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A review by postitsandpens
A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
4.0
I hadn't heard about this book until I saw a listing for the third in the series. The synopsis caught my attention: spunky female secret detective with a mysterious past, set in Victorian London. I really enjoyed reading about Mary and her adventures, and absolutely loved her interactions with James. I liked the setup - Mary is rescued from a sentence to hang (due to thievery) and taken to a school, where she's educated and enlisted to join in a secret female detective agency. Her first task is to help Scotland Yard (unofficially, of course) find evidence of wrongdoing by a wealthy merchant, whose been claiming that his ships - which are suspected of carrying illegal cargo - have been sunk.
Mary is plunged into a household full of secrets, and I have to say that the ending - the "whodunit" if you will - surprised me as much as it did Mary when the truth comes out. I loved James, even though he was arrogant and sure of himself and positive that he was right at all times, and adored all of their interactions. I hope that we will see more of him in the later installments. I also liked the mystery, and the truth behind Mary's past, and hope to see more of that as well. I look forward to the second book, as I think Mary learned a lot from her first assignment and will be even better at her job the next time. And I can't help but wonder if we've seen the last of the "villain" as well; maybe she'll pop up again later?
Anyway, if you're looking for a plucky heroine who's not afraid to take risks and get herself into trouble, Mary Quinn is your girl. I really enjoyed reading about her, and look forward to more.
Mary is plunged into a household full of secrets, and I have to say that the ending - the "whodunit" if you will - surprised me as much as it did Mary when the truth comes out. I loved James, even though he was arrogant and sure of himself and positive that he was right at all times, and adored all of their interactions. I hope that we will see more of him in the later installments. I also liked the mystery, and the truth behind Mary's past, and hope to see more of that as well. I look forward to the second book, as I think Mary learned a lot from her first assignment and will be even better at her job the next time. And I can't help but wonder if we've seen the last of the "villain" as well; maybe she'll pop up again later?
Anyway, if you're looking for a plucky heroine who's not afraid to take risks and get herself into trouble, Mary Quinn is your girl. I really enjoyed reading about her, and look forward to more.