What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadly Sins #5
The Fourth Deadly Sin
Lawrence Sanders's masterpieces, The First Deadly Sin, The Second Deadly Sin, and The Third Deadly Sin set a standard for today's novels of psychological suspense. Now, Sanders's hero, Captain Edward X. Delaney, returns to play mind games with a killer, and uncover the most shocking sin yet.
Author Biography: Lawrence Sanders, one of America's most popular novelists, was the author of more than twenty-two bestsellers.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
824 people are currently reading
740 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Sanders
160 books372 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Lawrence Sanders was the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty mystery and suspense novels. The Anderson Tapes, completed when he was fifty years old, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for best first novel. His prodigious oeuvre encompasses the Edward X. Delaney, Archy McNally, and Timothy Cone series, along with his acclaimed Commandment books. Stand-alone novels include Sullivan's Sting and Caper. Sanders remains one of America’s most popular novelists, with more than fifty million copies of his books in print. Also published as Mark Upton.
Lawrence Sanders was the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty mystery and suspense novels. The Anderson Tapes, completed when he was fifty years old, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for best first novel. His prodigious oeuvre encompasses the Edward X. Delaney, Archy McNally, and Timothy Cone series, along with his acclaimed Commandment books. Stand-alone novels include Sullivan's Sting and Caper. Sanders remains one of America’s most popular novelists, with more than fifty million copies of his books in print. Also published as Mark Upton.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
January 29, 2012
I liked his book but I do agree that it does not survive the passage of time. Mr Delaney's wife does not work. Hard for many to relate to that in this day and age. I also think that the author was fixated on sandwiches. I did find I was motivated to try a couple of the sandwiches and did not have the same dietary likes but again by the end of the story I was dying for a good sandwich from an authentic New York Deli -- not the pretend delis we have in Phoenix.
January 28, 2022
This is another terrific entry in the Deadly Sins series featuring Edward X. Delaney. Unfortunately, it’s the last.
Delaney is once again asked to return unofficially to the NYPD, this time to help investigate the murder of a prominent psychiatrist. There is huge political pressure to solve the case by the end of the year, but as usual, there are few clues. Delaney’s team scrutinizes a handful of potential suspects, but the investigation goes down to the wire.
The Fourth Deadly Sin, and the series as a whole, is somewhat outdated. I found myself thinking that some current technology, like cell phones and traffic cameras, would have been immensely helpful to the police. But that’s always the case with an older book. More problematic is some outdated, politically incorrect language referring to gays, minorities, and people with mental disabilities. For me, it was more annoying than overtly offensive, but other readers may have different reactions.
On the plus side, the story is very suspenseful, and Sanders kept me guessing along with the police about the outcome. Even though I know that the fourth deadly sin is envy, various suspects could have had that motive. As in the previous books in the series, the descriptions of the police investigation are detailed and meticulous. The characters are very well developed. A reader really gets to know Delaney and his wife, Monica, on a personal level. And the various suspects in the case are all fascinating characters and very different from one another.
Another plus is the book’s setting in Manhattan during the holiday season. Delaney loves the city, especially at that time of the year, and Sanders describes it with fondness. As someone who lived near New York City for most of my life and spent quite a bit of time there, those descriptions brought back some good memories.
Delaney is once again asked to return unofficially to the NYPD, this time to help investigate the murder of a prominent psychiatrist. There is huge political pressure to solve the case by the end of the year, but as usual, there are few clues. Delaney’s team scrutinizes a handful of potential suspects, but the investigation goes down to the wire.
The Fourth Deadly Sin, and the series as a whole, is somewhat outdated. I found myself thinking that some current technology, like cell phones and traffic cameras, would have been immensely helpful to the police. But that’s always the case with an older book. More problematic is some outdated, politically incorrect language referring to gays, minorities, and people with mental disabilities. For me, it was more annoying than overtly offensive, but other readers may have different reactions.
On the plus side, the story is very suspenseful, and Sanders kept me guessing along with the police about the outcome. Even though I know that the fourth deadly sin is envy, various suspects could have had that motive. As in the previous books in the series, the descriptions of the police investigation are detailed and meticulous. The characters are very well developed. A reader really gets to know Delaney and his wife, Monica, on a personal level. And the various suspects in the case are all fascinating characters and very different from one another.
