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    The Agency: A Spy in the House: A Spy in the House
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    The Agency: A Spy in the House: A Spy in the House
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    The Agency: A Spy in the House: A Spy in the House
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Agency: A Spy in the House: A Spy in the House

    Written by Y S Lee

    Narrated by Justine Eyre

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this diverting mystery trails a feisty heroine as she takes on a precarious secret assignment.

    Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners-and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady's companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust-or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets-including those of her own past.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateDec 1, 2010
    ISBN9781441890405
    Unavailable
    The Agency: A Spy in the House: A Spy in the House
    Author

    Y S Lee

    Y. S. Lee was born in Singapore, raised in Vancouver and Toronto, and lived for a spell in England. She earned a Ph.D. in Victorian literature and culture from Queen’s University and now lives in Kingston, Ontario.Ying’s debut novel, The Agency: A Spy in the House, is about a mixed-race girl detective in Victorian London. It won the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s inaugural John Spray Mystery Award in 2011. The Agency tetralogy continues with The Body at the Tower, The Traitor and the Tunnel, and Rivals in the City (Candlewick Press/Walker Books).

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    Reviews for The Agency

    4/5

    72 ratings36 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Well researched with a spunky heroine, a fascinating and mysterious agency, and a complicated mystery. At times the reading will feel dull to some readers as the author spends a lot of time setting the scene and describing the backdrop of Victorian London. Additionally, half the fun in mysteries is predicting the who-done-it, but The Agency books oscillate between obvious and predictable "mysteries" and overly complex ones that seem contrived and convoluted.
    • 3/5
      I found A Spy in the House to be pretty entertaining, but fluffy. It didn't require much thought or attention: I wasn't bothered by Mum's snoring in the background (a flight from the UK to Italy is so tiring), or the conversations going on just outside the hotel room. Fun, but not taxing.

      The whole idea is quite fun: an academy for girls who're down on their luck (the main character is rescued from the gallows in the opening of the book), which can lead -- for some -- into becoming spies, in the Agency. It's feminism-in-Victorian-times, using the fact that women weren't expected to do anything or be clever.

