The primary aim of the "Snowflake Summaries" blog category is to showcase the creative writing of great authors. I use Randy Ingermanson's 'Snowflake' method to create these summaries. Here's a brief description of the one-sentence, one-paragraph, and one-page summary method.
Hopefully, these posts will motivate you to read great fiction and to write your own novel, whether your first or your fifteenth.
The first great novelist I'll start with is Lawrence Sanders. Here's a short biography.
The Second Deadly Sin, by Lawrence Sanders
**”The Second Deadly Sin” by Lawrence Sanders** is a captivating detective novel that delves into the intricacies of a high-profile murder investigation in New York City, weaving a complex web of art, passion, and dark secrets.
### One Sentence Summary:
In **”The Second Deadly Sin,”** NYPD Captain Edward X. Delaney investigates the brutal murder of an up-and-coming artist in her Manhattan apartment, uncovering a tangled web of artistic obsession, high society scandals, and deep personal secrets.
### One Paragraph Summary:
**”The Second Deadly Sin”** centers around the murder of a talented and beautiful artist, whose life is cut tragically short in her own studio apartment, starting NYPD Captain Edward X. Delaney on a complex trail through New York’s elite art circles and into the darkest corners of the city’s high society. As Delaney digs deeper, he encounters a motley collection of art collectors, gallery owners, and fellow artists, each with their own secrets and motives for murder. The investigation becomes increasingly personal as Delaney struggles with his wife’s deteriorating health, finding solace and distraction in unraveling the artist’s life, which is marked by ambition, love, and devastating betrayal. The novel is a masterful blend of a police procedural and psychological thriller, with sharp dialogue and vivid characters driving a plot that explores the devastating impact of envy and greed.
### One Page Summary:
**”The Second Deadly Sin”** by Lawrence Sanders is a thrilling addition to the “Deadly Sins” series, featuring the methodical and thoughtful NYPD Captain Edward X. Delaney as he faces one of his most challenging cases yet. The novel opens with the shocking murder of Barbara Ettinger, a young and promising artist found dead in her Manhattan loft, a single stab wound in her back and a priceless painting missing, suggesting a robbery gone wrong.
Delaney, already burdened by his wife’s serious illness, takes on the case, which draws him into the sophisticated yet perilous world of New York’s art scene. Each person Delaney interviews seems to have a hidden agenda—from the wealthy patron who discovers Barbara’s body to her jealous peers and the gallery owners who profit from her works. Delaney’s sharp instincts lead him to scrutinize subtle clues and the victim’s complex relationships, revealing layers of jealousy, competition, and malice.
As the investigation unfolds, Delaney navigates a series of misdirections and false leads. He methodically pieces together Barbara’s past, discovering her rise from obscurity to prominence and the pressures and expectations that accompanied her success. The missing painting, a portrait of Barbara, becomes a key piece of the puzzle, symbolizing both her talent and the passions she inspired, which Delaney suspects may be central to her murder.
Parallel to the murder investigation, Delaney grapples with his personal life, where his wife’s illness progresses, leaving him torn between his duty as a husband and his responsibilities as a detective. His professional resolve provides a distraction from his pain, but also strains his conscience as he delves deeper into the lives disrupted by Barbara’s death.
The climax of the novel is tense and revealing, as Delaney sets a trap to catch the killer, using the stolen painting as bait. In a dramatic confrontation, the true culprit is exposed—a close associate driven by envy and a sense of entitlement, whose facade of friendship and loyalty masked a deadly greed.
In conclusion, **”The Second Deadly Sin”** is a tightly woven narrative that explores the destructive power of envy and the thin line between admiration and obsession. Lawrence Sanders expertly crafts a suspenseful thriller that not only provides a compelling mystery but also offers a poignant look at human emotions and the moral conflicts faced by his protagonist. The novel is a profound commentary on the art world and the human condition, making it a standout in Sanders’ acclaimed body of work.