Another plus is the book’s setting in Manhattan during the holiday season. Delaney loves the city, especially at that time of the year, and Sanders describes it with fondness. As someone who lived near New York City for most of my life and spent quite a bit of time there, those descriptions brought back some good memories.
February 25, 2017
This is the 2nd book I've read (not the same author) that dragged endlessly. If I can't give a book at least 3 stars, I don't review. The storyline was good, the characters I enjoyed, but the book could have easily been cut by 100 pages and still made sense. For this reason, I rate it 3 stars.
April 13, 2014
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
December 15, 2011
Edward X. Delaney is a retired cop drawn into one last case: a New York psychiatrist is brutally murdered and there are six suspects - the psychiatrist's six patients. I have to say that I enjoyed this book. I used to read a lot of Lawrence Sanders but got out of the habit. Now, I'm back in the habit again and looking forward to reading more soon. I give it an A!
December 11, 2017
Captain Edward X. Delaney, now retired NYPD Chief of Detectives, is asked by the current Chief to investigate a high-profile murder of a well-loved psychiatrist. That serves Delaney’s purpose as well, which is to keep his mind engaged in such thought-requiring endeavors.
For the uninitiated, this series really puts the “procedural” in “police procedural”. Capt Delaney is all about pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, double-checking alibis, interviewing and re-interviewing anybody and everybody who might have even the smallest tidbit of information to help him fill in the pieces of the puzzle. But due to the volume of work that all entails, in this novel, he knows he can’t do it alone. And because he is retired and no longer carries a badge, he asks for assistance in the form of two active cops/detectives that have worked with him before. The trail leads to a narrowed-down list of six patients of the murdered psychiatrist and so six more cops get assigned to the task force, each one to concentrate specifically on a single patient. That ends up being a lot of characters to juggle in one novel but Sanders pulls it off admirably. It helps that Delaney, at several points in the book, writes summaries of the facts so far and the remaining open questions he has, which of course leads to further action for his task force.
I’ve never been a cop but I suspect many major crimes are solved in the same way these books suggest. Rarely is it the genius of the sleuth that deduces the method of the crime and the identity of the criminal(s) by out-thinking the criminal’s attempts to get away with the perfect crime. Rather it is the relentless pursuit of every detail that yields results. And often, even then, there are no prosecutable results. Big city police departments never seem to have enough resources to spend so much time investigating a single murder so the author's choice to have his sleuth retired and able to spend all his time on the case works well.
The ending of this novel was bittersweet, not just because of the nature of the resolution of the case but for the realization that this is the final novel in the series. I shall not only miss Capt Delaney’s workmanlike approach to crime solving but also his penchant for creating mouthwatering sandwiches for himself and for his philosophical discussions with his wife on the nature of human behavior. Captain Edward X. Delaney remains one of my favorite literary characters.
For the uninitiated, this series really puts the “procedural” in “police procedural”. Capt Delaney is all about pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, double-checking alibis, interviewing and re-interviewing anybody and everybody who might have even the smallest tidbit of information to help him fill in the pieces of the puzzle. But due to the volume of work that all entails, in this novel, he knows he can’t do it alone. And because he is retired and no longer carries a badge, he asks for assistance in the form of two active cops/detectives that have worked with him before. The trail leads to a narrowed-down list of six patients of the murdered psychiatrist and so six more cops get assigned to the task force, each one to concentrate specifically on a single patient. That ends up being a lot of characters to juggle in one novel but Sanders pulls it off admirably. It helps that Delaney, at several points in the book, writes summaries of the facts so far and the remaining open questions he has, which of course leads to further action for his task force.
I’ve never been a cop but I suspect many major crimes are solved in the same way these books suggest. Rarely is it the genius of the sleuth that deduces the method of the crime and the identity of the criminal(s) by out-thinking the criminal’s attempts to get away with the perfect crime. Rather it is the relentless pursuit of every detail that yields results. And often, even then, there are no prosecutable results. Big city police departments never seem to have enough resources to spend so much time investigating a single murder so the author's choice to have his sleuth retired and able to spend all his time on the case works well.
