The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower (The Agency, #2)

by Y.S. Lee

Mary’s second adventure as an undercover agent forces her to relive some harrowing childhood experiences as she seeks the identity of a murderer.

Mary Quinn is back, now a trusted member of the Agency, the all-female detective unit operating out of Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. Her new assignment sends her into the grimy underbelly of Victorian London dressed as a poor boy, evoking her own childhood memories of fear, hunger, and constant want. As she insinuates herself into the confidence of several persons of interest, she encounters others in desperate situations and struggles to make a difference without exposing — or losing — her identity. Mary’s adventure, which takes place on the building site of the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, offers a fictional window into a fascinating historical time and place.

• ISBN10: 0763649686
• ISBN13: 9780763649685
• Publish Date: 10 August 2010
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Imprint: Candlewick
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780763649685

Reviews

[rakesandrogues]

Review published at Muggle-Born.net

THE BODY AT THE TOWER is another riveting mystery from Y.S. Lee. Mary Quinn goes undercover as Mark, an assistant at a construction site for St. Stephen's Tower. With her hair chopped off and in trousers 24 hours a day, Mary completely embraces her new persona as she tries to uncover the culprit behind the recent murder at St. Stephens. Break-ins, disguises, and other types of espionage ensues.

I honestly was not as interested in the mystery this time as I was in the first book, but that does not goes to say that it was still a fun read. Lee keeps you guessing throughout the whole book. She keeps you at the edge of your seat as Mary goes on another late-night break-in as she searches for evidence or clues.

With the plot aside, I honestly felt like I learned something in the process of reading. In contrast to the first novel, THE BODY AT THE TOWER explores conditions of the working class from the work place to home. Most of the historical novels I read are about the upper class with their fancy parties, beautiful dresses, and finding a man suitable for marriage. THE BODY AT THE TOWER explores London's lower classes and exposes the squalid conditions that they lived in during the Victorian era.

I do wish that we learned more about Mary's past in this book instead of her trying to push it away. I understand the dilemma that she is going through and that obviously her work does not provide her with ample time to investigate more about her father. The issue is addressed throughout the book but I didn't feel satisfied that Mary got anything accomplished towards finding out more about herself.

Of course, one of the things I looked forward to the most when I started the sequel was James Easton. I loved the chemistry between them in the first book, and I was dying for more. I was not disappointed. Mary and James continue to bicker and tease throughout the whole novel, making me one happy reader. Mary and James are really what made the pages kept turning for me. I couldn't wait to read their next encounter.

Like the first book, the mystery is tied up at the end with no plot holes (that I noticed anyways). However, the relationship between Mary and James is left in question. I still can't quite get the ending out of my head. I keep thinking about it, trying to imagine just how the next book will turn out. I can't wait to read more.