Customer Reviews

The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't normally read historical fiction--but the hook of an all female undercover spy agency was too interesting to pass up. The story was well-written and seemed historically accurate. I thought the author did well with the dialogue (making it seem old fashioned and authentic without taking away from the accessibility), as well as using correct terminology for the time. Personally I was expecting more of a lighthearted teenage spy thriller, and this book seemed more like an exploration of the setting, utilizing the story to examine things like class, gender, and race. If you like historical fiction, it's an excellent book. It just wasn't quite what I expected.

I was a huge fan of the first book in this series, A Spy in the House, and when I love a book that much, the sequels make me nervous. But I didn't need to worry because The Body at the Tower proves that Y.S. Lee is a master storyteller who rules the historical mystery.

The banter I loved from the first book between Mary and James was back-and with things heating up between them, I kept the pages turning and I think James may be a new book crush! I still adore The Agency and I want to know more about them. I'd be OK with The Agency spin-off novels about Anne and Felicity, the women who rule the female detective operation!:)

Because this job requires Mary to disguise herself in boy's clothing, we get a peek into Mary's past. I thought her hesitancy about taking the job were believable and I liked getting to more about her life before The Agency found her. We also get to see Mary's struggle with her heritage and culture, which I think gives these books an extra twist and makes them stand out. Even though Mary says she's going to hide her past and her heritage, I think there's more to learn there, so I'm hoping we find out more about her father in the next book.

I did have a harder time getting into the mystery in this book than I did the first one, but I think that was due to the fact that the mystery took place on a building site, which is something I'm not familiar with. So there were a few times that I felt a little lost in the setting because I was having to learn about Victorian building sites and equipment on top of figuring out Mary's mystery.

Even if you're not a fan of historical fiction, these books will pull you in. I love that author Y.S. Lee adds historical details and facts without making me realize it-she's so sneaky about that stuff and I love it! I've already recommended A Spy in the House to many of my teen readers and I can't wait to do the same with The Body at the Tower. Another great read and I can't wait for more of Mary (and hopefully James!)

Book Talk Ideas: Need a mystery solved? Call The Agency, a group of female detectives in Victorian England who will go undercover and solve the case. When a body is found at St. Stephens Tower, Mary Quinn is undercover as a young boy to figure out if it was murder.

Pair it With: I love historical fiction when paired with a mystery! Check out The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes Series) by Nancy Springer The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal Adventures) by Julia Golding, The Season by Sarah MacLean, and The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Series) by Philip Pullman

"A Spy in the House" was one of the best novels I have read in a long time - especially as it is aimed at a slightly older teen/young adult demographic. I eagerly anticipated the arrival of "The Body at the Tower" and once I started it - I had to finish.

This novel is set 12 months later from the end of "A Spy in the House" - Mary is now working on her own and sent undercover as a 12 year old boy, Mark Quinn, after a mysterious death at a building site. Her task however is greatly complicated with the return of James Easton who, having returned from India after suffering from Malaria, is assigned to check the safety of the building site.

The banter between James and Mary is ever so delightful and his concern is so...well you have to read it to know. Perhaps my favourite section of the book (without giving away too much) was Mary when she was drunk - that was just priceless.

My only complaint is that Y.S. Lee has been ever so cruel to leave the ending she did - I appreciate from a writing perspective but as a reader I am immensely annoyed I shall have to endure over a month wait for the final installment! This sequel did not disappoint and is a worthy addition to any bookshelf.

Y.S. Lee's The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower is the second book in a series of mystery novels following Mary Quinn, a Victorian girl who was sentenced to death at the age of twelve and was fortunate enough to be rescued by a couple of women who run an exclusive school (as well as a secret investigative agency). In the first book, The Agency: A Spy in the House, Mary was sent undercover on her first field-training exercise. The second book begins about a year later, when Mary accepts a new undercover assignment. This time she must pretend to be a young boy in order to secure a job on a construction site where a man was recently found dead. Not only is her cover story challenging to maintain, but living the day-to-day life of a young boy brings back several of Mary's worst memories of disguising herself as a boy in order to protect herself back when she was a young girl living in poverty. More danger and more romance, The Body at the Tower is a great addition to the Mary Quinn series!

