She also contributed a chapter to the book, "On Creative Writing" (1964)  She began writing as Dorothy Gilman for her first Mrs. Pollifax book. "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" (1966) was the first in what would be a 14-book series. The heroine, the eccentric Emily Pollifax, is a 60-ish, bored, garden-clubbing grandmother, and widow. Considering her life without real purpose, and after briefly contemplating suicide, she presents herself to the CIA, offering to serve as an agent. Initially recruited through a misunderstanding, she is excited, and a bit clueless about her role, but she quickly adapts to an unfortunate turn of events, and displays the common sense and grit that will guide her through future intrigues. The series, which ended in 2000 with "Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled", consists of fast-paced escapades filled with danger and intrigue in Mexico, Turkey, Thailand, China, Morocco, Zambia, Sicily, and elsewhere. The character was adapted in the 1971 film "Mrs. Pollifax-Spy". Additional books she wrote under the name Dorothy Gilman:  "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" was filmed by United Artists in 1970 as "Mrs. Pollifax-Spy" starring Rosalind Russell. Angela Lansbury starred in the made-for-TV movie "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax" in 1999.