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cmurphy808's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
moh's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I like the addition of Jones and Winnie to the cast, and I hope to see more them later in the series. (The Mary/James and Mary/Winnie chapters were my favorites.).
I like the addition of Jones and Winnie to the cast, and I hope to see more them later in the series. (The Mary/James and Mary/Winnie chapters were my favorites.).
daumari's review against another edition
4.0
Another fun historical mystery with Mary Quinn, this time investigating a mysterious death at a very overdue construction project for Westminster Palace. Mary disguises herself as a boy and returns to her hardscrabble roots in the impoverished parts of London. The mystery resolves in the final tenth of the novel, and while there are threads supporting it I didn't pick it out until the characters realized it as well.
I really appreciate having a biracial character in historical fiction (a rarity) who also isn't whitewashed on the cover- some of the complexities of having multiple parts of your identity pop up here, and because this is 1850s England, are quashed down (for now, I assume- feels like a future plot thread to me).
I really appreciate having a biracial character in historical fiction (a rarity) who also isn't whitewashed on the cover- some of the complexities of having multiple parts of your identity pop up here, and because this is 1850s England, are quashed down (for now, I assume- feels like a future plot thread to me).
sam_hartwig's review against another edition
3.0
So this second book in "The Agency" series was not as good as the first. My first thought was 'where is the romance?', it just wasn't there. Sure, Mary & James did do more kissing than the first book but I just wasn't feeling it. And It didn't have me hooked in and wanting to read more like the first one because the intrigue wasn't there either. I picked the book up and put it down a few times before I decided to finish it. I still think I'll read the others in the series when they come out because I like Mary Quinn as a character and hopefully there will be more between her and James Easton in the next book. So overall i gave it 3 stars because I did end up finishing it and I enjoyed it, but just thought the intrigue and romance was lacking. Hoping for more in the next installment!
mickachoo's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the first book and was not disappointed in the slightest with this one! Going to read the third and most likely the fourth now!
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book Two in the YA historical mystery series about “The Agency” – an organization of female detectives in Victorian London – and featuring orphan and former thief, Mary Quinn.
There have been significant delays in the construction of the clock tower at Parliament, and after a worker falls to his death from the 300-foot tower, rumors swirl that it is haunted by a ghost. Mary goes undercover as “Mark” to work as a helper on the site, and to try to find out what is really going on.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was somewhat repetitious in places, but Mary is a wonderful heroine – bright, resourceful, compassionate, observant and mentally strong. I like that Lee has made Mary half-Chinese, and that her ethnicity poses additional problems (and opportunities) for her in mid-19th-century England. I haven’t read the first in the series yet, so was a bit behind the curve when it came to the relationships between characters, but I didn’t feel lost. I’ll go back and read book # 1, A Spy in the House, and might continue the series from there.
There have been significant delays in the construction of the clock tower at Parliament, and after a worker falls to his death from the 300-foot tower, rumors swirl that it is haunted by a ghost. Mary goes undercover as “Mark” to work as a helper on the site, and to try to find out what is really going on.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was somewhat repetitious in places, but Mary is a wonderful heroine – bright, resourceful, compassionate, observant and mentally strong. I like that Lee has made Mary half-Chinese, and that her ethnicity poses additional problems (and opportunities) for her in mid-19th-century England. I haven’t read the first in the series yet, so was a bit behind the curve when it came to the relationships between characters, but I didn’t feel lost. I’ll go back and read book # 1, A Spy in the House, and might continue the series from there.
abaugher's review against another edition
4.0
good female sherlock holmesian feel, but without the razor sharp wit and scintillating genius of holmes himself. still, a strong central female character, who bucks the system to do what she loves, even if she has to sneak. this is the second book in this stroy, and i would venture to say that reading the first would make a vast difference in understanding the characters better.
mariana_ramos's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
stephxsu's review against another edition
5.0
The first book in this series, A Spy in the House, was a solidly entertaining and well-researched historical mystery, but this second installment, THE BODY AT THE TOWER, throws me into fangirl zone. THE BODY AT THE TOWER, is off-the-charts incredible for its genre, a Victorian London mystery that is sure to please old and new fans.
All of Y. S. Lee’s writing strengths return in full force in this worthy sequel: from character development, to exquisitely immersing historical details, to a sizzling romance. All of the details about the Victorian era never feel forced or extravagant: readers will find it easy to fall into the gritty London that Mary inhabits, while learning incredible things about the Victorian era along the way.
The richness of the setting is matched well by the playful banter between Mary and James, banter that I described as Austen-worthy in my review of the first book, a sentiment that I heartily return to now. Sure, maybe it’s wish fulfillment in a number of ways—James is a self-described arrogant and persistent man—but damn if the pages didn’t nearly catch on fire while I was reading their banter. This is a strong-minded couple that doesn’t have it easy, but they certainly have chemistry.
Lee introduces new characters almost effortlessly, while simultaneously further exploring Mary’s conflicts with her heritage and childhood. Sure, minor characters help move the plot forward or give the MCs necessary information, but in THE BODY AT THE TOWER they acquire the possibility for life outside the story. And Mary is not just your average inexplicably competent female detective, but rather a young woman with demons of her own.
I’m not a big historical fiction OR mystery fan, but this series is one of my favorites, and probably my favorite historical mystery series. Well-written, eye-opening, and entertaining, you will dive in and be immersed immediately. THE BODY AT THE TOWER proves that Y. S. Lee is a rising star, and hasn’t even reached her peak yet. I am on tenterhooks awaiting the third book, and more after that from this incredible author!
All of Y. S. Lee’s writing strengths return in full force in this worthy sequel: from character development, to exquisitely immersing historical details, to a sizzling romance. All of the details about the Victorian era never feel forced or extravagant: readers will find it easy to fall into the gritty London that Mary inhabits, while learning incredible things about the Victorian era along the way.
The richness of the setting is matched well by the playful banter between Mary and James, banter that I described as Austen-worthy in my review of the first book, a sentiment that I heartily return to now. Sure, maybe it’s wish fulfillment in a number of ways—James is a self-described arrogant and persistent man—but damn if the pages didn’t nearly catch on fire while I was reading their banter. This is a strong-minded couple that doesn’t have it easy, but they certainly have chemistry.
Lee introduces new characters almost effortlessly, while simultaneously further exploring Mary’s conflicts with her heritage and childhood. Sure, minor characters help move the plot forward or give the MCs necessary information, but in THE BODY AT THE TOWER they acquire the possibility for life outside the story. And Mary is not just your average inexplicably competent female detective, but rather a young woman with demons of her own.
I’m not a big historical fiction OR mystery fan, but this series is one of my favorites, and probably my favorite historical mystery series. Well-written, eye-opening, and entertaining, you will dive in and be immersed immediately. THE BODY AT THE TOWER proves that Y. S. Lee is a rising star, and hasn’t even reached her peak yet. I am on tenterhooks awaiting the third book, and more after that from this incredible author!