What I Liked:
- James Easton! After the way A Spy in the House ended, I wasn't sure how or when James and Mary would manage to cross paths again. I was thrilled to see more of James in this book! But his life has become significantly more complex. His experience in India impaired his health, altered his career trajectory, and essentially knocked some of the wind out of his sails. I loved that he wasn't exactly the same person he'd been before. He is now a bit more of a realist who finds himself frustrated by his physical condition, sensitive to being coddled, and quite possibly more stubborn than ever. But James hasn't lost his sharp wit, his charming grin, or his interest in Mary.
- There is more opportunity for romance this time around. Mary is still hiding her history and her occupation, and she is disguised as a grimy twelve year old boy for most of the book, so she and James are not exactly free to openly pursue a romantic relationship with one another, but their chemistry has definitely been kicked up a notch and their banter is even more fun than it was in the first book.
- Mary is still very easy to like. She is observant, driven, and struggling to make peace with her history and her heritage in this book. This undercover assignment is more difficult than her last one. It is physically taxing, dangerous, and brings her very close to some painful memories that she's successfully avoided confronting for several years. She is still new to the investigative job and is not beyond making a few mistakes, which only makes her easier to relate to. We also get to see a few new sides of Mary's personality in her interactions with a young boy working at the same construction site as well as in her dealings with a local reporter who is sniffing around the site looking for details about the suspicious death that Mary is secretly investigating.
- The Victorian setting still jumps off the page in a clear and realistic way. Once again, I was impressed by the way Y.S. Lee never relies on overly formal dialogue or long, dry descriptive passages to set the scene. This time around, Mary is not living in a wealthy business owner's house. She is living among the poverty-stricken lower class, working on a construction site, and socializing with folks who are inescapably poor. The protagonist has some very modern sensibilities but the setting feels authentic to the time period, so even readers who don't generally find themselves drawn to historical novels will find it easy to slip into Mary Quinn's world.
- I look forward to seeing more of Octavius Jones, the gutter-press journalist whose obnoxiousness has a certain amount of charm to it. He has an easy-going temperament, a light sense of humor, and an insightful kind of fondness for Mary. You have the feeling he is much more observant than he lets on and he appears to see the world through opportunistic lenses that view everything in shades of grey. That attitude provides an interesting contrast to James' black and white sense of ethics. I'm curious to see what will happen when Mary and Octavius encounter one another again.
- Anne and Felicity play more interesting rolls in this book. They don't always see eye to eye about what is best for The Agency, and I imagine we will see that issue continue to create tension between them as the series continues.
- This particular case has a conclusive resolution, but Mary still has a lot of challenges to face personally and professionally. I look forward to reading the third book and seeing how the next chapter of her life plays out.

What I Liked Less:
- As in many mystery novels, coincidences run a bit rampant and characters frequently find themselves in just the right place at just the right time.
- The mystery elements were not nearly as compelling as Mary's own character development or her relationship with James. I don't mean to say that the mystery is boring or predictable, it isn't. I just found myself interested in how the dangers of the case affected Mary and not particularly intrigued by the who/why/how of the crime she was investigating.

The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower is a fun Victorian mystery with a clever heroine and a lovely dash of romance. This book could be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend reading the A Spy in the House first. Fans of historical mysteries or historical romances should definitely pick up this series. It is a quick and accessible read with enjoyable characters, so even readers who aren't generally drawn to historical novels should give this series a try. I look forward to reading the third Agency book, The Traitor and the Tunnel.

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.

In The Body at the Tower, we meet up with the lovely Mary Quinn again. About a year has passed since we last saw her in A Spy in the House. She is offered an assignment at a local building site where a suspicious death has occurred. Mary will have to play the part of a young boy. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Mary accepts even though she knows this assignment will most likely stir up memories from her life before Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls saved her from execution. While working incognito, James Easton comes back into her life. Worried about blowing her cover, Mary continues to behave as a young boy named Mark Quinn, while wondering if James suspects who she might really be.


I was so excited to spend time with Mary again. She continues to struggle with the mixed heritage she is afraid to claim, but also ashamed to deny. We catch a glimpse of a more emotional side of Mary in this novel, as she reflects on the course her life has taken. I love the growth her character experiences during this installment. I was ecstatic to see James return. I think a fist pump might have occurred along with a "Yippee it's James!". I was convinced his leaving for India was the end for him and Mary. Things continue to be on the complicated side for these two, but I absolutely love the chemistry they create. The ending was a little disheartening, and is bound to make the wait for the next book feel like forever.


