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Lawrence Sanders Books In Order

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Publication Order of Edward X. Delaney Books

The Anderson Tapes (1970)Description / Buy at Amazon
The First Deadly Sin (1973)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Second Deadly Sin (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Third Deadly Sin (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Fourth Deadly Sin (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Peter Tangent Books

The Tangent Objective (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Tangent Factor (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Commandment Books

The Sixth Commandment (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Tenth Commandment (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Eighth Commandment (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Seventh Commandment (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Timothy Cone Books

The Timothy Files (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
Timothy's Game (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Archy McNally Books

with Vincent Lardo
McNally's Secret (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Luck (1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Risk (With: Vincent Lardo) (1993)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Caper (1994)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Trial (1995)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Puzzle (1996)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Gamble (With: Vincent Lardo) (1997)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Dilemma (With: Vincent Lardo) (1999)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Folly (With: Vincent Lardo) (2000)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Chance (With: Vincent Lardo) (2001)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Alibi (With: Vincent Lardo) (2002)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Dare (With: Vincent Lardo) (2003)Description / Buy at Amazon
McNally's Bluff (With: Vincent Lardo) (2004)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

The Pleasures of Helen (1971)Description / Buy at Amazon
Love Songs (1972)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Tomorrow File (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Marlow Chronicles (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Caper (As: Lesley Andress) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Dark Summer (As: Mark Upton) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Case of Lucy Bending / The Case of Lucy B. (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Seduction of Peter S. (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Passion of Molly T. (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Loves of Harry Dancer / The Loves of Harry D. (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Dream Lover (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
Capital Crimes (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Stolen Blessings (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Sullivan's Sting (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Private Pleasures (1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
Guilty Pleasures (1998)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Tales of the Wolf (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon

Lawrence Sanders is one of the greatest and most respected authors that ever graced the face of this land. In his time, he was placed in the same popularity rank as Danielle Steele, Stephen King and quite a number of well-venerated authors whose names and work will still be remembered centuries to come.

Born in Brooklyn, New York on 15th March, 1920 Sanders attended Wabash College after high school where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was then employed at Macy’s Departmental store where he worked for a few years before joining the US marine Corps. It was until 1946, after he was discharged from the marine that he first ventured into writing, but as an editorial writer for a magazine.

He then quit the job to become a full-time writer of fiction novels. His first novel was “The Anderson Tapes,” written in 1970 (he was 50 by then). Basically, the novel revolves around a plot group of criminals attempting to rob a luxurious apartment building. The book earned Sanders his first award, in 1971 when was voted in by Mystery Writers of America as the author with the best first novel. Before his death (7th February, 1998), Sander had more than 50 million copies of books he wrote in print. That makes him one of the most popular and successful novelists of all time.

Sanders is best remembered with the second book he wrote, the First Deadly Sin—the first book in the Deadly Sins series. Written in 1973, the book was adopted in a film produced and stirred by Frank Sinatra. The film also features some of the great actors of the 70s and 80s including Faye Dunaway (Bony and Clyde star), David Dukes, Brenda Vaccaro, Martin Gabel, and James Whitmore, as well as Bruce Willis in the film Debut.

In summary, the book spins around a well-dressed man stalking and terrorizing the high class neighborhoods of New York. Armed with an ice ax, the man appears to target strangers. He’s to be stopped by a cop by the name Captain Ed Delaney, the main protagonist who derives his jollies in solving bizarre murder cases that beat logic.

At the beginning of the first chapter we are introduced to Daniel Blank, A successful young man working for a publication company. He’s also a skilled mountain climber.

Daniel, like we are told, he’s a cold man who would’’t settle for anything less than order. He’s filthy rich and owns the best clothes, furniture, cars and, well, anything anyone in his time can ever dream to have.

His close friends include Samuel Morton and Florence, two strange New Yokers with close ties to Daniel. Florence introduces Dan to Cecilia Montfort and the two start dating. Turns out, Cecilia lives in Butler with a stranger by the name Valender and 12 year lad named Tony who also happens to be a homosexual and whom she claims to be her brother.

We are introduced to Edward Delaney in the second section of the book. He’s the man in charge of the 251st precinct, New York. His wife just happens to be very sick and admitted. He’s forced to take a sudden leave at work to be with her at the hospital.

It’s during this time that someone gets murdered in New York and Edward takes it upon himself to secretly investigate the case.

There’s no doubt that Daniel is the killer (considering his some some sort of strange fetish for killing men for sexual gratification). But there seems to be little to no evidence at all to incriminate him.

The book is fraught with all kinds of strange sex going on between Daniel, Cecilia and Tony. Sanders goes on a limb here to vividly describe everything that goes on behind their bedroom curtains (what a dirty old man!).

In the second book of the series, the second deadly sins, the first chapter begins by reporting the death of a celebrated artist by the name Victor Maitland, who was found stabbed to death repeatedly at the back in his Mott street Studio. There are no clear leads or prime suspect. The New York Police Department is therefore forced to call the now retired captain Edwards for assistance.

Though still adjusting to his outside life, Edward is excited to be back at work now that he was fining his outside life uber boring. He’s excited to put his honed investigative skills back to test again.

But first, he has to plunge into Maitland’s rarefied orbit by retracing everything in his shoes. He has to retrace the winding path of greed, fraud, deception, and well, everything that might have had a hand in his murder.

Delaney unravels a long list of suspects, including Maitland’s own wife, son and surprisingly, mistress. He’s pushed even closer to the truth by a second murder that rocks Manhattan. It’s then that he gets a clear picture of what kind of a monster that Victor really was. But still, he has to find out who among his long chain of enemies and frenemies actually killed him. That’s where the mystery begins.

Here, we are introduced to all the possibilities that the killer might actually be a woman, which sort of makes the second book even more interesting. Sanders spruces up the entire story when he makes Delaney argue with his wife about women liberation. Though it doesn’t help, considering the killer suffers from a rare Addison disease and has to deal with crimson curse as well, it does make the story a little interesting and engrossing.

The book gets more interesting as one continues to read until it gets to a point where it becomes a must-finish. As it appears, Sanders was more interested in churning out another best seller or maybe outdo the first book in the series. And even though some reviewers have pointed out that the book would have been more interesting had he [Sanders] chose to explore the idea of nosebleed and blood letting in Australia, the book remains a great read and one that you’d always want to revisit after you finish the last chapter.

Granted, all the books in the series keeps getting better with each subsequent release though most people have singled out the third book—the third deadly sin—to be the best in the series.

Book Series In Order » Authors » Lawrence Sanders

5 Responses to “Lawrence Sanders”

  1. Jackie Finn: 2 years ago

    Is there a Fifth Deadly Sin and/or a Ninth Deadly Sin? Going thru my Sanders collection (I thought I had them all!) and am I missing these 2? Or were they never written?

    Reply
    • Graeme: 2 years ago

      From my research it doesn’t appear they were ever written.

      Reply
  2. Ira: 2 years ago

    Sanders was an excellent writer. He is missed.

    Reply
  3. Joe Verhulst: 3 years ago

    An excellent read…Sanders was an amazing story teller….had the abillity to keep my in suspense on the edge of my seat….I read much of his work decades ago and now am rereading most of his novels again….they never get old….the characters come alive with every turn of the page.

    Reply
    • Tim Dalton: 2 years ago

      Same thing here.

      Reply

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