McNally's Chance: An Archy McNally Novel by Vincent Lardo [Hardcover]

Lawrence Sanders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 23, 2001

Palm Beach's premier man-about-crime returns, in a delightfully raucous romp among South Florida's fabulous and felonious.

When Sabrina Wright, bestselling author of sumptuous tales of loves lost and found, asks for Archy McNally's help in finding her missing husband, Archy quickly discovers it's not a simple domestic case. Sabrina's husband did not disappear: rather, her daughter, Gillian, ran off, and Sabrina sent the man, not her father, to find her-and he seems to have gotten lost, too.

Gillian Wright fled to Palm Beach when she learned the true story of her birth: Sabrina had the baby out of wedlock, put her up for adoption, then adopted her. Sabrina has never revealed the name of Gillian's father, having received a large sum of money to keep the whole thing quiet. But when local gossips get wind of the story, three different Palm Beach gents come to Archy to confess their paternity and beg him to protect them from any scandal. Sabrina had committed indiscretions with all three-and collected from all three. When she turns up dead, however, Archy must take a chance-and hope to discover which of these men would kill to conceal his secret.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Listen up, because this is complicated: Sanders stalwart Archy McNally is contracted by Sabrina Wright to look for her missing husband, who turns out not to be her husband and not the real missing person. That's Sabrina's daughter, born out of wedlock, put up for adoption, adopted by her own mother, and now looking for her real father somewhere in Palm Beach. Then Sabrina turns up dead. And that's just for starters. Note, in addition, the tricky double billing. Publishing can make for strange bedfellows.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Archy McNally is a raffish combination of Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles and P.G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster. -- The New York Times Book Review

You're only saddened when it ends. -- The Palm Beach Post --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First edition (July 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399147322
• ISBN-13: 978-0399147326
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun, August 8, 2001

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: McNally's Chance: An Archy McNally Novel by Vincent Lardo (Hardcover)

Vincent Lardo's Archy McNally is feeling more and more comfortable to me. It's tough to take over for a writer as loved as Lawrence Sanders, but Mr. Lardo is up to the challenge.

This time Archy's parents are away on a cruise and his female love interest is barely seen. That certainly keeps those characters fresh for future Mcnally exploits, and seems a good ploy to me.

Even his crony in the Palm Beach Police Department has a lower than usual profile this time. Archy's pal Binky has the biggest part among the usual recurring characters, so we get to share his misadventures.

It's the usual lighthearted romp among the rich and infamous on the island of Palm Beach. Lots of setup and many a red herring along the way, punctuated with a fair share of laughs.

If you are looking for a deep and complicated hardboiled noirish mystery, look elsewhere...but if a little tongue in cheek and mystery-lite sounds like a good change of pace, then "McNally's Chance" is for you.

It is fast read and an enjoyable book from start to finish.

Enjoy this one.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars McNally Lives On, Even if Sanders Doesn't!, August 7, 2001

By 

Gerald M. Bull "Jerry Bull" (Fairview, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: McNally's Chance: An Archy McNally Novel by Vincent Lardo (Hardcover)

Surely y'all know by now that Lawrence Sanders has been dead a couple of years at least, and yet out keep rolling the McNally series. From tiny fine print on the first, to his name on the cover of this one (the third), Vincent Lardo has to me done a very credible job carrying on our leading man for Sanders' estate. (I know one fan insists Lardo was ghost writing the series even earlier -- could be true for all I know...)

We have here the familiar trappings: Archie's three mile swims, cocktail hours, journal writing, almost more than we can take of his wardrobe analysis. But a decent enough plot with first one, then two, then three real villains kept me guessing til almost the end. And with his father out of town, and girlfriend Connie at bay for a change, we didn't get quite the heavy dose of sameness that would make the series boring.

I'm up for several more. And by the way, how come Robert Goldsborough, similarly "selected" by Rex Stout's estate, hasn't written any more Nero Wolfe's ?!?! Vincent, you game ??

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vincent Lardo is Getting into the Groove with Archie!, July 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: McNally's Chance: An Archy McNally Novel by Vincent Lardo (Hardcover)

Bought the book and read it cover to cover in one sitting! I had mixed feelings that the Archie McNally series was taking a turn for the worse after reading the last Vincent Lardo book but he's getting more into the character. I can't give it five stars but four is hi praise from this avid series admirer.