I recently listed to The Agency: A Spy in the House, the first book in a four part series by Canadian author, Y.S.Lee. Lee has a PHd in Victorian Literature and Culture – why didn't I think of that???? Her knowledge shows in this excellent Victorian spy novel for Young Adults. The writing is filled with Victorian details that we rarely see, and sheds some light on the plight of Chinese workers in England at the time. Her writing is very descriptive and you can almost smell the stench and feel the grit and heat of an oppressive summer in London at that time.
To sum up the story, orphan Mary Quinn has lived on her own and as a thief from an early age until she is sentenced for her crimes at the age of 12. At that time she is taken in by a woman posing as a prison warden who takes her to live at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. There she gains an excellent education, is schooled in manners, and then becomes a spy. The school, it turns out, is a front for the Agency, a super secret squad of female investigators. At 17, Mary finds herself with a new opportunity!
In this first book Mary goes undercover as a lady’s companion to infiltrate a rich merchant’s home. She encounters many mysteries, and even uncovers some about her own past, while trying to learn about the merchant's missing ships and the insurance claims made on them. Then, of course, she meets James, a young man a few years older than Mary, who is also trying to learn more about the family for his own reasons. A gentle romance ensues, but Mary is not one to lose her independence to a man. You just know they'll meet again in future books but I doubt it will turn into a bodice-ripping affair.
Canadian actress Justine Eyre is an excellent reader for this, and (assuming) the future books as well. Her voice embodies Mary's recklessness and sense of urgency. She even does a pretty good job narrating James and the other men in the story.
The second book, The Body at the Tower, is out now and I'm waiting for the CDs to arrive at my library. The third, the Traitor and the Tunnel, isn't due out in Canada and the US until 2012.
I was not able to download this book through Library to Go. I had to listen to the CDs from the library instead. Still very much worth it, although I find the CDs annoying after being spoiled by downloaded files on my MP3 player! You can download a sample at Brilliance Audio.
Listen Up!
The Agency: A Spy in the House, (7 hrs, 30 mins), Brilliance Audio, (2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment