What do you think?
Rate this book
Guilty Pleasures
The best-selling author of The Deadly Sins series and the Archy McNally mysteries journeys from the Florida Everglades to the heights of the New York corporate world as he explores the history of the Folsby family and reveals the dark secrets that could destroy their empire. Simultaneous.
2 pages, Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1998
8 people are currently reading
247 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 57 reviews
December 15, 2013
All of the author's books that I have read have given me great pleasure, barring Guilty Pleasures. Pointless, plot-less, and disappointing, this book was published after Lawrence's death. Avoid it.
August 29, 2016
I picked up this old novel by Lawrence Sanders because I used to read him years ago. This takes place in the late 70's and revolves around a rich publisher, Emmett Folsby, his deteriorating, but he states "beloved" wife, and their two grown children, both young adults. His son runs a big part of his business, and his daughter Barbara Ann is graduating from college, and calls her father "Em." It isn't long before the reader realizes that father and daughter are in a sexual relationship and have been since she was 17, by mutual consent.
After the reader is aware of that, it goes on to the gay son and his sexual prowess, and that was when I'd had enough.
I didn't like any of the characters, so why go on? Not that I'd had much of a chance to get to know them before the incest was brought into the "story" and calling it a story is a stretch. I got only 65 pages into it, and threw it in the trash, where it belonged.
After the reader is aware of that, it goes on to the gay son and his sexual prowess, and that was when I'd had enough.
I didn't like any of the characters, so why go on? Not that I'd had much of a chance to get to know them before the incest was brought into the "story" and calling it a story is a stretch. I got only 65 pages into it, and threw it in the trash, where it belonged.
March 12, 2018
I used to read a lot of Lawrence Sanders books back in the 80’s, like the “Deadly Sins” or “The Passion of Molly T” or “The Marlow Chronicles”, and I thought I’d find the same suspense as with those back then. But Guilty Pleasures was a disappointment. I felt that I was reading a Harold Robbins book, or a Jackie Collins. Nothing wrong with those books but I guess I grew out of them. I expected a bit more plot in a Lawrence Sanders book than this materialistic, incestuous, lusty, and not enough corruption to put it into the description. I couldn’t wait for to finish it. And what the description calls for “a trusted family friend quietly manipulating”, the motive is not even big enough for the manipulation.
Unfortunately, I am not going to spend much time describing the story of the book. Concurrently, I am reading another book of his, McNally’s dilemma, that I didn’t notice it was written by Vincent Lardo, with Lawrence Sanders name on the book. I am not too crazy about that either, but I will finish it, so that I can see where it takes me.
Unfortunately, I am not going to spend much time describing the story of the book. Concurrently, I am reading another book of his, McNally’s dilemma, that I didn’t notice it was written by Vincent Lardo, with Lawrence Sanders name on the book. I am not too crazy about that either, but I will finish it, so that I can see where it takes me.
October 14, 2014
I've always been a fan of early Lawrence Sanders and I came across this one that I hadn't yet read. This was pretty standard stuff - the story of people with power and money behaving badly. However, for me there were a few very nice descriptions of chronic illness which rang incredibly true to me -
" She had long ago given up trying to describe to family members and friends her physical weakness, mental confusion, and emotional inconstancy. They were all sympathetic, sincere in their concern for her condition, eager to assist in any way they could. But healthy others-even the doctor-simply did not know. They lived in a charged world of action and desire. She existed in a universe of fatigue and apathy where no one else dwelt." and
"'Are you always in pain?'
'Not so much as weakness, perpetual weariness, a truly terrible lassitude."
" She had long ago given up trying to describe to family members and friends her physical weakness, mental confusion, and emotional inconstancy. They were all sympathetic, sincere in their concern for her condition, eager to assist in any way they could. But healthy others-even the doctor-simply did not know. They lived in a charged world of action and desire. She existed in a universe of fatigue and apathy where no one else dwelt." and
"'Are you always in pain?'
'Not so much as weakness, perpetual weariness, a truly terrible lassitude."
June 4, 2011
* "Guilty pleasures" by Lawrence Sanders is the story of a wealthy Florida family publishing firm in the heyday of AIDS deaths, civil and women's lib. Maybe this was supposed to snapshot history, but everyone seems to get older trapped in their times. After mother-business partner falls to multiple sclerosis, the father Emmet and sexy driven daughter Barbara start to sleep together [until the invalid's suicide]. The lazy hedonistic brother is convinced to marry and procreate by his male lover. Family adviser pushes the son of his black housekeeper-lover to politics [and forces off the older Barbara when Em retires to his yacht. Never to return? Disappointing ending.]
January 6, 2014
I used to read Lawrence Sanders all the time, but this was a new one for me, and it was horrible! It was very dated, (books written in the 80's and 90's don't necessarily have to read as "dated" but this one surely did. It was perverted, ridiculous, and the ending made me think there must be another book, as I had questions on just about every character. I was desperate for a book, what can I say. Don't waste your time. He "mailed it in" on this book, I could not decide if it was his first or last attempt, or if his 14 year old wrote it under his name. Awful!
