RATING: 3 stars.

"A Spy in the House" is the first book in a new series featuring Mary Quinn, a Victorian heroine.

It's 1858 and Mary Quinn (formerly a street urchin) is drafted into "The Agency", a mysterious organization where all the agents are (apparently) women. The supposition that women are easily ignored because they are considered beings of inferior understanding is what drives this Agency. According to the leaders, women make the better spies.

So, Mary is sent on her first mission: to be a paid companion to the daughter of a rich merchant who seems to be smuggling jewels. She is to keep her ears open and report back. Seems like a fairly simple mission... except that Mary isn't happy with just sitting back and listening; and there is James Easton, a handsome engineer who is also investigating her charges.

At first glance, "A Spy in the House" looks like a fun mystery with lively characters, plenty of suspense and some romance. It is an entertaining read, sure. But there are too many inconsistencies with the plot construction and world building.

While I recognize Mary is not your typical female (she is an agent after all) I still didn't understand James' reactions to her behavior. He seems to take the fact that she's a sleuth and dresses like a boy more or less in stride. It's something that you see a lot in historical romances, but there it has a purpose. In a YA book that is first and foremost a historical mystery I really don't think it worked. I mean, Mary might be ahead of her time but she still has to conform to the norms of Victorian society. That didn't happen... there were a few occasions when her reputation would have been severely compromised. It kind of bothered me because if she was trying to prove that women are better spies then the best thing to do was to behave as a model of Victorian female perfection... which she didn't.

Another problem I had with the book: Mary and James didn't seem all that smart. She agrees to enter "a partnership" with a virtual stranger (James) because he told her he was investigating the Thorolds (the family she was meant to watch); he believed her story about investigating the disappearance of a maid, yet wasn't suspicious even once when she seemed more interested in the Thorold's financial records.

Also, the chemistry between James and Mary? Not good.

Overall: "A Spy in the House" was an interesting debut, with a compelling mystery, yes, but still rather lackluster. The mystery, the characters' behavior and the world building were implausible really. While I liked the book in general I felt there were many flaws in the portrayal of Victorian life, beliefs and behavior.

Fun and easy read, though I do question our heroine's suitability when it comes to spying. She doesn't really fly under the radar. That said, I'll definitely give the second book a chance!

Que dire? C'était correct. Je ne sais pas si c'est parce que ce n'est pas mon style de littérature...je n'ai pas eu de coup de coeur. J'ai hésité entre 3 et 4 étoiles, probablement que 3 1/2 serait plus juste. Je n'arrive tout simplement pas à mettre le doigt sur les éléments qui ne m'ont pas accrochés.

Ma critique en vidéo : https://youtu.be/uPP-UTr8NnM

Proto-feminism in Victorian England? Detective agency made up entirely of ladies? An half-Asian protagonist? Intrigue? A little romance? SIGN ME UP.

I read this as part of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge Task 11: A YA novel

This book hooked me in from the first page, and kept me interested the entire way through. I wasn't too sure I was going to enjoy this book at first, but I'm glad I read it. I loved the story, and the characters. Everything was rich and detailed, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I'm definitely looking forward to reading anything else by this author.

Mary is given a second chance when she's saved from a hanging. She begins at the Academy and five years later, she's ready for a new challenge. She's introduced to the Agency, a group of women who work secretly investigating crimes and other situations. Women in Victorian times are seen more as furniture and so make the best spies. Mary is sent to the Thorold household to investigate Mr. Thorold's business dealings. What she doesn't expect is to run into James Easton in a closet. Or that he'd want to join forces.

The mystery is complicated but interesting. It's a good book with intrigue and romance thrown in. Entertaining but not unforgettable.

Really wanted to love this book. It was ok. Will read next in series.

"A Spy in the House" is the first in a series of four YA novels set in London in the 1850's. Once you accept the notion that an agency of educated women undertake clandestine investigations, you can enjoy a fast-paced little mystery thriller. The descriptions of London at the time of the Great Stink are vivid.
The lead character is Mary Quinn, an orphan who was saved from the hangman, educated to be a teacher, and then initiated into the secrets of the agency. In her first job, she takes the post of lady's companion in the house of a wealthy merchant. Angelica, the daughter of the house, is not pleased to be saddled with a prim guardian. But Mary's real job is to ferret out information about Mr. Thorold's mysterious and probably illegal business dealings. Along the way, she encounters James Easton, an up-and-coming engineer, who is trying to sniff out any scandals about the Thorold family before his brother proposes marriage to Angelica. James and Mary are quite literally thrown together. They soon find that it is to both their advantage to cooperate. The plot zips along with some interesting twists.
This book reminded me of the Sally Lockhart series from Philip Pullman's early years, particularly "The Ruby in the Smoke". If you want a fast-paced historical mystery with a light touch, I recommend this.