The ending of this novel was bittersweet, not just because of the nature of the resolution of the case but for the realization that this is the final novel in the series. I shall not only miss Capt Delaney’s workmanlike approach to crime solving but also his penchant for creating mouthwatering sandwiches for himself and for his philosophical discussions with his wife on the nature of human behavior. Captain Edward X. Delaney remains one of my favorite literary characters.
November 15, 2020
Still thoroughly enjoy the Deadly Sin series. It's a bit dated in its attitude toward homosexuality, being stuck back in the 1980s and taking a cop's perspective. But, we don't want all writing to conform to all political correctness in that characters have their lives, their dissenting opinions, their differing viewpoints. The plot itself is quite good and the writing is still smooth, logical, well-crafted.
Read
June 1, 2024I couldn’t finish this. It dragged. I kept making myself go back and then I finally just realized it wasn’t going to work and that Sanders isn’t a good author for me.
August 12, 2020
My least loved Deadly Sins book. Edward's sandwiches got a little thin after the fourth or fifth reference, Abner Boone was not nearly as interesting as he was in Third Deadly Sin, and Jason Two was also a pale imitation of his former character. Both psychiatrists were fascinating, as was the beautiful, glamorous, brainy psychologist wife. But the plot, so tight and twisty in the other novels, feels flat here, and so does the reveal of the killer. OK, I'm stumped again: which deadly sin was this? I would have said "wrath", but I thought that was covered in Third. Logically, it should be envy, but was it?
February 4, 2013
Like many, I read this many years ago and remember thoroughly enjoying it. It was better than his others in the series imo and kept my attention until the end trying to figure out the killer. I don't think I got it right until close to the end, so that made it even a better read. I'd have to read it again, to see if my viewpoint is altered by progression of time, but I'd give it at least 3 stars even with a dated" feel to it.
September 20, 2017
If you think you know who did it when you are in the middle of the book, well you're wrong! But once you reach the last pages, you will think that you were so stupid to know who killed the doctor. It was so obvious, yet it never occurred to me.
Everyone should read at least a book by Lawrence Sanders in their life. The guy's writing is like a melody to my eyes!
Everyone should read at least a book by Lawrence Sanders in their life. The guy's writing is like a melody to my eyes!
September 1, 2015
engaging read; great character development, sound story line
August 6, 2017
The Best Bubble Gum Ever!
If you're tired of streaming or cleaning for the moment and need to pass some time, you won't go wrong with the four Deadly Sins series from Lawrence Sanders. I zip through all of them every other year, in sequence. They're great reads, and I've always pictured George C. Scott as Edward X. Delaney (Frank Sinatra in the movie version of the First in pretty insipid, but apparently he owned the rights).
The Fourth is the murder is Dr Simon Ellerbee, you get the usual palette of suspects, and retired Chief of Detectives gets his crew and does his stuff. If Hemingway wrote crime suspense set in NYC, it'd be like this. I love short descriptive sentences. Not sure I recall seeing "ears like slabs of veal" in this one. If you love New York, Mr Sanders captures its essence like a great musical conductor. The "Sins" series is the best, followed by the "Commandments." The Arch McNally stuff which followed that is okay, even though they kept the series going after Mr Sanders died in 1998. I just find that disrespectful. I only regret there wasn't a Fifth Deadly Sin.
If you're tired of streaming or cleaning for the moment and need to pass some time, you won't go wrong with the four Deadly Sins series from Lawrence Sanders. I zip through all of them every other year, in sequence. They're great reads, and I've always pictured George C. Scott as Edward X. Delaney (Frank Sinatra in the movie version of the First in pretty insipid, but apparently he owned the rights).
The Fourth is the murder is Dr Simon Ellerbee, you get the usual palette of suspects, and retired Chief of Detectives gets his crew and does his stuff. If Hemingway wrote crime suspense set in NYC, it'd be like this. I love short descriptive sentences. Not sure I recall seeing "ears like slabs of veal" in this one. If you love New York, Mr Sanders captures its essence like a great musical conductor. The "Sins" series is the best, followed by the "Commandments." The Arch McNally stuff which followed that is okay, even though they kept the series going after Mr Sanders died in 1998. I just find that disrespectful. I only regret there wasn't a Fifth Deadly Sin.
