The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

I just finished this book. It was a true delight. So glad I ordered it. I also ordered The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman, I hope it is as good as this book.

If you're new to the Mrs. Pollifax series of mystery books - this is the very first. As such, it's a great place to begin. You'll be completely entertained learning how this grandmother goes to work - undercover - for the United States government. She really is unexpected, as the title declares. She's everything you would wish a grandmother to be - but she's extraordinarily clever, notices details on the fly and incredibly resourceful. If you enjoy Miss Marple from Agatha Christie - you'll also love Mrs. Pollifax. (Although I'd never say the two are interchangeable - they seem to go at detection in entirely different ways). We get into the characters thoughts often - rather than just being pulled through a story's actions blindly. It makes her escapades all the more harrowing when you develop such a feeling for what each side is thinking. Very entertaining. A great bed time read.

Meet the most delightful and utterly lovable spy ever, who displays all the best and brightest aspects of being human. An unlikely spy-type, Mrs. Pollifax is the ideal grandma: funny, empathetic, adventuresome, and delightfully and gently nonconformist. And, best of all, she is completely and unexpectedly effective at stopping evil. A retired widow facing monotony, does she take up crosswords and subscribe to cable? Nope, Mrs. Pollifax decides to become a spy and spend her golden years saving the nation from evil. Of course. And why not?

The first book in the beloved Mrs. Pollifax series gives the background as to how this elderly, yet irrepressible grandmother joins the CIA. Bored and disillusioned with her life, she decides to volunteer to be a spy with the CIA. She dresses herself up (hat and all), shows up on the doorstep of the CIA building, and waits to meet with the director. A mix-up occurs, and she finds herself on a whirlwind adventure that sends her around the globe and tests her patience, strength, and determination. Only Mrs. Pollifax could find her way out of prison in Albania, and helping other prisoners, she proves to herself and the CIA that she is an invaluable resource.Having read the entire Mrs. Pollifax series, I was hooked by this charming debut. Mrs. Pollifax was vulnerable in the beginning (she contemplates suicide when she feels that she is not needed) but finds inner strength to overcome all of the ordeals she faces while on her mission for the CIA. The book was also an introduction to another wonderful character, Farrell, who plays a large part in this and future books in the series. If you are looking for something a bit unexpected and like adventure, try this series. Enjoy!A Cozy Mystery Lover

When I picked up The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, I was expecting a story about another Miss Marple, with the difference being in that Miss Marple was a detective of sorts and Mrs. Pollifax was a spy. Was I ever wrong! From the first sentence, the story of the depressed widow turned secret agent had me spellbound. A light and airy style makes the book a joy to read. Mrs.Pollifax is a terribly amusing and resourceful character, although she seems at first to be a little eccentric. After all, who in their right mind would walk into CIA headquarters and volunteer as a spy? But when her first mission goes disastrously wrong, her wits are proven to be extroardinary. The story, which is full of action and adventure, reminded me of one of my favorite movies, The African Queen. There is the well-bred Mrs. Pollifax, alone in a foreign country,just like Katherine Hepburn as Rosie. Then we are introduced to Johnny Farrel, who is a lot like Bogart's character in The African Queen. At first Mrs. P dislikes Farrel, but soon she becomes very fond of the man, who calls her "Duchess" with great awe. If you like stories of epic proportions with violence that isn't graphic, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is your cup of tea. I can't wait to find the next book in the series!

The first book in this great series is suspensful. A bored Mrs. Pollifax decides to take up spying to enliven her life. Her first assignment sends her to Mexico, but it isn't long before she's in Albania as a prisoner. Her escape is truly amazing. The book dragged a little in the middle while she is a prisoner, but I read the last third in one sitting; there was no place to put it down and not have Mrs. Pollifax in trouble!