The Vintage Bookshelf: The Mrs. Pollifax Series

By Shari Randall

 

Welcome to another episode of the Vintage Bookshelf. My name is Shari Randall and I enjoy reading books published more than fifty years ago (the current definition of vintage). In this episode, I discuss a favorite series protagonist, one of the original “silver sleuths,” Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Emily Pollifax.

 

As aa reader who falls into the “vintage” category, (not quite antique yet, thank you), I am especially pleased to have made the acquaintance of Mrs. Emily Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, a widow in her sixties who satisfied her longing for adventure by taking on the occasional undercover assignment for the CIA.

 

When we meet Emily in her first adventure, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1966), she’s sharing with her garden club the night-blooming cereus that she’s managed to grown in a box on her fire escape. Despite this impressive horticultural feat and her forays into yoga and karate, Emily longs for more and she decides to write to the CIA to ask for a job. Through a (less than believable) mix up (hang in there, it’s worth it), she’s hired. Her CIA handler, Carstairs, believes that her resourceful and improvisational personality, disguised by her ladylike gloves and hats, makes her the perfect spy. Her adventures take her to geopolitical hot spots like Hong Kong, Morocco, Sicily, Mexico, and more. She goes undercover in carnivals, souks, and sanitariums. She’s held at gunpoint, knocked out with chloroform, and kidnapped numerous times, but with sturdy common sense and gumption she vanquishes experienced foreign agents, art forgers, and a cast of other bad actors.

 

Keep in mind, Mrs. Pollifax operates in a time when the Cold War was hot. Yes, as with all books on the vintage bookshelf, one is very occasionally jolted by attitudes and language that were acceptable at the time the book was written, but no longer. Never fear, Mrs. Pollifax maintains an open-hearted and broad-minded attitude that has insured her welcome on our bookshelves today. 

 

Dorothy Gilman

It’s particularly pleasing to see how popular these books have remained. There are websites and social media groups devoted to the series. The name of a popular mystery review site run by Mark Baker, Carstairs Considers, pays homage to Mrs. Pollifax’s CIA handler.

 

If you think Mrs. Pollifax bears some resemblance to Riley Rhodes, the protagonist of my Ice Cream Shop Mysteries (written with my super-secret pen name of Meri Allen) you would be correct - and very perceptive. Riley’s background as a former CIA librarian/occasional asset was inspired by Mrs. Pollifax.

 

Here are the Mrs. Pollifax books in order:

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (AKA Mrs. Pollifax, Spy)

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax

The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax

A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax

Mrs. Pollifax on Safari

Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle

Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish

Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief

Mrs. Pollifax Pursued

Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer

Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist

Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled1990)))

 

Who’s your favorite “silver sleuth?” Let me know in the comments.

 

Shari Randall is the author of the beloved Lobster Shack Mystery series and, as Meri Allen, the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries. You can see what she’s up to on Facebook (@sharirandallauthor) and Instagram (@meriallenbooks).

 

 

In Praise of Mrs. Pollifax

by Shari Randall

I’m traveling a lot this summer, packing my wooly socks and pashmina for the flight, my brand new Kindle, and one of my most delightful travel companions – Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Emily Pollifax.

I discovered the first Mrs. Pollifax book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, in an airport in Bermuda many years ago, before cell phones and Kindles made travel so easy for book lovers. The thin paperback was perfect for slipping into a beach bag or pocket. This was also before publishers decided that paperbacks had to be several pages longer. Have you noticed that? Perhaps vacations are longer today? A Mrs. Pollifax book was perfect for my long weekend.

Mrs. Pollifax is a senior citizen and widow from New Jersey. Her children are grown. She’s an intelligent woman who longs for more than garden club and charity teas. So, she decides to serve her country by joining the CIA.

What!

Great credit goes to author Dorothy Gilman who made this scenario work for 14 books. Mrs. Pollifax faces danger – and stubborn CIA bureaucrats – with aplomb, picking up karate, yoga, shadowy tails, and many devoted friends over the course of the series.

She’s definitely of the Miss Marple pattern – the lady of a certain age who hides a razor sharp mind under a sweet exterior. But Miss Marple never traveled too far from St. Mary Mead (there was a trip to the Caribbean, maybe?)

What sets Mrs. Pollifax apart is the exotic travel that is part of her job as a spy. Gilman wrote these books during the Cold War, so Mrs. Pollifax matches wits and karate moves with operatives with a decided Russian accent. But her itinerary – Mexico, Istanbul, communist China, a safari in Africa – take her around the globe.

Escapism? You bet. If you’re looking for a perfect summer read, take Mrs. Pollifax on vacation with you.

If you’d like to know more about the series, check out the fan page:

http://mrspollifax.com/blog/

Have you ever read a Mrs. Pollifax book? What book is your summer read this year?