The Body at the Tower

September 1, 2010

Gr 7 Up-Mary Quinn returns in another case for the Agency, a covert all-female detective agency in Victorian London. A man has recently fallen out of the soon-to-be-completed clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. Mary disguises herself as an errand boy and attempts to infiltrate the work site to discover potential suspects. After a rocky start, she finds herself learning much about the workers and the site engineer, Mr. Harkness, including that someone may be stealing building supplies. She also discovers that her old partner, James Easton, has returned from India after suffering from a bout with malaria. The two quickly join forces to try and solve the murder. This second book is much stronger than the first, both in terms of character development and the central mystery. Mary grows and struggles, first to come to terms with her past and secondly with her growing feelings for James. The two have a fiery relationship that threatens to boil over at any moment as they move from sparring to kissing, sometimes in the span of a page. Through Mary, readers also get an up-close glimpse into the darker side of Victorian London, particularly through her relationship with fellow errand boy Jenkins, who is the sole breadwinner for his family. Mary proves that she is definitely a detective to keep an eye on.-Necia Blundy, Marlborough Public Library, MA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2010
In this second series installment, Mary Quinn begins another assignment with the all-female detective agency in Victorian London. This time she uses her skill at male disguise to gather information about issues impeding progress on building the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The mysterious death of a workman is the impetus, but there is speculation about widespread corruption. Mary's disguise brings memories of her difficult childhood, and she battles those as she tries to understand an intricate web of theft that may have led to murder. Complicating things is the appearance of her old acquaintance James Easton, as a safety inspector for the building site. James has returned from India, weakened by a bout with malaria but still attracted to Mary. As in the first volume, the sights, smells and grim lives of London's poor are richly detailed and surround the action. Mary is a reflective character, grappling with many issues, including her still hidden ethnicity. Occasionally said details and reflection slow the action, but the storytelling and characters are interesting enough to reward patient readers. (Historical mystery. 12 & up)

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December 15, 2010
Grades 8-12 The second book in the Agency series finds Mary Quinn still undercover at the all-female detective agency thats run out of Miss Scrimshaws Academy for Girls. Her new assignment is dangerous both because she is tracking a murderer and she must work as an apprentice on the building site of the Houses of Parliament. Disguising herself as a boy brings back memories of Marys deprived childhood, where assuming a male identity was the only way to keep herself safe. Smart and suspenseful, this offers a solid heroine and a strong sense of life in Victorian England.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)