The Agency: A Spy In the House by Y. S. Lee

A Spy In the House follows the adventures of  a modern heroine set in a colorful Victorian atmosphere. Orphaned in early childhood,  Mary Quinn becomes a pickpocket, then a house burglar.  Mary is finally caught red-handed and sentenced to hang.  She’s resigned to her fate since life holds little hope for her, but she’s rescued at the last moment by a mysterious woman.  Mary is enrolled in a mysterious charity school for impoverished girls, and receives a lady’s education.  Little does she know that the school is also a recruiting ground for The Agency, an all female private investigation organization.  Mary is recruited to pose as a lady’s companion for a wealthy family suspected of fraud and murder.  Mary’s job is to observe and report back to the Agency, while another agent takes the lead.  But Mary is too curious for her own good and her investigations bring her into contact with an interesting young man. James is also looking into  the same family’s secrets.  Sparks fly as they work together on the case.  The setting is London, and most of the characters are proper Victorian types.  But the women of the Agency are modern women with independent ambitions.  The Agency trilogy addresses the plight of women and the poor in London, including child labor. Vivid descriptions, witty banter, and period details bring the characters to life.  Appropriate for young adults.

Recommended by Victoria

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