Vincent Lardo Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Archy McNally Books

Vincent Lardo is a bestselling mystery fiction author from Long Island in New York that is best known for the “Archy McNally” series of novels.

The author was born in the New York suburb of the Bronx and went to the Evander Childs High School before he proceeded to New York City College.

In 1952, Lardo joined the army and a year later he was deployed and was set to fight in the Korean War. In a funny twist of fate, on the very day he was scheduled to leave the US for Korea, the warring parties signed an armistice and he end up being sent to Japan.
He was in Japan for only a year before he came back and took advantage of the G.I. Bill to attend the New Jersey-based Fairleigh Dickinson University where he graduated with an English literature degree.

Thereafter, he got into banking and then into advertising and public relations which would become his thing until the 1980s. It was in the 80s that he learned how to use a typewriter and began thinking of becoming a fiction author.
Vincent Lardo’s first work was a mystery that had a gay character as one of the leads and it ended up being rejected by the publisher. The author published “China House” his debut novel in 1983 and has never looked back since.

Following the publication of his debut novel “China House,” which went on to become a bestseller, Vincent Lardo would make his name as a budding author.

This would pave the way for the author to publish several other novels and it was in the third that he introduced investigative reporter Mike Manning who is one of his most popular characters.

After achieving much success as a part-time novelist with his first three novels, he moved to Amagansett from New York as he wanted to live in his beach house. It was after this move that he published “The Hampton Affair” his debut novel in the Hampton series under Putnam.
The work was very well received by readers and reviewers and led to even more titles in the series. It was at this time that his Putnam editor noticed that his acerbic wit and droll humor had some similarities to the works of Lawrence Sanders who used to write the “Archy McNally” series of novels.

Since it had been one of Putnam’s best-performing series they asked him to be Sanders’ successor. “McNally’s Dilemma” which was the first work he penned in the series would become a bestseller and he has never stopped since.

While Vincent Lardo was very successful with the “Archy McNally” series of novels with many of his published titles becoming New York Times bestsellers, the road to publication was not so smooth.

After Lardo published “McNally’s Dilemma,” Putnam had to deal with several class action suits from readers contending deception with regard to new authorship. Ultimately, the publisher had to settle with the litigants so that they could continue publishing the series.
In 2013, Vincent decided to go back to his root as he published “The Jockstrap Murders” in the lesbian/gay genre. He retired to his Amagansett home in 1998 but died only a year later.

“McNally’s Dilemma” by Vincent Lardo opens with Archy McNally getting a visit from an old friend named Melva. She claims to have killed her husband in cold blood after finding him cheating on her with another woman.
McNally knows that her husband is not known for philandering but since she claims she found him in the house, he is convinced of her story.

Melva wants Archy to protect her daughter from the press and the scandal sure to follow. The girl is a blonde and stunning blue-eyed child named Veronica that is just twenty years old.

Archy finds her quite attractive but since she is the daughter of a close friend, he agrees to protect her from the media circus. However, Archy believes there is more to this case than Melvin is telling him.
He believes his friend is covering up for someone but he does not know who. With his unusual wardrobe, snappy comebacks, and ability to mingle with the elite in town.

It makes for an interesting read The detective unearths all manner of surprising family secrets leading to all manner of turns and twists.

Vincent Lardo’s “McNally’s Alibi” sees our favorite detective hired as the go-between for Fortesque, a wealthy collector and seller of “Answered Prayer” the original manuscript by Truman Capote.

But MacNally is attacked and loses the money and manuscript and then things get worse when a man is found dead in the room where the deal had been made. In charge of the case is a beautiful police officer named Georgia O’Hara.

Archy gets a date with her, even though he convinces himself that all he wants is to discuss his case. The truth is that he is also hoping to make his long-time girlfriend Connie jealous. The latter has been going on dates with a handsome Cuban and seems to have lost all interest in Archy.

It is during this time that he notices that the Beaumont house which is supposed to be abandoned has lights. Ty Beaumont has asked McNally if he can investigate why the house seems to have flickering lights in its windows.
With the usual mystery-lite quality, it makes for a cheeky and fun romp amongst the infamous and rich elite of Palm Beach.

“McNally’s Dare” by Vincent Lardo opens with the death of a Palm Beach dowager duchess. She has left behind a huge fortune to a handsome young heir, even though Archy is not so sure if the boy is who he says he is.
When a young wait staffer who was employed at the Tennis Everyone tournament organized by Malcolm MacNiff is found dead in a swimming pool, it is left to Archy to salvage the town’s reputation.

He is to investigate the crime and bring to justice the man that had dared disrupt the town’s most celebrated event.

It was at this time that Lance Talbot the newest millionaire in town arrives to claim his fortune after the death of his grandma.

Many believe he is an imposter and even Archy finds him an enigma when he starts tracing his progress to the sands of Palm Beach from the snowy Alps.

If he is not the true heir just who could the man be? Even more suspicious the man is accompanied by his lover Baroness Holga von Brecht who is old enough to be his mother,