Customer Reviews

Lawrence Sanders: Three Complete Novels- The First Deadly Sin / The Second Deadly Sin / The Third Deadly Sin

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When it comes to sheer ability to turn a phrase, Lawrence Sanders has few rivals and possibly no equals. His skill with a typewriter allowed him to elevate routine mystery stories, P.I. procedurals, and suspense novels into art. And nowhere was his art better showcased than in DEADLY SIN books - by no means his most famous, but arguably his best and most beloved series. And ¾ of that series - the first three installments, are presented here in one volume. Not a bad catch.

The DEADLY SIN books were different from each other in style, but all centered around the same hero - Edward X. Delaney: devoted husband, outstanding former detective and obsessive sandwich-eater. Delaney, whose career arc from Manhattan precinct captain to unpaid private sleuth is described over the course of the books, is one of those rare fictional characters who seems more "real" to the reader than many real-life people. Drawn with great skill by Sanders, Delaney - whose nickname is "Iron B*lls" - is remarkable not because of his brilliance, his skill with his fists or his personal eccentricities, but because he's stubborn as a mule and as tough as an old boot. The big, gray-haired Irishman in the Homburg knows only one way to crack a case: by pounding his flat feet to the pavement and dogging suspects until something shakes loose. All he asks in return are good booze and the occasional triple-decker sandwich.

Delaney's story is simple. He used to be the Chief of Detectives in New York, but quit over the "political b.s." that came with the job. Now restlessly retired, he's occasionally tapped by his former mentor, Ivar "the Admiral" Thorsen to crack hitherto uncrackable cases, by any means - and whatever methods - are necessary.

THE FIRST DEADLY SIN is the story of a serial killer (and no, don't roll your eyes - this novel happens to be one of the first, if not the first, serial killer story) named Daniel Blank. Simply put, Blank is the original "American Psycho" - handsome, wealthy, urbane, and a complete psychopath. His kick? Murdering complete strangers on the street with an ice-axe. When the NYPDs investigation goes cold, Captain Delaney is brought to run the politically-charged case, and has to juggle ethics, politics, and a terminal wife while he does it. (Note: NOT a spoiler)

THE SECOND DEADLY SIN is a classic whodunnit. When the brilliant but notoriously nasty artist Victor Maintland gets stabbed to death in his Manhattan studio, the newly-retired Delaney and his alcoholic sidekick Abner Boone have to wade into territory as alien as the moon and just as nasty as the meanest New York street - the world of "high end art." But the "routine" assignment gets personal when the desperate killer elects to go after Delaney's family.

THE THIRD DEADLY SIN is another serial killer tale. The "Hotel Ripper" is leaving a trail of hacked-into-chum corpses in the swankier New York hotels, and wreaking havoc with the Big Apple's vital tourist industry. With the investigation gone as cold as dry ice, Thorsen taps Delaney to warm it up. The question is, can an old-fashioned curmdgeon of a detective accept the fact that a vicious murderer who has outwitted the NYPD for months is a 126 pound woman young enough to be his daughter? (Also not a spoiler).

Sanders' stories are very much a part of the era he wrote in - the 70s and early 80s, and some readers may find the SIN books a bit dated. Forensic science and psychological profiling are in their infancy here, and a lot of the social issues which are hotly debated amongst the characters - equal rights for women, for example - seem a bit ridiculous in retrospect. (Delaney is very impressed with "newfangled" electronic hotel keys, which have been standard since I was a kid; his wife Monica gets faint at the verbal description of a crime scene...wonder how she'd like "CSI".) And like a lot of prolific novelists, Sanders often resorted to recycling dialogue or using stock characters. But these flaws have their upside. The reader gets a beautiful snapshot of the "old" New York, where cops with Irish accents pounded beats dressed in big blue tent coats, discos blasted terrible dance music all night, and would-be John Travoltas weilded gold coke spoons.

To sum up: what's presented here is not just a trio of enjoyable mysteries and suspense novels, but an opportunity for the modern reader to acquaint himself with one of the most enjoyable sleuths in detective fiction.

Edward X. Delaney is delightful. Not only for his detecting skills and his humanity but his wonderful capacity for enjoying food. The Second and Third Deadly Sins are super reading but The First is a work of art in suspense.I love Mcnally but Sanders was in his element when he did this one.

I Love anything by Lawrence Sanders. I have read and
reread his books several times over. Always entertaining
and delightful. I collect all of his Hard Covers.

Look, Lawrence Sanders was my favorite author, and I read everything he wrote (for the individual who thinks he should change publishers, hedied in 1998). I bought this book to have a hardbound copy of the first three, and I hope his other "Deadly Sins" and "Commandments" come out as threesomes even though they're hard to read in bed. This would be a great Christmas present for anyone who likes mysteries. You can start anywhere and, while I agree that "The Fourth" was my favorite, getting these three is a great start.

Sanders was a story teller, and his stories were engrossing. I have only two complaints: (1) Edward X. Delaney is always making sandwiches, and I'm always hungry ... even when I don't like his combos. Many the time when I've gotten out of bed at midnight to see what we've got in the fridge. (2) Edward X. Delaney, a lumbering if not plodding detective, was played by Frank Sinatra in the movies. Don't see the movie and you'll enjoy his books more.

I haven't finished reading the 3rd as of yet. And so far the indvidual 4th deadly sin is my favorite with the 1st also excellant. The only disappointment so far was the 2nd which really took too long to develop.

... The deadly sins center on Captain Edward X. Delany's life and thinking process out to catch a madman. Spine chilling and hard to put down, very unique characters. a must buy

I actually own all four of the "Deadly Sins" books in paperback, but the stories are among my alltime favorites. Sanders should abandon McNally, a poor read at best, and get back to Edward X. Delaney -- he's my favorite character of all mystery writers' characters.