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McNally's Trial (Archy McNally Novels) (Paperback)

by Lawrence Sanders (Author) "It has been said that no good deed goes unpunished, and I can vouch for it..." (more)
Key Phrases: chief funeral directors, family cocktail hour, hauling service, Sunny Fogarty, Ernest Gorton, Whitcomb Funeral Homes (more...)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Suggesting a morally bankrupt, sun-tanned Bertie Wooster, Archy McNally sleuths among Florida's well-heeled Palm Beach set in this lightweight crime series from the author of the Deadly Sins and Commandments thrillers. Archy, an occasional investigator for his stuffy lawyer father, here agrees to look into the sudden "uptick" in business that is worrying a pretty exec at the exclusive Whitcomb Funeral Homes. Too many people are dying, observes the woman, and being shipped up north in coffins. In between boozing, lying to his girlfriend and delivering sub-Wodehouse patter that lacks both wit and an anchoring value system, Archy and his gormless pal Binky Watrous investigate the likable old couple who own the funeral homes and their son and his wife, whose swinging lifestyle makes Archy's look tame. The trick of insinuating character eludes Sanders, who, if a woman dissembles or a doctor is stoned to the gills, hits us over the head with the facts. While an occasional few of Archy's quips are funny, Sanders's dialogue is mostly as stiff as the story's corpses. Literary Guild selection.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Affluent private investigator Archie McNally cracks yet another case in this newest addition to the author's best-selling series.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley (January 1, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 042514755X
ISBN-13: 978-0425147559
Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #660,911 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#32 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Sanders, Lawrence

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
It has been said that no good deed goes unpunished, and I can vouch for it. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
chief funeral directors, family cocktail hour, hauling service, ocean swim, discreet inquiries

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sunny Fogarty, Ernest Gorton, Whitcomb Funeral Homes, Oliver Whitcomb, Horace Whitcomb, Binky Watrous, Palm Beach, Pelican Club, Mitzi Whitcomb, New York, Griffin Kling, South Florida, Cleo Hauling Service, Connie Garcia, Sarah Whitcomb, Rhoda Flembaugh, Miss Fogarty, Consuela Garcia, Ernie Gorton, English Oval, Ursi Olson, Herman Pincus, Rhoda Starlight, Big Mac, Special Agent Kling

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 25 books:

The Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders in Front Matter
The First Deadly Sin (The Deadly Sins Novels) by Lawrence Sanders in Front Matter
Private Pleasures by Lawrence Sanders in Front Matter
The Anderson Tapes by Lawrence Sanders in Front Matter
Lord Peter: A collection of all the Lord Peter Wimsey stories by Dorothy L Sayers in Front Matter

See all 25 books this book cites

1 book cites this book:

The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction by Mike Ashley on page 427

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

McNally's Dilemma by Lawrence Sanders

Discusses:

McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders

Discusses:

McNally's Gamble by Lawrence Sanders

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McNally's Luck by Lawrence Sanders

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	60% buy the item featured on this page: McNally's Trial (Archy McNally Novels) 4.1 out of 5 stars (11)
	12% buy Lawrence Sanders McNally's Dare (Archy McNally) 3.8 out of 5 stars (14) $7.99
	11% buy Lawrence Sanders McNally's Chance (Archy McNally) 3.8 out of 5 stars (17) $7.99
	10% buy Lawrence Sanders McNally's Bluff (Archy McNally) 4.0 out of 5 stars (6) $7.99

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a Hardy Boys For Gownups!, July 19, 1999

By A Customer

I have read three of the "McNally Series" and enjoyed them tremendously. Take them for what they are - a good fun read. Don't expect to be enlightened (although your vocabulary might improve) shocked or deeply engrossed in a serious puzzel. Unashamedly, the plots are as thin as a Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mystery but with a healthy dose of Bertie Wooster style. That is half their fun.

So do yourself a favour this summer. Find yourself a beautiful sun drenched beach (with lots of pretty girls in bikinies - Archy would approve) bring a few imported beers (or if your in the right mood - a fine bottle of chilled crisp white wine or maybe a thermos of exotic cocktails) sit back and enjoy. Oh also bring some food - after reading about the wonderful meals you will be hungry.