      To be honest, Mary Lang doesn't strike me as that brilliant. (Give me Sally Lockhart any day.) Perhaps the more realistic for that. I wasn't bowled over by any of the characters and interactions, to be honest: I probably wouldn't seek out the sequels, if I didn't already own them. Not that I would avoid them, but they haven't captured my imagination.
    • 5/5
      Mary has been sentences to hang until dead, the problem Mary is 12. Rescued by a female guard to join a all girl school but she has the choice to stay or return to her former life.
    • 3/5
      I started out really liking this book as I was intrigued by the mystery, but I found myself tiring of it by the end. Set in Victorian England the action and dialogue was often too contemporary.
    • 4/5
      I first heard about this series from Leila when she posted about the making of the covers. I looked at them and, being a bit of a costume history buff, was gleeful. Accurate clothing? On a cover for a Victorian book? YAY! So I went in with high hopes. And I wasn’t disappointed. The book is light on the one hand, although it’s also clearly written by someone who knows her stuff. On the other hand, it doesn’t shy away from talking about the tragedies of Victorian life. AND I absolutely loved the fact that the characters, even the ones with somewhat radical beliefs, didn’t feel like modern people shoved uncomfortably into the past. Their reactions felt of a piece with their times. And isn’t the cover gorgeous?
    • 4/5
      I was drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover, and it did not disappoint. It had a somewhat overly feminist tone in some parts, but other than that I loved it!
    • 4/5
      If Nancy Drew time-traveled to 1850s London, but then decided to join up as a spy instead of waiting placidly for the action to come to her, you would have The Agency: A Spy in the House, the first book in a series of fun, girl-powered Victorian detective novels by Y.S. Lee.Mary Quinn is 12-years-old when she is sentenced to be hanged for housebreaking, but the warden has other ideas and selects her to be saved by Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. After five years and an education in manners, reading, writing, and arithmetic, Mary is ready to join The Agency.The Agency is a secret organization, know to few, but valued for its efficiency and discretion. In modern times, you might consult a private detective when a tricky problem arises and you cannot, or do not wish to, consult the police. In Mary's time, you contact The Agency who send in trained spies to infiltrate a household quietly, exploiting the fact that women and servants are often underestimated and ignored.In Mary's first adventure, she is still in training, and, unfortunately, apt to make mistakes. She is instructed to simply observe, not to actively pursue the case, but it seems she can't help herself-- she sees a lead and has to follow it. To complicate things further, she has to squeeze in her spying while actually completing her work as a lady's companion to the heinous Angelica Thorold, and nothing in the Thorold household is as it seems. What is the secret story behind the Thorold's wealth and the missing cargo ships that can either make or destroy their fortune? Will James Easton discover Mary's secrets and expose her? Will she be able to solve the mystery of her own past? It's a sassy, fun, adventurous read to find the answers.
    • 4/5
      Listened to Brilliance Audio edition narrated by Justine Eyre. The narration was excellent; Eyre managed the different English accents quite well. I'm not sure the plot would hold together all that well if examined more closely (For example, why doesn't James find it odd that Mary isn't continuing to look for the pregnant maid at the end of the book since that hasn't been resolved at all?). While I think the details of the setting are correct, I don't know that the characters behave so historically accurately. I did love the exploration of how limited women's choices were in Victorian England though and the idea of the Agency as a clandestine spy/detective organization run by women, even though in real Victorian times this would have been highly improbable. Despite these quibbles, I greatly enjoyed this (particularly the push and pull between James and Mary and details of the Victorian setting) and look forward to listening to the next two. While not likely to win any awards, I think this is great for light reading.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Gives reader an insight into the class system and living conditions of Victorian London. Mary Quinn acts as a ladies companion while working for the Agency to solve an illegal importing operation. It is fast moving and leaves the reader ready to read the next in the series.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I think I just have to face facts and admit that I don't like mysteries. The main character was okay, the plot was okay, the romantic interest was romantic and interesting... but I just didn't like this book. I was never invested and never cared one way or another if they solved the crime or not. Just nothing drew me in. Plus I kept getting distracted by the horrible descriptions of England. I thought victorian england was supposed to be romantic... but ugh. If I read about that stinking river ever again it will be too soon!
    • 4/5
      Twelve-year-old Mary Lang, sentenced to hang as a thief, was instead plucked by mysterious benefactors and educated as Miss Scrimshaw's Academy. Now 17 and renamed Mary Quinn, she is on her first assignment for The Agency, which provides detective work by women, who are so often overlooked. As companion to the spoiled daughter of a possibly shady merchant, Mary chafes at her limited role and determines to be more active. But snooping soon leads her into danger....An interesting character and investigation.
    • 4/5
