koalathebear's review
5.0
I didn't want to finish this book! I tried to hold off on reading it but as soon as I finished book #2, I had to start this one and now I'm cliff-hangered. I can't wait until book 4 comes out. I am so in love with James/Mary :)
nakedsushi's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
The mystery was not as involved or interesting as the last two. I enjoyed the character development aspects, but I do wish that. It seemed like a bit of a cop-out. In the end,
The mystery was not as involved or interesting as the last two. I enjoyed the character development aspects, but I do wish that
Spoiler
there was more closure or explanation about Mary's fatherSpoiler
Mary's decision to start her own detective agency was an unexpected turn, but I liked it. And James! So sweet.writerbarbie92's review
4.0
Amazing ending to a trilogy, but so so so happy it isn't actually ending! James and Mary are perfection!
bak8382's review
3.0
Mary Quinn is undercover in what might be her most personal case yet. She's working in the palace investigating items that have mysteriously gone missing. At the same time the Prince of Wales becomes entangled in a murder investigation that brings Mary in contact with someone she thought she lost . . . With very little information from the Agency to go on, and mixed signals coming from her former flame James Eaton Mary just might be in over her head.
This is a somewhat satisfying conclusion to The Agency trilogy. The mysteries involved aren't very exciting, nor is the conclusion related to Mary's family, but Mary's future is headed in a direction that readers will find satisfying. As it is the third book in the series readers will probably want to start at the beginning of the series to understand Mary's personal life better, but this could be read on its own otherwise.
This is a somewhat satisfying conclusion to The Agency trilogy. The mysteries involved aren't very exciting, nor is the conclusion related to Mary's family, but Mary's future is headed in a direction that readers will find satisfying. As it is the third book in the series readers will probably want to start at the beginning of the series to understand Mary's personal life better, but this could be read on its own otherwise.
leavingsealevel's review
3.0
So, last weekend my friend loaned me her kindle (loaded with the rest of this series) and I read them allll. In fact I didn't much *else* all weekend, but oh well. These are so fun, with a strong female central character, a sense of place, secrets, and a look at racial politics and the "other" in Victorian London. Some reviewers have pointed out that Mary's level of social mobility is highly improbably, but oh well.
ballerinabaylee's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kblincoln's review
4.0
Actually, 4.5 stars. I do love me the half-Lascar (chinese) secret, undercover private detective girl in Victorian England.
And now, with More! Victoria!
Yes, Mary Quinn, ex-house thief and homeless wastrel, taken in by the Agency and trained in undercover work for private investigations in roles only overlooked women can play, is in the household of Queen Victoria as a maid.
So right there is where the half star got taken away. I mean, okay, yeah, I understand she was hired by the Queen for a very, very private investigation and is there on special assignment, but really? The Queen? And Bertie's attention? So easily she fits in such an ordered place?
It was a bit hard to swallow at first. Once I got over that, though, the book had all the hallmarks of the reason this is one of the best YA Historical series out there. (And none of it has gone stale yet.) We still have quite believable and detailed depictions of Victorian life, the wonderful struggle Mary has with revealing her own race and how she thinks of herself because of her father (with the problem now that he is involved in an opium-muddled murder in this book), her own quite bold and inquisitive personality, along with a smattering of romantic arguing and friction with dashing engineer James Easton.
The book even pokes fun at itself by having both James and Mary mention how their continued, serendipitous meetings would hardly be believable even in a novel. And all the scenes where Mary tortures Octavius Jones with his inability to shake the paramour he courted only for gossip had me smiling.
Lovely.
The twin mysteries of the missing knick-knacks and Lady Honoria's strange behavior are both satisfactorily resolved with heroics by both James and Mary. While there was a bit of a too-convenient save at the end by a surprising character, I forgave that because the novel resolves, quite nicely, the problem of things getting repetitive by setting up James and Mary in a new direction. I quite look forward to their continued partnership.
This Book's Snack Rating: Garlic fries for the addictive, salty flavor of Mary's character coupled with the garlicky oily goodness of a fun plot, believable details, and satisfactory ending.
And now, with More! Victoria!
Yes, Mary Quinn, ex-house thief and homeless wastrel, taken in by the Agency and trained in undercover work for private investigations in roles only overlooked women can play, is in the household of Queen Victoria as a maid.
So right there is where the half star got taken away. I mean, okay, yeah, I understand she was hired by the Queen for a very, very private investigation and is there on special assignment, but really? The Queen? And Bertie's attention? So easily she fits in such an ordered place?
It was a bit hard to swallow at first. Once I got over that, though, the book had all the hallmarks of the reason this is one of the best YA Historical series out there. (And none of it has gone stale yet.) We still have quite believable and detailed depictions of Victorian life, the wonderful struggle Mary has with revealing her own race and how she thinks of herself because of her father (with the problem now that he is involved in an opium-muddled murder in this book), her own quite bold and inquisitive personality, along with a smattering of romantic arguing and friction with dashing engineer James Easton.
The book even pokes fun at itself by having both James and Mary mention how their continued, serendipitous meetings would hardly be believable even in a novel. And all the scenes where Mary tortures Octavius Jones with his inability to shake the paramour he courted only for gossip had me smiling.
Lovely.
The twin mysteries of the missing knick-knacks and Lady Honoria's strange behavior are both satisfactorily resolved with heroics by both James and Mary. While there was a bit of a too-convenient save at the end by a surprising character, I forgave that because the novel resolves, quite nicely, the problem of things getting repetitive by setting up James and Mary in a new direction. I quite look forward to their continued partnership.
This Book's Snack Rating: Garlic fries for the addictive, salty flavor of Mary's character coupled with the garlicky oily goodness of a fun plot, believable details, and satisfactory ending.
a_manning11's review
5.0
I loved this book. Although I really would have liked the audio book version to continue the first two books. I am hoping that the author will write more series in the Victorian Age, because I will definitely miss Mary Quinn's world.
resslesa's review
4.0
Good third in The Agency series-plucky heroine and gold mystery. Very clean and I do love Victorian London.