Lawrence Sanders McNally's Chance

This one is probably the best read in the entire McNally series to date. The ending is a bit weak in one or two places, Archie is a little too taken by Bianca Courtney, and I doubt we will hear much more about Henry Peavy, but the book is still a great read. Read, enjoy and savor.

I, for one, am very thankful that Mr. Lardo has continued the McNally series. I love the characters and while this was not my favorite McNally book it was still McNally and still a fun read. With a few more twists than normal this book requires a little more attention than others in the series. A fun summertime book.

In Florida, popular romance writer Sabrina Wright hires Palm Beach?s private investigator Arch McNally to find her missing husband. The experienced Arch figures this to be a relatively easy case until he uncovers Sabrina?s real agenda. Apparently her daughter Gillian recently learned that her mother?s husband is not her biological father. Gillian seeks her ?real? dad. When the news leaks out among the rich and richer, three males try to ?hire? Arch to keep a lid on the story. Sabrina had affairs with all three at about the time she became pregnant and each one has since been paying under the table child support to keep the author quiet. Now that the story is becoming public, someone kills Arch?s client. This leaves the sleuth to wonder how far an individual would go to keep a lid on the secret and will that include potentially murdering a detective who is close to figuring out the full truth. McNALLY?S CHANCE is much more complicated than the above two paragraphs reveals or the confusing title that has Lawrence Sanders name in big print while crediting Vincent Lardo in much smaller type. The story line is exciting due to Arch?s demeanor as the convoluted case keeps him bewildered yet making progress even after the homicide of his client. Mr. Lardo provides a strong tale that would have pleased the late great Mr. Sanders, creator of Arch.Harriet Klausner

Vincent Lardo's Archy McNally is feeling more and more comfortable to me. It's tough to take over for a writer as loved as Lawrence Sanders, but Mr. Lardo is up to the challenge.This time Archy's parents are away on a cruise and his female love interest is barely seen. That certainly keeps those characters fresh for future Mcnally exploits, and seems a good ploy to me.Even his crony in the Palm Beach Police Department has a lower than usual profile this time. Archy's pal Binky has the biggest part among the usual recurring characters, so we get to share his misadventures.It's the usual lighthearted romp among the rich and infamous on the island of Palm Beach. Lots of setup and many a red herring along the way, punctuated with a fair share of laughs.If you are looking for a deep and complicated hardboiled noirish mystery, look elsewhere...but if a little tongue in cheek and mystery-lite sounds like a good change of pace, then "McNally's Chance" is for you.It is fast read and an enjoyable book from start to finish.Enjoy this one.

I had loved the McNALLY books when their creator, Lawrence Sanders, died. Vincent Lardo, who took over this series at the behest of the Sanders' estate, has done the impossible. He has inhabited another author's characters without a missed beat.The new, Lardo-penned McNALLY books are every bit as good as the Sanders originals, and that's saying a lot. McNALLY'S CHANCE is another face-paced, gripping romp, set in Palm Beach among the beau monde. Reading it is as good as week's vacation in Florida.