A Spy in the House

by Y. S. Lee

Twelve-year-old Mary Lang has just been sentenced to hang for the crime of housebreaking. Victorian England doesn’t mess around with young criminals, does it?

She is taken to jail to await her demise, and, suddenly, everything changes for Mary. Disabled by chloroform, Mary is transported to Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls. She is given another chance!

After five years of education and less than successful job training, Mary is inducted into The Agency, an operation run by women who work at Miss Scrimshaw’s. The Agency is a female spy operation. The concept is genius for its time—who would ever suspect a woman of spying?

Then Mary’s adventures really begin. . .

This first novel in the series chronicles her first assignment, but there’s really no need to get into that convoluted plot. I had hoped that this novel would have the flavor of the Sally Lockhart trilogy by Philip Pullman. Alas! The characters are flat, the setting is not well defined, and the plot is just so-so.

This is a bit of a dud, if you ask me. For a great Victorian mystery for young adults, try The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman.

12/11/10