Colleen Mondor Reviews Rook by William Ritter

Rook, William Ritter (Algonquin 978-1-64375-240-2, $17.99, hc, 368pp) August 2023.

William Ritter returns to his successful Jackaby series with Rook, a new, somewhat standalone entry that will delight fans. Focussed on Jacka­by’s sidekick, Abigail Rook, the title follows the near-catastrophic events of The Dire King, the book where everything changed for the citizens of New Fiddleham, and most especially for Abigail. Now the one who wields a paranormal power to see the ‘‘auras,’’ or essential truth, of everyone and everything around her, she must move out of Jackaby’s shadow and assume a more prominent position in their detective agency. Her struggle to take the lead, with Jackaby’s as­sistance and support, is a major thread running through the novel, but first and foremost, Rook is an old school mystery with two detectives who must solve converging cases against big odds. Hold on tight, dear readers, as there is a lot go­ing on in New Fiddleham and it’s going to cause plenty of problems for our heroes.

The mysteries unfold at a rapid clip and all ap­pear to be related to New Fiddleham’s struggles with its close proximity to the ‘‘veil-gate,’’ the magical passage which opens to the Otherworld. There is an ugly ‘‘humans first’’ attitude coursing through the town with fear gripping the hearts of many who now look upon their longtime neighbors with suspicion. Abigail and Jackaby are needed more than ever before by local law en­forcement but not everyone is prepared to trust in Abigail’s abilities. Her own struggles exacerbate this situation as she tries to sort out how to cope with the new dynamic with Jackaby now that their roles have flipped. But still, mysteries must be solved! Ritter knows what his audience wants and he gives them plenty with New Fiddleham’s current chaotic situation.

First there is a robbery that doesn’t make sense. Then there is the murder of a prominent person that really doesn’t make sense. Then there is a missing person case which is more of a many-missing-persons case, and from one twist to another, it doesn’t make sense either. Of course Ritter’s fans will know that things are never what they seem in New Fiddleham and relish seeing Abigail get to the bottom of things (and ferret out the true villain). A surprise visit from her very unhappy parents does throw a wrench into things, but the detectives are on the case[s] and will not be distracted! So, no worries about Mom and Dad slowing things down too much, and everything is solved in the most satisfying way, just as one would expect.

So, yes, it is good to have the gang back! The power shift from Jackaby to Abigail does trip the plot up sometimes, especially as Abigail struggles throughout the book with what to do. It’s a bit disappointing to see such a self-assured character from the past so uncertain now, and Jackaby often is relegated to secondary status as her introspection forces the plot to pause. There is also very little of the ghostly Jenny and even Abigail’s fiancé; Charlie seems to serve more as a reason to compel her to act rather than a true part of the plot. Rook serves more as a building book in the series, a place for things to change a bit and resettle for the [possible] literary future. But New Fiddleham remains a decidedly spooky and enjoyable place to visit and the mysteries here are first rate. Thankfully, Ritter proves he is still more than willing to shake things up in the service of a solid story.

This review and more like it in the September 2023 issue of Locus.

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