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The First Deadly Sin
The First Deadly Sin
The First Deadly Sin
Ebook941 pages15 hours

The First Deadly Sin

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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The #1 New York Times–bestselling author introduces readers to “a great detective, a detective’s detective,” New York cop Edward X. Delaney (Kirkus Reviews).

New York Police Department Captain Edward Delaney is called to the scene of a brutal murder. A Brooklyn councilman was struck from behind, the back of his skull punctured and crushed with an unknown weapon. The victim wasn’t robbed, and there’s no known motive. The commissioner appoints Delaney to head up a clandestine task force, but soon this effort ignites an internecine war of departmental backstabbing.   Distracted by the serious illness of his wife, Barbara, Delaney begins his secret investigation. Then the killer claims another victim—slain in the exact same way, leaving the strange puncture wound. As more young men are found murdered, Delaney starts putting the pieces together. Soon, he’s faced with a cop’s dilemma: He knows who the killer is, but the man is untouchable. That’s when Delaney lays a trap to bring a monster to justice . . .
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 12, 2013
ISBN9781453298367
The First Deadly Sin
Author

Lawrence Sanders

Lawrence Sanders, one of America's most popular novelists, was the author of more than thirty-five bestsellers, including the original McNally novels. Vincent Lardo is the author of The Hampton Affair and The Hampton Connection, as well as five McNally novels. He lives on the East End of Long Island.

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Reviews for The First Deadly Sin

Rating: 3.634615474358974 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

156 ratings3 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read this back in about 1975 and was completely gripped by the writing and the suspenseful story.The book introduces New York City cop Edward X Delaney, who is on the trail of a serial killer, while also trying to care for his wife, who is dying of some unnamed illness.Sanders moves the action back and forth between the killer's perspective and that of Delaney, so the reader knows more than the cop, but that doesn't lessen the suspense.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was... ok. I have to keep in mind how old this book is and the era in which it was written. For me, the pace was too slow and the characters kind of wooden. Interesting concept, but maybe a bit too much going on? I'll have to try another to see if the things that bogged me down on this one reoccur in the later offerings.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read this decades ago, but it mostly holds up. Yes, it's a little dated but it rings true for the time in which it was written. Not a whodunit at all, Sanders is more interested in probing the psychology of both killer and cop. Edward X Delaney is not a cardboard cutout but a multi-faceted individual who isn't particularly likable. But he is very compelling. Daniel and his group are the stuff nightmares are made of. The sexual component of the story can be disturbing, but it was easy enough to skim through that. The book is long but well-written and worth it once one gets past the first section and Delaney is introduced. The characterizations and motivations are what made this book a best seller back in the day.

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The First Deadly Sin - Lawrence Sanders

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