      Mary Lang is a twelve-year old, half-chinese, half-irish London ragamuffin about to be hanged for thieving when she is offered the chance of a new life at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. The Academy is an unusual institution run by two very different young ladies, Ann Treleaven, a prim, thirty-ish spinster and Felicity Frame. The students at the academy are trained in useful occupations and learn to be independent. However, if the life of a governess or nurse does not suit them, and if they have the aptitude for such work, the students have another option – to become a member for the Agency, an all-women spy, well, Agency.With their aid, Mary transforms herself into Mary Quinn, choosing to hide her Chinese ancestry and pass as only half-irish to explain her dark, exotic looks. When the time comes for her to seek employment outside the school, uninspired with the dull like of a governess, she chooses to join the Agency.And thus begins a series of mysterious adventures. Along the way, she meets her romantic foil, James Easton, a young engineer.Although the mysteries are a little too predictable, the relationship between Mary and James is pitch perfect, reminiscent of the best Victorian-era romantic mysteries for adults: The Lady Julia Grey mysteries, Amelia Peabody and of course, who can forget Ms. Alexia Tarabotti in the Parasol Protectorate.These were great fun, with a clear and intriguing view of London, from the everday workings of a middle class family, to the re-building of parliament to Queen Victoria herself. In fact, I especially enjoyed Lee’s portrayal of the latter, as a fierce leader and loving mother.Pair this up with Pullman’s Sally Lockhart mysteries, Shane Peacock’s Young Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes series.Wow. I just realised that I might enjoy this genre much more than I realised…
    • 5/5
      I sometimes find that novels with historical settings can be a bit dry, but Y.S. Lee has rekindled my love affair with Victorian England. A SPY IN THE HOUSE is a fast paced read, narrated by a feisty heroine, bursting with mystery, lies, greed, secret alliances, and, of course, romance.With her quick wit and adventuresome spirit, Mary Quinn has quickly become one of my favorite main characters! A SPY IN THE HOUSE is set in Victorian London, where Mary’s secret life as a spy is one of the many traits that sets her apart from her peers. Even with her schooling and fine manners, she doesn’t fit the mold of a typical Victorian woman. Her history is a bit blurry, her origins are unknown, and she’s bursting with opinions. Mary definitely stands out in Victorian London, but her character is so vibrant that I believe she’d have a difficult time blending into any setting. I admire Lee’s ability to use just the right amount of foreshadowing: too much and a novel will lose much of its mysteriousness, too little and the reader will become frustrated and completely confused. There were enough clues present that I could determine some of the lies and secrets, but the biggest aspect of the mystery remained a riddle for most of the novel. I was also impressed with Lee’s ability to weave seemingly independent plot lines into a complex and compelling mystery, while still keeping the mystery intact.I was thrilled to discover that there was a romantic plot line in A SPY IN THE HOUSE. Mary is forced to hide in a wardrobe when she is nearly discovered poking through an off-limits office, only to find the wardrobe is already occupied. One can assume that if you meet a man in a wardrobe, he probably isn’t the boring sort. Mary has met her match in James Easton, who, against his better judgment, is intrigued by “Miss Closet.” The conversations between James and Mary were humorous and tension-filled; the chemistry between the two is evident from the moment they tumble out of the wardrobe. James is one of my favorite male characters/romantic leads. Not only is he funny, smart, and mysterious, I always end up picturing him as James McAvoy. This definitely enhances my reading experience.I like mystery and historical novels, but I don't usually love them. Somehow, I have come to love the Mary Quinn mysteries. I've read the next novel, A BODY AT THE TOWER, which will be released in August, and it is just as good, if not better, than the first installment. If you have any interest in mysteries, kickass girl spies, or good-looking boys in wardrobes, you need to read this book!
    • 4/5
      I hadn't heard about this book until I saw a listing for the third in the series. The synopsis caught my attention: spunky female secret detective with a mysterious past, set in Victorian London. I really enjoyed reading about Mary and her adventures, and absolutely loved her interactions with James. I liked the setup - Mary is rescued from a sentence to hang (due to thievery) and taken to a school, where she's educated and enlisted to join in a secret female detective agency. Her first task is to help Scotland Yard (unofficially, of course) find evidence of wrongdoing by a wealthy merchant, whose been claiming that his ships - which are suspected of carrying illegal cargo - have been sunk.Mary is plunged into a household full of secrets, and I have to say that the ending - the "whodunit" if you will - surprised me as much as it did Mary when the truth comes out. I loved James, even though he was arrogant and sure of himself and positive that he was right at all times, and adored all of their interactions. I hope that we will see more of him in the later installments. I also liked the mystery, and the truth behind Mary's past, and hope to see more of that as well. I look forward to the second book, as I think Mary learned a lot from her first assignment and will be even better at her job the next time. And I can't help but wonder if we've seen the last of the "villain" as well; maybe she'll pop up again later?Anyway, if you're looking for a plucky heroine who's not afraid to take risks and get herself into trouble, Mary Quinn is your girl. I really enjoyed reading about her, and look forward to more.
    • 3/5
