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The Rook
Daniel O’Malley
2012, 486 pages
Fiction
Another parent at a FIRST Robotics competition showed me the first page of Daniel O’Malley’s debut novel, The Rook, which begins, “Dear You, The body you are wearing used to be mine.” I was hooked.
The body belongs to Rook Myfanwy Thomas, a young woman whose brilliant administrative skills have landed her in position of considerable power and influence in the Court, a sort of cabinet in a very hierarchical secretive British agency called the Chequy. The cover of the book says “On her majesty’s supernatural secret service,” which sums up the Chequy nicely.
The Rook is a deliciously funny urban fantasy spy thriller thick with international subterfuge. O’Malley’s smart, dry sense of humor reminds me of Douglas Adams and Tom Holt. Like Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next, Myfanway Thomas is a brilliant but grounded heroine. She’s endearing because she’s both a modern career woman, angsting about her wardrobe, what people think of her, and her work-life balance (or lack thereof), and a high powered agent fighting paranormal wrongdoing and protecting the world as we know it from the world as she knows it. And hunting the mole who wants her dead and stripped her memories right out of her brain.
An intriguing read full of fascinating characters, a witty and page-turning plot, and plenty of supernatural elements existing in our own world. This is the kind of book perfect for the hammock or lounge chair. The lawn can wait until you find out whether the Grafters are invading or not!
