The Book...
by Y. S. Lee
"This is another colourful, action-packed Victorian detective novel about the exploits of agent Mary Quinn. At a young age, Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. The school turns out to be a front for a private detective agency. At age 17, Mary takes on her first case (A Spy in the House). In this, the second book of the series, Mary Quinn sets out to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death at St. Stephen's Tower, better known as the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The accident occurred after hours in a highly public part of town and despite the presence of night watchmen. Mary, disguised as Mark Quinn, becomes a builder's assistant to find out the truth about the body at the tower." (via Goodreads.com)
My Thoughts...
As I mentioned before, this book is the
second in the series and takes place about a year after the first book. The
female lead once again sets out on a special assignment (with a twist) and runs into numerous problems as she tries to solve
the story’s mystery. I really enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the
first one. (I tend to have this feeling
about most “sequels” or seconds in series—books or movies. But it’s more of a
personal preference on my part than anything to do with the story.) I still
loved the characters and was highly involved with the story though.
1) Characters: The series’ heroine Mary Quinn is back and feistier than ever, but perhaps that’s partly because she has to disguise herself as a young boy (Mark Quinn). She’s still eager to prove her worth to the agency and she’s still impatient. But the reader sees a more vulnerable side of her since she has to relive her former experiences of being poor and on her own. And to make matters worse (or better), the arrogant but gallant James pops back into her life again. The tension between them thickens as their friendship/budding romance causes problems and differing views about the murder case. The book also takes a deeper look at Mary’s teachers/employers, Anne Treleaven and Felicity Frame. While their parts of the story were fairly brief, it’s clear each woman has their own opinions and there’s more tension between them than Mary realizes.
2) Plot: This book is a mystery (the characters are out to solve the murder of a bricklayer and other strange happenings at the St. Stephen’s construction site), but while investigating the main characters learn more about each other and themselves making it more personal than a simple assignment. Mary has to live in fear of being uncovered as she works to solve the murder, but she’s risking more than just her discovered identity as she deals with old fears, progressive opinions, and her heart. And with each clue and step closer to the solution, more complications seem to arise (especially with James’ connection to the case).
3) Setting: While the first book mostly dealt with the upper class of the Victorian London society, book two deals with the lower working and poor classes. Mary (disguised as Mark) goes to work for the construction crew at St. Stephen’s Tower, the clock tower of the House of Parliament. Many of the story’s chapters take place either on the work site, on the city streets, or in the slums of London. The descriptions of the common house where Mary stays (along with the homes of her fellow workers) are gritty though accurate. It’s a revealing look at the seedier/shadier parts of mid-19th century England.
4) Prologue: Something I found interesting about this book was the author’s use of the prologue. In the previous book, the prologue explained Mary’s past life as a street-urchin thief. But in this book, the author gives the reader a glance at the events immediately after the murder takes place. It gives the reader the exact location and time of death, even telling things from the murderer’s point of view. However, the murderer’s identity isn’t revealed nor is it easy to assume from the brief scene. Just like the main characters, I was constantly guessing and changing my thoughts on the murderer’s identity. But once the murderer is revealed, I suggest the reader go back and reread the prologue to pick out the subtle clues.
Definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a good mystery with a complex female lead or any fan of historical fiction who like seeing the daily lives of people along with the more well-known historical facts.
1) Characters: The series’ heroine Mary Quinn is back and feistier than ever, but perhaps that’s partly because she has to disguise herself as a young boy (Mark Quinn). She’s still eager to prove her worth to the agency and she’s still impatient. But the reader sees a more vulnerable side of her since she has to relive her former experiences of being poor and on her own. And to make matters worse (or better), the arrogant but gallant James pops back into her life again. The tension between them thickens as their friendship/budding romance causes problems and differing views about the murder case. The book also takes a deeper look at Mary’s teachers/employers, Anne Treleaven and Felicity Frame. While their parts of the story were fairly brief, it’s clear each woman has their own opinions and there’s more tension between them than Mary realizes.
2) Plot: This book is a mystery (the characters are out to solve the murder of a bricklayer and other strange happenings at the St. Stephen’s construction site), but while investigating the main characters learn more about each other and themselves making it more personal than a simple assignment. Mary has to live in fear of being uncovered as she works to solve the murder, but she’s risking more than just her discovered identity as she deals with old fears, progressive opinions, and her heart. And with each clue and step closer to the solution, more complications seem to arise (especially with James’ connection to the case).
3) Setting: While the first book mostly dealt with the upper class of the Victorian London society, book two deals with the lower working and poor classes. Mary (disguised as Mark) goes to work for the construction crew at St. Stephen’s Tower, the clock tower of the House of Parliament. Many of the story’s chapters take place either on the work site, on the city streets, or in the slums of London. The descriptions of the common house where Mary stays (along with the homes of her fellow workers) are gritty though accurate. It’s a revealing look at the seedier/shadier parts of mid-19th century England.
4) Prologue: Something I found interesting about this book was the author’s use of the prologue. In the previous book, the prologue explained Mary’s past life as a street-urchin thief. But in this book, the author gives the reader a glance at the events immediately after the murder takes place. It gives the reader the exact location and time of death, even telling things from the murderer’s point of view. However, the murderer’s identity isn’t revealed nor is it easy to assume from the brief scene. Just like the main characters, I was constantly guessing and changing my thoughts on the murderer’s identity. But once the murderer is revealed, I suggest the reader go back and reread the prologue to pick out the subtle clues.
Definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a good mystery with a complex female lead or any fan of historical fiction who like seeing the daily lives of people along with the more well-known historical facts.
Meet the Author...
"Y S Lee was born in Singapore and raised in Vancouver and Toronto. In 2004, she completed her PhD in Victorian literature and culture. This research, combined with her time living in London, triggered an idea for a story about a women’s detective agency. The result was the Agency novels, featuring the intrepid Mary Quinn.
Ying is also the author of Masculinity and the English Working Class (Routledge). She now lives in Kingston, Ontario with her family." (official bio)
~Namárië
(Elvish Farewell)
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