There are only a few things that make this science fiction. It takes place on the planet Kassidor, and the Instinct is a key factor in the plot. Other than that, this is a murder mystery among ordinary people leading ordinary lives (at least to start).
Besides the surface mystery of 'who done it', there is the mystery of how a life can be taken when the Instinct paralyzes anyone who tries to physically harm another. There is also the problem of Jorma's denial, his denial of what Tdeshi has become and his denial of the part he played in it. The events happened long in the past, there has been plenty of time for memories to change.
Early on in the investigation, both Jorma and Tdeshi's clone daughter learn the case is not as simple as it seems. Powerful people at the Kassikan are drawn into it and both of them come to feel they may be victims of a cover-up. They come to fear that Tdeshi may have been taken by the Kassikan for use in a secret project. While this happens, their love affair becomes tangled with others who may not be what they seem.