Mary is in the midst of her first assignment as a full-fledged member of The Agency - an all female investigative group that works out of an academy for girls in London. The series takes place at a time when women were deemed not as smart as men and therefore overlooked and the perfect people to overhear important information.
Mary has been placed as a parlor maid in Buckingham Palace. A few items have gone missing and it is her job to listen for gossip and rumor among the staff. Queen Victoria has forbidden gossip so there is little to overhear that will help Mary's investigation.
However, Mary overhears a more intriguing bit of news. The Prince of Wales has been brought home by the police after being involved in a fight. This incident, combined with a man who was arrested for starting the fight, plus Mary's love interest - Engineer James Easton - make for an exciting mystery that will have readers up all night to find out the truth.
Lee is a master storyteller. Mary Quinn is a great character who breaks the stereotype of women in late 1800s Britain. Combining mystery, a fascinating historical period, an irresistible love interest, and characters you'd like to have as friends, this series is a must read for all.
The Agency series would appeal to those who loved Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart mysteries. It would also appeal to fans of the Maisie Dobbs books - though Maisie is a more adult version of Mary Quinn.
Lee, YS. (2012). The Traitor in the Tunnel. New York: Candlewick Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment