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)

Fantastic.

Loved this book, couldn't get enough. Looked forward to turning on the book each day when I started driving.

Unusual Story

I found this author's way of writing /starting this story very different. I guess all in all I liked the story line but it was drawn-out. Interesting perspectives of both the killer and the main cop of this story.

Enjoyed it very much

I read this when it first came out and enjoyed it. Thirty years later I listened to it and enjoyed it just as much. Not high action, just a good detective novel with characters you can't help but care about. It does seem a little slow at places in the beginning when details bog it down but everything builds up to a great finish.

Great story

A little dated with language and attitudes, but a classic nonetheless. Wish they would remake the movie

Intriguing characters make the story

Edward X Delaney and Daniel J Blank are two for the books. The story delves in to what these men feel and what is making them tick. Both have an agenda, one is killing and very slowly we see what has drove him to this point, while the other is ruthlessly trying to solve the crime while his own personal life situation is falling into turmoil. It's a very unique character study of two men and the women that play a integral part of their story.
My only complaint would be the epilogue which summed up everyone's future quite shortly. I want to hear more, so that makes the next of the series a must.

Most of it was great ... the ending? Meh

First, it would be good to remember when this was written - this may help you avoid being offended by some of the attitudes. I really enjoyed most of the book and didn't want to put it down ... until the last few hours. I don't know what happened, but it was like the author just ran out of anything interesting or suspenseful to say to bring the book to its ending. I swear, the last few hours were just painful, but I couldn't stop at that point because I had so much time invested in it. The narrator was great. I'm not likely to buy any more in the series just because I was so disappointed by the last few hours. This isn't one I'm interested in listening to again either.

Crime writing on a different level

It is difficult for me to describe just how well this book is written. The character development, especially the description of Daniel Blank's slow descent into madness, is on a level of artistic excellence. I first read this book when published in the 70's, and I had forgotten just how good it was. Listening made me appreciate the book in a new way. It also makes one appreciate just how differently we access information in the day of the Internet. Read this novel. You will not be disappointed.

Excellent read

Excellent read- Edward X. Delaney is an awesome character. Good plot development and I look forward to the next in this series

Nice Foray back to Fiction

I'd been reading lots of true crime, bios, memoirs, etc. and was itching for something really good. Stumbled across this gem in the Audible files and was so happy to have done so! This book was a very well written crime novel. I would certainly recommend it to those who love the genre, but keep in mind that it isn't for the faint of heart. Not so much gory, as there are simply some themes that I was not expecting to take place in such a historical (40+ year old) novel. I'm sure by saying that I'm showing my age, but whatever. Who's nearly thirty, has two thumbs, and loves to read?
This girl!

Flawed Masterpiece

Where does The First Deadly Sin rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a beautiful, unforgettable novel that captures the challenges of a long time New York detective as he balances politics, the law and personal problems in his pursuit of a serial killer. Despite the description, this is an incredibly intuitive and thoughtful police procedural. Kind of the "Godfather" of police procedurals.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Very suspenseful: Lawrence Sanders makes the reader care about his characters - not just his main character - even his screwy villain. You want to know what happens to them.

What about Marc Vietor’s performance did you like?

The narrator's voice and delivery were perfect - very suited to true crime or suspense.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Lawrence Sanders captured my interest and imagination early in the narration. I have been looking forward to writing this review for a while now

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this novel, however, I have a few complaints. It may be misnamed: The title may be explained in the text version but I do not remember an explanation. Despite the length and detail, at times, things don't quite "ring true". Maybe this is simply a matter of it being dated. So much has changed, legally and otherwise, since this book was published.Still it is a glorious and wonderful - if flawed - masterpiece. Don't miss it!