The First Deadly Sin

By: Lawrence Sanders

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

Length: 24 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most popular suspense novels of all time. A well-dressed man stalks the high-class neighborhoods of New York City. He is armed with an ice axe. His victims are strangers. And one cop, Captain Ed Delaney must solve a series of bizarre, gruesome murders that defy logic or method. This shocking story has captured the imaginations of millions like no other modern thriller.

Prolong the suspense: follow the further crime-solving career of Edward X. Delaney.

©1973 Lawrence Sanders (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Breathtakingly exciting." ( Rolling Stone)

Started off good but ended slowly.

Really enjoyed the beginning but got bogged down 3/4 of the way thru. Overall a good listen, better if it had been an hour and a half shorter.

Amazing story

Great story but dated - LOVED the characters and am definitely reading the rest of the series. Well worth the $5 spent!

Got too long.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

it got too wordy on unimportant details.

Would you be willing to try another book from Lawrence Sanders? Why or why not?

probably not.

Did Marc Vietor do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes

Was The First Deadly Sin worth the listening time?

Not the last 3 hours

Any additional comments?

Just not that good

Oddly entertaining.

What did you like best about The First Deadly Sin? What did you like least?

I didn't realize it was written so long ago or based on the 60's/70's. The story was good, i just wasn't expecting such antiquated dialogue.

Did The First Deadly Sin inspire you to do anything?

Read the reviews

Any additional comments?

I almost always finish every book I start, especially once I've invested time getting into the "meat" of the story. I had a hard time staying with this one, but it ended up being pretty good.

Dated...but good!

What made the experience of listening to The First Deadly Sin the most enjoyable?

The book keeps you guessing and involved.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The First Deadly Sin?

There were many but there was one part where I had to rewind so that I could figure out who was in the bed with Blank!!!

What about Marc Vietor’s performance did you like?

His voice matches the character Delaney perfectly. I can visualize him talking just as Vietor speaks.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

On some parts I did. There can be parts of this book that are "unconventional" and if you take it for what it is (entertainment) it may not bother you. If you take it to heart you may or may not be able to get past some parts.

Excellent series, highly recommend!

I first read this book over 20 years ago as a very young adult and was instantly hooked. I've looked for the Edward X. Delaney series every so often here on Audible and other audiobook stores with no luck. I was thrilled to finally see them here and I was not disappointed with the audio version of the book. Narrator was very good, brought the Captain to life. I can't wait to listen to the other books in the series.

If you've always loved the Sins, this is better.

First you need to realize that this novel was written in 1973 and may seem out of date. This book was my first introduction to Sanders when I read it in my late teens. I loved the Captain Edward X Delaney character and have waited for the Sins to come out in audiobook form forever. If you loved the novels back then, you'll love the audio version even more. The pace of the book is slow and the suspense is not going to kill you. You know from the beginning who the killer is. So why is this a good read? The characters are three-demensional, the setting plops you right down in the middle of New York and doesn't let you budge, and you have the first person view from not one, but two characters. Sanders spends a lot of time on each one for long periods of time, he doesn't switch back and forth much. If you love Dave Robicheaux (and I do), you'll love Delaney and want to read more and more. My taste in fiction runs the gamut: I love the Robicheaux novels and have read every one. I've read everything Stephen King has ever written. I love the novels Geek Love and Perfume, both Anne Rice and Ayn Rand, and the audiobook Middlesex is one of my top audiobooks (along w/ The Green Mile, Lonesome Dove, and The Life Of Pi). If you liked Sins and Delaney back in the day, you will not regret the audio.

This will be a surprise

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...

Wonderful audio book

First, the story was extremely well done. Held my attention, I binge listened to this. Vocal characterizations were very well done.

The only negative is that the narrator has, in unconscious moments, a bit of a New England sound, which catches just a bit in the New York dialogue. Oops, slipped through there... Nevertheless, I thought the combination of narrator with this particular story was fine.

A detective classic!

What made the experience of listening to The First Deadly Sin the most enjoyable?

I first read this and other novels in the series in the 1980s when I was a teenager. My mom had read them so they were in the house, and I devoured them all. Now, 30 or so years later, the only thing I remembered were the