![]() ![]() ![]() Of course, it is Archy who figures everything out but not soon enough: quite serious things happen, serious enough not to fit the light-hearted mood of this story.Īrchy in his role as the narrator is again using florid language full of cute periphrases, which to me is perhaps the best feature of McNally's novels. The case quickly grows to involve some serious crimes and really bad people even special agents of the FBI make their entrance. Obviously, Archy is the one to conduct his trademark discreet inquiries, alas this time he is burdened by having an apprentice helper: his acquaintance Binky Watrous needs a job. Sanders allows himself to chide the euphemism 'grief counselor', thank you!), who has noticed an unusual uptick in the company's business in recent months, and wants to make sure nothing illegal is going on. Fogarty, a high-level employee of a funeral-home chain (Mr. We are reminded that Archy is not a lawyer himself as he had been expelled from Yale Law for streaking naked across the Philharmonic stage in a Richard Nixon's mask: can one not love such a character? Lawrence Sanders comes to rescue and the always dependable Archy McNally, of McNally & Son, a debonair, gourmet, dapper, and a very manly private investigator responsible for conducting discreet inquiries in his fathers law firm. Enderby a rather dark and serious novel I decided it was time for some mindless entertainment and a pure leisure read. I hung on for dear life and, in addition to my pleasure, had the added delight of being a survivor." " I won't label as Rubenesque, but she was abundant and all the more stirring for it. The fun with this book isn’t trying to figure out who did what or why, it’s Archy’s joie-de-vie and high society ostentatiousness It seems that Oliver and this nefarious gentleman have been shipping caskets all over the country where they are picked up not by other funeral homes, but the same cartage service that happens to be owned by the same gangster.įorced to hobnob with the Palm Beach upper crust, Archy remains skeptical - he wears a puce beret - even though his own family dresses for dinner and suffers through repasts consisting of a cocktail hour, “shrimp and scallops sautéed with capers, roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes.” Oliver’s wife, Mitzi, falls for Binky, and then develops an unhealthy involvement with a local gangster. The patriarch, Horace, has left a controlling share in the family business to his dying wife, Sarah, and is in the midst of a battle with his son, Oliver, who wants to expand the business into a nationwide franchise. The Whitcomb Funeral Home situation is complicated. Archy, with the approval of his father, agrees to make some discreet inquiries. It seems they have been making obscene amounts of money - too many people have been dying - and she can’s understand why. He once wore spats over flip-flops to a beach barbecue.”) McNally has been approached by Sunny Fogarty, the nubile treasurer of Whitcomb Funeral Homes. ![]() I mean, he was the kind of numbskull who, informed that a friend had choked to death on a fish bone, was likely to inquire, ‘Broiled or sautéed?'” and “His sartorial sense is gravely retarded. (“It wasn’t that Binky was incapable of reasoning, but his gears had slipped a bit, just enough so his thinking was slightly skewed. McNally’s sidekick is Binky Watrous, supported by the Duchess, who is threatening to cut off Bink’s allowance, so, always wanting to be a P.I., he asks to work for McNally in this most amusing investigation. You do investigations for your father’s firm.” You’re single and live with your parents. ![]() You started out to be a lawyer but got kicked out of school. In a nutshell as described by the book’s bad guy, “ Your father is an attorney but doesn’t do litigation. McNally is the hedonistic quasi detective who handles discreet inquiries for his father, the prestigious Palm Beach lawyer. This was my first - not to be the last - Sanders. It’s pretty hard not to love a book that throws in such uncommon words such as hirsute, acumen, trichologist, inamorata, prolixity, and characters who confuse the Nutcracker with the famous Christmas ballet the Ballbreaker.”Īrchy McNally is sort of an American Jeeves, and I can envision David Case reading these books to perfection. ![]()
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