September 22, 2012
A friend gave me this book after she finished reading it on a plane. Thank goodness I didn't pay for it or I would have been really angry. I didn't like any of the main characters, None were without self serving and downright unpleasant ulterior motives. This book, in my estimation, had no redeeming value. I've enjoyed other books by Lawrence Sanders, but this book was horrid enough to make me not want to ever read another thing that he has written.
September 9, 2021
I have read a number of Lawrence Sanders books and their always seems to be a certain amount of deviant sex. This book was no exception. The majority of the book was about the relationships between father and children, siblings and their lovers. I enjoyed the book, although not as good as some of Lawrence Sanders books.
May 1, 2011
Having read a virtual smorgasbord of books across all spectrum of subjects, I happened into a copy of Ms. Hamilton's GUILTY PLEASURES on the recommendation of a friend ... and I have to admit that I don't understand what all of the fascination is about.
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter (which she really isn't, by her own admission), goes about her business of serving the living and the dead, as the world has descended into a place where even zombies can have a Congressional lobby. While this might seem a bit of fun for some readers, I found the humor to be lost on a style that's all to reminiscent of the FLETCH series of books.
If Ms. Hamilton accomplishes anything with tremendous depth here, it is to underscore that the seminal rule taught by high school grammar teachers everywhere ("do NOT write sentences in fragments") doesn't apply to hot-selling authors, as GUILTY PLEASURES is easily 65% fragments. It's not so much style as it is 'smartass,' and, after a while, I found it more distracting than inventive.
Still, the characters are lively drawn, if not derivative of works elsewhere. Anita Blake is a wonder to behold ... or not, depending upon what your tastes in a woman are.
Minimally, I think Anne Rice and the fine folks behind BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER might feel '...' if they were to happen across these GUILTY PLEASURES.
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter (which she really isn't, by her own admission), goes about her business of serving the living and the dead, as the world has descended into a place where even zombies can have a Congressional lobby. While this might seem a bit of fun for some readers, I found the humor to be lost on a style that's all to reminiscent of the FLETCH series of books.
If Ms. Hamilton accomplishes anything with tremendous depth here, it is to underscore that the seminal rule taught by high school grammar teachers everywhere ("do NOT write sentences in fragments") doesn't apply to hot-selling authors, as GUILTY PLEASURES is easily 65% fragments. It's not so much style as it is 'smartass,' and, after a while, I found it more distracting than inventive.
Still, the characters are lively drawn, if not derivative of works elsewhere. Anita Blake is a wonder to behold ... or not, depending upon what your tastes in a woman are.
Minimally, I think Anne Rice and the fine folks behind BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER might feel '...' if they were to happen across these GUILTY PLEASURES.
September 16, 2019
I've read other books by Lawrence Sanders that were much more interesting and better written.
There are 10 characters in this story and only three of them aren't having some type of sex! One of the three is dying, another is a faithful wife, and the third is a scorned woman.
The father is having sex with the daughter, the husband of the married woman is bi-sexual and has a male lover, the daughter is having sex with almost everyone else, etc.!
Even though the story was written in 1998 everyone is smoking cigarettes, drinking heavily, and trying to take what they can from someone else. Whites have black lovers, blacks have white lovers as though this should shock the reader, something that has been happening for centuries.
The premise of the story is good but not well developed and somehow with all that's going on everyone ends up being just where they should be and with just what they should have.
There are 10 characters in this story and only three of them aren't having some type of sex! One of the three is dying, another is a faithful wife, and the third is a scorned woman.
The father is having sex with the daughter, the husband of the married woman is bi-sexual and has a male lover, the daughter is having sex with almost everyone else, etc.!
Even though the story was written in 1998 everyone is smoking cigarettes, drinking heavily, and trying to take what they can from someone else. Whites have black lovers, blacks have white lovers as though this should shock the reader, something that has been happening for centuries.
The premise of the story is good but not well developed and somehow with all that's going on everyone ends up being just where they should be and with just what they should have.
January 4, 2011
Depravity is alive and well. First there's the incestuous father and daughter. Then there's the gay men who marry but continue their love affair. Then there's a power struggle for the father's company between siblings. Then the interracial affair that has to be a secret because of his burdgeoning political ambitions. Sordid, but interesting.
February 18, 2009
I used to read and like Sanders' 'Deadly Sins' and 'Commandment' books but I have been disappointed in many of his later novels. This is the worst one yet. It wasn't a Pleasure to read, but I did almost feel guilty reading it. HORRIBLE DISAPPOINMENT to me.
October 3, 2012
Hmmm.... incest, homosexuality, power, ambition, secrets, lies, forbidden affairs,deception.... OK-ish! Failed to live up to wht I had expected of a Lawrence Sanders' work... after reading his Archie series!!
