I'd love to see other author's take up Sander's flag and keep our dauntless and debonair Archy alive. Lawrence Sanders, God bless 'im, lived a long and distinguished life. I salute him. But Archy, he's in his prime... he's too young to die. Florida has a bevy of talented, funny mystery writers. Wouldn't it be great if they got together for a tribute book? Archy deserves it!

I just finished The Tenth Commandment by Sanders. It was detailed, and had ambiance. I only wish that I knew NYC better--I've never been there, and his descriptions and directions around town mean nothing when you haven't been there. That would have made it a better read. Anyway, Joshus Bigg was a topnotch protagonist. The story was also top notched. Anybody have any views on this book?

I've been searching the web for biographical info about Lawrence Sanders. I'm really curious to know about his life. And about how he approached his writing. I'm not finding much, though. Someone ought to write his bio, and make it multi-media, with sound and video clips so we can see and hear him talking. Also, I wonder if he had children, and if any of them are writers. Please e-mail me at vegwriter@aol.com if you have any leads... Thanks, Judy

Ho Ho I'm on the library list for McNally's Folly. Anyone heard anything about it?

believe Vincent Lardo will continue the McNally series. he wrote the first one after Sanders' death. i had a similar reaction as Mark Chessler to Lardo when i first started the book. at that time, the knowledge of Sanders' death and of Lardo's taking up the task of writing convincingly like Sanders was fresh in my mind, and i read it with a bias. life intervened and i had to stop the book after only a few chapters. when i went back many, many months later and started it again, with less emotion over Sanders' demise and, thus, minus the bias, i found him convincing as Sanders' voice. don't know if anyone else will have a similar experience. it would be interesting to see if anyone unaware of Sanders' death read McNally's Dilemma (Lardo's book) and never noticed a difference.

always saw Archy as looking more like Tom Sellack (sp?); i've been in love with Archy since the first time i "met him;" but am happy he's only fiction, because he's such a CAD with women. but a charming and delightful cad! -Ani

In the McNally series, Archie quite often has a marc before retiring. I have being trying to figure out just what a marc is. Margarita? Some other drink? What? If you know, please enlighten me. I came up on the Internet meaning to locate Sander's home page so that I could email him to ask him, but as I just found out, I don't think my email will reach him. Just finished McNally's Trial and thought it was great! What a master of the language! John Gidusko gidusko@iag.net

Do you think Lardo has written some of Sanders' book before his death? I have had a suspicion that Sanders wasn't writing all of his novels; particularly considering his age and health and the frequency in which his books hit the bookstores. I loved the Archy series and hope Lardo will continue writing them.

"Dillema" was my first McNally, and immediatley secured the existing paperbacks. Nice to have an easy going series without all the "on screen" violence. As far as casting calls, well try BOLD&THE BEAUTIFUL,daytime soap my wife watches (and I catch on tape sometimes). Dan McVicar as Archie, Joseph Campenella as the senior McNally (his first name eludes me at the moment). Also, I can see where Lardo mightve had a hand in the earlier ones. But so what? Good is good.

A marc is a kind of drink from Provence, in southern France. My knowledge of it is pretty shaky, but from what I understand it's a brandy made from the pulp left over from winemaking. Peter Mayle does a great chapter on it in "Toujours Provence" (or maybe in "A Year in Provence", but I think it's in Toujours...). It can be pretty strong, I gather. ;)

Does anyone know why Lawrence Sanders stopped after the "Fourth Deadly Sin?" The secular world says there are seven deadly sins. Did he die before he completed anymore?