I don't hide my love for The Agency novels, and recommend them to others every chance I get. I gave The Spy in the House 5 Stars. I loved the newest addition even more, and felt it deserved my first 5+ rating. I can't say enough about these books. Intriguing mysteries, fascinating characters, an interesting setting, and enough romance to satisfy without overshadowing the plot. Even those who aren't fans of historical books should check these out. Mary Quinn might just change your mind. I'm so sad this is just a trilogy, and not a series I can enjoy for years to come

The first book in this series, A Spy in the House, was a solidly entertaining and well-researched historical mystery, but this second installment, THE BODY AT THE TOWER, throws me into fangirl zone. THE BODY AT THE TOWER, is off-the-charts incredible for its genre, a Victorian London mystery that is sure to please old and new fans.

All of Y. S. Lee's writing strengths return in full force in this worthy sequel: from character development, to exquisitely immersing historical details, to a sizzling romance. All of the details about the Victorian era never feel forced or extravagant: readers will find it easy to fall into the gritty London that Mary inhabits, while learning incredible things about the Victorian era along the way.

The richness of the setting is matched well by the playful banter between Mary and James, banter that I described as Austen-worthy in my review of the first book, a sentiment that I heartily return to now. Sure, maybe it's wish fulfillment in a number of ways--James is a self-described arrogant and persistent man--but damn if the pages didn't nearly catch on fire while I was reading their banter. This is a strong-minded couple that doesn't have it easy, but they certainly have chemistry.

Lee introduces new characters almost effortlessly, while simultaneously further exploring Mary's conflicts with her heritage and childhood. Sure, minor characters help move the plot forward or give the MCs necessary information, but in THE BODY AT THE TOWER they acquire the possibility for life outside the story. And Mary is not just your average inexplicably competent female detective, but rather a young woman with demons of her own.

I'm not a big historical fiction OR mystery fan, but this series is one of my favorites, and probably my favorite historical mystery series. Well-written, eye-opening, and entertaining, you will dive in and be immersed immediately. THE BODY AT THE TOWER proves that Y. S. Lee is a rising star, and hasn't even reached her peak yet. I am on tenterhooks awaiting the third book, and more after that from this incredible author!

The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower by Y. S. Lee continues the story of Mary Quinn, a spy/detective at an all-female detective agency in Victorian London. This time, Mary disguises herself as a boy after a man has fallen out of the soon-to-be-completed clock tower of the House of Parliament.

I love the Agency series so far. They'll full of adventure, have a bit of history, bit of "spy" work going on and I love the time period they take place in. Plus, Mary is a strong, likeable character. Plus, we get to know more about Mary and her past in this book since she dresses in boys clothing, like she used to do when she was an orphan.

The only thing that kinda bugged me was more about that the mystery wasn't as strong or as good as the first one or I would have liked it to be. I found myself more confused than normal on a few things. Still, though, it's a great book/series. Totally recommend it and looking forward to the third Agency book coming out soon

The merchandise I ordered was shipped in an perfectly reasonable amount of time and arrived in great condition.
Thank you!

Why I read this: I loved the first book and when I was given a chance to tour with this 2nd book, I couldn't resist.

Plot: Mary has a new assignment for the Agency - one which involves her dressing like a boy to investigate a mysterious death on a work site. This disguise may be a reminder of the past for her - a problem which she pushes aside to perform the job necessary to find the truth behind the accident/murder on the site. Although, when James Easton makes an appearance, she must yet again cover up the real reason why she is where she is and dressed as a boy no less. But will James distract her from her investigation?

Characters: I have to admire Mary's character - one who knows so much about the levels of society around her and tries her darndest to think the best of those she meets. She is definitely a young woman of many resources and I love her slightly feminist attitude.

James Easton is as stubborn and handsome as ever. I really enjoyed watching the two characters interact throughout the novel.

Relatability: Anyone who loves mysteries, rags to riches stories, and Victorian London will enjoy this novel.

Cover Commentary: Gorgeous as always and for once the model fits what I envision Mary to look like.