I enjoyed this book immensely. Sanders has true poetry in his interpreting of the characters in his book and their environment. Some of the lines he uses in his description of the weather or the moods and feelings could almost be lines from a poem and very memorable. I think he used real skill in weaving the police Sargent and the murder suspect from different sides of the pole then inching them closer and closer until the collide.in the middle. The characters are totally believable due to the writers skill and the way he wove the environment (natural and man-made) into the whole plot was extremely well-done!!

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.

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.

Way too wordy and slow. I had to quit it after 3 hours for fear of falling asleep at the wheel.

Not to this genre, but to this author

Only if he happened to narrate another book that sounded like it was going to be interesting.

Boredom

I can't understand all of the high reviews this book was given.

No. I read this book (or saw the movie, maybe both--can't remember) when it was first published. It is definitely dated. I had forgotten the plot and all the characters. But the progression of the plot is obvious after thirty minutes, and the repetition is deadly. Don't waste your time or book credits. I skipped entire sections, listened to the last several minutes. Rent the video if you're interested. At least you'd get to see a "tough" Frank Sinatra.

Edited it more thoroughly, avoided so much repetition.

None of them, in fact.

This would take too long to answer. (Descriptions of the two villains, particularly the female; too many visits to a hospital room are just two.)

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.