The mission of young Jean Perle isn’t easy: infiltrate an orbital resort station, make its mysterious owner fall for her, and take his fortune. But who could have guessed that this scheme is just childish play compared to the truly monstrous secrets she’s about to penetrate—and that she will have to test her strength against.
In the second part of the book, Jean’s adventures continue on the ground. Or rather, on one of the inhabited planets of space. Jean must dig deeper into the astonishing mysteries of her past, and at the same time make sure that monsters are found not only in orbit.
Only Vance could have written this book. Who else would be able to mix adventure, science fiction, detective story, melodrama, humor, and grotesque (dusting it all with philosophy) and produce—at the end—a wonderfully harmonious and delicious pie?