By Meghan Mazzaferro
Content warning: ableism, child abuse, violence
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason is the third book in India Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series. Alice, a.k.a. Agent A, works for an elite secret government run by the servants of England. When a dastardly plot to assassinate the queen is discovered, Alice must go undercover within the Wisteria Society to find the secret weapon and save England. Unfortunately, scandalous pirates are the least of Alice’s concerns as she is forced to go undercover with Agent B, a.k.a. Daniel Bixby, her professional rival, and the sexiest, most tidy man she has ever met. Now the two must pretend to be married, and worse, they must pretend to be improper in order to save the world.
While the first book parodies the gothic novel, and the second pokes fun at the conventions of Jane Austen, this book parodies the spy novel while still paying homage to the inspirations of the other two. It’s full of dry, witty humour, dry, not-too-witty characters, hijinks, sexual innuendo, and dangerous touches. I loved every minute of it.
Daniel and Alice are very different from the main characters of the previous two books as they adhere rigidly to propriety and are agents of order and tidiness. I was worried that these traits might make them a little harder to connect with, but both Alice and Daniel jumped off the page. They each felt vibrant and real right away, and it was impossible not to root for the two of them as they tidied their way through dens of crazy pirates, various explosions and assassination attempts, and their rather professional attempts at seducing each other. I also loved how they complimented each other, able to read each other’s moods and emotions in a way no one else in the narrative could. The two of them had my heart immediately, and I was rooting for them from the very first page.
The supporting cast is just as colourful and outrageous as you would expect from a Dangerous Damsels novel. I loved the reappearance of several beloved characters, and enjoyed all the new faces that popped up through the book. Continuing the tradition of meddling aunts, A.U.N.T. was an interesting and ominous presence in the background of the novel, and I love the concept of a secret government where the servants of England control things behind the scenes (though I certainly understand how Alice and Bixby may yearn for something more, especially after the freedom and chaos of the Wisteria Society).
The actual plot of this book is so fun, and I feel like it does a good job of blending historical romance conventions with the tropes and story beats of a spy thriller. While I’m not sure the full stakes of the assassination plot ever feel quite as real as it could have—because Alice and Bixby’s competence and confidence had me certain no harm would come to the queen—I was still happily turning pages and eager to dive back into the book every time I had to put it down. The comedy of manners in this novel as well as Alice’s innocent and explicit innuendos had me giggling at least once a page.
India Holton is one of my favourite writers, and the Dangerous Damsels have been some of my favourite novels of the past few years. The Secret Service of Tea and Treason had a lot to live up to, and I am so happy to say that it absolutely did. It made me laugh, moved me, made me want to be a pirate, and if I could climb into this world, hijack a flying house, and sail away, I would do it in an instant. I highly recommend this entire series, and I am thrilled to say that this book is the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. If you’re a fan of satire, historical romance, outrageous plots and a tiny bit of magic, then these books are a must-read.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.