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pnw_afox's review against another edition
4.0
I gave it 4 stars because no half stars exist here. Really it is 3.5. I really like this series in that it at least mentions some of the racism that existed in the Victorian era, even if it is s tell not show situation. And I like Mary Quinn/Lang. I find her smart, capable, and often witty. I don;t always read YA, but when I do, I would read more about Mary Quinn.
penandpencil's review against another edition
4.0
Relationship between James and Mary is adorable and squeeworthy. Glad to hear there will be a fourth :)
delaney572e4's review against another edition
3.0
Super quick and fun! I'm a sucker for the exact relationship dynamic, so I loved the romance. Thought the ending was a little funky, but I guess it was a set-up for the next book. Could have been more anti-monarchy though.
slade4115's review against another edition
5.0
Can there be a higher rating? I absolutely loved this book.
jennahazzard's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this series! The dialogue was witty and characters charming. There was no doubt that I wanted to hurry home to read the last couple chapters (which is how I judge how much I like a book!), but there was something that I can't quite put my finger on that kept me from giving it five stars. However, if you like Victorian Era mystery/romance then this is for you!
tracey_stewart's review against another edition
4.0
This is a young adult novel I was granted access to through Netgalley – with thanks to them. It is the third book in a series, but the only problem with that is that I want very much to read the first books and don't have them yet. (This also appears to be called The Traitor and the Tunnel - for the original Canadian edition, perhaps?)
Mary Quinn is undercover. She is twenty years old, and a part of an extraordinary intelligence agency, and posing as a maid in Queen Victoria's household. And I must say that the first glimpse we're given of Queen Victoria is a hilarious eye-opener that won my heart completely, for both her and this book. One of the best first lines I think I've ever seen:
Her Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, had a lamp shade on her head. Again.
There's something about that "Again" which just tickles me deeply.
I love that Mary's ethnicity – born of an Irish mother and a Chinese father – is simultaneously so easy to pass off as something else and so dangerous. I love that she has this mixed ethnicity – in a whitebread universe of fiction, she is unique and engaging. Another of her many distinctions is an almost unapologetic criminal past: Mary has as a child done what she needed to do to survive, having at an early age seen her father disappear and her mother die, and while she is far less than proud of it all, it is what it is. If only it didn't all exist as a wall between her and the fascinating young man she met in her prior investigations, James Easton … And if only her current investigation into small thefts at Buckingham Palace – which is rapidly turning into something else – didn't look like it was going to throw the two of them together again.
The writing is rather spare, with an inflection of the 19th century which makes me think of the writing axiom that a hint of dialect is far better and easier and more enjoyable to read than a constant stream. The sense of humor – often very dry – that runs throughout, from that very first memorable line, makes this a joy to read, and short chapters seem to make it fly by.
I loved the look at Victoria, her family, and the Palace as their home and that of their servants – the bits of the place you're not as likely to see on a tour. I loved the tone of the story – Mary is a literary cousin to Indiana Jones, James Bond, and The Three Investigators, only female and twenty and half Chinese and the daughter of a sailor, and perhaps a murderer – a wonderful point of view. I loved the romance – quite passionate for what I persist in thinking a young adult novel ought to be, but PG-rated and very well-written and satisfying. I appreciated that the matter-of-fact tone with which Mary considers her past is echoed in the outlook on the duties and necessities and hazards of the job in the palace: it is a fact of life that maids must turn and face the wall and pretend they aren't there whenever one of the Family comes upon them in the midst of their work, and however silly it is there is no fighting it and no questioning it. It is a fact of life that a young man in the family, be he "gentleman" or be he Prince, is a constant hazard to girls serving in the house, be it Eaton Place or Buckingham Palace. It's horrible, but again it is what it is and it can only be avoided until avoidance becomes impossible, and faced once it happens: there is no recourse.
It is this latter looming possibility along with the cold, hard facts of what it is to be Chinese in England in the 19th century that keep this grounded in reality, giving the fantasy of the Girl Spy a solid foundation. I didn't expect the depth of emotion in the story, nor the extent to which I'd become involved in it. Very well done indeed.
The author has a deleted scene on her lovely website.
Mary Quinn is undercover. She is twenty years old, and a part of an extraordinary intelligence agency, and posing as a maid in Queen Victoria's household. And I must say that the first glimpse we're given of Queen Victoria is a hilarious eye-opener that won my heart completely, for both her and this book. One of the best first lines I think I've ever seen:
Her Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, had a lamp shade on her head. Again.
There's something about that "Again" which just tickles me deeply.
I love that Mary's ethnicity – born of an Irish mother and a Chinese father – is simultaneously so easy to pass off as something else and so dangerous. I love that she has this mixed ethnicity – in a whitebread universe of fiction, she is unique and engaging. Another of her many distinctions is an almost unapologetic criminal past: Mary has as a child done what she needed to do to survive, having at an early age seen her father disappear and her mother die, and while she is far less than proud of it all, it is what it is. If only it didn't all exist as a wall between her and the fascinating young man she met in her prior investigations, James Easton … And if only her current investigation into small thefts at Buckingham Palace – which is rapidly turning into something else – didn't look like it was going to throw the two of them together again.
The writing is rather spare, with an inflection of the 19th century which makes me think of the writing axiom that a hint of dialect is far better and easier and more enjoyable to read than a constant stream. The sense of humor – often very dry – that runs throughout, from that very first memorable line, makes this a joy to read, and short chapters seem to make it fly by.
I loved the look at Victoria, her family, and the Palace as their home and that of their servants – the bits of the place you're not as likely to see on a tour. I loved the tone of the story – Mary is a literary cousin to Indiana Jones, James Bond, and The Three Investigators, only female and twenty and half Chinese and the daughter of a sailor, and perhaps a murderer – a wonderful point of view. I loved the romance – quite passionate for what I persist in thinking a young adult novel ought to be, but PG-rated and very well-written and satisfying. I appreciated that the matter-of-fact tone with which Mary considers her past is echoed in the outlook on the duties and necessities and hazards of the job in the palace: it is a fact of life that maids must turn and face the wall and pretend they aren't there whenever one of the Family comes upon them in the midst of their work, and however silly it is there is no fighting it and no questioning it. It is a fact of life that a young man in the family, be he "gentleman" or be he Prince, is a constant hazard to girls serving in the house, be it Eaton Place or Buckingham Palace. It's horrible, but again it is what it is and it can only be avoided until avoidance becomes impossible, and faced once it happens: there is no recourse.
It is this latter looming possibility along with the cold, hard facts of what it is to be Chinese in England in the 19th century that keep this grounded in reality, giving the fantasy of the Girl Spy a solid foundation. I didn't expect the depth of emotion in the story, nor the extent to which I'd become involved in it. Very well done indeed.
The author has a deleted scene on her lovely website.
iamliterate's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so great...until the last half chapter. I'm kind of nervous to continue on in this otherwise fantastic series.
koalathebear's review against another edition
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 against another edition
4.0
Amazing ending to a trilogy, but so so so happy it isn't actually ending! James and Mary are perfection!