      The beginning of this novel really grabbed my attention. I don't want to give much of the story away, but it's really interesting to see our young character Mary in such a predicament at such a young age. It's very enlightening to see someone come along to save her and to offer her a better chance at life than what was going to happen.I was expecting to see a bit more of Mary at school or a bit more of The Agency that she was so easily inducted into. It wasn't made out to be such a big deal even though she really was undergoing a lot for her work with the agency. She undergoes some sort of training, training of which we don't see her go through and then she's thrust into her assignment.Aside from those little issues above, once Mary gets to her assignment, things start to get a little more interesting. However, I just didn't find the story completely riveting. It's surprising to see what's really happening behind the scenes and to see who is really stealing artifacts because it is someone so completely unexpected. I guess I just expected a lot more from this novel but I did not find this to be a disappointing read. I was just looking for a more fleshier novel.
    • 3/5
      Mary Quinn, orphan thief in Victorian London, is rescued from certain death by hanging at age 12 and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy For Girls. At the age of 17, she is recruited to become a part of an elite group of female spies known as The Agency. Her first case involves being placed as a companion to the daughter of a man suspected of smuggling and fraud, and Mary's investigation leads her in directions she never would have expected. Lots of suspense and drama in this mystery! Sequel is The Agency 2: The Body in the Tower. Looking forward to getting that one next! 7th grade and up.
    • 5/5
      Helloooo, new favorite book! A Spy in the House was absolutely brilliant. It executed a great mystery, was never slow or boring, and had leads that were both complex and captivating. Mary easily joined the ranks as one of my favorite characters. She was clever, had spirit, and was not afraid to stand her ground. Then there was James Easton who was very much Mary's equal. The two could bring out the best and worst of each other, but it was a good balance and they made quite the team together. The mystery was very well written, neither too convoluted nor too obvious. All of the characters involved had evidence against them, making them equal suspects, and yet the conclusion still managed to surprise me. Details of Mary's past were also revealed and it was very easy to empathize with her. I'm looking forward to seeing more information surface in the future installments and for Mary to fully accept her identity. Then there was the romance... James and Mary easily have some of the best chemistry I've come across. From their first encounter in the wardrobe, I knew they would be a pair I would love and that proved to be true. If you're looking for declarations of love, and all that goes with the usual YA novel, you won't find it here, but you will find a compatible match with these two. Their banter and sexual tension was fantastic and it can only get better from here.Despite my early wake up call for this morning, and my body demanding sleep, I stayed up past 2AM to finish up the story. As the end approached, I ran to my computer to order the next book in the trilogy, The Body at the Tower. I can't recommend either book enough, so definitely give it a chance if you can!
    • 5/5
      Y.S. Lee's The Agency: A Spy In the House surprised me with its suspenseful tale and its supposedly dainty Victorian main character with a spunky attitude. The story takes place in the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria ruled over England in the 19th century. Since we live in the 21st century and in Toronto, there's too much to contrast. But, the sewer system invented in the Victorian era is one of the really important hygiene systems we use today. I can sometimes visualize the setting when I close my eyes. The author needs to use more descriptive words. She describes the city as a crowded, smelly and unsanitary place. Overall, it is an exciting mystery and historical book. I recommend this book to people who want a dose of mystery, feminism and Victorian London combined.
    • 4/5
      Y.S. Lee's A Spy in the House was a very exciting read. What really made the book wonderful though was the setting. The book takes place in London, 1858, which is a nice place and time for a mystery. I don't usually enjoy historic fiction stories; mostly because they take place during world war 2 or back when there were slaves; which is very annoying after time. So to have a break from slaves and Nazis is really nice. Any way, although this book is set in a cool time and place, it also lacks detail. The story doesn't mention any specific details about the buildings and clothing; which would've been nice, were not there. This actually makes it harder to visualize the setting of the story, but the setting was still fairly good. So overall this book is is very well written and has a wonderful setting, even though it could've used more description. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read mystery books and/or historic fiction.
    • 4/5
      My first read of 2011! I chose this book to read first as I've heard good things all over the book blogs and the synopsis sounded interesting. For instance on the back of the book it gives this very short but succinct summary: "In the gritty world of Victorian London, in a house with many secrets, nothing is as it seems...least of all Mary Quinn."What a perfect way to describe this book! Because Mary Quinn is a spy working undercover in her first assignment as a companion to a difficult young woman with secrets of her own. In fact, everyone in the household where Mary works seems to have secrets and hidden agendas. This was a fast paced read that hooked me into the story from the very beginning. I loved the idea of a young woman (especially during this time period) being a spy and Mary's adventures were a lot of fun to read about. Mary has a lot of spunk to her character and I liked her from the beginning. I also liked that there was a history to her...a past that even she doesn't completely know but that she began to learn about in the book. It made her background more mysterious and I'm anxious to see what else she will learn in future books. The atmosphere of the book was filled with suspense at certain moments which caused me turn the pages even faster. And I enjoyed the gritty Victorian feel that was present throughout the novel. I find that I am quite a fan of reading books set in this time period and the mystery aspect just was an added bonus. I didn't end up having any major complaints with this book although the ending wasn't quite a surprise for me. But it was a good mystery overall. All in all it ended up being a good read to begin the year with, and I will definitely be reading more in this series in the future just to see what kind of trouble Mary gets herself into next.
