The nightmare stacks

The Laundry Files' latest installment shifts the series' focus from stalwart series hero Bob to a new character, Alex Schwartz, who used to be a banker until he stumbled on an algorithm that turns people into vampires. Immediately recruited by the Laundry, the shadowy British organization that protects the country from the forces of interdimensional evil, Alex is sent on an assignment to see whether an old military bunker in Leeds would be suitable as the Laundry's new HQ. But Alex is having a hard time concentrating on his assignment, what with trying to get the hang of being a vampire, returning to his hometown (he really hates Leeds), and trying to figure out why a girl he just met is interested in him and what secrets she might be hiding. The Laundry Files novels are comic fantasies in the Tom Holt vein, mixing the humdrum with the astonishing, the normal with the extraordinary. This one will definitely appeal to series fans, but, because it operates as a stand-alone with a new protagonist, it's a perfect way for newbies to join Stross' wonderfully rich world.--Pitt, David Copyright 2016 Booklist

In the latest Laundry Files supernatural investigation, Stross makes the wise decision to move away from the jaded and worn voices of Bob Howard and Mo O'Brien as protagonists, but the story suffers from muddled plotting and jokes that too often fall flat. Dr. Alex Schwartz is a newly created vampire (having survived the vampire onslaught in The Rhesus Chart) who's still learning the ropes of the Laundry, the British secret agency that deals with horrors and extradimensional threats. Alex is sent to his hometown of Leeds to scope out a potential new headquarters, where he meets a woman named Cassie who has her identity and memories stolen by Agent First, a member of a long-forgotten race that is on the verge of extinction. Stross continues to ably mix technology and Lovecraftian horrors-finally letting the tech advance to the age of smartphones, which helps the story along considerably-and delivers a stellar ending. Alas, the third-person voice that delivers much of the narration (other than some of Alex's diary entries) never gives the material the snark and verve it merits. Fans of Stross's worldbuilding will still be entertained, but compared to the rest of the series, this installment is underwhelming. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.