Book Review: The Rook

The Rook: A Novel: A Novel by Daniel O’Malley (New York: Little Brown and Company, 2012. 482pp.)

Daniel O’Malley is a first-time author. He works for the Australian government, managing media relations for the agency that investigates transportation accidents. He also holds a master’s degree in medieval history from Ohio State University.

Ghostbusters! 

Though I sometimes hate to admit it, one of my favorite movies has been, and most likely always will be, Ghostbusters!. I know it’s cheesy; I know the acting isn’t super amazing, but Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd made that movie both hilarious and exciting. So, for me, reading a book that contained equal parts Ghostbusters, James Bond, and Memento really enthralled me. The Rook is a story about a secret service agent who works for special agency that focuses solely on the supernatural (Her Majesty’s Supernatural Secret Service). She loses her memory and The Rook describes the lengths by which she tries to get it back.

The novel opens up with a letter inscribed to the protagonist, Myfanwy (just go with it, pronounced like Tiffany with an “m”), from her past self, addressing her memory loss. She reads the letter with some surprise, then realizes she’s in a park in the rain with no idea who she really is, or how she got there, with dead bodies nearby.

“Willows drooped their long tendrils down around the clearing, and she was standing on what used to be a lawn but was rapidly becoming a mud hole. She came to a decision, pulled her feet out of the mire, and stepped carefully over the ring of bodies that were scattered around her. They were all motionless, and all of them were wearing latex gloves” (3).

Myfawny writes letters to herself throughout the entirety of the novel, a wonderful literary device that the author uses to help the reader follow the life of an amnesiac much like Memento. Myfawny has the information that she needs at hand via a purple binder given to her from her pre-memory-loss self. She just has to read the letters fast enough.

Amnesia

Photo by Mukumbura

The information in these letters describes a secret service organization that deals specifically with the supernatural called the Checquy. Myfanwy is a high ranking official—a Rook—and she is due at work tomorrow. In a plot sequence similar to a James Bond film, Myfanwy figures that someone in the Checquy is the person who wiped her memory, and her previous self didn’t discover that person, even though she was warned several times by various psychics that her memory would be wiped. Describing a prophecy from a random source, O’Malley writes

“‘Myfanwy Thomas, bad things are headed your way. As bad as ever I have seen in my life. You will lose everything. You will end in the rain, and beyond that I cannot see. So enjoy yourself while you can’” (335).

Investigation of the Checquy 

So, Myfanwy investigates the highest level of the Checquy, known as the court, to see if any of these high ranking officials contributed to the memory wipe, and on a basic level, why anyone would try to erase her memory in the first place. This court consists of:

“Rooks (resonsible for domestic operations; based at the Rookery)…Chevaliers (responsible for foreign operations; based at the Annexe)…Bishops (supervisors of the Checquy, aides to the heads; based at Apex House)…[and] Lord and Lady (heads of the Checquy, based at Apex House)” (123).

This book contains something for everyone. If you love James Bond novels, you’ve got action. If you like supernatural powers, and weird urban, you’ll find it here too. If you like twisted mental themes, you’ve got that as well. O’Malley has crafted an engaging novel which succeeds in enrapturing its readers in a mystery / science-fiction / action thriller. The Rook is a creative novel, and I sincerely think O’Malley will be an author to watch in the future. He may even have a new Harry Potter franchise on his hands, as he has plans to write more books on the Checquy.

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5

---

Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

Alternate View:  I.E. Mommy

Affiliate Links:

Book Review: Carte Blanche

Carte Blanche: The New James Bond Novel by Jeffery Deaver (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. 432 pp)

Born outside Chicago, Jeffery Deaver earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Fordham University. Prior to becoming a bestselling author, Deaver was a journalist, folksinger and attorney. Having written thirty books, Deaver has won numerous awards. For The Bodies Left Behind, he won Novel of the Year from the International Thriller Writers Association; The Cold Moon was named Book of the Year by the Mystery Writers Association of Japan and the Grand Prix Award. Additionally, he has received the Steel Dagger and Short Story Dagger from the British Crime Writers’ Association and the Nero Wolfe Award.

Old History and New Beginnings

When James Bond first stepped onto the pop-culture stage, the Cold War was in full effect. Ian Flemming created the character in 1953, and 007 stopped a speeding Serbian train loaded with hazardous chemicals. No tricky gadgets, no iphone app. Bond was a man’s man and a predecessor to MacGyver, without the cheesy mullet.

However, as the Cold War drew to an end, James Bond’s enemies fell from view. With no clear enemy in sight, the Bond series fell into disrepair. But, with the dawn of the insurmountable enemy that is global terrorism, James Bond came upon the scene again. Jeffrey Deaver, an American, tells a new tale of the technically supreme James Bond.

Homage

Perhaps in homage to the 1953 James Bond, Deaver starts the novel by having James Bond stop a train with hazardous chemicals on board.  

“His hand on the dead-man throttle, the driver of the Serbian Rail diesel felt the thrill he always did on this particular stretch of railway, heading north from Belgrade and approaching Novi Sad...his imagination told him the noise was the metal containers of the deadly chemical in car number three, jostling against one another, at risk of spewing forth their poison. Nonsense, he told himself and concentrated on keeping the speed steady. Then, for no reason at all, except that it made him feel better, he tugged at the air horn” (3-4).

With trains hauling deadly chemicals, this novel starts the way every other bond tome begins. Not until later in the novel do we meet the new James Bond.

The Villain

Severan Hydt (Severan seems to always be a name indicative of evil – Harry Potter’s Severan Snape certainly alludes to this fact as well) is not your typical villain – he’s concerned about the environment, and also has a penchant for photographing dead bodies. Hydt is also responsible for spreading fear by threatening to inflict the Gehenna attacks, an unknown event that will place thousands of British lives in danger. The trick is that this threat is unknown; Bond and MI5 are trying to find both the details and the location of the attack.

“Estimated initial casualties in the thousands, British interests adversely affected, funds transfers as discussed” (156).

As the novel unfolds, the message becomes clearer,

“Confirm incident friday night, 20th, estimated initial casualties in the thousands” (366).

Using a typical spy cover as an arms dealer, Bond is able to infiltrate Hydt’s base of operations in South Africa in order to ascertain more about the scenario. While undercover, he forms a relationship with a policewoman named Bheka Jordaan in order to try to investigate the work of Hydt.

Knighthood

James Bond is a knight – simply driven by the knight’s code of right versus wrong and honor versus dishonor. He is willing to sacrifice himself, and to exercise his “carte blanche” when he needs to. “Carte blanche”, or the ability to operate outside of the law is something that Bond always struggles with in light of his knightly values. He always is curious:  “at what point do I become just like the enemy if I continue operating outside of the law?”

Fast Food

All in all, Carte Blanche is a good book. I’ll liken it to fast food; it’s amazing, and you know it. But, you really don’t want (or at the very least shouldn’t want) a quarter pounder with cheese every day. If you do, I strongly urge you to seek medical attention soon, as your heart may have already stopped several times. 


So, read it. Aside from the current global events that provide an intriguing setting for our hero, don’t expect any life changing revelations, or some moralistic platitudes. But, you can expect a novel that delivers James Bond, and with the lack of Double-Oh-Seven films lately, no one can really blame you. If some good, indulgent fast food interests you, read Carte Blanche.

Verdict: 3 out of 5

---
Andrew Jacobson is the director of Choral Studies at Bellevue Christian School in Bellevue, WA. He holds an M.M. in Music Education from Boston University, as well as a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Washington. He loves wine, food, reading, music, and movies. You can reach him via email at arjacobson@gmail.com.

Affiliate Links: