Earth needs a killer

"Earth Needs a Killer" by Bryce Walton is an exciting science fiction novel from the early 1950s. It is a story that grapples with right and wrong and the effects that power can have on people, told with a captivating story full of mystery and mind powers. The story centers on the potential end of the world, focusing on a main character who has to complete an amazing mission about just staying alive and also playing tricky mind games. The story looks at Ray Berton, a former down-on-his-luck fighter, as he winds up on Mars and accidentally kills someone in a bar fight. His life changes when he is rescued by Malcolm and Glora Mergon, two beings with strong mental abilities. They share that Earth is about to be destroyed by Ronal LeStrang, a bad atomic energy boss who has set up ten uranium piles to explode with a secret mental command. After getting telepathic powers, Ray is ordered to kill LeStrang to save Earth, but he struggles with who he is, and if murder is OK. As he deals with tough choices and looks at how power really works, Ray becomes both a tool and maybe a hero in a grand cosmic game, leading to a final face-off that questions not only what he believes but reality itself.