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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax  By  cover art

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

By: Dorothy Gilman
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
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Publisher's summary

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. This first in the series sends Emily on her first case after she successfully persuades a skeptical CIA recruitment officer that she is the best person for the job.

©1970 Dorothy Gilman (P)1989 Recorded Books, LLC

Editor's Pick

Smart, snappy, cozy series with sublime narration
"Barbara Rosenblat is one of my favorite narrators. Nowhere does she elevate a story more than with The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax. Dorothy Gilman started the series in 1970—the story of a garden-club wife from New Brunswick, NJ, who joins the CIA in a madcap series of events—and Barbara Rosenblat narrates a dozen titles, all available at Audible. If you love John D. Macdonald or Rhys Bowen, may I suggest your next audio binge?"
Christina H., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun listen for light-hearted spy story

Think Miss Marple meets the CIA. Story continues as written in the 60s, so that will help set the context. Don’t expect the world’s most intricate storyline, but it accomplishes its task.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very entertaining

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure. It was a very cute story unrealistic, but very cute and very well read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Just a fun read

Such a fun story! Chuckles and smiles and just the right amount of drama to keep the reader intrigued.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

So Fun and entertaining!

Loved the sturdy lift and the performance. Definitely kept my interest. Had an innocent charm to it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful Mrs. Pollifax!

The plot was refreshing. I am definitely looking forward to following Mrs. Pollifax’s future adventures.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fabulous

Totally enjoyed this tale.
Don’t understand why I have to put 15 words in the review tho. Very annoying

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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EXCELLENT!!

Loved the story and especially the characters!! Well done!! Will most definitely read the other books about Mrs. Pollifax!!

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  • BK
  • 10-09-23

Greatly enjoyed this vintage book

I am so happy I discovered the Mrs. Pollifax series. I loved this book! A great spy/adventure story that captivated me with very unexpected places and people in the Cold War era. The narrative and characters were vivid and convincing, even with a story that would be very hard to imagine for a middle-aged suburban widow in the 1960s, when this was written. I can understand why some call Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax a "proto feminist".

The narrator was excellent, too. Her accent and cadence for Mrs. Pollifax captured the way women in her circle of life spoke at that time. (I am old enough to remember.). She was great with the other characters, too.

I haven't enjoyed an Audible book this much in a long time. Already have the next one in the series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Bit Too Familiar

This was an interesting, intense and funny story. The only thing is.....I watched this story on tv many years ago. After some snooping around online I realized how old this book is and then found that it was, indeed, made into a movie.
It was enjoyable and the narrator was amazing with all the voices. Except one....Mrs Pollifax. The story said she was in her mid sixties I believe. But her voice sounded more like late seventies. I do not know anyone in their sixties or seventies that sounds that old and frail. However, it did lend charm to the charisma and moxie of her supposedly elderly self. Her character is strong and she frequently surprises herself.

I am going to read the next book and hopefully it will all be a new surprise.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun listen

Good narrator. This story was written in the 1960s so its tone is of that era however it’s a fun listen.

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