Lawrence Sanders Book

Just found this on Goodreads by ISBN. Have already read the first two (plus seen the movie of the first one). I'm gonna copy my reviews of the first two into this book review. FYI, I also have purchased "The Anderson Tapes" and "The Fourth Deadly Sin." Reviews coming. Ta-ta for now.

(from 9/21/09) Couple years ago I purchased one of those "three in one" books, which had in it, the first three "Deadly Sins" books. "The First Deadly Sin" (in which Detective Captain Francis X. Delaney was introduced (portrayed by Frank Sinatra in the movie) and his dying wife (Mia Farrow) and the woman he falls in love with, Monica, the wife of one of the victims of the dastardly perpetrator's murderous escapades (wife portrayed by Brenda Vaccaro, one of my faves). Now, in "The Second Deadly Sin," Captain Delaney is retired and married to Monica, and is called out of retirement to solve the murder of Victor Maitland, a prestigious and egomaniacal artist (interestingly, the name Victor Maitland was given to a crooked art dealer in the movie "Beverly Hills Cop;" unsure who plagiarized who but I digress...). Delaney enlists the help of Abner Boone, son of a cop friend of Delaney who had gotten killed in the line of duty, for this investigation. Boone, also a detective, is plagued by alcoholism but is a fine sort, and forms a romantic liaison with one of Monica's friends. Lawrence Sanders' books (I've read three thus far) are big on detail and low on action, but is an intriguing look inside the mind of an investigating detective. Thus, this one kinda drags (more than the first one), but is a fun read. Will tackle "The Third Deadly Sin" sometime in the next year or so.(less)

11/30/11 Finally got to "The Third Deadly Sin!" This one involves the rather brutal murders of out-of-town convention visitors, via throat slashing, then stabbing the victims' genitals( OUCH!) multiple times. Edward X. Delaney is again called out of retirement to assist the investigation, by Abner Boone, the "good cop with an alcohol problem" from the last book, and is subsequently face to face with his old pas/sometimes nemesis Ivor Thorsen, a high muckety-muck in the Police Department; both actually help each other out, through unraveling clues and negotiating the tempestuous law-enforcement bureaucracy. Like "Colombo," we know early on who the perpetrator is, and the story entails trying to figure it all out before the perp strikes again (oops, too late!). Of course, we also look at Delaney's relationship with his wife Monica (see above), who is a help and a foil for his theories. Interestingly, the subject of feminism is a running theme, since Monica is very involved; I believe this aspect of the book would have had a bigger impact when the book was written (1976), although some of the principles and issues remain (equal pay for equal work, e.g.). Of course, stuff we take for granted, such as high speed desktop/laptop computers, Cell phones and the Internet were not part of the culture then, so the work seems dated. Fun work, but not as fun as the previous two. I would have given this one three stars, but four to the first two, hence the four stars for the tome. I have already read "The Anderson Tapes," which I have reviewed, and I have also purchased "The Fourth Deadly Sin," which I shall also read and revie in the vague future.