Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish

By: Dorothy Gilman

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

All Mrs. Pollifax has to do is help a bumbling CIA agent confirm the identities of seven undercover informants in Morocco. A simple assignment. But right away, things go wrong. The first informant is murdered just after Mrs. P. identifies him in Fez. Worse, she has the frightening sensation that her associate is not who or what he says he is.

©1990 Dorothy Gilman Butters (P)1995 Recorded Books

Mrs. Pollifax rules!

What did you love best about Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish?

While I have read all of the hard-copy books in this series, Barbara Rosenblat's narration (as always) gives these titles a life of their own. I love the fact that each of these books takes place in a different part of the world (obviously well-researched) so even if the heroine is an American housewife, the stories take on an exotic flavor that is both interesting and light-hearted. In fact, the whole premise of a middle-aged woman becoming a CIA spy is so goofy as to make Mrs. Pollifax irresistible.

What other book might you compare Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish to and why?

My all time Audible favorites which are in the same vein are: 1) Elizabeth Peters books (only those narrated by Ms Rosenblat) which I have listened to multiple, multiple times-to include Amelia Peabody Emerson, Vickie Bliss and Jacqueline Kirby, 2) Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series (beautifully narrated by Kate Reading), and 3) Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series (also listened to more than once and incomparably narrated by Kate Kellgren). All of these titles have a similar combination of humor, occasional romance, and suspense that make them worthy of hearing again and again.

Have you listened to any of Barbara Rosenblat’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Barbara Rosenblat is my favorite narrator so I always enjoy her performances but I have to admit to loving those she does with a British accent, i.e., Amelia Peabody Emerson) the most. Her character delineation is without equal in my experience.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - If I enjoy a book, I want to stretch out the experience.

Any additional comments?

A really good listen - well worth a credit!

Mrs. Pollifax rides again!

Mrs, Pollifax heads to Morocco on another assignment for Carstairs. But then, something happens that hasn't happened before - Mrs. P HATES the agent she is assigned to help. With good reason, as it turns out. But, with a little help from her (new) friends, Mrs. Pollifax completes her mission with her usual flair. No hats in this one, but she does get to wear a veil!

Nail-bitingly exciting!

What did you like best about this story?

The descriptions of scenery and people and action were so well-done, I felt almost more like I was watching a movie than "only listening" to a book! One thing I like about the Mrs. Pollifax books is that they are permeated with traditional values. Also, the characters are often faced with real dilemmas. I don't always know what I would do in similar situations. While the decisions are sometimes surprising, they are always wise and clever at the same time. This is a delightful part of reading/listening to these stories.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I almost cried at the end of the book, I was so happy and relieved and thrilled! (But no spoilers in my review!)

Any additional comments?

At a time when there is so much fear and tension between the Middle East and the West, it was very charming and particularly interesting to read about Muslims and Sufis in a positive light. If you feel you cannot read a book set in a Muslim land, you should remember that the setting was also many years ago, when the world was different in many ways. Also, you can be reminded, as was I, that there are nice, caring, helpful people and families all over the world, even in Muslim lands.

A Mrs. Pollifax fan

I'm a long time Mrs. Pollifax fan, so was happy to see this story; I've always said that all I know about the Atlas mountains I learned from this book. Having said that, this story was a bit difficult to listen to because of the narration. The narrator pronounced her name "Poley-fax" most of the time. She made Emily Pollifax's voice sound a like a somewhat crotchety 85 year old, not the capable, daring heroine of a certain age. Maybe I'm just picky, and approaching that certain age myself, but the narration just shouldn't intrude on the story line like that. Perhaps you should just find a print copy of this story.

Usually like Mrs Polliifax

I have liked all of the previous Mrs. Pollifax books, but this is my least favorite. It seems like Mrs. Pollifax did very little in this book to actually resolve any conflicts, move the story forward or reveal truth as she normally does. In this book, other characters are always rescuing her and solving the problems while she's just along for the ride asking obvious questions. Mrs. P is usually more crafty, observant and a little more intelligent. In this book, she knows nothing and is always asking what something is (even though the answer should be obvious to her). Add to this character regression a glorification of character beliefs, and I couldn't wait for this book to be over.

Wonderful as always

In the continuing adventures of our Emily, this is as much fun as all the others.

Wanted a better wrap-up

The story was satisfying, but I expected more at the end. At least get Mrs Pollifax back to the US!

Awesome book

Another great Ms. Pollifax with lots of suspense! I loved the way a 9 year old boy was so instrumental in helping them.

Love Mrs Pollifax

I Absolutely loved the book! Intriguing and full of drama and fun. The characters are Wonderful.

Unoriginal

It really bothered me how blatantly the kid at the end of this story was a rip off of the kid from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The story itself was all over the place, with half-developed character backstories and lots of telling. Gilman is definitely losing steam. It seems like she's run out of original ideas and so she just started lifting it from any source she could without really transforming it much. Some of the Arabic pronunciation was off, which is why I lowered Rosenblat's rating a bit. My ears just couldn't get over it.

Entertaining

If you have read the previous Mrs. Pollifax books this continues in a similar vein, but can be listened to as a stand alone book. It is a plausible, if slightly farfetched, story but no less enjoyable for that. It is well read by Barbara Rosenblat. I have listened to books just because they are read by her and have never been disappointed.

A story which asks for repeated listening

Beautiful story narrated by a voiceactor who is a real artist. To listen again and again to this book, and to love it more each time.

Another great story

I have listened to most of the books from Mrs Pollifax stories. They are great and the narration is always amazing.