The Apocalypse Codex by Charles StrossMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jacket Blurb: For outstanding heroism in the field (despite himself), computational demonologist Bob Howard is on the fast track for promotion to management within the Laundry, the supersecret British government agency tasked with defending the realm from occult threats. Assigned to External Assets, Bob discovers the company (unofficially) employs freelance agents to deal with sensitive situations that may embarrass Queen and Country.
So when Ray Schiller—an American televangelist with the uncanny ability to miraculously heal the ill—becomes uncomfortably close to the Prime Minister, External Assets dispatches the brilliant, beautiful, and entirely unpredictable Persephone Hazard to infiltrate the Golden Promise Ministries and discover why the preacher is so interested in British politics. And it’s Bob’s job to make sure Persephone doesn’t cause an international incident.
But it’s a supernatural incident that Bob needs to worry about—a global threat even the Laundry may be unable to clean up…
Premise of the book is after a regular mundane management training session, Bob has been temporarily assigned to External Assets department as a test of his abilities, though he doesn't know that. Bob is assigned to oversee two outside contractors in Denver, Colorado (USA) while they investigate one Raymond Shiller and the Golden Promise Ministries. Something is quite fishy about Mr. Shiller but nobody can quite put their finger on what. Once on the ground in the States, it's only a matter of days before everything goes absolutely pear shaped and Bob's worst nightmare becomes a reality.
I'll say upfront, you have to read the first three in the series. Not a stand alone book.
And I'll also say upfront, this was so much better than the Fuller Memorandum. I almost walked away from this series after Fuller Memorandum, but a couple of friends indirectly managed to talk me into continuing the series (they just finished The Delirium Brief, #8).
I enjoyed this book - it's classic Bob being Bob and managing to scrap through despite a lack of resources and support. The story clips along, it kept me engaged, and I really liked the supporting characters of Persephone and Johnny.
It was also an interesting look at how another country [via the author] views Evangelical Christianity. I don't know how true this is, but I've heard at panels at various science fiction conventions, that Sci Fi is one of the few genre's that explores the concepts of religion. Apocalypse Codex takes that exploration a step beyond, perhaps, but still, an interesting thought.
Ultimately, when all was said and read, I enjoyed the book enough that my faith was restored in the series and I'll go get the next.
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