The Seventh Commandment [Paperback]

Lawrence Sanders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1992

When a wealthy jeweler is stabbed on the streets of New York City, insurance investigator Dora Conti investigates the family's claim and discovers scandal, corruption, addiction, and adultery in the Conti family. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Murder, greed, lust, corruption and an extraordinary preoccupation with food and drink--trademarks of Sanders's Deadly Sin and Commandment bestsellers--are here, yet this tale lacks the passion needed to engage readers fully. When New York City jewelry magnate Lewis Starrett is stabbed to death on the street, insurance investigator Dora Conti, whose firm carries the $3-million policy on his life, is assigned to look into the murder. The array of suspects includes the victim's son, who may be using the family's corporate empire for his own nefarious purposes; his drug-crazed daughter; the amoral brother-and-sister team romantically involved with each of them; and a religious charlatan who holds the widow in thrall. As murder follows upon murder, relationships among this sorry lot deterioriate at a ludicrous rate. Meanwhile, amidst her probings, Dora, a refreshingly plump and ordinary heroine, is tempted to endanger her happy marriage in a fling with the NYPD detective on the case, a subplot lacking both tension and interest. This disappointing outing from the author of The Fourth Deadly Sin winds down to a flat and undramatic, albeit fitting, conclusion. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections; Mystery Guild alternate.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042513329X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425133293
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,615,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great, January 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Seventh Commandment (Paperback)

I loved the book! Sanders is a gifted writer and I love evrething he writes about. Dora is a funny and a loveable character- It's great to finally read about a female heroine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thou shalt not..., March 18, 2006

By 

lee freke "journalist" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seventh Commandment (Paperback)

Lawrence Sanders ran the gamut in suspense detective prose. From the intellectual cop Delaney to the hip private eye McNally, Sanders was able to create memorable characters in highly entertaining novels.
In "The Seventh Commandment" Dora Conti, a tough insurance scam hound is called in to investigate the death of a jeweler, Lewis Starrett. Starrett, stabbed in the back with a kitchen knife, is obviously a victim of foul play, but who did it? With millions at stake, there are abundant motives from numerous suspects.
So when other characters in this drama of violence start getting killed one at a time, Dora plunges into a world with cobwebs of duplicity - A world where murder is cheap, and adultery, cheaper.
In sync with his later novels, Sanders toned down the hard edge typical of suspense, eschewing action in favor of characterization. Dora, as the plump housewife, is unique in a genre populated by lithe men and slim women (Just watch the TV shows.)

At times, the Seventh Commandment can seem reminiscent of his Timothy Files, however it vindicates itself with its enjoyable plot. This novel should make for some good evening reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it was ok, March 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Seventh Commandment (Paperback)

This book was well written, despite its predictablity.