Publisher's Weekly
Boyle's third Gil Yates mystery (following The Con) is another lighthearted and amusing romp. Yates, a California PI, is the Walter Mitty-like alter ego of mild-mannered property manager Malvin Stark. Hen-pecked Malvin is married to Dorcas "Tyranny Rex" and works for her father, Elbert "Daddybucks" Wemple. But as a private eye, a role he first assumed as a lark, he is, as he might say, "a cow of a different color" (fractured clichs being the one thing both Malvin and Gil share). Gil is competent, resourceful and a sexual magnet. Powerful media figure Harold Mattlock seeks Yates's assistance to thwart a mail-bomb assassin intent on wiping out the seven most powerful men in the world. Three victims have already fallen: the head of the CIA; the founder of a giant software company; and the head of United Motors. Still on the list are the head of the Federal Reserve; the chairman of the Foreign Relations Council; a mutual fund giant; and Mattlock. For a million-dollar contingency fee, Yates takes the case, and armed with a stunning sidekick he picks up early on, closes in on the killer. Along the way, he does some damage to the English language as well, in the form of such phrases as "another kettle of angry crocodiles" and "a coin of a different feather" for example. Yates's fantasy life is geared just right for mystery fans.

Library Journal
Billionaire Harold Mattlock hires elusive p.i. Gil Yates (The Con, Knoll Pubs., 1996) to find the psychotic bomber who has targeted seven powerful men-himself included-for destruction. Mattlock's influence brings Gil FBI assistance, appointments with the other potential victims, and first-class accommodations all the way. Gil even falls in with a gorgeous, affectionate woman who shares her copious research into American terrorist organizations. As in the previous Gil Yates adventures, the plot capitalizes on his eccentric behavior, navely humorous predicaments, and lucky breaks. A good choice for all collections.