New York City cop Edward X. Delaney solves a string of murder cases in these first two novels in the series by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author. Lawrence Sanders's first novel in the Deadly Sins series became a New York Times bestseller and was made into an acclaimed film starring Frank Sinatra as hard-bitten New York City homicide detective Edward X. Delaney. The First Deadly Sin: New York Police Department captain Edward Delaney is called to the scene of a brutal murder. A Brooklyn councilman was struck from behind, the back of his skull punctured and crushed with an unknown weapon. No robbery, no known motive. The commissioner appoints Delaney to head up a secret investigation. As more young men are murdered in the same way, Delaney starts putting the pieces together, even as he's distracted by the serious illness of his wife. Soon, he's faced with a cop's dilemma: He knows who the killer is, but the person is untouchable. That's when Delaney lays a trap to bring a monster to justice. . The Second Deadly Sin: World-renowned artist Victor Maitland is dead-found in his Mott Street studio stabbed repeatedly in the back. With no clear leads or suspects, the NYPD calls Chief Edward Delaney out of retirement. Following a winding path of greed, deception, and fraud, Delaney uncovers a long line of suspects that includes Maitland's wife, son, and mistress. When a second murder rocks Manhattan's art world, Delaney moves closer to the truth about what kind of a man-or monster-Maitland really was. But which of the artist's enemies was capable of killing him and leaving no trail?
