Royal Gambit

Alexandra "Alix" Dennis-Palmer-Hudson-Gilmore-Garnsey, the twelfth Lady Mondegreen, has never had any control of her life. Her supernatural ability to shatter bones with a touch made her the automatic property of the Checquy, the secret British government agency that deals with the supernatural. Her aristocratic ancestry made Alix the perfect asset for the Checquy to deploy close to the royal family. Since childhood, Alix has been coached to befriend Princess Louise, second in line to the throne, but despite all machinations, the two have never been close. Now an adult and a full Pawn of the Checquy, Alix is a skilled investigator unravelling supernatural manifestations for the security of the nation.

Everything changes when Louise's brother, the Prince of Wales, dies abruptly, and all signs point to an unnatural assassination. To protect Louise, the new and unwilling heir apparent, Alix is assigned to be her lady-in-waiting. Thrust into the limelight overnight-both in the everyday world and in the underground world of the Checquy-Alix must juggle her responsibilities and her loyalties as she attempts to unravel the murder, keep Louise safe, and learn how to smile graciously while eerie threats loom around every corner.

The long-awaited fourth instalment in the acclaimed Checquy Files, Royal Gambit is O'Malley at his brilliant best. Perfect for fans of The Umbrella Academy and The Dresden Files.

'The Rook is going to kick off my Best Books of the Year list. The opening page alone is a gem, and the narrative just keeps getting better...This is wonderful entertainment' - Charlaine Harris

'Utterly convincing and engrossing - totally thought-through and frequently hilarious... Even this aging, jaded, attention-deficit-disordered critic was blown away' - Lev Grossman, Time on The Rook

'O'Malley strikes a skillful balance between irreverent humor and adventure . . . This X-Men meets X-Files-style adventure will appeal to fans of superhero comics and adventure novels' - Library Journal on Stiletto