after a few civil service (HR) box ticking excersises, Bob Howard is off on another adventure. This time he ends up in the US dealing with a televangelist with links to the British Prime Minister, while gaining management experience with some external assets. If you liked the earlier Laundry books, you'll love this one. If you haven't read any of this eries before, think not so much James Bond, but Harry Palmer (Ipcress files) meets H.P Lovecraft. I would also recommend that you start reading this series from "The Atrocity Archives", as it will make more sense and is well worth the effort.

Have read the odd Stross before, and picked this up before realising it is the fourth in a series. The main character is a member of a very secret Uk government organisation called the Laundry. They deal with threats from the 'otherworld'. He is tasked with following a American evangelist who is taking a unhealthy interest in the prime minister. He heads off to America to try and work out what the American evangelist is up to, with the assistant of two other characters, before the action kicks off big time! It is a fast paced, humourous thriller. Stross seems to of combined Yes Minister, the X files and the spy genre; before adding them to a blender! Intend to read the others in the series now.