Perfectly narrated by Marc Vietor, I was spellbound by this book. The first in this series, and some say the best. This book is serious entertainment not serious lit. One of the best pycho/thrillers I've read..don't know how I missed it all these years.

I must say that I found the story good enough to overlook some of the dated dialogue that did not stand up to time and the droning narration. Not good enough, however, to buy more in the series.

This was my first book by Lawrence Sanders. This is a unique dark style of crime. I should have heard this book before. If you have not heard stuff written by Lawrence Sanders this would be a good book to start. Gripping, unique...

Excellent reading and it is hard to put down but it has scenes of murder and folks that are way out of touch with human kindness. There is violent but the people working of the case are good and it is interesting.

I understand that Mr. Sanders was an extremely prolific writer in his time, which was the mid 20th century. I looked him up on Wikipedia and saw that he wrote several series, and that some of his work made its way to TV and movies. But, I can't understand the hype. This book is unbelievable trash. It is parochial, outdated Manhattan posturing. Everything west of the Hudson is Pittsburgh, don't you know. The characters have sex with sunglasses on and then with African masks. Herewith I give you a few lines of the deathless dialogue:
"I get lost whenever I go below 23rd Street." "He was pleased to discover that she liked long-stemmed roses." "The room smelled of must, mildew and old love." Oh, please. I listened to several hours, at different times, just to see if my first impression was wrong. It wasn't. The mystery never did appear through four chapters, and the thing is three downloads long. The narration was likewise ponderous and totally without humor of any kind, not even a sly wink. These people, and the author himself, take themselves way too seriously. Our hero works in the magazine biz, and of course he instantly crushes the competition and rises to the top with a computer which he installs in a clean room, complete with workers who must wear hair nets and gloves. He takes over the magazine by the age of thirty six. In New York City! Good lord. On what planet was this book written?

In our fast paced world of today, this book would probably not have made it past the editor's desk. It's content would certainly have been cut by two thirds. I don't want to say that these two thirds do not help the story, they do, one step at a time. In the old days in books as well as on the screen you could see people going about their everyday things like getting up, taking a shower, drinking and eating. This has nearly vanished from all the media. Everything has to go fast, fast and throw in some special effects here and there, save the world with blazing guns and a quick kiss (or more ...) and tatata The End ...This book is very slow paced. You get to know the characters very intimately, which can feel strange and even leave you with a kind of awkwardness.If I would have read the book, I certainly would have skip read a few pages but as I was listening to the book while commuting, I listened patiently.I don't regret having done so. The story was intriguing, a nice trip down the good old days where you solve crime with your wits, pen and paper, and the good old phone inclduing its book.

Mr Vietor did a very good job to give every character his unique and subtle voice. I enjoy listening to his voice.

I gave 3 stars for the story, not because of it's slow pace but mostly because of the ending. The happily ever after for some characters did not please me but for others it might to the trick.

Two main protagonists, very well thought out characters that you come to get a real feel for. It seems like the beginning is just a little slow but really, you're being drawn in. Well researched, well written, I really enjoyed this one. However I read the Second Deadly Sin because I enjoyed this one so much and while I do plan to read the sequels, I didn't find that the characters and plot were as well developed in the Second. This book sets the bar high. Also, Sanders never continued after The Fourth Deadly Sin.

This was an enjoyable listen. It was interesting to follow the thought processes of a serial killer as well as the detective pursuing him at the same time. It is interesting how the author portrayed the killer's descent into madness as part of the effects of the murders. The writing was excellent. The time frame of this book is the mid-70's. It was rather fun to relive that era and see the differences with today's world.

Mr. Vietor did an excellent job narrating. He was easy to understand and follow.

Yes, I'd recommend the book.

I'm sure this book was quite scandalous in its day--and I did enjoy listening to it--but it is chock full of racist remarks, chauvinist viewpoints, condescension, and homophobia--distracting, at the very least. It reads a bit like an episode of "Law & Order" but more preachy and Father Knows Best-like. The narration, however, is wonderfully dramatic in a tough, hard-boiled way with clear descriptions of New York City and the cultural icons of the 70s.

My taste in books usually leans toward current events, but I am very glad I took the chance. It wasn't out dated. This story was good in any generation. This book is set in the early Seventies when the book was actually written & It was recently made into an audio book. I have to give this book a 5 star rating without question. If I read this in the eighties - I probably would have been even more shocked then I was. This was a lot more story then it was a "Who done it"............... I enjoyed the entire ride. The narrating was great. The characters were interesting & I thought Marc Vietor voice and style made you feel like you were part of the scene. The story was realistic. The forensics of the Seventies & Dectection process was a lot more entriguing then a CSI type story. It was pretty twisted. A little sick. I loved it =0) I am pretty sure I will get The Second Deadly Sin in the near future.