Product Description

When bestselling romance author Sabrina Wright asks for Archy McNally's help in finding her missing husband, Archy is quick to write it off as a simple domestic case. But this one's a page-turner of the first order: Sabrina's daughter ran off, she sent her husband to find her, and now they're both missing in action.

If only Sabrina hadn't told her adopted daughter that she really is her natural mother. That sent daughter looking for father, a Palm Beach blueblood who paid Sabrina handsomely for his anonymity. So it's up to Archy to find the fugitive family members before local gossips get wind of the story-and start pointing fingers at some of Palm Beach's most prestigious names.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #343653 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-06
• Released on: 2002-08-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Library Journal
Listen up, because this is complicated: Sanders stalwart Archy McNally is contracted by Sabrina Wright to look for her missing husband, who turns out not to be her husband and not the real missing person. That's Sabrina's daughter, born out of wedlock, put up for adoption, adopted by her own mother, and now looking for her real father somewhere in Palm Beach. Then Sabrina turns up dead. And that's just for starters. Note, in addition, the tricky double billing. Publishing can make for strange bedfellows.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Adam Henderson sounds like a playfully energetic Roddy McDowell, occasionally even like Tallulah Bankhead! If you liked McDowell's campy rendition of Rex Brewster in Agatha Christie's EVIL UNDER THE SUN, you'll find this audiobook to be pure ear candy. The decadent mega-rich Palm Beach bluebloods make their usual appearances. And although Archy does not settle down for his usual evening of listening to Ella Fitzgerald in his kimono, although the usual flirting with Mrs. Trelawny has became snide insults, although the plot isn't very challenging-Adam Henderson's reading is so over the top that you have to smile the whole time, "pinkled tink" by the whole megillah. K.A.T. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

The New York Times Book Review
Archy McNally is a raffish combination of Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles and P.G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster.

Customer Reviews

Tenderizing Stew Paints Meaty Character Portrait, "Beauty Lies Here, Somewhere. Slurp."
In McNally's CHANCE Lardo definitely had Archy down and strutting with the same wit and charm which Sanders conjured in the pilot to this series, McNally's SECRET. I was instantly mesmerized by Lardo's opening detailing of The Character of a famous female romance novelist, Sabrina Wright; her evolving situation held my interest with no lulls allowed.

I was still noticing a slight edge of anger to Lardo's Archy (in this 3rd novel from Lardo, 10th in the series) which I hadn't felt with Sanders' version of the man, but the edgy persona continued to work well. I also noticed that some of the characters which Lardo seemed to warm least to, Connie and The Pater, were downplayed or absent through most of this plot.

With Prescott McNally on a cruise with his wife, Archy was set up to make his own decisions about to take or not to take on a client, and in all cases he resisted, through his own terms and qualms. In prior novels, especially those authored by Sanders, Archy's father usually assigned clients to his son (often after dinner, in the "Dickens" den). In this sense, I noticed again the control factor mentioned in my review of DILEMMA which had Archy more at the helm of his life, instead of flowing with it in a sort of Huckleberry Finn style, which Sanders' Archy seemed to do.

This being the third offering from Lardo, I've become adapted to the intenser masculinity in Lardo's Archy, so I was automatically able to flow easily with the mood in CHANCE. Interest in the plot, which successfully attempted a few unique twists and tangs from the norm in detective novels, was maintained steadily at a pleasantly satisfying level. As Sanders had done, Lardo toyed with female types and Archy's automatic responses to them, along with his failed efforts to resist their intrigues and remain faithful to Connie, an effort which was beginning to chafe ominously in CHANCE (if not before).

I was impressed that Archy didn't fall into Sabrina's feminine "spells." In fact, I found it surprisingly refreshing that he maintained a sort of sexual distance this novel. His libido was noticeably dormant during the first half of the story (but not in the last half, in which he didn't have the last laugh). I enjoyed Archy's warm exchanges with Binky, Al, Jamie, Ursi, and the Pettibones, along with the subplot tangles among these characters and the ones new to CHANCE.

However, the subtle, intriguing discontent I sensed in Archy here made me wonder if Lardo may have had a surge of feeling the drain of taking over another author's program, instead of flying on one of his own creations. I empathize with Lardo, as I also admire the skill and dedication with which he's handled this series so far. Selfishly, I'm thankful that I've been able to easily enjoy each novel in this series, and the transition to Lardo's "show" was not only easy, but gave fascinating opportunities to observe this type of take-over situation between two authors holding a paradox of distinctly different, yet somewhat similar personalities and writing styles.

I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping to see evidence soon that Vincent Lardo's almost finished with a new Archy McNally novel, which would be # 14 (Lardo's # 7). At least I have 3 more to go prior to any onset of panic prefacing a second grieving for Archy's demise. Luckily, this series is rich enough to be reread, with possibly more satisfaction than the first time around.

Linda Shelnutt

The best yet inspite of its faults.
This one is probably the best read in the entire McNally series to date. The ending is a bit weak in one or two places, Archie is a little too taken by Bianca Courtney, and I doubt we will hear much more about Henry Peavy, but the book is still a great read. Read, enjoy and savor.

Awful addition to a once great series
Like many out there, I fell in love with the McNally books, due to the fun mystery plots and the characters within. However it has gotten "tired." This is part to Lawrence Sanders's death as well as Vicent Lardo's repeated sequels. I find in this latest book, not much enjoyable. It is so hard to put this into words, but with the mystery was lackluster and the characters so two dementional I had to actually "plod" through this book. Thankfully many authors, upon their death, have their characters die with them and I think that is as it should be. I trust like other series characters written in Sanders's life time (Edward X. Delany to name one) that Lardo decide to allow Mr. McNally to go, instead of dying a slow painful death on the stage of his books.