Series: None
Author: Laura Wood
Published January 5th 2023 by Scholastic
Goodreads Synopsis
An all-female detective agency righting wrongs at the end of the nineteenth century; infiltrating a scandalous upper class world straight out of Bridgerton and using their wit and bravery to unmask a villain. Eighteen-year-old Isobel Stanhope is keeping a lot of secrets. There's the fact that she's head over heels in love with a Duke who doesn't know she exists; there's the fact that her family is penniless but nobody in society knows about it; and then there's her job at the Aviary, an investigative agency run by women that specializes in digging up scandal on powerful men. When Izzy finds herself pulled into a case that involves gaslighting, blackmail, and missing jewels, as well as the Duke who holds her heart, can she and her friends untangle the web of secrets and lies to uncover the truth and protect the innocent? And when the stakes are so high, what happens when the crush she's been hiding begins to turn into so much more?
Goodreads
Review
Isobel Stanhope realised that life was short and full of bad turns. When her father died, leaving the family destitute, she had to do whatever it took to keep the truth from her young brother, and her mother, and return the family to its former standing. Joining the Aviary, and finding a place for herself in the world which doesn't respect her, was the dream, but even so, it's dangerous. Soon she finds herself embroiled in a scandal, and needs to work with the handsome Max Vane, Duke of Roxton. As they discover more about the villain, they find they are drawn to one another, and will risk it all to save each other. But can it work out, or is their case too much to handle?
I simply love Regency/Victorian stories, and there's very few YA ones. So as soon as I heard about The Agency for Scandal I knew it was a book I needed. From the very first page, I was hooked. Izzy was an amazing main character, and her growth over the course of the book was immense. She was out, and taking part in the Season, but because of her family situation, she didn't expect that marriage was in her cards. Especially not with what she had seen in some of her cases. Being beholden to a man, who could literally be your ruin, or your death, is abhorrent to her, and she would never want to find herself in a similar situation. I liked how Max was so oblivious to start off with, though he was a spy, to the wider world. He blindly followed his mentor, and had to be forced to see the truth. He had also been keeping a close eye on Izzy, though didn't even want to admit it to himself. The time the pair spent in Yorkshire was hilarious, and I loved that they were able to be honest and open to each other. I know this book is a standalone, but I really hope that Laura will delve into this world, and these characters, again!
Dates Read:
February 14-16, 2023
Rating
4 Stars
