Book Review: Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication date: March 2015
Pages: 304
Source: e-book from library
For: Fun
Series: The Agency, Book 4

Summary (from goodreads):*Spoilers are inevitable for the first three books*

Mary Quinn has a lot on her mind. James Easton, her longtime love interest, wants to marry her; but despite her feelings, independent-minded Mary hesitates. Meanwhile, the Agency has asked Mary to take on a dangerous case: convicted fraudster Henry Thorold is dying in prison, and Mary must watch for the return of his estranged wife, an accomplished criminal herself who has a potentially deadly grudge against James. Finally, a Chinese prizefighter has arrived in town, and Mary can’t shake a feeling that he is somehow familiar. With the stakes higher than ever, can Mary balance family secrets, conflicting loyalties, and professional expertise to bring a criminal to justice and find her own happiness?

Things I Liked:
I feel like this one wasn't as good to me as the previous three, possibly because I'd forgotten much of what went on in those books.  I liked the dynamic between Mary and James and how she wanted to be independent and to be loved as well.  She was definitely not like many women of her time.  The mystery was pretty good too, though I'm kind of slow at picking up things, so it's quite possible it was easy to guess from the first.  I enjoy the books mostly for Mary.

Things I Didn't Like:
I thought there were some tangents and other things that kind of distracted from the main plot and characters, but still enjoyed it.

Read-alikes:
Start with A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: none
some kissing

v-factor: ->
some intense parts

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee

The Agency 3: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication date: February 2012
Pages: 384
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: The Agency, Book 3

Mary has settled for a quiet and comfortable job at Buckingham Palace, investigating some rumors of petty thefts. As a maid there, she is inconspicuous and the job is pretty small. But, when a much bigger scandal threatens to upend the royal family, she finds there is more going on in the palace than she could possibly imagine.

Things I Liked:
I still love this series.  There's something so fascinating about a Victorian mystery starring a woman who works for a secret agency employing only women agents.  Mary continues to entertain with her headstrong, dangerous ways and cleverness.  I just love watching the way she interacts with people in the time period, because she's different from what you'd expect of a woman, especially one who is half Chinese, in that era.  The historical details are very well done, compelling and believable and they bring you 100% into the story.  Oh, and James - wow I loved their interactions!  Some really good romance there.  It was interesting, it was compelling, it's just smart historical fiction with a unique heroine.  I'd like more Mary adventures, especially with the way the Agency is going now.

Things I Didn't Like:
The mystery and story itself didn't seem to hold together as well as the other books did.  There were a few too many different story lines going on and I kind of lost interest at times.  Still, I think this is a series worth reading and following.  I'm especially interested to see where Mary goes next, what with that surprising ending.

Read-alikes:
Read the first two Agency books by Y.S. Lee
Still reminds me of The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none 
that I recall

mrg-factor: X 
heavy kissing, but no further

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

What's your favorite historical fiction time period?

 

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication date: August 2010
ISBN: 9780763649685
Source: Library

When a body is found near a tower at a construction site, the Agency takes a hand in finding out what happened.  Mary goes deep undercover as Mark, an errand boy on the site.  She will find out just how difficult it is to hide who she is and what she is from the observant people at the site and at her makeshift housing.  Will she be able to find out what happened and still manage to maintain her disguise?

Things I Liked:
I still love Mary.  She's smart and spunky, but also still a woman, even if she is in disguise.  The relationship between her and James is really interesting - dynamic and changing and yet with so much potential.  I'm dying to read what happens next.  Really, the mystery kept me intrigued as well.  I wasn't entirely sure what was going on and who was doing what, but the suspense was good.  I'm quickly becoming a mystery fan because of this series.  Favorite quotes: 

But the most difficult part of Mark's life was not labor or filth or hunger.  What Mary found grueling was the sense that Mark would never get ahead, never gain a rest, never be at ease.  His meager wages bought him just enough food and sleep to survive.  There was no possibility of saving money and thus no hope for any sort of change or rest. p 132

It was an enormous, accidental tenement - a pair of houses that seemed to have fallen into each other and thus been prevented from collapsing.  One door was boarded over, and none of the ground-floor windows was intact. p 278

Things I Didn't Like:
Some of the ending was a little confusing - after all that build-up, I was hoping for a bit more explanation of people's motivations and involvement.  But, I wasn't disappointed in the overall story.

Read-alikes:
The Agency 1: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Reeve

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few here and there

mrg-factor: X
mostly just "scandalous" talk

v-factor: ->
a few people get beaten and there is a body (of course)

Overall rating: **** 

What series changes your mind about a genre?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Agency 1: A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee

The Agency 1: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication date: March 2010
ISBN: 9780763640675
Source: Library

 

Mary, a reformed thief who was saved from the gallows at age 12, has been brought up in a ladies' school.  Little does she know the school also stands as a front for a detective agency, banking on the fact that women are in general ignored and unnoticed.  Mary's first assignment leads her to the house of a suspected smuggler, where she is to safely gather information.  But, she's anxious to do more, and decides to take more risks.  When she is plunged into a deadly web of mystery and danger, she isn't sure who she should trust, even if her heart tells her otherwise.

Things I Liked:
I love a good mystery with a Victorian feel.  The setting and the time period in this book simply glowed!  Not to mention, I really like Mary, a tough heroine who made the transition from street thief to educated woman beautifully.  While the mystery itself is not as amazing as I could have desired, I found myself entranced with Mary, her romantic interest (who may or may not be trustworthy), and the lovely details and unfolding of the story.  Definitely looking forward to more in the series.  Some delights from the book:

The house itself was a tall slice of Georgian wedding cake.  Being so close to the Thames - it was right across the street from the embankment - its whitewashed facade was an uneven gray, frescoed with lumps of bird guano and soot. p 30

Sunlight glowed round the edges of the curtains.  Mary lifted one eyelid. Why did she feel so...?  Even before she could frame the question, the events of yesterday came back. They didn't rush or ebb so much as cudgel her brain." p 241

Things I Didn't Like:
As I noted above, the mystery was not that amazing.  But, I really loved pretty much everything else, so it didn't bother me much.

Read-alikes:
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few here and there

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
some minor incidents

Overall rating: ****

So, I'm fairly new to the mystery-historical fiction combo, but I'd love more suggestions!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage