The Traitor In The Tunnel (The Agency #3) by Y.S. Lee

Get steeped in suspense, romance, and high Victorian intrigue as Mary goes undercover at Buckingham Palace - and learns a startling secret at the Tower of London. Queen Victoria has a little problem: there's a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Charged with discretion, the Agency puts quickwitted Mary Quinn on the case, where she must pose as a domestic while fending off the attentions of a feckless Prince of Wales. But when the prince witnesses the murder of one of his friends in an opium den, the potential for scandal looms large. And Mary faces an even more unsettling possibility: the accused killer, a Chinese sailor imprisoned in the Tower of London, shares a name with her long-lost father. Meanwhile, engineer James Easton, Mary's onetime paramour, is at work shoring up the sewers beneath the palace, where an unexpected tunnel seems to be very much in use. Can Mary and James trust each other (and put their simmering feelings aside) long enough to solve the mystery and protect the Royal Family? Hoist on your waders for Mary's most personal case yet, where the stakes couldn't be higher - and she has everything to lose.
Hardcover, 373 pages
Expected publication: February 28th 2012 by Candlewick Press

1/2

Three and a half stars: A book with a little something for everyone: mystery, romance, history and thrills. 

Mary Quinn is working undercover on her first real assignment.  She is posing as a parlor maid in Buckingham Palace.  Mary in actuality is a secret agent working for an agency that employs all women spies/ detectives.  Mary is sent to the palace to try and track down a thief.  Someone is stealing small artifacts from the palace.  While performing her daily duties, Mary unwittingly stumbles across the sticky circumstances surrounding the Prince of Wales elicit nighttime activities.  During a Saturday night foray with a friend, he stumbles into an opium den in London's underbelly.  An altercation breaks out and his prestigious friend is stabbed to death by an opium addicted, Chinese sailor.  Mary, while eavesdropping, learns the name of the murderer.  Is it possible that her absent, Chinese father, who was supposedly lost at sea, is the perpetrator?  While Mary is busy investigating the thefts and now the possibility of her father being involved in the killing, she receives a summons from the agency to abandon her post.  She learns from the head mistresses of the agency she is being recalled due to the fact that the sewers running under Buckingham Palace are set to be renovated by a company that employs none other than, James Easton.  Could the plot thicken anymore? Yes, in fact it can.  Head to nineteenth century London and follow Mary as she unravels the case. 

What I Liked:

• I enjoyed Mary's character.  In an era where women are still struggling to overcome prejudice, Mary strides on scene, unafraid to tackle a tough case.  During her investigation there are numerous occasions where Mary shines.  She has backbone and is unafraid to do what it takes to get the job done.  She sneaks out of the Palace under the watchful eyes of the guards,  investigates the sewers in the middle of the night and takes a stand to help those dealt an unjust hand.  Mary is an admirable character. 
• I loved the historical setting of nineteenth century London.  This book takes you into the heart of London, Buckingham Palace is the main setting.  As an American, who is not well read on the history of Great Britain, I enjoyed taking a trip back in time and learning more about London during the period when the U.S. was caught in the Civil War.  The author does a great job in depicting London and some of its famous landmarks. 
• The plot is rich and complex.  This book has several plot lines to follow from the initial case of solving the thefts, to tracking down her father, discovering who the traitor in the tunnel is, determining the role of the Prince in the murder and finally rectifying her feelings for James.  Ms. Lee skillfully weaves all these divergent story threads into a cohesive plot. 
• I enjoyed the depiction of Queen Victoria.  She comes across as a capable, strong and fair ruler.  I especially loved her appearance at the end of the book.  She shows no fear.  My one regret was again, that I am not well informed on the British monarchy, so I don't know how accurate the portrayal is of the Queen. 
• I was happy that all the threads tied off neatly at the end.  No dreaded cliffhanger, but the author presents some intriguing snippets to follow in upcoming books.

And The Not So Much:

• One of the biggest problems during my read was my fault, I have not read the preceding books in this series.  I usually don't start a series in the middle, this is a rare exception.  While I was perfectly fine reading this book without having read the others, there were numerous references to events that occurred in past.  If I had read the other two books, I am sure I would have enjoyed this read even more.  I was especially handicapped in not knowing the complete history between Mary and James.
• I was not completely satisfied with the final explanation of the lady in waiting's involvement in the plot.  Why was she trying to seduce the prince? Why did she have such a devotion to her step father?  I felt this point needed a bit more clarification. 
• I was unclear of the role of Octavius Jones, what exactly was he after? I am still unsure of his intentions.

