Oh, this is fun.

'The Atrocity Archives' introduces The Laundry, England's answer to the BPRD. The most secret of government agencies, its agents are tasked with battling Lovecraftian monsters from beyond space, terrorist wizards, and intradepartmental politics - all at the same time.

Our POV character is one Bob Howard, who works in IT. He also happens to be a general-purpose sci-tech genius, which is handy: most advanced sorcery is really just esoteric math. The novel is set in the early 2000s, and Bob is the stereotypical Gen-Xer. He distrusts authority, has trouble with bureaucracy, and protects his ironic detachment like a precious gem. He's also funny and surprisingly good at his job, which is important because this tech support guy is about to get tasked with saving the world.

The book is fast-paced, consistently amusing, and creative. It explains its various magical / extradimensional gadgets and concepts with a vast torrent of baffling BS that makes the reader think, "I don't know what he's talking about, but he sounds like he does." Close enough. Its plot is well-constructed, its characters cleverly drawn, and its tone consistently chuckle-inducing. I'm already looking forward to the next outing.

Look, 'The Atrocity Archives' won't change your life. If, however, you're attracted to the concept of a horror/sci-fi comedy adventure novel, you're in the right place.