing career spanned more than six decades, from the 1940s to the early 2000s. Originally trained to become both an author and illustrator of children’s books, she published numerous works for young readers under her married name, Dorothy Gilman Butters, throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Everything changed in 1966. Following her divorce from a fellow teacher, Gilman returned to her maiden name and introduced the world to a most unexpected heroine in The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. The novel launched a beloved mystery series that would ultimately stretch across 14 books and several decades, firmly establishing Gilman as one of America’s most distinctive mystery writers.

At the heart of the series is Emily Pollifax, a gracious, grandmotherly woman whose children are grown and whose life feels a bit too quiet. Lonely and restless, she decides—quite sensibly, she believes—that becoming a CIA agent might cure her boredom. To everyone’s astonishment, it works. What follows is a delightful blend of espionage, humor, and heart as Mrs. Pollifax bumbles her way into (and out of) danger, often to the horror of her handlers and the delight of readers.

Gilman’s globe-trotting plots mirror her own love of travel, taking readers everywhere from Mexico to the Middle East to China. Written during the height of the Cold War, the novels often feature the tensions of the era—dictatorships, espionage, and the ideological battle between East and West. Yet despite their political backdrop, the stories retain a gentleness and optimism that make them timeless. While not overtly feminist, Gilman’s quiet advocacy for women’s independence and vitality in later life shines through every page.

Perhaps the most touching thread running through the series is its message of hope and renewal. Mrs. Pollifax reminds readers that adventure is not the sole province of the young—that even in one’s later years, there are still new friendships to make, mysteries to unravel, and worlds to explore. It’s a theme that has comforted and inspired generations of readers.

Although the Mrs. Pollifax mysteries share some DNA with “cozy” sleuths like Miss Marple or Mrs. Bradley, Gilman’s work stands apart. Her books are laced with global intrigue, a dash of danger, and a distinctly humanitarian spirit. There’s very little violence or gore—though a few stories venture into the psychological shadows of espionage. Above all, the series remains a celebration of courage, humor, and the surprising adventures that life still has in store—no matter one’s age.

This will link to either the series itself or the first book in the series depending on the site