The Traitor in the Tunnel is a book for those who seek a book that is different.  This book has plenty of aspects to keep readers engaged.  It has thick plot with mystery, romance, twists and turns, danger and history all rolled into one.  This is an enjoyable stand alone novel, however, it would be enhanced by reading the two preceding books in the series.  Nevertheless, this was an exciting and fun read.  

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher Candlewick Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 Favorite Quotations:

“Trouble snapped at her heels from all directions.”

“Memory was an unreliable guide.”

“And the eyes themselves--Mary repressed a shudder.  They were defeat made human, a world of pain entire.”

“In an opium dream, there is no reason.”

--”why wouldn’t I like a woman who ranks me higher than God?”

“That man also used to say that is character is destiny.”

“Together, they were a world entire, and instead of being terrified, she found the thought exhilarating.”

“She lost herself in a haze of textures, of flesh against flesh, of silk on skin, of breath caressing lips and lashes.”

Comments

[Ajoop @ on books!]

Definitely must check this series out. I adore the setting and the plot sounds different and very interesting :)

[Rummanah]

I read the first two in this series and really enjoyed them, especially the James and Mary banter. They crack me up. Looking forward to reading this one soon!

[rainydayramblings]

@Yeah Pooja I need to read the other two books. I definitely love a good historical book.
@Rummanah, I wish I had read the first two books, I was lost on a lot of the banter and such between Mary and James. I am sure you will love this one.

[Rummanah]

Heather: To answer your question about where to start manga, it's very similar to figuring out what you want to read. Unlike American graphic novels that are primarily ruled by superheroes, manga has a very wide range of interests and grade levels. Try Emma by Kaoru Mori if you like the Victorian period with romance.

[Jenny]

I've inadvertently come into a series a couple books in several time and it definitely puts you at a huge disadvantage. I usually can appreciate the story superficially, but can't get as deeply involved as I want to because I'm so far behind. I'd be interested to see if you reread this one after reading the first two if your rating would change!

[Sam]

I love a good mystery and this book sounds like it has exactly that. I'm glad you mentioned the plot is complex and rich - sounds good! Plus I love that it has a Victorian aspect to it. I will definitely have to check this out! Awesome review, Heidi. :)

[Mimi Valentine]

This book is set in nineteenth century London?? I'm SOLD! x) Oh my gosh, London is one of the places I want to visit most in the world and the nineteenth century is one of the most fascinating to learn about, so that added to incorporating Queen Victoria, a complex plot, and a great main character like Mary makes me super intrigued! :) I love it when strong women rebel quietly against their time!

Really awesome review, Heidi! <3 Thanks for the heads up about the previous books too -- if I decide to pick this book up, I'll be sure to read the other ones first! :)

[Missie, The Unread Reader]

I can't say that I really have an interest in this series at all, but then again, historical fiction has always been hard for me to get into.

And, like you, I usually don't/can't start a series in the middle. It makes me uncomfortable. LOL

[VeganYANerds]

I don't like reading books out of order either, it always drives me nuts when I don't know about the events in the previous books!

[rainydayramblings]

@Rummanah, thanks for the suggestions. I will look into those titles.
@Yes Jenny, I am sure my rating would change if I read the other two books. Who knows when I will get to them.
@Sam, you are the perfect person to the read this, you of would be able to tell me how accurate the portrayal of the royal family in they book is. I would love to hear your thoughts.
@Yes Mimi, 19th century London and Mary is a great lead character.
@MIssie, I never read series out of order I intended to read the other books but I for some reason thought this was book two and then I ran out of time to read two additional books, big fail on my end.
@Yep Mands, learned my lesson, no more reading out of order!

[kindlemom1]

Great review Heidi, I haven't heard of this series before but it sort of sounds like the Julie Grey series by Deanne Raybourn. If you haven't tried that series I highly recommend it, it is fabulous! You have to start with the first book though or you would be lost but it is such a fun series, also set in England (and other places!)in the 19th century.

[Carly @Fiction Fascination]

Amazing review Heidi. I actually hadn't heard of the series before and it definitely sounds like something I would like. So thanks for sharing and drawing my attention to it. I am now away to check it out. :)

[Candace]

I've been wanting to read this series and even had the first one from the library but wasn't able to get to it before I had to return it. I'll definitely be reading it one of these days though! And I think this is one my family would enjoy so maybe I'll just watch for them used and buy all three at the same time.

[Prangon- The Nerd In Heels]

Yeah starting a book in the middle confuzzeles me o_o
Octavius Jones... well let's just say he is an arrogant ass ;)