The Agency: A Spy in the House

I just finished a book recently called The Agency: A Spy in the House. It was a very good read and I enjoyed it very much.
It is set in the late 1850's, and it is a Victorian detective book, the first of a trilogy. I love books set in this era and I loved how all the characters in this book had different traits and personalities.

It introduces us to Mary Lang, the daughter of an Irish woman and Chinese man who miraculously is rescued from the gallows at twelve years old. This is explained in the prologue, and then in chapter one it moves on to where she is seventeen, and she is attending Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. Her two teachers, Anne Treleaven and Felicity Frame, take her to a secret room and tell her the school runs a secret Agency, that solve mysteries and cases. They ask Mary if she wants to be part of this agency. Mary agrees, so she trains for while. She isn't going to be the main person solving the case, but will go undercover providing information about it.

It then skips to the day when she has to go undercover. Her mission is to investigate into a case involving lost cargo ships belonging to a rich merchant, Mr Thorold. She is disguised as a friend and maid for his spoilt, bratty daughter, Angelica, and changes her name to Mary Quinn, and changes her age to twenty. Above all, a foul stench has plagued London due to a heat wave and all the waste in the river Thames.

There are many characters who we are just not sure about, who we think we can trust but maybe we can't. For example, Michael Gray, Mr Thorold's dashing business partner, is mysterious yet seems a fine sort of person. Mrs Thorold seems to be weak and have health problems, but then again she does go out quite a lot- a little too much for a delicate lady.

There is, of course, the romantic interest, James Easton. He is quite a good character, possibly my favourite along with Mary. I'm not going to say anything more about him though.

This book doesn't hint too much about the strange going ons and the plot. It is a sufficient length- about 341 (give or take a few) pages, and doesn't lag. The only thing I would say is all the talking about money and investments and complicated things. Y.S Lee should have shortened and simplified the explaining quite a bit. But, that is all I can say.

I look forward to reading the next book The Body at the Tower (sounds fantastic!)....

Actually, I was just looking at a site while writing this, and there are actually FOUR BOOKS! Yes! I feel so, so happy! I know I have a lot to look forward too!

Zobo!