This was a fun re-read. It is a bit disconcerting now, though, to read this and be so much closer to Archy’s age, because I first read this as a teenager and consequently I still think of Archy as way older than me. Because this first came out in 1996, some elements are a bit dated in 2023, namely the technology—computers are only just coming into use at McNally and Son, and the province of tech folks and administrative personnel rather than Papa Prescott (who technically has a computer, but his aides use it, and the password is “McNally”). And in terms of the family unit, this is the book in which Hobo, the extremely smart terrier, joins the family. Although Archy is by no means a boy detective, I always picture Hobo looking like Milou/Snowy from the Tintin series. And Prescott displays more of a sense of humour in this installment. I don’t doubt that he has one, but he makes it more evident in this book (much to Archy’s confusion). ( )

Private investigator takes on the deadliest puzzle of his career.

I enjoyed the comedy in the book, but wished there was more. I think the book was set in the early 1990's, but the main character, Archibald McNally, seemed to have lived pre-1950. I kept googling names he kept dropping that I did not recognize: Edith Piat, Edgar Guest, Ronald Coleman, Juan Belmonte, Busby Berkeley, Joan Blondell, and Ann Sheridan to name a few. All were active before Archy would have been born. Lawrence Sanders made Archy well educated. He kept using words I did not recognize, and I googled them too. Even with all the stopping to google to get information, I enjoyed the story and probably will read more by this author.
366 members; 3.49 average rating; 12/30/2015 ( )

Enjoyable as usual. Made me hungry as always. Needed more of Consuela to keep Archy in line. The inimitable Binky makes another appearance -- an enjoyable dolt. Not one of Sander's best, but still a quite enjoyable way to while away a few hours. ( )

Bird store owner Hiram Gottschalk is a wealthy widower with a paranoid son and heir, twisted twin daughters, and shady employees. As the owner of Parrots Unlimited, Hiram believes that his life is in danger, so he hires playboy-turned-Palm Beach private investigator Archy McNally and his sidekick Binky to protect him. Apparently Hiram had good reason to be frightened, Archy soon realizes - when the bird shop owner's mutilated body is found sometime later.

Hiram has been stabbed in his sleep, so Archy tries to solve the deadliest case of his career. But for Archy and Binky, the biggest piece of this scandalous puzzle is still missing - who has the motive to kill two more birds with one stone.

Although I eventually enjoyed reading this book, I did have some slight trouble at first getting into the style of the writing. I suppose it just took me a while to get used to the way Archy McNally expressed himself - to me, he seemed affected and somewhat pedantic. It was annoying at first, but I did eventually get used to Archy McNally as a character. This book was certainly enjoyable, and I have several more books from this series sitting on my bookshelf, but McNally's Puzzle was the first Archy McNally book that I've actually read. I give this book a strong A! ( )