2021 Reading Challenge: A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign

[baronessekat]

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


4.5 stars

63 year old Emily Polifax is at a crossroads. Her grown children have their own lives, her husband has passed on, and she doesn't find joy in the volunteering she's been doing. Her doctor diagnoses her as having depression and suggests following a dream she had when she was younger. So that's what she decides to do.

She travels to Washington, DC, walks into the headquarters of the C.I.A. and says she wants to be a spy. Needless to say, the person "interviewing" her does not take her seriously and leaves her in the interview room to attend other matters. Meanwhile a director finds the need for an agent no one knows and asks for a new recruit to come in for an interview. (See where this is going?)

After realizing his mistake, the director still goes for it and sends Mrs. Polifax to Mexico City to act as a tourist and be a courier for some top secret information. However, things go wrong and she finds herself caught, kidnapped and transported to Albania where the communists try to get her and another agent to spill the secrets. It's up to Mrs. Polifax to get them out and complete the mission.

****

I actually found this book to be really fun. Very dated (written in the mid '60's), but that's fine. There were times when I could just feel a good friend of mine (who is an FBI special agent) cringing a the procedures. Again, I didn't mind.

I think this series is going to be one to return to when I need a bit of fun fluff. Not to mention finding the movie to see how they translated it. (I would actually love to see it modernized with Helen Mirren and Chris Evens as the leads)

This is the second book I have done by this author and have found that I really like her writing style. And I would recommend her to any who need a quick and fun read.



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