    • 4/5
      A Spy In The House makes a stunning appearance with its vivid and sometimes not-so-dainty Victorian imagery and a rather spunky heroine who is not afraid to get her skirts muddy. Mary Quinn proves to be a woman not to be trifled with, and she certainly does not need to be rescued like some feather-brained damsel in distress.I really enjoyed the historical details that Y.S. Lee wove into the story, and there were times when I felt a little woozy after reading about the smelly Thames. It was interesting to not read all about dress-fittings and dance cards, but instead the covert ops to the less-than-sparkly docks and immigrant refuge house. There were a lot of aspects of Victorian nuances that usually gets lost in historical romances, such as who you can meet inside a church. What also makes A Spy In The House unique is that it also gives us a healthy dose of cultural awareness in that Mary Quinn is not a pure Englishwoman, but instead a mixed background with roots that she rather not discuss in polite society.And what is a spunky heroine without an equally clever gentleman hero (though quite unnecessary since she can save herself)? I loved the bantering between Mary and James and the mishaps that they managed to fall into. James proved to be an adequate ally when needs arose, even though Mary couldn't quite trust him with her secrets.
    • 5/5
      If, like me, the Sally Lockhart books by Philip Pullman are amongst your favourites, pick up The Agency #1: A Spy in the House right now, and I do mean RIGHT now. I'm so glad this is the first in a trilogy. So so so so glad.The Agency focuses ...more If, like me, the Sally Lockhart books by Philip Pullman are amongst your favourites, pick up The Agency #1: A Spy in the House right now, and I do mean RIGHT now. I'm so glad this is the first in a trilogy. So so so so glad.The Agency focuses on Mary Quinn, who's a seventeen-year-old spy in Victorian London. That alone, pretty damn cool. Add to that that the Agency she works for is kind of my dream NGO, a place where they give young women the education they need to be able to make choices in life other than throwing themselves into marriage and parenthood. It's a strongly feminist organization and for that I say thank you. Let me tell you all the ways this book was amazing:- Mary Quinn, the main character. She's a wonderful heroine you'll want to be friends with. Besides, I can't think of any other Victorian-era book that has as its main protagonist a young woman who's not white. It was very nice to see the author explore how the Other was treated in Victorian London.- The great sense of the period. You know how Victorian London feels like and smells like. I was absolutely transported into the story. The author did her PhD on the Victorian era and it really shows. It was wonderful, and every detail serves the story, they're not here for embellishment or because the author fetichizes the period.- The cast of secondary characters. I don't want to spoil here but the female characters especially were really well fleshed-out. I loved Angelica's story & growth.- The feminist point of view. It's there, nobody shys away from it and it's written so you understand its importance. I thought it was brilliantly brought up. From the existence of the Agency itself to how much Mary believes in real equality and the author showed just how some aspects of misogyny truly haven't changed one bit.- The romance was believable, and I truly loved the end. I didn't fall for the male interest and I was very pleasantly surprised with the end which I thought was very sensible. You realize the author knows what she's doing - she sometimes does mock stereotypical settings and has the heroine dismiss them as too cliché within the story. I like metatextuality, seemed to me Y.S. Lee was making fun of stories that are a little too conventional and I thought that was brilliant.This book is a refreshing, exciting read. I had many questions after closing it but I'll keep them to myself for now. What I can do in the meantime is order the second book (The Body at the Tower, which is already out) and stalk the author on her journal and Twitter. I feel like such a fool squeeing alone over this wonderful novel but this is why I value the Internet so much - I already know that lots of people loved this book as much as I did and I can't wait to see what everybody has to say!
    • 4/5
      Mmmmm what can I say about Ms. Mary? She's fierce, determined, charismatic, witty and not afraid to get her hands dirty. She is.....my Shero lol. Growing up as an orphan she was a complete ball of destruction. She stole whatever she could to get by but eventually she was caught. Just when she thought all hope was gone she was recruited to attend an all girls school where things aren't as they seem. It turns out that they want her to become one of their spies for their agency.So many characters but for the first time I find them all relevant to this mystery. Mary is told to only listen and observe. However, when have well behaved women ever changed the world?? She does some pretty questionable things to get down to the truth. She ends up finding out more secrets than she bargained for....even about herself. Moving in with the Thorolds to investigate what shady dealings Mr. Thorold might be into proves to be a challenging task. It shows her that just because a family has a lot of money doesn't mean they don't have issues.After getting more acquainted in the wardrobe, second main character James Easton and Mary carry on a very strange relationship. I'd call it romantic in its own way. They have such a love/hate relationship. They argue about everything but the arguing distinctly sounds like flirting to me! Another plus for me was that it was still a historical fiction novel. We learned about The Great Stink that hit London. This is why I love this genre because I'd never learned about that piece of history in school. Also, for once I did not crack the mystery on my own. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time trying to figure out who did it and I was wrong every time. Now that's what I call a mystery! I truly enjoyed this and I'm sure you will as well.
