The Agency trilogy concludes with Mary Quinn having to make some choices. The Agency, which runs a group of female detectives, has placed Mary in Buckingham Palace. There's been thievery at Buck House, and Mary is masquerading as a maid to find out who has been pilfering some of the Queen's objets d'art. But that little mystery gets pushed to the side when the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne, witnesses a murder at an opium den. Then Mary deduces that the murderer is a long-lost member of her family. Yee, as ever, paints an evocative picture of London life and brings the romance between Mary and her sparring partner, James, to a happy conclusion. Less satisfying is the result of Mary's meeting with someone close to her. There had been hints in previous books that there was more to their story, but those details aren't disclosed here. Still, Mary makes for a bold heroine (sometimes too bold for her own good), and her fans will want to find out how it all ends.

This third installment puts detective Mary Quinn undercover again, this time in Buckingham Palace. She's assigned to uncover who has been stealing the Queen's collectables; she stumbles upon a much more disturbing secret involving the Prince of Wales, an opium den, and a man who might be her long-lost father. The vivid Victorian-era setting and expert plotting continue to be entertaining.

Gr 4-7 Borgenicht, David , Hena Khan , &; Ed Stafford . Amazon: You Decide How to Survive . Bk. 3. illus. by Yancey Labat. 208p. (The Worst-Case Scenario: Ultimate Adventure Series). Chronicle . May 2012. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0795-0 . Gr 47 BUTLER, Dori Hillestad . The Case of the School Ghost . Bk. 6. illus. by Jeremy Tugeau. 128p. (The Buddy Files Series). Albert Whitman . 2012. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-0915-9 . LC 2011016025. Gr 13 CARTER, Ally . Out of Sight, Out of Time . Bk. 5. 294p. (Gallagher Girls Series). Hyperion / Disney . 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-4794-7 . LC 2011041608. Gr 69 CLEMENTS, Andrew . The Whites of Their Eyes . Bk. 3. illus. by Adam Stower. 208p. (Benjamin Pratt &; the Keepers of the School). S &; S / Atheneum . 2012. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-3888-0 ; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6214-4 . Gr 36 Davies, Jacqueline . The Bell Bandit . Bk. 3. 176p. (The Lemonade War Series). Houghton Harcourt . May 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-56737-2 ; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-82245-7 . Gr 35 DELANY, Shannon . Rivals and Retribution . Bk. 5. 320p. (A 13 to Life Novel). St. Martin's / Griffin . Aug. 2012. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-312-62518-4 ; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-01590-7 . Gr 8 Up DESPAIN, bree . The Savage Grace . Bk. 3. 488p. (A Dark Divine Novel). Egmont USA. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-221-8 ; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-222-5 . Gr 9 Up DESROCHERS, Lisa . Last Rite . Bk. 3. 368p. (The Personal Demons Series). TOR / Teen . pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-2810-6 ; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-2810-6 . Gr 10 Up ESTEP, Jennifer . Dark Frost . Bk. 3. 388p. (A Mythos Academy Novel). Kensington / KTeen . May 2012. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-7582-6696-5 . Gr 9 Up FLANAGAN, John . The Invaders . Bk. 2. 430p. (Brotherband Chronicles). Philomel . May 2012. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25620-2 . Gr 6 Up FUSSELL, Sandy . Monkey Fist . Bk. 4. illus. by Rhian Nest James. 250p. (Samurai Kids Series). Candlewick . 2012. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5827-4 . Gr 57 GRANT, Michael . Fear . Bk. 5. 508p. (Gone Series). HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Bks. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-144915-4 ; PLB $18.89. ISBN 978-0-06-144916-1 ; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-209924-2 . LC 2011019374. Gr 7 Up GRIFFO, Michael . Unafraid: An Archangel Academy Novel . 410p. Bk. 3 (Archangel Academy Series). Kensington / KTeen . 2012. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-7582-5340-8 . Gr 9 Up HARPER, Charise Mericle . Just Grace and the Flower Girl Power . Bk. 8. illus. by author. 192p. (Just Grace Series). Houghton Harcourt . 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-57720-3 ; ebook $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-68133-7 . Gr 24 HAWKINS, Rachel . Spell Bound . Bk. 3. 328p. (A Hex Hall Novel). H yperion / Disney . RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-2132-9 ; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-5363-4 . LC 2011020494. Gr 7 Up IGNATOW, Amy . The Popularity Papers: The Rocky Road Trip of Lydia Goldblatt &; Julie Graham-Chang . Bk. 4. illus. by author. 204p. Abrams / Amulet . 2012. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0182-5 . LC 2011938704. Gr 46 JULES, Jacqueline . Freddie Ramos Makes a Splash . Bk. 4. illus. by Miguel Ben&7;tez. 80p. (Zapato Power Series). Albert Whitman . 2012. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-9485-8 . LC 2011016027. Gr 23 Kennedy, Emma . Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Fatal Phantom . Bk. 3. 352p. Dial . June 2012. Tr $16.99 ISBN 978-0-8037-3542-2 . LC 2011009375. Gr 3–6 KIT, Katy . Melody and the Sea Dragon . Bk. 4. ISBN 978-0-8075-5082-3 ; ISBN 978-0-8075-5083-0 . LC 2011034172. KIT, Katy . Sula and the Singing Shell . Bk. 3. ISBN 978-0-8075-5090-8 ; ISBN 978-0-8075-5091-5 . LC 2011034167. ea vol: illus. by Tom Knight. 76p. (Mermaid Mysteries Series). Albert Whitman . 2012. Tr $13.99; pap. $4.99. Gr 1–3 KLIM, Kate . The Dragon in the Sea . Bk. 5. illus. by John Shroades. 212p. (Dragon Keepers Series). Random . May 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87065-1 ; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97065-8 ; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97437-2 . Gr 3–6 Klise, Kate . Phantom of the Post Office . Bk. 4. illus. by M. Sarah Klise. 136p. (43 Old Cemetery Road Series). Houghton Harcourt . May 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-51974-6 . Gr 4–6 KROSOCZKA, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes . Bk. 7. illus. by author. 96p. Knopf. 2012. PLB $12.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97028-3 ; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87028-6 . LC 2011025425. Gr 3–5 Lee, Y. S. The Traitor in the Tunnel: A Mary Quinn Mystery . Bk. 3. 372p. (The Agency Series). Candlewick . 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5316-3 ; ebook $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5959-2 . Gr 7 Up LERANGIS, Peter . The Dead of Night . Bk. 3. 190p. (The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Series). Scholastic . 2012. PLB $12.99. ISBN 978-0-545-29841-4 . Gr 5–7 LUBAR, David . Beware the Ninja Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tales . 182p. (Weenies Series). Tor / Starscape . June 2012. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-321