Genre: Romance, Mystery, YA Fiction, Historical Fiction
Key Stage: Year 8+
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood (2023)
Plot: This mystery follows our 18-year-old ✨female✨ protagonist by the name of Isobel Stanhope in the 19th century. Izzy is part of an all-female detective agency that rights wrong and injustice to women infiltrating a scandalous upper-class world straight out of Bridgerton using only their wits and bravery to unmask a villain. Izzy has been keeping a lot of secrets; 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?
Likes and dislikes: This was my first story by Laura Wood but it surely won’t be my last! Izzy was such a fantastic character to read about and I loved her character development throughout the story and how she broke almost all the expectations of women in society. What I didn’t realise was how much I liked Max though. At first, I thought of him as quite arrogant, stubborn and very cocky with him being a Duke. But, as the story went on, I realised that I was actually wrong in some aspects and I ended up adoring his character. The way he constantly respected Izzy even after finding out so much about her and her life was purely beautiful and made me respect him so much.
Who I would recommend this to and what to read next: This story will captivate many readers especially if you enjoy reading mystery or romance with a hint of history to the side. Personally, I think this story is suitable to many but I would only recommend to those who aren’t intimidated by long books like this one. If you enjoyed this, I would recommend other books written by Laura Wood, a few being A Sky Painted Gold and A Season for Scandal.
Reviewer: Yaminah, Year 9