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mariana_ramos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
scribblinaway's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Another adventure in Victorian London - quick and fun read!
rakesrogues's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: You probably don't want to read this review of THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee if you have not read the two previous books. I highly recommend them.
Mary Quinn is back undercover - this time as a parlor maid in the Buckingham Palace - investigating a string of petty thefts. Y.S. Lee is a fantastic mystery writer that will leave you at the edge of your seat. She will keep you guessing, only to leave your jaw hanging wide open at the climax of the novel. THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee has an ending you'll never see coming.
One of the reasons that I love the Agency series by YS Lee is the fact that Mary is half Chinese. It's rare that you ever see that in a Victorian novel, but Lee makes it work. There's so much depth to Mary because of her backstory. Not only is she half-Chinese, but she's also an orphan and a criminal. Mary has so many things going against her that you can't help but cheer for her character. She continues to be a headstrong character in THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee. I love that we are finally given more insight to her Chinese ancestry and questions about her background are finally answered. (Yep, no spoilers - that's all your getting from me.)
Okay, I admit that I had to slow myself down at times. I mentally chastised myself for reading way too quickly just so I can get to the next Mary/James encounter. But then again, who can blame me? One of the reasons why I love this series is for the fantastic sexual tension between Mary and James. THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee is no exception. Lots of banter, teasing, and romantic moments that will be sure to please fans. James and Mary continue to be one of my favorite couples in YA.
Like any historical novel that I read, I did question the historical accuracy of some parts of THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee. It's only right that I do. But whatever questions that popped up in my head were soon squashed, once I remembered Lee's background. She has a PhD in Victorian literature and culture! I love that I can put my trust in an author's writing to be historically accurate.
Fans of the Agency series by YS Lee will be satisfied with the third installment without a doubt. And of course, I definitely did my fan girl dance when I found out that there is a fourth book in the works.
Mary Quinn is back undercover - this time as a parlor maid in the Buckingham Palace - investigating a string of petty thefts. Y.S. Lee is a fantastic mystery writer that will leave you at the edge of your seat. She will keep you guessing, only to leave your jaw hanging wide open at the climax of the novel. THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee has an ending you'll never see coming.
One of the reasons that I love the Agency series by YS Lee is the fact that Mary is half Chinese. It's rare that you ever see that in a Victorian novel, but Lee makes it work. There's so much depth to Mary because of her backstory. Not only is she half-Chinese, but she's also an orphan and a criminal. Mary has so many things going against her that you can't help but cheer for her character. She continues to be a headstrong character in THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee. I love that we are finally given more insight to her Chinese ancestry and questions about her background are finally answered. (Yep, no spoilers - that's all your getting from me.)
Okay, I admit that I had to slow myself down at times. I mentally chastised myself for reading way too quickly just so I can get to the next Mary/James encounter. But then again, who can blame me? One of the reasons why I love this series is for the fantastic sexual tension between Mary and James. THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee is no exception. Lots of banter, teasing, and romantic moments that will be sure to please fans. James and Mary continue to be one of my favorite couples in YA.
Like any historical novel that I read, I did question the historical accuracy of some parts of THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL by YS Lee. It's only right that I do. But whatever questions that popped up in my head were soon squashed, once I remembered Lee's background. She has a PhD in Victorian literature and culture! I love that I can put my trust in an author's writing to be historically accurate.
Fans of the Agency series by YS Lee will be satisfied with the third installment without a doubt. And of course, I definitely did my fan girl dance when I found out that there is a fourth book in the works.
cmurphy808's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
daumari's review against another edition
4.0
Things are going missing at Buckingham Palace, so Mary is undercover as a domestic! Much like a visual novel detective story though, this seems like a rather low stakes assignment... until the Prince of Wales is witness to a murder and a lady-in-waiting behaves oddly. Mary must also face her past to figure things out, and it's one of my favorite things in this series that
This is also unintentionally the second book I've read this summer where Queen Victoria plays a relevant plot role, haha- just at different ages.
Potential reader triggers: threat of sexual assault, suggestion of prostitution, drug use, [hazy] description of a murder.
Spoiler
a mixed-raced identity is in a historical setting, but also treated as it would be in said era.This is also unintentionally the second book I've read this summer where Queen Victoria plays a relevant plot role, haha- just at different ages.
Potential reader triggers: threat of sexual assault, suggestion of prostitution, drug use, [hazy] description of a murder.
sam_hartwig's review against another edition
4.0
I love these books. Mary Quinn is an awesome character; she's witty, brave and independent which a big thing for a women living in the 19th century.
Some time has passed since the previous book and Mary has finally graduated and become an official detective with The Agency. She has been given her first assignment since graduating to work as a maid in the Buckingham Palace to find out who has been stealing knick knacks from the Queen. These novels are light mystery stories with no horrible murders and light humor. Perfect for teenagers or anyone looking for something a little different but nothing too heavy. There's also some interesting history going on, after reading this it makes me want to research Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales to find out if they were really like they were portrayed in the book.
Oh and James! At the end of the previous book Mary had told James something about her childhood which left him upset at her and not wanting to have anything to do with her. I was completely shattered! Their relationship up until then had been so fiery, what with their constant arguing with each other one moment and then passionately making up the next! So you can see why I got quite upset when I thought this will never happen again. Well, he doesn't get away so easily! He's back and oh so swoony *dreamy eyes*
In the last book Mary found some information regarding her father and in this book we find out what really happened to him after all these years. I found this part of the story a little disappointing and that's why I took a star off. That's the only small thing I could fault with this otherwise I highly recommend this fantastic series!
