The Agency: A Spy In The House is an interesting book for a couple of reasons. First I think it explores a cultural niche not often referenced in Victorian, or most literature, the Asian subculture. Mary Lang Quinn, the heroine of the novel is the daughter of an Irish woman and a Cantonese sailor. Her appearance and the roots of the culture are often the topic of speculation, however Quinn is interesting because she assimilates so well into the Caucasian culture around her. The Sarah Woolson mysteries by Shirley Tallman go deep into Chinatown in 1880s San Francisco, however it is mainly used to hi-light the dichotomy between the haves and the have nots. The sub-story in The Agency goes beyond that to weave together the plot-lines.The second intriguing thing about the story is that the author is open about the fact that this all female spy agency, which takes in the untouchables of the London streets, free of charge, educates them, and sends them out to investigate the rich and powerful, is completely fanciful. Too often, period pieces write revisionist history, where everything is picturesque and the plot lines totally out of joint with the happenings and mores of the time. Lee takes as much of actual history as possible, and when she integrates the more fanciful and incongruous elements, makes it plausible.
Overall it was a fast-paced, well-developed, mystery that kept me guessing. The romantic entanglements didn't interfere too badly with the central plot, and the segue into the next two books of the trilogy was smoothly done. No complaints from me.
