The author, a top science fiction writer who proves equally adept in the mystery field, says of this novel: "The detective isn't tough and he isn't even smart and he doesn't prove the case against the killer. And the boy doesn't get the girl, either. Otherwise, this story is just about like a good many others you've read. At least it starts to read the same way . . . We can't help it if it dissolves into men from Mars, people who believe in spaceships and flying saucers, murders without motive, and heat rays fired by little green men (or were they?)."
The publishers disagree about its being and ordinary baffler, even at the outset. Rather, they are of the opinion that its humor, colorful characterizations, fast tempo and sustained suspense make it a must for murder addicts, science fiction fen (the plural of fan in science fictionese), and any other men or Martians with a taste for homicide-cum-fantasy.