Also on my blog
Some time has passed since the previous book and Mary has finally graduated and become an official detective with The Agency. She has been given her first assignment since graduating to work as a maid in the Buckingham Palace to find out who has been stealing knick knacks from the Queen. These novels are light mystery stories with no horrible murders and light humor. Perfect for teenagers or anyone looking for something a little different but nothing too heavy. There's also some interesting history going on, after reading this it makes me want to research Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales to find out if they were really like they were portrayed in the book.
Oh and James! At the end of the previous book Mary had told James something about her childhood which left him upset at her and not wanting to have anything to do with her. I was completely shattered! Their relationship up until then had been so fiery, what with their constant arguing with each other one moment and then passionately making up the next! So you can see why I got quite upset when I thought this will never happen again. Well, he doesn't get away so easily! He's back and oh so swoony *dreamy eyes*
In the last book Mary found some information regarding her father and in this book we find out what really happened to him after all these years. I found this part of the story a little disappointing and that's why I took a star off. That's the only small thing I could fault with this otherwise I highly recommend this fantastic series!
Also on my blog
cutenanya's review against another edition
4.0
Unlike the previous too books, I think this book is simply sweet and cute! In fact, to the extent it seems a bit unbelievable. I even thought of going back to the previous book and see if it's really merely 7 months between the events in the first book and the second book.
The strengths:
1) The dialogues between Mary and James. I always love the dialogues between this couple! So full of wit and confidence! James in this book has changed from a devil to an angelic devil! SWEET!
2) The description of the relationship between Mary and her father. Since the first book I already wondered about Mary's father and though there wasn't exactly a happy ending, I am satisfied with the way Lee wrapped it up.
The problems:
1) The story is SO SWEET and the swoonworthy scale so high that it formed a stark contrast to the previous book. While it's great in it's own romantic way, I still think Lee has overdone it, making the story much less believable.
2) The plot is thinner in my opinion as compared to the Body at the Tower, which is probably the best book by far in this series.
Still, I love this book and I am definitely looking forward to the grand finale to this lovable series!
The strengths:
1) The dialogues between Mary and James. I always love the dialogues between this couple! So full of wit and confidence! James in this book has changed from a devil to an angelic devil! SWEET!
2) The description of the relationship between Mary and her father. Since the first book I already wondered about Mary's father and though there wasn't exactly a happy ending, I am satisfied with the way Lee wrapped it up.
The problems:
1) The story is SO SWEET and the swoonworthy scale so high that it formed a stark contrast to the previous book. While it's great in it's own romantic way, I still think Lee has overdone it, making the story much less believable.
2) The plot is thinner in my opinion as compared to the Body at the Tower, which is probably the best book by far in this series.
Still, I love this book and I am definitely looking forward to the grand finale to this lovable series!
bookedinsaigon's review against another edition
3.0
Whenever a new Agency novel by Y. S. Lee comes out, I always try to resist the temptation to devour it immediately, knowing that I will have to wait a while until the next book. I succeeded in resisting for all of approximately two weeks after I was approved for it on NetGalley. While, in my opinion, THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL didn’t quite live up to how much I loved the first two Agency books, it is still a satisfying return to Lee’s Victorian London.
My biggest frustration with TRAITOR was that I felt that many things were “uneven.” The story takes place among the most well-noted London landmarks and features well-known historical characters, but I still didn’t get a really thorough sense of the setting and minor characters. Some of the actions of seasoned characters felt rather abrupt and left me scratching my head and wondering, did he/she really do that? I also didn’t feel as much urgency or investment in TRAITOR, and felt like no sooner had I grasped what was going on in the plot than it was over.
But perhaps it’s just a result of it being a long time since I was in Mary’s world, or the fact that I was reading this on a Kindle, which, truth be told, sometimes takes away from my engagement in a story. I am very glad to see Mary again, who is resourceful, yet also contains relatable insecurities, particularly involving her familial past and her future, both of which get explored in appreciable side plots in TRAITOR. As always, I am more than happy to see James again—even though some of his behavior did feel a bit incongruous with the James I knew from the previous two books.
So THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL might not be my favorite of the Agency books, but this series is still arguably the best mystery series set in Victorian England available. Best yet, there is one more Agency book in the works—and you’ll agree with me that it is a wonderful thing to be able to read about Mary, James, and the others for as long as possible once you start this series!
My biggest frustration with TRAITOR was that I felt that many things were “uneven.” The story takes place among the most well-noted London landmarks and features well-known historical characters, but I still didn’t get a really thorough sense of the setting and minor characters. Some of the actions of seasoned characters felt rather abrupt and left me scratching my head and wondering, did he/she really do that? I also didn’t feel as much urgency or investment in TRAITOR, and felt like no sooner had I grasped what was going on in the plot than it was over.
But perhaps it’s just a result of it being a long time since I was in Mary’s world, or the fact that I was reading this on a Kindle, which, truth be told, sometimes takes away from my engagement in a story. I am very glad to see Mary again, who is resourceful, yet also contains relatable insecurities, particularly involving her familial past and her future, both of which get explored in appreciable side plots in TRAITOR. As always, I am more than happy to see James again—even though some of his behavior did feel a bit incongruous with the James I knew from the previous two books.
So THE TRAITOR IN THE TUNNEL might not be my favorite of the Agency books, but this series is still arguably the best mystery series set in Victorian England available. Best yet, there is one more Agency book in the works—and you’ll agree with me that it is a wonderful thing to be able to read about Mary, James, and the others for as long as possible once you start this series!