A late novelization of a classic Doctor Who's story that pits the 6th Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri (Nicola Bryant) against the Daleks. Eventually.

Eric Saward is not my favorite writer for the show, especially after watching one of the DVD documentaries—in the "Trial of a Time Lord" collection—which highlighted Saward's apathy towards Colin Baker's casting. The idea behind Tranquil Repose—a funeral home of sorts—and what lies beneath it tries to act as both a vehicle of dark humor and and a driving force for Daleks. Even in novel form, the world building is much more intriguing than the Doctor's journey with some of the players also trying to infiltrate the complex or even attempting to assassinate the dalek progenitor—Davros.

The ending turns all that into a flop as the conclusion wraps up a bit too quickly—like in the televised serial. I'm not familiar with the Target Novelizations of the 1970s, but I feel like this one should have taken more advantage of the format. Make it larger, give the ending a slow boil instead of an instant meal, etc.

Either way, this is one of Saward's more decent efforts with the 6th Doctor.