Look, I'll admit it - when my wife Linda suggested I try a cozy mystery about a grandmother who becomes a CIA agent, I gave her the look. You know the one. The "I've actually been to places where people shoot at you" look. She just smiled and said, "Trust me, you'll like Emily Pollifax."
She was right. Damn it.
The Grandma Who Outflanks Everyone
Here's the setup: Emily Pollifax is a New Jersey widow who's bored out of her mind with Garden Club meetings. So she walks into CIA headquarters and volunteers. And somehow - through a beautiful comedy of errors that I won't spoil - she ends up on an actual mission to Mexico City that goes sideways fast.
I've worked with plenty of operatives over the years. Some were brilliant. Some were lucky. Mrs. Pollifax is both, wrapped in a package nobody sees coming. There's something genuinely tactical about how Dorothy Gilman writes her - she uses her invisibility as an older woman as actual tradecraft. People underestimate her constantly. It's her superpower.
Is it realistic? Not entirely. But Gilman clearly did her homework on Cold War dynamics, and the book never insults your intelligence with impossible scenarios. Mrs. Pollifax succeeds because she's observant, adaptable, and - this is key - genuinely kind to everyone she meets. That kindness becomes operational advantage. I've seen that work in real life, actually. The best intelligence assets are often the ones who just make people want to help them.
Barbara Rosenblat Nails It
Let me cut to the chase: Barbara Rosenblat is a six-time Audie winner for a reason. She doesn't just read this book - she becomes every character in it. Her Emily Pollifax voice is warm but with steel underneath. When she shifts to the various international characters Mrs. Pollifax encounters, the accents are spot-on without becoming cartoonish. (And believe me, I've heard enough bad accent work in audiobooks to fill a cargo plane.)
The pacing is smart too. Rosenblat knows when to slow down for tension and when to pick up during action sequences. There's one scene - won't give details - where Mrs. Pollifax has to think fast, and Rosenblat's delivery had me actually leaning forward in my truck like I was listening to a tactical briefing.
Where It Lost Me (Briefly)
It's not perfect. There are moments in the middle where the plot slows down - some setup that felt like it could've been tighter. Girl Before had similar pacing issues in its middle section, though it recovered with a strong finish. And look, this is a cozy mystery from 1966, so don't expect Jason Bourne. The stakes are real but the violence is mild. If you need constant action, you might zone out in spots.
But here's the thing - I didn't mind the slower sections because I genuinely liked spending time with Mrs. Pollifax. She's good company. Ranger seemed to agree; his ears perked up every time she got into trouble.
Mission Debrief
Worth your time? Here's the debrief: This is a smart, funny, surprisingly tactical spy novel wrapped in the most unassuming package possible. Summons tried for that same blend of intelligence and accessibility, though it didn't quite stick the landing the way Gilman does here. Dorothy Gilman earned that Grand Master award from the Mystery Writers of America, and you can hear why in every chapter. The book's from 1966 but doesn't feel dated - the Cold War setting actually adds atmosphere.
Rosenblat's narration elevates everything. I listened at my usual 1.25x and it worked perfectly - her delivery is clear enough to handle the speed boost without losing the character voices.
Who should listen: Anyone who wants espionage with heart. Anyone tired of grim-dark spy thrillers. Anyone who appreciates a protagonist who wins through intelligence and kindness rather than just violence. Who should skip: If you need nonstop action or can't handle a 1960s setting, this isn't your mission.
I've already downloaded the second book. Don't tell Linda she was right.
Ranger approved.
