I've just spent the past two weeks reading the best trilogy I've read in quit a while...Mary Quinn Mysteries. I'm not big on mysteries, but I love a good Victorian setting...and what better country to read them in than England? These books also introduce a corner of English history I didn't know existed: Chinese immigrants in Victorian England. I, like any other Anglophile and Brit-Lit enthusiast, like to pride myself on a decent knowledge of British history, but this book proved, yet again, that I know jack all. The main character, and I may have ruined a big secret from the first novel, is half Irish and Half Chinese, but she has to keep her Chinese heritage secret because of the rampant xenophobia of the times.
As always, I suck at descriptions without giving away too much, here's my amazon description:
Overall, a great series to read. If you are interested, and you should be, about "Oriental London," here's a link: http://www.victorianlondon.org/population/oriental.htm
Lady A
As always, I suck at descriptions without giving away too much, here's my amazon description:
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—Mary Quinn, a scrappy 12-year-old orphan and accomplished thief in Victorian London, is saved from the gallows by a stranger and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, an institution dedicated to turning out strong, independent, educated young women. Though reluctant at first, she accepts the challenge and eventually becomes a teacher herself. At 17, she is recruited by the mistresses of the school to join a covert group of female spies known as The Agency. Her first assignment involves posing as a lady's companion to the daughter of a man suspected of fraud and smuggling. She carries out her investigation at night and during stolen moments, but soon finds that she is not the only one on the case. Is James Easton a friend or foe? A dramatic rescue from a burning building reveals the true villain but leaves other questions unanswered. Lee fills the story with classic elements of Victorian mystery and melodrama. Class differences, love gone awry, racial discrimination, London's growing pains in the 1850s, and the status of women in society are all addressed. Historical details are woven seamlessly into the plot, and descriptive writing allows readers to be part of each scene. Readers who liked Phillip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke (Knopf, 2008) will find similar elements in this new series starter.—Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
From Booklist
She was sentenced to the gallows at age 12. Pickpocket Mary Quinn doesn’t care. Her life, nasty and brutish, will also be blessedly short. Then, shockingly, she’s rescued and ensconced at Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. When readers meet Mary after this prologue, she is 17 and bored with her teaching job at the Academy. Happily, there’s more going on there than learning. Mary is recruited into the Agency, a secret band of women investigators. Her first job is ostensibly to be a lady’s companion. Actually, she’s at the Thorold home to observe and discover what she can about the mysterious sinking of Thorold’s ships. But Mary’s not much for observing and soon finds herself in the midst of murder. The new Agency series is what you’d expect, very well done, and a little more. Mary’s feisty, the mystery is solid (if a little boring), and the romantic interest is reminiscent of Jane Austen’s Darcy. The secret of Mary’s parentage will make an interesting string to run through succeeding books. V for vivid Victoriana. Grades 8-12. --Ilene CooperOverall, a great series to read. If you are interested, and you should be, about "Oriental London," here's a link: http://www.victorianlondon.org/population/oriental.htm
Lady A
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