A review by kailey_luminouslibro
Rook by William Ritter

5.0

Miss Rook is used to being the assistant to private detective, Mr. Jackaby. But now that his ability to see supernatural auras has been passed on to her, she is having trouble taking charge during an investigation. She is completely overwhelmed and can't seem to find her confidence again. Jackaby encourages her to take the reins and let him the assistant, but Miss Rook feels utterly incompetent to handle a supernatural crime investigation. However, when her nearest and dearest are accused of murder, Miss Rook is forced to follow the trail wherever it leads.

I loved this book so much! I really liked the world-building and the way that the supernatural creatures and people are trying to mingle with ordinary humans. The police force is trying to keep track of all the rampant magic in the city, and the city government writes new laws to try to control the magical populace. Most of the supernatural people are harmless, but the police only see threats in every direction.

I especially loved Jackaby and Miss Rook and their detective partnership. They are both full of witty remarks and flippant little quips. Jackaby kind of reminded me of Doctor Who in the way that he carelessly meets danger with no plan and silly grin.

I loved Miss Rook's character! She is very introspective, analyzing the clues and analyzing her relationships with people. We get to see her emotional turmoil as she tries to adjust to her new reality with the ability to see auras. She goes on quite an inner journey to find the confidence to trust herself and the courage to trust others.

The writing style is excellent. The plot is mysterious and fun! The mystery really kept me guessing, and I loved all the strange clues. Because there are magical elements in play, it's difficult to tell what is just a normal clue or what is some weird supernatural power at work. There are a lot of moving parts in the plot, and characters with different abilities and secret knowledge. It becomes like this weird game of chess with red herrings all over the place, until you realize that the red herrings are actually the center of the mystery. Such great plot twists!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.