Part of Mrs. Pollifax, book 1
First published 1966
Emily Pollifax has had enough of garden club meetings in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The widow with grown children craves purpose and decides to serve her country in an unexpected way. She becomes a CIA agent. Her latest assignment takes her to Mexico City for what should be a straightforward operation. The mission goes sideways fast. Emily finds herself caught in the middle of Cold War espionage, far from the quiet suburban life she left behind. Her enemies discover they have underestimated this seemingly ordinary woman. Emily proves that determination and grit matter more than training manuals. She must rely on her wits and surprising resilience to survive. What started as a desire to contribute something meaningful to her country becomes a test of everything she never knew she possessed.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unexpected-hero
Setting: Mexico City, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Period: Cold War
204 pages · Paperback · Random House Ballantine Fawcett Crest