Books like A spy in the house by Y. S. Lee
Set in Victorian England, A Spy in the House follows Agent Mary Quinn, who is whisked from the brink of execution by a woman posing as a prison warden. Planted at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls, Mary discovers the school is a clever front for a private investigation agency. Surrounded by orphans, household staff, and underground swindlers, she must navigate the hidden politics and gender roles of her era, using wit and courage to solve a series of mysteries that threaten to expose the academy's secret.
The novel blends suspenseful detective work with a nuanced look at society’s undervalued roles—particularly the position of women in a male‑dominated world—while painting a vivid portrait of 19th‑century life and the covert networks beneath its polite surface.
First publish date: 2009
Genre: Mystery & Detective/Historical Mystery
Authors: Y. S. Lee
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