October 24, 2014
This was not a book for me. I did finish it, with the hope that I would like it better towards the end. No such luck. Sex. Power. Scandal. Yes, all of that. Just done in a way that I found a little distasteful.
October 8, 2016
Like a boat moving so slowly across the waters that it doesn't even cause a ripple, this is a book in which absolutely nothing happens.
February 10, 2019
Another waste of time. Selfish, spoiled, & deviant “upper crust” white folk taking up space in the world.
May 27, 2020
Not one of my favorites. The storyline was just a series of disjointed tales of sex, and not even good sex. Disappointed there was no drama.
September 8, 2020
Immoral behaviors. Long suffering account to get to the final couple chapters and then boom, it’s done. I have read a lot of books and this is my least liked.
February 14, 2021
Worst ending to a book. It's like the author just gave up.
May 23, 2025
I first discovered this author through his first 6 Archy McNally books--I found his protagonist to be someone I could completely understand and loved all of them. Even the ones that Lardo did after it were still interesting, but not as well written. But still thoroughly enjoyable.
From there, I ventured to the first 2 "Iron Balls" stories, The Anderson Tapes and The First Deadly Sin were enjoyable police procedurals. The first was a difficult read, seeing as how it's all transcripts of tapes and letters, etc. The second made for a good mystery, though.
But Guilty Pleasures? I'm not quite sure how to explain this. There are at least 10 different perspectives of what this is about, and each character is completely rife with flaws. Plot lines involve sibling rivalry, racism, incest (yes, I said that) adultery, gay sex...the list could go on and on. I figured out that know matter how I'd hope it would end, it would be a disappointment. But it did make for an easy, quick read, one that I really couldn't wait to see how it all went down.
Between those first 2 books and the McNally stories, there are quite a few novels that I've never read. And I think Sanders knew this book would be his last one, and may have hurried it up a bit for that reason. But it's such a jumbled mixture of m1sogynistic, back-stabbing, closed doors business deals, coupled with attitudes towards sex that most people would be appalled by them, that I don't really know what Sanders was trying to accomplish here. Those of you who've read other of his works, but not this one, might be better advised to stay away.
I just wish there had been more Archy McNally books.
From there, I ventured to the first 2 "Iron Balls" stories, The Anderson Tapes and The First Deadly Sin were enjoyable police procedurals. The first was a difficult read, seeing as how it's all transcripts of tapes and letters, etc. The second made for a good mystery, though.
But Guilty Pleasures? I'm not quite sure how to explain this. There are at least 10 different perspectives of what this is about, and each character is completely rife with flaws. Plot lines involve sibling rivalry, racism, incest (yes, I said that) adultery, gay sex...the list could go on and on. I figured out that know matter how I'd hope it would end, it would be a disappointment. But it did make for an easy, quick read, one that I really couldn't wait to see how it all went down.
Between those first 2 books and the McNally stories, there are quite a few novels that I've never read. And I think Sanders knew this book would be his last one, and may have hurried it up a bit for that reason. But it's such a jumbled mixture of m1sogynistic, back-stabbing, closed doors business deals, coupled with attitudes towards sex that most people would be appalled by them, that I don't really know what Sanders was trying to accomplish here. Those of you who've read other of his works, but not this one, might be better advised to stay away.
I just wish there had been more Archy McNally books.
October 17, 2020
A soapy tale following the exploits of the Folsby clan for over two decades. Set in South Florida, this Southern Gothic tale pulls no punches, and leaves nothing to the imagination as carnality flows across the pages as the family of a publishing empire lives their lives under the public eye, while keeping their private secrets and lifestyles to themselves.
August 6, 2018
A slightly drier, less intriguing book from LS than his usual type of story but an interesting read nonetheless. The story of a wealthy family in Florida, their love affairs and lives. Good writing as always from LS and an easy-to-read book.
November 17, 2021
This does not feel like a Lawrence Sanders book, it was not interesting, and the focus on a 5 year incestuous relationship between 22 year old daughter and dad is just gross. I stopped reading this and don't recommend that you start reading it.
February 1, 2022
This may be the worst waste of time reading a book I have ever experienced. There is no plot. There is no story. I am going to try one more Sanders book hoping this was written when he was being prodded by his publisher to just put out some trash. Don't waste your time reading this.
February 3, 2022
This book was so different compared to the Deadly Sins series. Reminded me so much of Jackie Collins whom I love. This novel is full of lies, cheating, deceit, scandal which I love. It was good read.
September 10, 2019
Lawrence Sanders at his finest!
July 3, 2021
Read in 1998. Lust, corruption and power.
August 14, 2021
Twisted but a great read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2022
A plotless novel that seems to exist purely so that the word 'tawdry' will remain relevant.
April 21, 2022
A tad odd, no real suspense,but thoroughly readable. I just hope this isn't the last of his books (he recently died). I really missed Archie McNally while reading this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews