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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
32 posts | 42 read | 21 to read
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dysprosium2
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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Pickpick

Recommended to me by a friend. This was a delightful story! Basically a spy novel, except instead of James Bond it's a 60-something widow who is bored of Garden Club and volunteering at the hospital. It has most of the same elements as a James Bond novel, but is more upbeat/cheerful. Really fun and quick to read. Good for anyone who likes the action/spy/mystery genres. One of my favorite books so far this year. Definitely Recommend.

Blueberry ❤️ Mrs. Pollifax 1y
9 likes1 comment
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Sharpeipup
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Murder She Wrote + James Bond = Mrs. Pollifax

00...FUN!

mabell Good description! It was much more of a thriller than I imagined it would be, but Mrs. Pollifax made it lighter. I compulsively read the first one, but still haven‘t read further in the series. It was a little intense! 2y
Sharpeipup @mabell I‘m waiting for book 3 2y
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

I hadn‘t read this in years and enjoyed it a great deal. Didn‘t realize it was published as long ago as 1966! This is a series where the first book really hits the ground running, so I feel confident about recommending this book, especially if you find regular cozies too fluffy but find hard-boiled or cop novels too bloody. This book has just the right mix.
August 2021 #BookSpin

TiredLibrarian I read this many years ago & enjoyed it. Maybe I should do a re-read! 3y
rabbitprincess @TiredLibrarian A re-read would work especially well if you‘ve been reading a lot of heavy books or just want something quick and fun (this is why I ended up reading it now). 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
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MrsCumbie This is my ab-fab favorite book and series. I‘m constantly on the hunt for the next Pollifax-like series. 3y
rabbitprincess @MrsCumbie There really aren‘t many like her! Especially that perfect blend of cozy and gritty. If you do find something similar let me know 😄 3y
MrsCumbie @rabbitprincess Have you dived into the world of Agatha Raisin? 3y
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Jen2
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Pickpick

So much fun!!!

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rabbitprincess
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August 2021 #BookSpinBingo is looking good!
#BookSpin: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Gilman)
#DoubleSpin: Madame Tussaud (Moran)
Also, I‘ve already completed one of the books on the card: Our Town (Wilder) 😂

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
13 likes1 comment
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webhau1
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
Pickpick

I have been listening to this series on audio this week. I enjoy it because my Grandma also read Mrs Polifax. These are from the 60-70s, but to me they hold up. Nice to have a connection to something she also enjoyed reading.

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TracyReadsBooks
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#20Series20Days Day 18

Only a few more entries to go but I decided I had to make room for Mrs. Pollifax on my #Top20Series list . A widow bored with her garden club routine becomes a CIA agent...danger, mystery, adventure, spying & hilarity ensue. I love this series—my paperbacks are so worn pages are falling out of some of them—& the fact that younger teenage/20 something me loved reading about a widow who spies? It has to be good!

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Sitting on my TBR. 4y
19 likes1 comment
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Blueberry
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One of my favorites.

#20Series20Days @Andrew65

Butterfinger This is going to be one of my favorites too. #RetirementPlans 🤣 4y
Andrew65 A great choice. 4y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Bluebird
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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My Day 2 pick for #20series20days is the Amazing Mrs Pollifax. She‘s a senior citizen from New Brunswick New Jersey who‘s bored with her life...so she decides to join the CIA. Written in the 1960‘s, so it‘s a bit dated. But it‘s a charming, funny, and delightful spy series that gave me hours of enjoyment. I recently read the entire series via audio—Barbara Rosenblat brings Mrs Pollifax to life!
@Andrew65

Andrew65 Another series I need to try. 4y
Bluebird @Andrew65 I think you‘d enjoy it. It‘s a ‘cozy spy‘ genre lol. So good when you feel like a light read. Maybe after a Chris Carter book? 4y
Andrew65 @Bluebird Yes good for palate cleansing 🤣 4y
Deblovestoread Mrs Pollifax gets all the 💘 I need to reread these some day. 4y
14 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Verity
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Intrigued to read this!

21 likes1 stack add
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mcipher
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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When you‘ve had a work week (2 of them actually) like mine has been, you have a beer, eat homemade pizza, watch Clue on Amazon Prime, comfort read Mrs Pollifax, and maybe finally wrap your #letsgetcozy stuff to mail on Saturday. And you firmly refuse to remember that it‘s not actually Friday even though you need it to be.
Here‘s s hoping everyone else has a suuuuuper chill week to counteract the energy mine is putting out into the world! 😒

batsy Love that cover! 5y
mcipher @batsy I‘m slowly collecting these and Mary Stewart with the classic 60s covers. They are my favorite! 5y
Avanders 🧡🍁📖☕️🔪🎃♥️ 5y
62 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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SanjanaGhosh
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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Mehso-so

Mrs. Pollifax has always wanted to be a spy, but life got into the way. Now, with all her children grown up, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to be one. But a spy's life is always unpredictable and full of dangers, and very soon she is left at the mercy of very dangerous people in an unknown country where she must rely solely on her wits to get out of there.

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mabell
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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Pickpick

There was really just one thing I didn‘t like about this book. Namely, that this is a book to be finished in one sitting, and I could not listen to it all at once! 🤣

A grandmother, tired of her volunteer work at the hospital and garden club, walks into CIA headquarters to apply for a job as a spy. An fortuitous mix-up occurs, and the most unbelievably believable series of events occurs. Mrs. Pollifax is wonderful, and yes, “Unexpected.”

43 likes2 stack adds
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mabell
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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I am so excited to have a couple hour drive! Why?
Because I am loving this introduction to Mrs. Pollifax! ❤️

sprainedbrain I love how audiobooks make things I used to hate (long drives, cleaning, laundry) something fun to look forward to! 5y
Aimeesue I did laundry for an hour and a half tonight because I wanted to keep listening to my book. 😂😂😂 5y
mabell @sprainedbrain So true! The hard part is hitting pause and not finding more *highly necessary* busy work as an excuse to keep listening! 🤣 5y
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mabell @Aimeesue That‘s awesome! Stretch out as long as you can! 👏😂 I have that audiobook too! The description sounded terrific! I‘m glad it‘s entertaining enough to get through the laundry 🤣 5y
Blueberry Love Mrs. Pollifax. 5y
mabell @Blueberry Oh my goodness, I haven‘t been this hooked on a book in a long time! I‘m halfway through, and I am completely entertained and riveted! 5y
40 likes6 comments
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esurient
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Pickpick

Low pick. It oscillated between wildly charming parts and sometimes rather boring bits, but was delightfully light: 1960s madcap spy adventures, starring a sensible old lady. 'Red Russians! Red Chinese! Get the microfilm at all costs!'

#vacationread No. 1, train ride.

esurient And I was SURE she'd come home with that parrot. 5y
rretzler I remember reading a lot of these from the Reader‘s Digest Condensed Books that my Mom, Aunt and Grandmother subscribed to. My preteen self thought they were lots of fun, but I‘m not sure 45+years later I would enjoy them as much. 5y
esurient @rretzler Definitely a blast from the past. 5y
12 likes3 comments
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esurient
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review
silentrequiem
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Pickpick

Is there such a thing as a cozy thriller? Because I think this applies. I stayed up way too late last night reading this and I'm going to pay for it today. But it was so good. Funny and charming. It's a bit dated (written in 1966) and the use of "Oriental" and "Red China" was a bit jarring. But did make sense for the time.

I will definitely continue the series. Because who doesn't love a grandmother who volunteers to be a spy for the CIA?

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silentrequiem
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Starting a delightful spy mystery featuring a retired grandmother who volunteers to be a spy for the CIA. (Also ignoring all my partially-read books. Ha!)

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michiganvol
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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Three days til Christmas and my time off has officially started! Cozy morning with Mrs. Pollifax; not going to complete #readharder this year due to busy personal life, but I'll get a couple more in before the end of the year 😊

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Blueberry
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1. Daughter of Fortune
2. Dorothy Gilman
3. Dead Poet's Society
4. Dessert with dates

#ManicMonday @JoScho

JoScho 💖💖💖 6y
45 likes1 comment
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Bookwomble
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Pickpick

A mash-up of the spinster-detective and cold-war spy genres, Mrs Pollifax is naïve, but it's clear she has steel inside her. Some big coincidences are involved in starting her off, but these don't persist, so credulity isn't excessively strained. Mrs Pollifax is endearing and eccentric, and I felt her actions were natural for an ordinary, resourceful person thrown into extraordinary situations, helped by the necessary sprinkling of luck of course.

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Blueberry
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💕💕💕 6y
vkois88 😊😊😊 6y
52 likes2 comments
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Bluebird
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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A widow with grown children is bored with her life so she decides to offer her assistance to the CIA. Mrs Pollifax certainly made the most of her #goldenyears. #septembowie

Cinfhen This has your name all over it @Lizpixie 😊💕 7y
16 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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rabbitprincess
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Mrs. Pollifax will always be my go-to choice for a senior citizen protagonist. Because my Pollifax books are at my parents' place, here's a picture of Angela Lansbury playing Mrs. P in a 1999 TV movie.
#anditsaugust day 21: senior citizen

24 likes1 stack add
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Blueberry
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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My collection of Mrs. Pollifax books! 😄 💜💙💚

@NataliePatalie
#welllovedreads #riotgrams

quietjenn Aw, I'm so excited to see another fan of Mrs. Pollifax on here! 7y
Blueberry @quietjenn 💕💕 7y
32 likes2 comments
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youngreadrshelf
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A little nighttime reading. Trying not to wake hubby so I'm using a book light and trying not to laugh too hard at Mrs. Pollifax.

LeslieO I love Mrs Pollifax! I listened to them on audio and my fav narrator read them. Mrs P is a charmer 7y
29 likes1 comment
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Blueberry
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My most reread books are the Mrs. Pollifax series, a feel good mystery about an elderly woman who joins the CIA.

@NataliePatalie
#mostreread #feistyFeb

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CorleyMullins
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. There were parts of the plot that were too "convenient," but the excitement kept me hooked. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Chelsey
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#booktober #setinsouthamerica well sort of. Mrs Pollifax is my favorite mystery series and this is the first book. Mrs Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick NJ is a widow with grown children and her volunteer work and Garden Club meetings aren't enough to staunch the ennui of her life. Her doctor suggested she try something that she'd always wanted to do. So she joined the CIA of course. Her first assignment is to Mexico City.

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iamnotabookworm
Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax | Dorothy Gilman
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Pickpick

i have to read this again for a post on my blog. i was reminded how i loved dorothy gilman & this famous, resourceful & intuitive character ms. pollifax. i loved reading this again just like the first time. this is how mrs. pollifax became a spy for the CIA.We're never too old to follow our dreams.