Review of 'The Fuller Memorandum'
The Fuller Memorandum by Charles Stross
3rd book in the 'The Laundry Files' series
Bob is once again in the middle of a whole heap of trouble - and this time it is personal. “The Fuller Memorandum” is the third book in “The Laundry Files” with stories from the life of Bob Howard who works for the ultra-secret agency “The Laundry” whose responsibility it is to protect the United Kingdom from occult threats. Mo, Bob's wife who is also employed by The Laundry, has just returned from a traumatic assignment in Amsterdam somehow involving her violin which is more weapon than musical instrument, but is unable to talk to Bob about it. Bob's enigmatic boss “Angleton “has disappeared along with a top secret dossier, “The Fuller Memorandum” describing the sinister “Eater of Souls”. Along with help from unusually helpful Russian operatives Bob quickly determines there is a mole in The Laundry then finds himself in the clutches of a maniacal death cult which have a bit of a thing about cannibalism. Will he be able to save the day before being, perhaps literally, eaten alive?
I found this outing not as fun as the previous two with several elements making me quite uncomfortable. Bob really does take quite a beating here. It is still quite readable, not requiring any great feats of memorisation to follow the plot just not as amusing and generally entertaining as the other books in the series. The middle of the book does tend to drag a bit and the finale is at a big of a gentle pace as well though reaching a somewhat satisfying conclusion that has far reaching implications for Bob. Still, quite an enjoyable read for fans of both this series but also those who like modern fantastic fiction.
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2017-11-18
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 9781841497709
Other reviewed books in the 'The Laundry Files' series:
- The Atrocity Archives (Book 1)
- The Jennifer Morgue (Book 2)
- The Apocalypse Codex (Book 4)
- The Rhesus Chart (Book 5)
Other reviewed books by Charles Stross:
- The Apocalypse Codex (Book 4 of The Laundry Files)
- The Atrocity Archives (Book 1 of The Laundry Files)
- The Jennifer Morgue (Book 2 of The Laundry Files)
- The Rhesus Chart (Book 5 of The Laundry Files)