Blitz - (Rook Files) by Daniel O'Malley (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this historical fantasy, a new recruit to the most powerful supernatural intelligence agency on Earth is accused of going rogue--and must go on the run to clear her name.

September, 1940. Three women of the Checquy, the secret organization tasked with protecting Britain from supernatural threats, stand in the sky above London and see German aircraft approach. Forbidden by law to interfere, all they can do is watch as their city is bombed. Until Pamela, the most sensible of them, breaks all the rules and brings down a Nazi bomber with her bare hands. The three resolve to tell no one about it, but they soon learn that a crew member is missing from the downed bomber. Charred corpses are discovered in nearby houses and it becomes apparent that the women have unwittingly unleashed a monster.

Through a city torn by the Blitz, the friends must hunt the enemy before he kills again. Their task will take them from the tunnels of the Underground to the halls of power, where they will discover the secrets that a secret organization must keep even from itself.

Today. Lynette Binns, a librarian with a husband and child, is a late recruit to the Checquy, having discovered only as an adult her ability to electrify everyday objects with her touch. After completing her training, she is assigned to examine a string of brutal murders and quickly realizes that all bear the unmistakable hallmark of her own unique power. Unable to provide an alibi and determined to prove her innocence, she flees, venturing into the London underworld to find answers. But now she is prey, being tracked by her own frighteningly capable comrades.

As Lyn fights off powered thugs and her own vengeful colleagues, she will find that the solution to the murders and to the mystery of her own past lies in the events of World War II, and the covert actions of three young women during the Blitz.

Review Quotes

Praise for Blitz:

"With a relaxed style and array of fun characters, including an agent who makes people who look at him see their mother and a baby goat that turns into a little boy, O'Malley's latest will appeal to his many followers."--Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Daniel O'Malley and the Rook Files series:

"Laugh-out-loud funny, occasionally bawdy, and paced like a spy thriller replete with chases, betrayals, and tragedies. There is slime, there is heartbreak, and there are wardrobe malfunctions... Fear not, dear reader: Daniel O'Malley's in charge, and the Checquy Files are in masterful hands."--Joyce Sáenz Harris, Dallas Morning News

"Devilishly funny... O'Malley raises the action, monsters and witticisms to new levels... This ambitious romp reads like X-Men meets Supernatural as narrated by Jasper Fforde, only funnier."--Jaclyn Fulwood, Shelf Awareness

"Satisfying and spellbinding."--Charlaine Harris

"The pace never lets up in this entertaining high-action read... O'Malley has fashioned a near-perfect supernatural thriller... Something unexpected happens on almost every page. Don't start this book unless you've got lots of time, because you won't want to put it down. It's that good."--David Keymer, Library Journal

"Utterly convincing and engrossing--totally thought-through and frequently hilarious. The writing is confident and fully fledged. Even this aging, jaded, attention-deficit-disordered critic was blown away."--Lev Grossman, Time

About the Author

Born and raised in Canberra, Australia, Daniel O'Malley graduated from Michigan State University and earned a Master's Degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He then returned to his childhood home, where he now works full time as a writer. He is the author of the Checquy novels, The Rook and Stiletto, the first of which won the 2012 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and became a television miniseries.