Tim's review
Halting State by Charles Stross
Halting State takes a very interesting premise, a story of espionage and theft, and turns it on its head. In the near future, a robbery has taken place inside a massively multi-player online computer role playing game, and the police have been called to investigate the real world ramifications. The point of view of the novel shifts between Sue, a grizzled cop, Elaine, a forensic accountant charged with tracking the money, and Jack, a programmer and games expert. As they investigate, the plot gets deeper and deeper, involving spies, shadowy governmental agencies and murder. Stross writes some of the most interesting science fiction of the day and this is a fascinating scenario. While the use of jargon and constantly shifting narration can be confusing at times, this is a very enjoyable techno-thriller.
