"private eye"s anonymous critic complained that each gardner book takes "bond a further step or two away from the tall, resourceful ladykiller who first appeared in "casino royale"", and that "the real bond atmosphere has been dead for upwards of 30 years." the critic also believed that bond was a product of his times. "gardner manages to remove most of the characteristics that made [bond] interesting" and that the book's explosions, throat-cuttings and neck-breakings, "[have] an odd, perfunctory quality." the novel, "has none of fleming's ability to build up tension or introduce detail casually. when gardner talks knowledgeably about aircraft specifications the effect is only to reassure us that he has read the appropriate flight manual." the critic also notes that gardner "can't quite bring himself to take it seriously."