Mrs. Emily Pollifax is the heroine of a series of spy novels by Dorothy Gilman . Mrs. Pollifax is a widow and senior citizen who decided one day to leave her comfortable apartment in New Brunswick, New Jersey and join the CIA. Not realizing that one cannot just walk in and become an agent, she is mistakenly recruited as a tourist for a routine courier assignment by Operations Chief Mr. Carstairs. Many exciting misadventures ensue.

In 1999 a CBS television movie based on The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax was made starring Angela Lansbury in the title role.

Books in the Mrs. Pollifax series

• The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1966)
• The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax (1970)
• The Elusive Mrs. Pollifax (1971)
• A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax (1973)
• Mrs. Pollifax on Safari (1976)
• Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station (1983)
• Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha (1985)
• Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle (1988)
• Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish (1990)
• Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief (1993)
• Mrs. Pollifax Pursued (1995)
• Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (1996)
• Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist (1997)
• Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled (2000)