Rivals in the City (The Agency #4)

Rivals in the City by YS Lee is the fourth book in her Agency historical mystery series featuring Mary Quinn.

It is 1860 in London and Mary Quinn finished her last assignment with the Agency nine months ago. She has started her own detective firm with James Easton and they are taking case.

She is approached by the head of the Agency about a case - a follow up to Mary's very first case. Mr. Thorold is serving a life sentence in prison and is ill. His wife fled England under suspicion and has not been heard from since. She may return to see him before he dies.

Mary is to chance an encounter with their daughter, Angelica, to whom she is a lady's companion (as she was disguised in her first case). If her mother is captured it will mean one less evil schemer on the streets.

Lee has created a wonderful series set in a fascinating time in history. Mary Quinn is a wonderful character who passes for English while learning more about her heritage and her Chinese father's past. Fans of the adult series Maisie Dobbs will love this younger heroine.

Lee, Y.S. (2014). Rivals in the City. New York: Candlewick Press.

A Traitor in the Tunnel (Agency #3)

The Traitor in the Tunnel by YS Lee is the third book in The Agency series featuring Mary Quinn.

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.

The Body at the Tower (The Agency #2)

The Body at the Tower is the second book the Agency series by Y.S. Lee.

In this second book, Mary Quinn is a full fledged member of the Agency. The Agency consists of under cover detectives whom are often overlooked in the field. The Agency only employs women. And in London in the 1800s women were usually ignored and always considered less intelligent than men.

This new assignment has a twist. Mary will not be going in as a maid or a lady's companion, she will be undercover as a twelve year old boy. She will be working on a building site - the construction of the Tower of London.

She has been hired to discover the circumstances surrounding the death of one of the brick layers at the site. As she knows little of the building trade she feels at a loss - until a familiar engineer is hired to do an inspection of the site to determine if the death was due to preventable job safety issues.

But the engineer, James Easton, will surely know her identity the moment he sees her. How will she explain her presence on site without compromising the Agency - because no one outside of the Agency realizes that it is made up entirely of women.

Lee has created a compelling mystery series set in a rich time period in London's history. Her characters and plot will keep readers hooked for as long as she continues the series. The Body at the Tower will be published in August 2010.

Lee, Y.S. (2010). The Body at the Tower. New York: Candlewick Press.

A Spy in the House (The Agency #1)

A Spy in the House is the first book in the Agecny series by Y.S. Lee. The series is also known as the Mary Quinn Mysteries.

At the age of twelve, Mary Lang was sentenced to hang for being a thief. Instead of being taken to the gallows, she is rendered unconscious and taken to a school. Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls is a place for girls who could not normally afford an education. It is also a place to train female investigators.

When Mary turns seventeen she joins the Agency. Her first assignment is a simple one. She is the secondary agent on the case, and as such, only needs to observe the household while playing the part of a lady's companion.

Mary is more ambitious than that. She takes it upon herself to use her previous skills as a thief and find more information. Her snooping gets her caught by someone else who is investigating the family.

Together Mary and James will find every secret the family keeps - or die trying.

Lee has created a great series that shows readers London in the 1850s. She has found a way to show the roles of women at the time while creating a way for her characters to break out of those proscribed roles. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Lee, Y.S. (2010). A Spy in the House. New York: Candlewick Press.