The Agency: A Spy in the House - Y.S. Lee

The Agency: A Spy in the House - Y.S. Lee

Pages: 341
Publisher: Walker Books
Release Date: 6th April 2009

Other Titles in this Series: The Girl at the Tower (Spring ‘10), The Traitor and the Tunnel (Spring ‘11)

Mary Quinn leads a remarkable life.

At twelve, an orphan and convicted thief, she was miraculously rescued from the gallows. Now, at seventeen, she has a new and astonishing chance: to work uncover for the Agency.

It is May 1858, and a foul-smelling heat wave paralyzes London. Mary enters a rich merchants household to solve the mystery of his lost cargo ships. But as she soon learns, the house is full of deceptions, and people are not what they seem - including Mary herself.

The first books in a riveting new Victorian detective trilogy.

A Spy in the House is the first in a fantastic new trilogy full of secrets, lies and uncover missions.

I really enjoy reading about Victorian London. The image of hansom cabs flying through grungy streets and people dashing around always comes to mind. This was actually true for some parts of A Spy in the House! I also like that there was a dark underbelly to the city that contrasted with the falseness of high society perfectly in A Spy in the House.

There is a whole cast of brilliant characters. Mary is brave, gutsy and clever; James is charming and arrogant; Angelica is selfish and annoying but eventually redeems herself and the Thorold’s aren’t at all what they seem. I loved them all. Each of them was beautifully crafted and added something to the story to make it even better.

All of the cloak-and-dagger elements made the story exciting and I was always wondering what would happen next. I kept trying to put the pieces together and solve the puzzle before Mary and James. But Y.S. Lee’s plot was far to intricate and clever for me to figure it out!

I loved this book and can’t wait for the next in the trilogy, The Girl at the Tower, when it’s released next Spring.

Sophie