This book about a nerd-Cthulu-spook cross-over called "the Laundry" started out really great und witty (and somewhat scary because it was written so many years before Snowden) only to slow down quite a bit in the second half. There's an abrupt change of pace and story there as if it was written as two separate short stories. Towards the end the pace picked up again and the final scenes were quite enjoyable. I guess I just did not like reading all those reports on Scorpion Stare. Those were boring and cost the story one star of my opinion.

What I enjoy a lot about Stross' writing is that he knows his computer stuff. Of course palmtops are no longer state of the art and I think I would be hard put to summon a tentacled entity from another dimension with my smartphone ... but still it's nice to read. Already started the second book.