Playing Favorites with Y.S. Lee!

It has been said that playing favorites isn't nice, but sometimes it's impossible not to! Join me at The Hiding Spot as I share a favorite author... and the author shares a few favorite things too.

Y.S. Lee

Genre: Historical Mystery YA

Book(s):

A Spy in the House Review

The Body at the Tower
The Traitor in the Tunnel (2012)

 

Y.S. (Ying) Lee's novels may be set in stiff Victorian London, but that doesn't mean they're dry. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Mary Quinn's adventures as a spy are filled with danger, intrigue, and romance!

MY FAVORITES

Novel: A Spy in the House.
I love both of the Mary Quinn mysteries, but I had to pick A SPY IN THE HOUSE as my favorite since it's Mary's first adventure... and she meets James for the first time. James is completely swoonworthy and the banter between the two is filled with romantic tension and humor. But, trust me, if you read the first one, be sure you have the next one ready to dive into immediately - you're not going to want to wait!


Character: Mary.
She is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorite heroines. She's smart, brave, and has a strong personality. I can't wait to dive into Mary's next adventure! (Which won't be out until 2012! *sniffles*)

Scene: The Wardrobe.
I decided I would share one of my favorite scenes instead of my favorite quote, then I realized how incredibly difficult that would be - there are so many scenes that I think back on with a smile, but many are spoilery! Then I remembered the passage I fondly refer to as "The Wardrobe Scene;" I love it so much that I mentioned it in my review of A SPY IN THE HOUSE! It occurs early in the novel when Mary is searching for clues in her employer's office and must duck into a closet to avoid detection. Of course, she doesn't realize that the closet is already occupied...

THE FAVORITE FAVORS

BOOK: "Middlemarch" by George Eliot
I think everyone in the world should read this novel. It’s absolutely beautiful – a quiet, subtle, detailed portrait of a small community that says everything you need to know about Victorian England. Just stunning.

FOOD: Steamed Dungeness crab with ginger and spring onions. Or maybe potato chips.

WORD: Quiddity.
(I was going to choose “fisticuffs”, but Courtney Summers beat me to it.) It’s fun to say. Its primary definition (the inherent “thingness” of something) is awkward. It has secondary, totally different definitions (related to “quibble”). And I love that it sounds so solid yet is so tricky. I haven’t yet worked it into a Mary Quinn novel, but remain hopeful.


CHARACTER: Peter Wimsey...
...from Dorothy L. Sayers’s detective novels: perfect wit and dazzling intelligence in one effortless-seeming package.


HOLIDAY: Driving through rural Malaysia with my husband.
We met so many warm, interesting people, the food was astounding, and every hour was an adventure.

For more information about Ying and her novels

check out the links below:

Website

Twitter

GoodReads

Review: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

Title: A Spy in the House (The Agency Bk. 1)
Author: Y.S. Lee
Publisher: Candlewick
Pub. Date: March 2010
Genre: YA Mystery
Keywords: Spies, Victorian London, Orphans, Secrets, Romance, Mystery
Pages: 335
Description (from GoodReads): 
Orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of twelve, 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 earns 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 seventeen, 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 a 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.

Packed with action and suspense, and evoking the gritty world of Victorian London, Book One of the Agency series debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits.


I sometimes find that novels with historical settings can be a bit dry, but Y.S. Lee has rekindled my love affair with Victorian England. A SPY IN THE HOUSE is a fast paced read, narrated by a feisty heroine, bursting with mystery, lies, greed, secret alliances, and, of course, romance.


With her quick wit and adventuresome spirit, Mary Quinn has quickly become one of my favorite main characters! A SPY IN THE HOUSE is set in Victorian London, where Mary’s secret life as a spy is one of the many traits that sets her apart from her peers. Even with her schooling and fine manners, she doesn’t fit the mold of a typical Victorian woman. Her history is a bit blurry, her origins are unknown, and she’s bursting with opinions. Mary definitely stands out in Victorian London, but her character is so vibrant that I believe she’d have a difficult time blending into any setting.


I admire Lee’s ability to use just the right amount of foreshadowing: too much and a novel will lose much of its mysteriousness, too little and the reader will become frustrated and completely confused. There were enough clues present that I could determine some of the lies and secrets, but the biggest aspect of the mystery remained a riddle for most of the novel. I was also impressed with Lee’s ability to weave seemingly independent plot lines into a complex and compelling mystery, while still keeping the mystery intact.


I was thrilled to discover that there was a romantic plot line in A SPY IN THE HOUSE. Mary is forced to hide in a wardrobe when she is nearly discovered poking through an off-limits office, only to find the wardrobe is already occupied. One can assume that if you meet a man in a wardrobe, he probably isn’t the boring sort. Mary has met her match in James Easton, who, against his better judgment, is intrigued by “Miss Closet.” The conversations between James and Mary were humorous and tension-filled; the chemistry between the two is evident from the moment they tumble out of the wardrobe.

James is one of my favorite male characters/romantic leads. Not only is he funny, smart, and mysterious, I always end up picturing him as James McAvoy. This definitely enhances my reading experience.

I like mystery and historical novels, but I don't usually love them. Somehow, I have come to love the Mary Quinn mysteries. I've read the next novel, A BODY AT THE TOWER, which will be released in August, and it is just as good, if not better, than the first installment. If you have any interest in mysteries, kickass girl spies, or good-looking boys in wardrobes, you need to read this book!

Grade: A+