Sydney J. Bounds (1920–2006)

Bounds was known more as a science fiction and western writer than a Crime fiction writer. It's too bad he didn't write more crime fiction because he was an incredible writer. This is the story of the ultimate femme fatale, a rich debutante who got her kicks working with the tough guys in the rackets, forcing shopkeepers into paying insurance, protection money they called it. She was the sexiest, dame around but cold, hard, ruthless, unforgiving. It's the story of her finally meeting a show more mobster who wasn't dazzled by her beauty, who found a way to control Carla.

It is as Hardboiled and tough as anything you'll find from the great pulp era, and worth reading more than once just for the powerful descriptions. show less

I think it is important to note that there are no robot brains in this book. There are hardly any robots at all, and the robots that do briefly appear are less intelligent than your average AIBO. A more appropriate title may have been just "The Brains".

While there are no robot brains in this book, here are some things that ARE featured:

- Carnies
- A weapon referred to as "The Decapitator"
- Decapitations of leading research scientists (see above)
- Hordes of dog-sized carnivorous insects
- show more Radioactive clouds
- Time travel
- Time travel murder without worrying about messy paradoxes.
- Giantesses that are 9 feet tall, vacuous, blond, and identical
- Super intelligent angry dwarves that can teleport at will; one is name Waldo
- Planet-wide sonic weaponry
- A hydroponic jungle chase scene
- Oh, and a love interest between one of the protagonists and one of the carnies.

I am going to leave this list as my review; if this combination interests you, this may be the book for you. show less

Sam Spain, San Francisco P.I., is waiting for the next case when Mrs Kline enters wanting him to find her twenty-two year old daughter, Irene. But the case is bigger than he could believe.
An entertaining bfast-paced read.

Overlong and unremarkable tale of a meeting with caterpillar-like aliens on Titan...