I look forward to finding my next "McNally" in my far from home bookstore.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A laid-back detective, March 17, 2002

By	Charles Lewis (Macon, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When you think of a fictional detective, you normally picture a hard-boiled man or woman, who carries a gun, lurks under windows with a pair of binoculars, and has three or four fistfights each week. In McNally's Trial, Lawrence Sanders gives us a different picture.

The hero of this series is Archibald McNally, the son of a successful Palm Beach attorney. Archy (as his friends call him) is less than successful himself. He made it through law school, all right, but he was kicked out for streaking naked across the stage during a performance of the New York Philharmonic. His father gave him a office known as "Archy's Locker" due to its rather small size and now uses him as an unofficial investigator whenever the firm has need of such services.

He carries no gun, for he abhors violence. He doesn't spend time outside windows, for he would rather be eating a good meal. But he does have one of the characteristics of detective fiction: He is constantly in the arms of a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, his own true love, Constance Garcia, has an excellent spy network herself, and he always regrets these rather
painful affairs!

His involvement in this case begins when beautiful Sunny Fogarty, the financial manager of the Whitcomb Funeral Home, comes by to ask Archy's father to find out why her employer is suddenly making so much money, in particular why they are shipping so many caskets to New York, Boston, and Chicago.

To complicate matters, Archy's favorite air headed bum, Binky Watrous wants to help. He knows nothing about detecting, other than it sounds like fun, and he's totally incompetent; but Archy doesn't want to hurt his feelings.

As the two investigate, they run into a number of nasty characters, men who just don't fit the upperclass social image of the Whitcombs. How are they involved? Then they discover that Whitcomb's son and daughter-in-law seem to be involved with the gangster types. Luckily Mitzi seems to be infatuated with Binky (though Archy can think of no reason why any woman would find him attractive) and may be a source of information-or is it disinformation?

After a few murders Archy has the solution. But will he live long enough to reveal what he has found to his father? And will another innocent person have to die as well?

This isn't great literature, but it's a great beach book.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One of a series of novels about scapegrace Archy McNally, July 26, 1998

By	Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

People who enjoyed the stories about Jeeves and Wooster will undoubtedly like the series of books about Archibald "Archy" McNally, the son a a successful attorney. Archy's specialty is carrying out investigations for his father when he is not carrying on with women and hanging out at the Pelican Club. Lawrence Sanders was undoubtedly influenced by P. G. Wodehouse in creating this series, as Archy is a modern day counterpart of Bertie Wooster. The plot of this particular book is somewhat transparent - that ploy of sealed caskets being shipped from one place to another has been used before. However, the story and the characters are entertaining light reading as Archy introduces his erstwhile friend Binky Watrous into the world of private investigations.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars book review
This was the only McNalley book I hadn't read. I was luckey to find a used copy on Amazon. Thanks!

Published on April 3, 2007 by Chriss Zietz

5.0 out of 5 stars Trial With Style. Tuxedo on a Moonlit Beach. A Beacon to The Art of Film.
In this 5th offering in the original 7 McNally novels, Lawrence Sanders did not entre nous with a deuce of sexual objects entwined in ecstasy (one of whom, or of which, would be... Read more

Published on August 18, 2006 by Linda G. Shelnutt

3.0 out of 5 stars Throw the Binky away
Perhaps it's because I haven't been in a good mood lately, but this book wasn't up to the McNally series standard. Read more

Published on July 28, 2003 by Paul Skinner

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific: amazing ability of "stand-up comedy" and mystery
my first encounter w/ a McNally book. Few thillers or mysteries make me laugh out loud.

Published on March 8, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm addicted and want to meet the author
All of Mr Lawrence's books on McNally have been hard for me to put down. I wish he'd do a book signing in my area.

Published on January 31, 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty & entertaining. Archy & Binky make me laugh out loud.
A few months ago I picked up McNally's Trial and read it. I enjoyed it so much, I have now read all the McNally books and look forward to more. Read more

Published on January 28, 1998 by sstewart@ci.orem.ut.us

5.0 out of 5 stars Cary Grant in a Screwball Comedy!
The pleasure of reading the Archy McNally mysteries is NOT in solving each mystery, but in enjoying the witty and sophisticated humor along the way. Read more

Published on January 12, 1998 by nuvision@dcaccess.com

1.0 out of 5 stars Dead on arrival.
Bloated, tedious, sophomoric. This book might serve as a guide for determined but untalented undergraduates aspiring to write by the word. Read more

Published on May 12, 1997

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