Review and Interview: The Body At The Tower, by Y. S. Lee

I enjoyed A Spy In The House so much, that I gave it an A- AND offered it (or its sequel, The Body At The Tower) up for grabs in a giveaway.

I impatiently waited for The Body At The Tower to come, and while Amazon was a couple of days late (I gave the post man a pointed look when he handed it over.), it didn't lessen my excitement any! I immediately read and enjoyed Ms. Lee's latest and then I did something truly marvelous. I interviewed her! I don't do interviews as often as I should, but that's typically because I have to feel motivated to talk to that author. In this case it was a complete delight. But I'm getting ahead of myself....first the review!

The Body At The Tower, by Y. S. Lee
Young Adult, 2010

Mary Quinn is back again, this time trying to discover the mystery behind the suspicious death at the clock tower. Only this time, she's disguised as a boy. If only she didn't keep running into someone who sees past her disguise...

First, I want to say how much I love these covers. A Spy In The House has a similar one, and while the background is perfectly appropriate per the mystery, what I love best is the depiction of Mary. Her exotic looks draw questions to both her identity and heritage, which I won't giveaway since it's a nice subplot of book 1. The point is that the cover seems to catch that exotic flavor without being too obvious.
The story was intricate, like the last book, but this time disguising Mary as a boy, the way she was before she was rescued. Only, in this case it isn't for her safety, it's so she can more easily solve the case. I think I prefer Mary as a woman - she has more confidence and she just seems so much more like the powerful with-it girl she is. (Oh, don't worry, she's a woman plenty in this one, I was just musing about her personality.) And again, of course, I love the banter between her and J----. There were a couple of crass references to gender role - I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but a couple of suggestive comments sort of rubbed me the wrong way. However, I enjoyed the mystery, loved the romance, sighed heavily at the ending (since of course it leaves you on tenterhooks), and am eagerly awaiting the 3rd book (which I hear will be titled The Traitor and the Tunnel)!

Graded a B+.



And now for the interview!!!
Y. S. Lee kindly answered all of my questions, but in case you need more, her website is here.

1. Your PhD in Victorian Literature and Culture - first of all, I'm sure every female is jealous of such a fun degree, but second, what was your undergrad in? Did you get a masters? What motivated your PhD, and what was your Dissertation about?

My undergrad was a dual concentration in history and English literature, since I've always been reluctant to choose one over the other. I did get a Masters, but that wasn't focused on a particular area. I started my PhD because I thought I wanted to be a university professor. Although I changed my mind pretty quickly about that, I loved the research aspect and it was an easy decision to finish the degree. My dissertation was about working-class masculinity and the way it's represented in Victorian novels and autobiographies. It's published as Masculinity and the English Working Class and you can read a review of it here, if you're truly curious: http://inscribe.iupress.org/doi/abs/10.2979/VIC.2009.51.4.723

2. How many books will be in this series? Do you have any other series or novels planned? (Say yes, please. :)

This is a tricky question right now because I planned the Agency novels as a trilogy, but couldn't pack everything I wanted into the third book, The Traitor and the Tunnel. So I'm currently working on a fourth Mary Quinn novel. And yes, I have another stand-alone historical novel planned and a bunch of ideas for others, including another series.

3. Along those same lines, do you have a publication date and cover yet for #3?

The Traitor and the Tunnel will be published in spring 2012 by Candlewick (North America) and, tentatively, June 2011 by Walker Books (UK & World). I haven't seen the new Candlewick cover yet, but I'm so impatient. I know it's going to be gorgeous and relevant.

4. What kind of flowers would you want in your nosegay/tussie-mussie?

I love wildflowers, weeds and poppies, and all the kinds of flowers that Send the Wrong Message About a Young Lady.

5. I'd love to know what you're reading and enjoying - are you on Goodreads or Shelfari?

I love talking books but am terrible at updating book lists. I have a representative list up at LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/yslee/yourlibrary and started keeping track at my website: http://yslee.com/the-author/what-i-read/ but have fallen off the wagon (again). Sorry! Also, I just finished James Ruddick's Death at the Priory in one huge gulp, and recently really liked Armadillo by William Boyd and What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell.

6. Along THOSE lines, what are your top 10 favorite books - now, without looking around at shelves or peeking anywhere, just off the top of your head.

George Eliot - Middlemarch
Madeleine L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Jane Austen - Persuasion
Jane Gardam - Old Filth
Claire Tomalin - Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self
LM Montgomery - Emily of New Moon
Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone
Shakespeare - The Sonnets
Dorothy L. Sayers - Gaudy Night
Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, vol 1

7. If you could only take 3 books with you to a deserted island, which 3 would they be?

Oh, man. Um, Middlemarch, the Sonnets and Gaudy Night. I'm going to move on now, because I could dither over this question all day.

8. What food would you never say no to?

Potato chips! (Tacky, I know.)

9. What books do you read to your little boy?

He likes a lot of made-up stories. In print, his current favourites are:

Sarah Hayes & Barbara Firth - The Grumpalump
Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler - Tiddler
Mara Bergman & Nick Maland - Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide
Anna Dewdney - Llama Llama Red Pajama

10. And what is your favorite fashion bit about the Victorian era?

My favourite fashion factoid: after crinolines grew massive and women stopped wearing layer upon layer of petticoats, they could pee anywhere. Their pantalettes had a slit that just meant they stood with their feet slightly apart and let go. I have never tried to verify this claim because I'd be crushed if it were untrue.

I hope you enjoyed the interview - for those that want an extra entry to the giveaway, leave a comment here. A REAL comment, if you please. Perhaps what you'd put in a nosegay. Or what books you'd take to a deserted island...