Archibald McNally
Created by Lawrence Sanders

The one-man publishing industry that was Lawrence Sanders created more than one interesting private eye. Laidback bonvivant ARCHIBALD MCNALLY was the last, but he was also one of the funnest.

Droll, detached Palm Beach twit "Archy" works as a private investigator for his patrician, august attorney father whose clientele consists of the rather weird and twisted denizens of that exclusive Florida community. It's yet another one of Sanders' detectives who cater to the rich and powerful, but in this series, the humour is played up. Sanders may have done this sort of thing before, but let's face it-nobody does it better. This series may be fluff, but dammit! It's fun fluff!

Readers are advised to also check out Sanders' other gumshoes, including Samuel Todd, Joshua Bigg, Dora Conti, Timothy Cone or, if you're in the mood for something a bit pulpier, try out some of his pre-Anderson Tapes stuff with Wolf Lannihan.

After Sanders' death in 1998, the question arose, half-jokingly, I think, as to whether Sanders, in fact, actually wrote the McNally books. The first McNally published post-humously, McNally's Dilemma (1999), has Sanders' name prominently displayed on the cover (and so has everyone since), but the copy right page reveals that someone named Vincent Lardo has been chosen by the family to continue the series. As one reader pointed out, "Lardo has either captured the style perfectly, or he wrote the earlier books, too."

And another reader of this site, Jim Roche, wrote to say "In fact, I believe Lawrence Sander's heir disputed the right of his publisher to continue to use his name when, in fact, the books were being written by Vincent Lardo. However, the litigation failed and the publishers proceeded with publication."

UNDER OATH

• "I just finished reading my first Sanders book - McNally's Caper - it was atrocious. I am stunned that he is so lionized. He was verbose, trite and annoying. At least there won't be more...."
  (Kippen1)
  "If Sanders is indeed "lionized," it's more for his pre-McNally books, which were, as I said, pure fluff. On the other hand, the Timothy Cone books, the Deadly Sin and Commandment series, and several of his stand-alones are big trashy reads that were also often surprisingly smart, and nowhere as dumb as they could have been. And as for the series coming to an end, well, it looks like the fat lady was just practising. She hasn't sung yet..."
  (Editor)
  .
• "I feel ripped off after buying the last book put out by whoever is writing or trying to write for Sanders. It took 250 pages before anything exciting happen it that book. I don't need 250 pages of what Archy is wearing or eating. What a sad disappointment after so many great ones."
  (Jim Callahan)

NOVELS

• McNally's Secret (1992)
• McNally's Luck (1992)
• McNally's Risk (1993)
• McNally's Caper (1994)
• McNally's Trial (1995)
• McNally's Puzzle (1996)
• McNally's Gamble (1997)
  
• by Vincent Lardo
• McNally's Dilemma (1999) . Buy this book
• McNally's Folly (2000) . Buy this book
• McNally's Chance (2001) . Buy this book
• McNally's Alibi (2002) . Buy this book
• McNally's Dare (2003) . Buy this book

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