The Agency 1: A Spy in the House

By: Y. S. Lee

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

In Victorian England, orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of 12, she’s rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison warden. In her new home, Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, Mary acquires a singular education, fine manners, and a surprising opportunity.

The school is a cover for the Agency — an elite, top secret corps of female investigators with a reputation for results — and at 17, Mary’s about to join their ranks. With London all but paralyzed by a noxious heat wave, Mary must work fast in the guise of lady’s companion to infiltrate a rich merchant’s home with hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the Thorold household is full of dangerous secrets, and people are not what they seem - least of all Mary.

©2010 Y.S. Lee (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Decent, but not especially engaging

This is a young-adult mystery with a splash of romance, set in 19th-century London. (You should definitely consider it YA, not a "kid's book" -- tons of references to prostitution, opium, extramarital affairs, etc.) It's perfectly decent listening, but I didn't find myself especially wrapped up in either the characters or the story, and the period details/language weren't very persuasive. The reader, too, was simply fine. Not something that lingers in your mind.

I didn't expect to love this as much as I do

I picked this up on recommendation in a facebook group for The Parasol Protectorate series and I am SO glad I did. While it's not like the PP stories, Y.S. Lee has created wonderfully rich and lovable characters in a world that feels as real as can be.
There are books that can take a bit to pull me in, but not this one. I was instantly drawn in and fell in love with Mary at the start. I was never let down. She is imperfect, as all actual humans are. She makes mistakes and pays for them.
The story is interesting and I really appreciate the insight into the life Chinese immigrants in Victorian England.

Justine Eyre is an extremely talented narrator and I will certainly look for other books she's read.

Enjoyable to adult listener, too

Enjoyable to adult listeners, too. Wish there were more than apparently just one more in this series

Fun

An interesting storyline, well performed and engaging. A great Young Adult read for adults as also.

interesting but not Riveting

The beginning does a really good job of capturing your attention. The main action of the story didn't seem to build drama the way I expected. Instead of one scene leading to another and feeling like i'm following the threads alongside the characters, it fell to little disjointed. Also some of the last minute saves felt forced. Groundwork was laid that could have been built upawn to heighten suspense. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this story and will give the series a second chance in the second book. A lot of loose ends were left to follow up on in later books in the series which I can appreciate.

Enchanting mystery/spy novel

I really enjoyed this one. This is the first in the Mary Quinn series, and I'm sure it won't be my last. Y.S. Lee does a really good job balancing mystery and suspense with action. I listened to this one almost nonstop because I didn't want to leave it.

Justine Eyre's voice couldn't have been a better choice for this audiobook. She has a smooth voice that handles the voices of other characters well without losing the smooth quality that makes you want to get a cup of tea, sit down in your favorite chair, and relax while you listen. Just don't think you can go to sleep to this book because there's too much excitement going on at any given moment.

There are a few places (I remember three) where inappropriate language was used. I don't understand why that was considered necessary by the author, but there isn't much of it, so it didn't ruin the book for me.

Overall, if you enjoy period novels, mysteries, suspense, or action/adventure novels, you'll like this one. I'm planning on acquiring the next book in this series, myself.

Great for adults, too!

This is one of the best listens I've ever downloaded from Audible. Although technically a young adult book, I was immediately hooked on it, and luckily there is an equally fantastic sequel! The book has a funny and feisty heroine, a lot of great historical background, an intricate mystery plot that will keep you guessing, and a splash of delightful romance. The narrator is fabulous as well. You can't go wrong!

Lots of Fun

A great listen. Perfect length. Tricky enough to remain unpredictable. Looking forward to reading number 2 !

A Wonderful Story at an affordable price!

What made the experience of listening to A Spy in the House the most enjoyable?

This story was very well written. Lee was able to pull the listener into 19th century London effortlessly, making the setting an intricate, seamless part of the plot. Mary, the main character was likable and there's a wide variety of side characters who kept me entertained. I immediately bought book 2 in the series after finishing this one.

What did you like best about this story?

The heroine was resilient and strong. A wonderful girl who you just cared about. The mystery of it all kept me thinking about the book even when I wasn't listening.

Any additional comments?

I would strongly recommend this book for ages 13+. It does deal with serious issues, like the state of London for the poor in this time period. It dealt with hunger and death without being too overwhelming, but parents may want to listen before their children.

Just okay

Great narrator. A true picture of the time and place. My complaint is the characters were kind of flat. I did stick with it until the end but it was not the kind of book but I concentrate on. Good to listen to while you do other things.