Pretty lame. The one thing it had going for it, a fairly novel murder mystery involving a carnival madame winding up dead in the middle of a hedge maze, is pretty much nullified by all of its weaker aspects, especially the plotting. My case in point: When I read a mystery, I want to read about the mystery. Period. I don't want to read paragraph after paragraph about what they had for dinner, or what scandalousness the sexy young man in the pool was wearing, which seemed to make up about one fourth of the book's content. Another three fourths or so consisted of scenes and character interactions that didn't have anything to do with anything, mystery or otherwise. For instance, in about the last twenty pages or so we accompany the character on a boat ride into the Caribbean so he and his friends can discuss rescuing a Cuban political activist. Spoiler? Nah. It has nothing to do with anything. Even if they had actually rescued said activist instead of just blabbing about it, it still wouldn't have had any bearing on the plot. I get the feeling that Vincent Lardo wrote this scene for a separate book and ended up cutting it out, but gosh darn it, he went to the trouble to write it, so he'd better use it somewhere. There are dozens of other scenes like this, including various character interactions that only serve to reinforce the fact that the characters are snots. In case, you know, you couldn't tell from the dinner descriptions. Which brings me to the characters. Almost every single one of them was an insufferable snot, including the main guy. Beyond that, I couldn't really tell one from another. There are, like, SIX wealthy, beautiful women in the story, not one of whom seemed to have any kind of distinct personality. I kind of found myself hoping for a Murder on the Orient Express-style ending where everyone, including the protagonist, was involved in the murder so they would all get put away. Sadly, this is not the case.
I really would like to know who thought that Vincent Lardo writes in the same manner as Lawrence Sanders...I get that they wanted to carry on the McNally franchise after Sanders death, but they should have let it die with it's creator. It isn't that Lardo is awful, he just gives a different vibe to Archy McNally. It's no longer like climbing into bed with an old friend, it's more like getting to know someone after they've made some kind of major life change. (And not necessarily a life change you agree with)
Do You like book McNally's Bluff (2005)?
Rather weak outing -- has Archy run his course ??We've enjoyed the entire Archy McNally series, including the seven by Sanders and the now six by Vincent Pardo writing for the estate. However, we have to agree with those feeling this is the lightest of the light. Most of these books have us hobnobbing with the rich (if not famous) in Palm Beach and the various happenings, sometimes including murder, that cause them to seek McNally's "discrete" private eye services. While solving a mystery that is usually not too violent and not too enigmatic, we get steady doses of Archy's love life, his lavish wardrobe, his gossip sessions at the family manse, his sparring with his father's secretary and the mailroom attendant (Binky) at work, and his sumptuous meals at the Pelican Club and other hangouts. All of these elements resurface in "Bluff"; but the underlying mystery is so light, and its conclusion so direct, that the book seems little more than an assembly of past storylines and character interactions. While using now rich ex-carny entertainers as the principals wasn't a bad idea, the plot, centering on the murdered "Venus", Marlena Marvel, found in a literal maze of bushes, otherwise just generated little or no suspense to carry off the 300-page hunt for a close-at-hand killer. Sometimes these continuing series novels run out of steam, especially after a dozen or so entries. We'd hope for a much better effort next outing, or else we'd recommend early retirement for our pal Archy.
—Jerry
Archy McNally, Discreet Inquirer, is attending the party of Palm Beach newcomer and former carnival owner, Matthew Hayes. The party involves finding one's way to the center of a maze.The goal in the center yields an unwelcome surprise in the form of Matt's dead wife, Marlena Marvel. It is almost impossible that she appeared as a performer and without anyone seeing a thing turns up dead in the centre of the maze.No one seems to have a motive but when more dead bodies turn up McNally must sift through the possible suspects and find the killer.A light-hearted read that is just pure fun. I love McNally's joie de vivre
—Dana
