What an odd book, and very hard to categorize. A reclusive repairman of complex mechanical objects, the son of a notorious British gangster, is sucked into a global apocalyptic conspiracy when an old lady brings him a device to fix which turns out to be an activated doomsday machine from what may as well be a 60's Bond movie. From there, our mousy hero Joe Spork must figure out WHAT the device was, where it came from, and how to turn it off before it fries the planet. The book is full of romantic and intriguing ideas like the Night Market, a rotating carnival market where all the city's rogues and thieves meet up secretly to buy, sell, and plan, and a lawyer firm crooked enough to take on governments. It's a sprawling adventure story over land, sea, and air, with some steampunk elements, lots of classic Bond spy fun, and evil bad guys who want to destroy the world. 
 My only real caveat is that the shifting timelines (Part of the book is told in retrospect, part right now) can be frustrating at times because just when you're really into the current mystery, the book will drop back into the 60's high-spying adventures of the Mata Hari-esque co-protagonist. Regardless, it's a hell of a ride. Recommended.