McNally's Bluff

McNally's Bluff by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

Archy McNally, Discreet Inquirer, is attending the party of Palm Beach newcomer and former carnival owner, Matthew Hayes. The party involves finding one's way to the center of a maze.

The goal in the center yields an unwelcome surprise in the form of Matt's dead wife, Marlena Marvel. It is almost impossible that she appeared as a performer and without anyone seeing a thing turns up dead in the centre of the maze.

No one seems to have a motive but when more dead bodies turn up McNally must sift through the possible suspects and find the killer.

A light-hearted read that is just pure fun. I love McNally's joie de vivre

First Line: "The ladies shrieked in despair; the gentlemen moaned in frustration."

Rating:
(4.0/5)

McNally's Dare

McNally's Dare by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

Archy McNally is Discreet Inquirer to the rich and famous in Palm Beach. Playing at a posh tennis benefit, Archy is on hand to help discover the drowning death of one of the waiters. The prime suspect is Lance Talbot but Archy is his alibi. Lance has recently inherited a fortune from his mother.

Archy soon has three different clients wanting the same thing. Archy is to find the killer. This seems to hinge all on a missing toe. Archy gets help, of course from the police and finds his way through the twists and turns with wit and humour. Archy is also having a wonderful time with his new love interest, Georgina.

This is a light-hearted mystery that is a quick read. Archy always brings a smile with his irreverent ways.

First Line: "I am lying facedown on the leather=padded massage table clad immodestly in my heather-gray briefs while a curvaceous masseuse in a rather abbreviated nurse's uniform strokes my left hand, one finger at a time"

Rating:
(4.0/5)

McNally's Alibi

McNally's Alibi by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

Archy McNally is hired to be the go-between for the wealthy collector Fortesque and the seller of Truman Capote's original manuscript of Answered Prayers. The problem is Archy is conked on the head and loses both the manuscript and the money and furthermore a man is found dead in the room where he had just concluded the deal.

Enter Georgia O'Hara, the beautiful cop in charge of the murder investigation. Archy has no trouble in securing a date, of course only to discuss the case. At the same time he hopes to make Connie his long-time girlfriend jealous. Connie has been dating a dashing Cuban and seems to be losing interest in Archy.

At the same time the abandoned Beaumont house has been seen to have lights flickering in the windows. Ty Beaumont wants Archy to see if it is really his dead twin's ghost.

The McNally stories are always over the top but I think this time it is a bit much. Archy dates the cop who is investigating him as a suspect. Come-on! Also the stories seem to be very convoluted. The Beaumont case seems to just a bit of added fluff in case the main story was not enough. Archy this time appears to be a bit desperate instead of being the cad he is

First Line: "My potential client was a Ms. Claudia Lester."

Rating:

(3.5/5)

McNally's Folly

McNally's Folly by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

Desdemona Darling has arrived!! She is to be the star of the Palm Beach Community Theater's production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Archy has been coerced into directing. The cast and the crew are among Palm Beach's rich and famous.

At a cast party Desmonda's husband, Richard Holmes, sips some elderberry wine and drops dead. Now real life is imitating the play. Furthermore Richard had just asked Archy to find out who was blackmailing his wife. Now Archy must find out the real murderer among a cast of murderers.

I did not enjoy this one as much as the others but I will continue the series.

First Line: "What could be nicer than holding the hand of a beautiful young lady with the lights turned low?"

Rating:

(3.5/5)

McNally's Puzzle

McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

Wealthy bird shop owner, Hiram Gottschalk feels his life is threatened. He can not contact the police because there are no definite threats. The Gottschalk are to say it mildly dysfunctional. The son and heir is mentally unstable and the twin daughters are very twisted and not at all nice. To round out the menagerie there is the housekeeper who could organize the military and the manager of the bird shop who makes Archy look slovenly.

I found this one a bit repetitive. The first 25 pages were the same as the other books in the series. I do like Archy and his irreverence. His girlfriend, Connie is nowhere to be seen this time as she is mad at Archy for thinking 'dirty' thoughts. He needs to be kicked to the curb but not for this reason.

The plot was funny in parts and had a satisfying number of twists. The only niggle was that it was summed up too fast. The villain tried to kill Archy in the end and it just didn't make sense that that is what would happen. It was almost as if the author was running out of paper and had to get it ended then and now.

Rating:

(3.5/5)

McNally's Trial

McNally's Trial by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

McNally's Trial is a sequel book about Discreet Inquiror, Archy McNally. Archy is a bon vivant playboy who investigates for his father's clients. This time he is approached because a client's funeral homes are making too much money.

There are the requisite slime balls,beautiful women and rich folk. Archy, this time takes on an unpaid assistant,Binky. Binky is a dolt who somehow manages to help and not deep six the investigation.

Sanders actually had me wondering for a while with this one. One can not help but like Arch, rogue that he is and smile at some of the situations he finds himself in.

Rating:

(4.0/5)

McNally's Caper

McNally's Caper by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

From the Editors
Palm Beach sleuth Archy McNally gets caught up in the sordid family affairs of the Forsythe Clan when he's hired to find out who's stealing valuables--including a priceless first edition of Edgar Allan Poe--from their mansion. Behind every door is a suspect; in every bed, a seductress. And a murderer is hiding just around the corner. . . .

I do so love Archy McNally. But I am so glad I am not his girlfriend or parent. How frustrating that would be HAHA. This book starts off with some stolen goods of the Forsythes. The Forsythes are as loony as they come. Who is the thief? Of course it must be a family member; wife, son, daugther-in-law or daugther. The woman in the family try to seduce Archy and Archy sure doesn't resist too much. When the patriarch gets murdered everyone is a suspect. There are some real relationship tangles in the book and a lot of good laughs

Rating:

(4.0/5)

McNally's Risk

McNally's Risk by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

P.I. Archy McNally mixes business with pleasure when he's hired by a well-heeled society matron to investigate the fiancee of her wealthy son. Archy suspects that he is flirting with danger when he finds the stunning bride-to-be involved in murder.
How can anyone not like Archy McNally. He is such a rogue and old-fashioned playboy. This time he has been asked to investigate a temptress before her society wedding. He is seduced by her and then the murders start....
Favourite Character: Archy of course
Least Favourite Character: Theo. I just hate beautiful gold-digging women probably because I am not beautiful
Best Part of the Story: I loved the descriptions of the food. Mouth watering
Least Favourite Part of the Story: I really didn't like that Archy was so easily seduced
What was missing: The actual food described :)

Rating:

(4.0/5)

McNally's Luck

McNally's Luck by Lawrence Sanders
Mystery

This sequel was ever bit as funny and readable as the first book. I really enjoy Archy McNally. His irreverence and eccentricity just makes each page turnable. Archy is a son of a prominent Palm Beach lawyer. His job is to handle discrete investigations. He is to find a pampered cat. Then the bodies start piling up. A cozy mystery well worth the read
Favourite Character: Archy McNally. I love this rich playboy turned detective
Least Favourite Character: all the rich B****'s . The females seem to be flawed. Every single one of them
Best Part of the Book: When Archy and the police figure out how the bad guys will pay
Least Favourite Part of the book: What Archy buys for Consuela because he has been inattentive. Kick him to the curb, baby
What was missing: nothing

Rating:

(4.0/5)