The Agency 1: A Spy in the House [Hardcover]

Y.S. Lee (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 9, 2010 | Series: The Agency (Book 1)

Introducing an exciting new series! 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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Mary Quinn, a scrappy 12-year-old orphan and accomplished thief in Victorian London, is saved from the gallows by a stranger and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, an institution dedicated to turning out strong, independent, educated young women. Though reluctant at first, she accepts the challenge and eventually becomes a teacher herself. At 17, she is recruited by the mistresses of the school to join a covert group of female spies known as The Agency. Her first assignment involves posing as a lady's companion to the daughter of a man suspected of fraud and smuggling. She carries out her investigation at night and during stolen moments, but soon finds that she is not the only one on the case. Is James Easton a friend or foe? A dramatic rescue from a burning building reveals the true villain but leaves other questions unanswered. Lee fills the story with classic elements of Victorian mystery and melodrama. Class differences, love gone awry, racial discrimination, London's growing pains in the 1850s, and the status of women in society are all addressed. Historical details are woven seamlessly into the plot, and descriptive writing allows readers to be part of each scene. Readers who liked Phillip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke (Knopf, 2008) will find similar elements in this new series starter.—Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

She was sentenced to the gallows at age 12. Pickpocket Mary Quinn doesn’t care. Her life, nasty and brutish, will also be blessedly short. Then, shockingly, she’s rescued and ensconced at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. When readers meet Mary after this prologue, she is 17 and bored with her teaching job at the Academy. Happily, there’s more going on there than learning. Mary is recruited into the Agency, a secret band of women investigators. Her first job is ostensibly to be a lady’s companion. Actually, she’s at the Thorold home to observe and discover what she can about the mysterious sinking of Thorold’s ships. But Mary’s not much for observing and soon finds herself in the midst of murder. The new Agency series is what you’d expect, very well done, and a little more. Mary’s feisty, the mystery is solid (if a little boring), and the romantic interest is reminiscent of Jane Austen’s Darcy. The secret of Mary’s parentage will make an interesting string to run through succeeding books. V for vivid Victoriana. Grades 8-12. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763640670
• ISBN-13: 978-0763640675
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #950,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great novel! August 3, 2009

By K. Lee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wasn't convinced that I was going to like this book. Primarily comprised of two genres that I don't typically read (young adult literature and mystery novels), I just didn't see myself getting into it. Even the publisher's description and multiple rave reviews from other lit review websites did little to pique my interest. I had pledged to read it however, and so I dutifully sat down one day to give it a fair chance.

I was extremely impressed.

The opening statement made me smile - not so much for its actual content, but for its technical prowess. I must admit that I spent a good portion of the first few chapters distracted from the storyline by the writer's skill and craft. This isn't to say that they are not interesting, by any means - it's just that the book is very well written and I tend to get distracted from the big picture by the details. :p

Once I settled into a groove, I was transported back in time - the transition seamless and effortless on my part. I can't vouch for the historical accuracy, but it's all very believable and "about right according to what I've been led to believe" for the time period. There are certainly no glaring discrepancies, additions, or omissions. Very interesting to me was the focus on poverty and the lower class structure. Most literature of that period barely acknowledges the working class aside from them being there, but essentially invisible - which I suppose would have been appropriate at the time. Given the heroine's background, this is a very nice viewpoint and serves as a bit of a literary palate cleanser for those steeped in the works of Wilde, Maugham, Shaw, and the classics.

Character and plot development are strong, with the pace never dawdling but not appearing rushed at any time. Without giving anything away there are a few nice twists in the plot (as any good mystery novel ought to have), and the conclusion seems neither strained nor saccharine - something sadly missing in much of modern literature.

It is written such that a bright young pre-teenager would be able to grasp the storyline and get "hooked"; but it is not dumbed down, nor does it pander to that audience. Adults will also thoroughly enjoy reading this novel. Even elitist, self-proclaimed literary snobs such as myself. :p

Overall I'd say that this is an excellent read, and a great kickoff to the trilogy. Though really, why stop there? For a person unconvinced that he'd enjoy reading this novel beforehand, I must admit that I'm looking forward to reading the next two.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect read April 14, 2011

By Stephanie (Poetry to Prose)

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

This book kept me up until the early hours of the morning 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 this enough, so definitely give it a chance if you can!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but not highly engaging August 12, 2012

By Debbie TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"A Spy in the House" is a young adult historical mystery novel. It's set in 1858 in London. The historical details about the manners and activities of the time were woven into the story and didn't slow the pacing down. The mystery was about illegal business activities rather than a murder whodunit, which was a nice change. It seemed like everyone had something secret going on. I was kept guessing about who was involved in exactly what until about the same time as the heroine put the facts together.

The characters had depth to them and were interesting, and yet I didn't really sympathize or deeply care about any of them. So it was an interesting story but lacked an emotional connection for me. There were plenty of places were there should have been suspense from danger of the heroine being discovered or even harmed, but the heroine was not particularly scared about getting caught or hurt. That made the story lack suspense for me.

There was some explicit bad language. There was no sex though affairs were mentioned. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable and interesting novel.

Update: I started reading the sequel last night. The premise of the series was what interested me. The idea was that women would never be suspected of being spies and undercover detectives, so Agency women took assignments to discover things "from the inside" that men wouldn't be able to. Part of my disappointment with "A Spy in the House" was that her assignment was to listen to and watch the family from inside, but she hardly spent any time with the family and kept putting on breeches and breaking into warehouses and such (and learning no information while doing so) which men could do just fine. I liked the idea of women using the culture of the time to their advantage. And most of the important things the heroine learned were, indeed, as a lady's companion. So I'd hoped that the second book would more closely stick to the premise as the heroine has now learned her lesson. Sadly, no: an 18 or 19 year old girl is going to spend the whole book trying to pass herself off as a 12-year-old boy. Not interested, thanks.