McNally's Secret

Palm Beach denizen Archy McNally is the "son" of McNally and Son, Attorney-at-Law -- his father, Prescott, is the actual attorney at the head of the firm. Archy is the head and sole employee of the Discreet Inquiries department, which specializes in investigating cases that require a little more delicacy than a typical police investigation. In this first installment, Archy is tasked with investigating the disappearance of a block of four "Inverted Jenny" stamps from the home of one of the firm's wealthiest clients, Lady Cynthia Horowitz. Along the way, Archy gets himself into some romantic entanglements and finds out a few secrets he perhaps did not want to know.

The story is told in first person. Archy is a very droll fellow, almost show more congenitally incapable of being serious in his writing. Some may find it irritating (and I will concede that this is probably not something to be reading if you're feeling extremely grumpy), but behind that flippant exterior lies a sizeable intellect (he did go to Yale for a time) and a very kind heart. Even when he's riling his old man with his outlandish sartorial style, he addresses McNally Senior as "sir" and values his advice and wisdom. He is also candid about his errors and motives; at one point he finds out a piece of information but thinks his motives in divulging it would be selfish and not really serve a useful purpose.

The rest of the characters are just as colourful: his "Lord of the Manor" father, his doting mother, the staff at the Pelican Club, and the various eccentrics that people Palm Beach society. The tone is breezy and the mystery feels a bit more leisurely, partly because of the setting and partly because this was written in the early 1990s -- Archy states that the telephone directory is "a detective's best friend", which it is because the Internet, and particularly the Almighty Google, was not much of a force. Archy would probably be just as happy without it; like Aurelio Zen (of the Michael Dibdin novels), Archy is a touch old-fashioned and prefers a more low-tech approach to crime solving.

If you like light-hearted mysteries, especially those with a touch of sand, surf and glamour, give this one a try. show less

Archy McNally is one of my favorite characters in literature—he’s sort of like the Palm Beach version of Bertie Wooster, with a dash of Stephanie Plum-craziness thrown in for good measure.

After being kicked out of Yale Law School (for streaking while wearing a Richard Nixon mask) Archy goes to work for his father’s law firm, working in the Discreet Inquiries department. When the law firm’s wealthy clients don’t want their problems made public, Archy quietly investigates, often getting involved in the eccentricities of the rich and famous clients he’s trying to help.

This is the first book in the McNally series; the first case Archy works on involves a missing set of stamps belonging to Lady Cynthia Horowitz, one of the show more craziest, wealthiest Palm Beach residents of them all. To solve the case, Archy must interview numerous members of Lady H’s estate, while also working hand-in-hand with his friend, Sgt. Al Rogoff, of the Palm Beach PD.

The same cast of characters appear over and over again in the series, so reading the books is like visiting old friends (albeit wacky ones.) Archy loves to eat, his lengthy food descriptions pop up throughout the books (which, personally, I love) and his outrageous fashion sense, and his way with words and women (especially when compared to his stodgy father) give the book its charm.

A fun, fast-paced introduction to Archy McNally, his friends, and his over-the-top world. show less

The first seven books in the McNally series are charming piffle, just great for totally escapist reading. They were recommended to me by a dear friend this summer, when I was going through a difficult (and time consuming) time. All I wanted out of a book was diversion and distraction, and McNally provided it. That's just the first seven books, however ------- but let's ignore that warning note, and move ahead.

The Archie McNally series was created by Lawrence Sanders, who wrote many other crime novels and at least two other series. The McNally series, which he began late in his career, is said to be lighter and less violent than his other work: not having read his other work, I can't say, but the series is certainly light. The show more protagonist, Archie McNally, is the son of a Palm Beach lawyer, but is not himself a lawyer, having been kicked out of Yale Law for streaking. But he does work with his father, as the "Discreet Enquiries" department of his father's law firm. The enquiries involve the socially prominent and financially well heeled population of Palm Beach, where Archie is a fixture among the younger set. He is also a confirmed bachelor (because he likes his freedom), relentless womanizer (because he likes women), fop of the first order, and foodie of the first degree. And he is definitely an eccentric by today's standards -- he lives (quite happily) with Mum and Dad, and doesn't seem to mind in the least not being a roaring sucess. The mood is cheerful, the dialogue brisk, and the general ambiance somewhat Wodehousian.

This first novel in the series centers on the affairs (and assets) of Lady Cynthia Horowitz. Said plot thickens satisfactorily, and keeps the reader bobbing along at a respectable level of interest. Not great literature, but good fun. show less

I received a copy of this book from Open Road Media and Netgalley.
This is a re-issue of the first in the popular McNally mystery series by Lawrence Sanders.
I had not read any of these books, but have read Lawrence Sanders before.
Archy McNally lives in Palm Beach, works for his father, a prominent attorney. Archy still lives at home and is a notorious womanizer.
But, he has just met a woman that could change all that. However, his father has a job for him. The infamous Lady Horowitz has been robbed of a very rare collection of stamps worth around a quarter of a million dollars. She doesn't want to cops involved so Archy is to ask around discreetly. His inquiries lead to murder.
Archy finds himself in over his head in his love life and show more professional life.

This is a good start for the series. The humor is dry and the parody of Palm Beach high society is hilarious. But, the story was a little "wordy". There wasn't a great deal of action and we spent a little too much time on Archy's personal life than on the mystery. It was an enjoyable read. show less

This is a quick, enjoyable read. The main character is a likable rake. The other characters are all interesting and the story has enough twists to keep you going. I'll be interested to read more of the series and see where it goes.

The humor in this book is both silly and nerve wracking. When I read, “liar liar pants on fire “....I was totally done. Corn at its best. Thanks but no thanks. Give me Edward X. Delaney any day...he’s for mature adults.

3 STARS

This was a good mystery it kept me guessing. I really did not connect with any of the characters. Thats probably just me. Every character has good faults but mostly bad qualities stuck out for me. This is a clean read.

Archy works for his father a lawyer in Florida. He is sent into find out about a clients missing US. Stamps that had been stolen.
Her safe was not locked. Lady Cynthia Horowitz has been married six times and the stamps were part of a divorce settlement. A simalar set sold for a million dollars. Lady Cynthia is not a likeable person.

Most of the suspects are not either. While Archy is trying to discover if the stamps have been up for sale he finds a body. Now instead of just a theft their is a murder connected to show more it.

Archy keeps a lot of secrets from the police. His girl friend is thinking about her ex who gambles and just got out of prison.
Archy does not tell her what information he has about him. He wants him to be part of theft of the stamps.
Archy finds out a secret about his father but does not let him know that he knows either.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.
03/12/2013 PUB Open Road Integrated Media show less