May 16, 2023
Edward X. Delaney, retired Chief of Detectives, NYPD, returns again to save the day and the rear end of his friend and former colleague Ivor Thorsen. Written in the mid-1980s, The Fourth Deadly Sin by Lawrence Sanders may not hold up well to today's cultural and societal mores. Certainly the attitude toward mental illness is treated more as an annoying joke to the point of embarrassment. But look past that and Fourth runs a competitive second behind Sanders's First Deadly Sin in holding one's attention and entertainment. It's tough to beat sandwich connoisseur and old school gumshoe Delaney as he peels away the trivial minutiae of evidence to pin down the killer. He has a special place as a not perfect, but better than the rest hero of contemporary crime fiction. The Deadly Sins series are the best among Sanders myriad works and the Fourth is near the top.
January 10, 2024
finished 9th january 2024 good read three stars i liked it part of a series t'would appear #5 deadly sins...the name of the lead character escapes me in this one he is retired from the nyc pd...includes a detailed and interesting take on the investigative process a murder of a well-known, connected, rich male...head doctor and sis of his patients lead the hit parade, a task force of detectives are assigned and they go through the list of six, repeated interviews, various means employed to discover motive means availability elimination so forth so on. interesting, too, the use of a claw hammer on the cover...when a ball peen hammer was the murder weapon. suggests a laziness and condescension typical of a certain breed of people. third, i believe, from sanders and he has quite a pile available.
July 31, 2021
What a incredibly different style of writing/ characters from McNally's Puzzle! I was enthralled by the first chapter, yet found it dark and depressing given of setting... mid 80's in NYC. After reflecting on this dated novel, I realized that this was back when NYC was really a crime and drug haven. Not that NYC has changed, however the details of the brownstones and tenement buildings gives precedence to how bad it was back then.
It also made me realize that this was most likely how Donald Trump made his living with his father collecting rent from these places. I enjoyed the novel but I am also so glad I never had the chance to live there, my parents came very close to moving to Harlem back in the mid 70's, and thank the Lord it never happened.
It also made me realize that this was most likely how Donald Trump made his living with his father collecting rent from these places. I enjoyed the novel but I am also so glad I never had the chance to live there, my parents came very close to moving to Harlem back in the mid 70's, and thank the Lord it never happened.
February 6, 2024
This book is a who dunnit where a retired detective steps in to help his former department solve a murder. Sure, it's not a new concept, but with believable characters and a reasonable breadcrumb trail of clues a who dunnit can be a fun read.
Unfortunately, The Fourth Deadly Sin is populated by police detectives who behave so unrealistically and a protagonist who ignores the obvious until the closing moments of the investigation that my only reason to finish the book was to confirm that the obvious perpetrator was, indeed, the "who" of the who dunnit. After all, had I been wrong but not finished the book, I might have been the one who overlooked a key bit of evidence.
So little care has been put into this book that even the cover image is wrong.
Unfortunately, The Fourth Deadly Sin is populated by police detectives who behave so unrealistically and a protagonist who ignores the obvious until the closing moments of the investigation that my only reason to finish the book was to confirm that the obvious perpetrator was, indeed, the "who" of the who dunnit. After all, had I been wrong but not finished the book, I might have been the one who overlooked a key bit of evidence.
So little care has been put into this book that even the cover image is wrong.
April 27, 2020
The beauty of Sanders in this series is his ability to capture the characters of people consistent with those of the time and place. His description of his setting of New York, Manhattan Island, in that era evokes memories sufficient to make the aromas of a real delicatessen come back to those who were familiar with them. His main character, Edward X. Delaney, hues very closely to the patterns of thinking and ways of living that many men of his generation and that locale had. Viewed through his eyes his wife, as well is strikingly familiar. Credit the author for putting us in the head of the man, and preserving his type and a way of life for time.
March 1, 2020
I had forgotten about the deadly sins books by Sanders until one showed up on sale on Book Bub. It's definitely a bit dated, but you can still see why they were popular. The book is a bit too long and the ending is obvious. Nevertheless it was fun visiting with detective Edward X Delaney and his obsession with sandwiches. Does anyone know what the X stood for? When I was reading it I kept picturing Frank Sinatra who played the character in a movie made on one of the books.
April 19, 2022
Very interesting crime novel. The strategies and the investigative work shed light on how detectives go about putting a case together. Very complete and interesting descriptions of the suspects and the investigators. The structured designed to show how the an investigator tries to balance his work load and his family life is well done. What could have been a boring recitation was lively and well constructed.
October 7, 2018
Another great story
Sanders delivers another murder mystery convoluted and complex with no clue of the perpetrator of motive. Only our hero Edward X. Delaney has the skill to bring the killer in and save the day. Figuring out who did it is a lot of fun for the reader. Figuring it out before Delaney is the challenge. ☺
Sanders delivers another murder mystery convoluted and complex with no clue of the perpetrator of motive. Only our hero Edward X. Delaney has the skill to bring the killer in and save the day. Figuring out who did it is a lot of fun for the reader. Figuring it out before Delaney is the challenge. ☺
February 16, 2020
Enjoyed reading the fourth and last installment of the "Deadly Sins" series by Lawrence Sanders. This who-done-it holds the readers attention as Edward X. Delaney is brought out of retirement to try and solve the murder of a highly respected psychologist/therapist. With little in the way of clues, the case concentrates on the doctor's most volatile patients. The problem is any of them could have been the murderer. Delaney works with the other two members of the team in search of clues leading to the killer.
Written at a time when there were no cell phones nor multiple security cameras, The Fourth Deadly Sin is a quick and enjoyable read that will have you trying to figure out the identity of the killer.
Written at a time when there were no cell phones nor multiple security cameras, The Fourth Deadly Sin is a quick and enjoyable read that will have you trying to figure out the identity of the killer.
April 8, 2020
Reread, as a diversion from trying times. Does a very good job of detailing the (often) tedious work that is “police procedures.” A pretty good mystery, too. But it is definitely dated. Perhaps the best part is the description of the various “wet” sandwiches our hero ex-cop eats while hunched over the kitchen sink.
May 1, 2022
Not a page turner, but a good solid book that Sanders writes. This is the fourth book with the main character of retired NYC former chief of Detectives Edward Delaney.
Evolves around the murder of a prominent Physiatrist with more than a fair share of suspects. Delaney is pulled into the murder by his friend and now Chief of the NYC Police.
The book moves from suspect to suspect with Delaney putting all the pieces together for a surprise ending. Very good read, well worth your time.
Evolves around the murder of a prominent Physiatrist with more than a fair share of suspects. Delaney is pulled into the murder by his friend and now Chief of the NYC Police.
The book moves from suspect to suspect with Delaney putting all the pieces together for a surprise ending. Very good read, well worth your time.
September 1, 2022
Edward Delaney is a good old fashioned cop brought back to work to solve a high profile murder in New York. The book was first published in 1985 and is therefore a little dated in crime solving. No one has mobile phones and police are playing a little loose with the rules. Concentrating on just 6 of the psychiatrist’s patients seemed a little bizarre too. But for all that a good read.
April 1, 2024
This is the last book in the series of deadly sins. This is also the only book that I have read in the series. I am not planning on reading any others. The story left me high and dry. I could not get into the story. A policeman is pulled into an investigation. The ensuing story as about solving the investigtion.
January 28, 2019
Another really good Lawrence Sanders book. I love his books and have promised myself to read every one of them. The character development is deep and even amusing (Delaney's food choices, detective attire, etc). The mystery kept me engaged throughout the book.
January 8, 2020
I've read all of Sanders's Deadly Sins novels. For me, set in NYC as they are, all are excellent with interesting characters, intriguing, intricate plots, and of course, NYC with all of its wonderful nuances. Well done, LS, and thank you.
February 4, 2020
Very well written police procedural
An old style police procedural with plenty of the usual elements: no apparent suspects, then too many, then ratiocination to find the guilty person. Now I’m keen to explore the rest of this series.
An old style police procedural with plenty of the usual elements: no apparent suspects, then too many, then ratiocination to find the guilty person. Now I’m keen to explore the rest of this series.
March 31, 2020
Satisfying to the very end!
Another excellent read in the Delaney series, perfect balance of crime details, food, family life and the need for justice. The author has the genre nailed. Great job!
Another excellent read in the Delaney series, perfect balance of crime details, food, family life and the need for justice. The author has the genre nailed. Great job!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews