The Agency for Scandal
If you fancy a rip-roaring YA adventure, look no further than this novel which features feisty Victorian heroine Isobel Stanhope. She’s leading a double life – secret spy by night and demure young society woman by day.
Her story starts when her father dies, and she must fight to keep her family out of poverty. Her mother is a bed-ridden hypochondriac and her brother’s school fees need to be paid. Fortunately, Izzy is no ordinary young society woman who goes to balls and buys dresses – although she enjoys that. Her father had a fascination with locks and worked secretly helping companies with their security. He passed on his lock-picking skills to Izzy, who has another secret – she dresses and passes as a boy, giving her a freedom that Victorian women normally don’t get.
These talents are spotted, and she’s recruited to a secret women’s spy agency called the Aviary. They protect exploited women and seek justice by blackmailing their male abusers.
Izzy falls into her role with aplomb, but matters get complicated. She’s falling in love with Max Vane, the handsome and mysterious Duke of Roxton. However, he might be involved in her latest case – a jewel heist – so can she trust him?
The novel is a fun, escapist read with lots of lively characters, including beggars and thieves, Izzy’s society friends and a Machiavellian figure who is gaslighting his wife and has scary political ambitions. A treat for 12 to 18-year-olds and, even better, looks like it might be the first in a series.