    • 5/5
      This is a great addition to YA fiction. It is an interesting mystery with a great heroine. I loved the snarky banter between Mary and James. They had such great chemistry. I was also very interested in Mary's internal struggles regarding her ethnicity. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      In Victorian London, orphan Mary Quinn is rescued from a life of thievery and pickpocketing by Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Five years later, she discovers that the Academy is really a cover for a spy organization called The Agency. Her first mission involves acting as a companion for the daughter of a rich merchant whose ships have been sinking at an alarming rate. Is he sabotaging his own ships or is it someone else’s work? Some keen detective work and a little help from an unlikely partner help Mary get to the bottom of her first case.
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed this story of a young woman who is investigating smuggling for a secret agency who work from her school. She finds herself entangled with a man who she's not sure she should trust but wants to and where her past comes to haunt her.I enjoyed the read, Mary is a great character and I could see how her character would lead her to this role in life. I'm looking forward to more by this author.
    • 4/5
      Mary Quinn is a heroine I quite enjoyed. She's quirky, lady like, and tomboy-ish. It's her first mission and already she's picking up more than she can handle! The Victorian backdrop was lovely even though the smell of river was horrific for the characters! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Spy in the House as it covers all the basics I'm interested in; mystery and a touch of romance. I definitely would love to read more about her life!
    • 5/5
      What a delightfully unique book! I was engrossed from the moment I met Mary Quinn. The idea is so very different from anything else I’ve read. It was like a historical Nancy Drew novel. In the prologue we meet 12 year old Mary. She is found guilty of theft, and sentenced to hang for her crime. I was so relieved to see her given a second chance in the form of Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Chapter one jumps ahead several years and we meet older Mary. While most girls raised in this time period want to be mothers and wives, Mary is all about the Victorian Girl Power! She’s an empowering character, and an excellent role model. Just a young woman striving to make a mark in the world while keeping secrets from her past buried. What secrets? You’ll have to read and see. A Spy in the House is a book I had trouble putting down. It is beautifully written, contains inventive characters, and hosts an intricate plot. A first-rate start to a new young adult trilogy. I can’t wait to read the next installment, A Body at the Tower.
    • 3/5
      I got this book through the GoodReads First Reads program, and of all the books I entered a draw for, I'm really glad I was picked to receive this one. A Victorian mystery was just what I needed as a comfortable break between all those vampire novels!This wasn't a very heavy novel, which was definitely nice, but it did have enough of an intruiging plot to keep things moving well. There were a few little nitpicky negatives regarding this book (a few scenes could have been rearranged to better effect, I think, and I'm disappointed that George Easton seemed like he only existed as a way of introducing James), but overall, it was enjoyable to read. The author's strength in writing is clear in the characters, and with very few exceptions, the characters are wonderfully real and can be related to in one form or another. She also has strength in period details, something which people unacquainted with Victoriana might not appreciate, but since I'm a fan of the era, I saw the little things that made the story just that much more believable.More than once I found myself debating whether it would be better for James and Mary to just get a room, or to duke it out in the middle of the street. Possibly both, given their fiery personalities and the nature of their relationship.In a nutshell, this book was an enjoyable read, not too taxing, fun to curl up with. I recommend it to those who enjoy light mysteries and to those who enjoy a good trip back to Victorian England.
    • 3/5
      The Agency by Y.S. Lee has all the needed elements to make a fantastic read. In this historical mystery novel Mary is taking on her first case as an agent. The reader follows Mary as she uncovers the clues, pieces them together, and runs into a little trouble with the opposite sex, which of course is so bad it's has to be good right?The thing with The Agency to me was the slowness of the actual plot. As a standalone novel The Agency fails to impress. As the first of a series, The Agency starts off tentatively to just give a hint of what's to come. But the issue was the way the plot sometimes strayed off. It gave more depth to the whole experience, but loses the attention of the reader. More often than naught I forgot the "true" plot was! I was so distracted by the plausible affairs.When Steph Su updated her progress of The Agency on Goodreads exclaiming that she loved bantering between James and Mary, it had me excited! While there had been humorous bantering between the two I expected more. I'm hoping that my expectations will be fulfilled in the next addition to this series. What we were left in this novel was the perfect set-up for the romance.Overall: The Agency, I would like to say, is the birth-child of The Gallagher Girls series and Sherlock Holmes tales.