I read THE FIRST DEADLY SIN as a college student in the late 80's. Sanders hooked me with the irascible Captain Edward X. Delaney's method of catchin..Show More »g the bad guy and his gourmet sandwiches. Having read the book I can say that Marc Vietor brings Delaney to life, giving the listener the feel of watching Delaney work, as if everything is viewed through a camera. The first several hours of this audio book contains no murder, not even a hint of what's to come. All that time is devoted to a thorough look at Daniel Blank-his life and his strange sexual perversions. This setup is important, but when murder comes, it is swift and violent. Delaney is referred to by one of his acquaintance as a "bookkeeper" which is exactly what he is. He collects data, tiny pieces, reviews it and enters the information in his journal of the crime. Adding everything up and coming up with balance. Yes, a bookkeeper. And a great sandwich maker.

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I liked this story and the shorter length was about right. My only complaint is that I was awaiting one final twist that never occurred. It made sense..Show More » to me if "envy" is the sin referred to. As it turned out, the "perp" seemed more to suffer from avarice. Maybe the numbering system for the sins varies. All that nonsense aside, we once again had great character development and a well-conceived plot. If you enjoyed the first, you will enjoy the second. I'll keep listening.

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Psychological thrillers don't get better than this. The Deadly Sin series always cares deeply about its characters and Sanders takes considerable time..Show More » making sure they appear as real, breathing human beings. But the third book in the series is a masterpiece by itself. You do not need to be a Sanders fan - or even a previous reader of this series - to enjoy it thoroughly.

Written ten years before Aileen Wuornos embarked in her deadly killing spree, Sanders predicts the first female serial killer in American history and tries to imagine what she might be like. Her descent into madness is fascinating and horrifying to watch, as is the methodical Edward X. Delaney as he chases her.

Though Wuornos was not nearly the type of killer that Sanders creates in the "Hotel Ripper", this is a wonderful, intellectual and satisfying read.

Buy it now. You'll thank me later.

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I loved every minute of the entire Deadly Sin series and this book is no exception. A terrific mystery (better, I would say than the other whodunnit, ..Show More »the Second Deadly Sin) it examines the multitude of methods detectives use in cracking a case or a suspect. The murder is interesting and as always, Delaney is a great character to watch investigate it.

The only downside to reading this book is the knowledge that Sanders never finished the series. It ends with this book and for that reason I would recommend buying this book AND one of the earlier ones, preferably the First Deadly Sin, so you can understand the style of writing that Sanders engaged in. Three deadly sins remain, and the only killer to this books satisfaction is that Sanders didn't examine them with his wit, his passion and his thrilling style like he did with this (and the other three) books.

It's a masterful series, one you should read. I only wish it was complete.


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