Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination is Helen Fielding's fifth book, a spy novel published in 2003.

It chronicles the adventures of Olivia Joules (birth name Rachel Pixley), a freelance journalist with an "overactive imagination".

After meeting the handsome Pierre Feramo, Olivia immediately comes to the conclusion that he is a terrorist and follows him around the world to confirm her suspicions whilst falling for another man.

Olivia Jules, a journalist for the British Sunday Times newspaper and Elan magazine is in Miami to cover the launch of a face cream when she meets Pierre Feramo, who she finds attractive, but also suspicious.

[1] In an interview with BBC News,[2] Helen Fielding was inspired for this book by the way the world responded to the September 11 attacks.

In light of the invasion of Iraq, Fielding wondered why they had not sent a female spy in to interview the perpetrator.

Olivia parallels James Bond in many ways and Fielding was very fond of Ian Fleming's novels.