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Product Description
Product Description
Mary’s second adventure as an undercover agent forces her to relive some harrowing childhood experiences as she seeks the identity of a murderer.
Mary Quinn is back, now a trusted member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Her new assignment sends her into the grimy underbelly of Victorian London dressed as a poor boy, evoking her own childhood memories of fear, hunger, and constant want. As she insinuates herself into the confidence of several persons of interest, she encounters others in desperate situations and struggles to make a difference without exposing —or losing —her identity. Mary’s adventure, which takes place on the building site of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, offers a fictional window into a fascinating historical time and place.
Mary Quinn is back, now a trusted member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Her new assignment sends her into the grimy underbelly of Victorian London dressed as a poor boy, evoking her own childhood memories of fear, hunger, and constant want. As she insinuates herself into the confidence of several persons of interest, she encounters others in desperate situations and struggles to make a difference without exposing —or losing —her identity. Mary’s adventure, which takes place on the building site of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, offers a fictional window into a fascinating historical time and place.
About the Author
Y. S. Lee was born in Singapore but brought up in Canada. She also lived briefly in the United Kingdom. An academic with a PhD in Victorian literature and culture, she wrote MASCULINITY AND THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASS IN VICTORIAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND FICTION. She lives in Ontario, Canada.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love this series!,
By
This review is from: The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower (Hardcover)
Mary Quinn is at it again. Working for a secret organization called the Agency, she's charged with investigating a mysterious death of a labourer at St. Stephens Tower. Mary is like the female teen version of Sherlock Holmes as she tries to solve the mystery and figure out who the murderer is. She goes undercover as a young apprentice builder at the worksite which also brings back troubled memories from her childhood.Like with the first book I wasn't able to figure out the mystery until it was solved by Mary and James. The story does slow down in the middle as Mary gathers information and tries to learn more about the different characters suspected in the murder. There were a couple suspects and it turned out they were all connected and involved in one way or another. The way the first book ended I wasn't sure if we'd be seeing James again. But he's back and boy was I happy. The romance and attraction between the two shot up several notches in this book but because of Mary's work with the Agency she ends up lying to him and knows that she can never come clean with her real job. The third book is releasing in North America in early 2012 and honestly I don't know if I can wait that long. The summary sounds great and it looks like we'll be seeing more of Mary and James.
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE AGENCY: Fabulous Trilogy,
This review is from: The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower (Hardcover)
THE AGENCY: A Spy in the House and The Body at the TowerThe premise of Y.S. Lee''s Mary Quinn trilogy (book #3, The Traitor and the Tunnel will be released in Spring 2012) is brilliant and wonderfully accomplished. What if there were a way for girls, particularly poor orphans, to establish themselves in the male-dominated and catch-as-catch-can society of Victorian England? What if there were an agency that housed and educated these deserving, desperately misfortunate girls and then, when they were grown and the time was right, gave them investigative assignments suited to their strengths and abilities? Enter Miss Scrimshaw''s Academy for Girls (the school is a cover for the Agency), run by Felicity Frame and Anne Treleaven, and the deserving young Mary Quinn sentenced to hang for housebreaking. Does the punishment fit the crime? No way. But we''re talking Dickensian days where your fortune, or lack thereof, your place in society, even the length of your life hangs by a tenuous thread or a twist of fate. Mary Quinn is an apt and able student of the Agency and is given her first assignment when she is seventeen--to infiltrate a rich merchant's home and discover the truth behind his company's missing cargo ships. Mary Quinn is quick-witted and a mistress of disguise. She also has a secret of her own and a past she will never share with anyone. That secret comes to light more than half-way through the first book (wise placement) and is a decision Mary will question when she meets James Easton. I was thoroughly captivated by these two books and can''t wait to read the final one in the trilogy. I love the strong female protagonist, the dark Victorian setting, and the plots. I''m a fan of Anne Perry''s William Monk series and found that Y.S. Lee''s writing gave me the same pleasure. The author knows her the Victorian era extremely well, and successfully weaves facts from that time and place into her narrative. These are perfectly placed within the context of the story and never impede the action or character development. For example, did you know that in the summer of 1858, due to years of human waste being dumped into the Thames and an unusually hot summer, London suffered what came to be called the ''Great Stink'?' I did not know this, but enjoyed the placement of the story during this summer in the first book and how wonderfully well Y.S. Lee permeates that book with this backdrop without ever losing sight of the plot's momentum. I highly recommend both books.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sensational Sequel!!,
By
This review is from: The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower (Hardcover)
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.I want to say The Body at the Tower is even better than book 1 but I think that's because I've just finished reading it. The follow up to A Spy in the House is just as amazingly brilliant as its predecessor. A fast-paced, read-into-the-night Victorian mystery. Mary Quinn has been sent on assignment this time to go undercover as a young boy. Chopping her hair off and binding her chest tightly her petite half Chinese frame allows her to pull this off without a hitch. She is sent to the construction site of St. Stephen's Clock Tower which holds the bell, Big Ben. A construction worker has just been found dead at the bottom of the tower, having supposedly either fallen or jumped. Mary's assignment is to infiltrate the construction crew and pick up any insider information on the man's death and also to look into the state of affairs concerning the construction management itself. Lee's depiction of Victorian times is authentic and never loses its credibility. As I've said previously, Ms. Lee has managed to pick the perfect profession for her heroine to move about within the confines of this rigid society. As a spy, her disguises allow her to cross class lines and present as a bold, outspoken woman in private. This time around disguised as a boy, there are no boundaries to "Mark's" world. As Mark, Mary has access to a construction site, pubs, the streets at night, and plenty of places a woman of any respectability, no matter how small, would never deem to go. The mystery is an intricate plot with several different tracks being followed. People of bad character are easy to find but it doesn't necessarily make them the villains in these particular circumstances. Lee keeps the reader guessing by adding more to the plot with each reveal. Mary also has the added burden of running into James again and their relationship takes many turns. The recommended age of these books are 12+ but I would suggest a little older as even though they are perfectly clean they speak of adult topics. This one mentions rape, prostitution, men who like little boys and other unsavory topics. Also since the protagonist is 18 years old I find no reason that this would not be enjoyed by adult readers of cozy historical mysteries. The publishers may even want to consider marketing "adult version" covers of the series. I'm anxiously awaiting book 3 but I am a tad worried that this is supposed to be a trilogy. I really hope Ms. Lee reconsiders and continues on with the adventures of Mary Quinn.
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