Reading order · 5 books · 1970 to 1985 · Set in New York
Deadly Sins Books in Order
The Deadly Sins books follow Edward X. Delaney, a New York police captain with an old-fashioned moral compass, as he hunts killers through the city.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1970 to 1985
- First book
- The Anderson Tapes
- Latest
- The Fourth Deadly Sin (1985)
- Setting
- Set in New York
The reading order
Every Deadly Sins book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
5 books · Set in New York
- 1The Anderson Tapes1970With John Duke AndersonDuke Anderson, newly released from prison, plans to rob an entire luxury apartment building in New York, unaware that every step is being recorded by different agencies.Buy on Amazon
- 2The First Deadly Sin1973With Edward X. DelaneyCaptain Edward X.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Second Deadly Sin1977With Edward X. DelaneyDelaney, now retired, is asked to investigate the murder of a famous painter.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Third Deadly Sin1981With Edward X. DelaneyA killer is stabbing men to death in New York hotel rooms, and Delaney realises the killer is a woman.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Fourth Deadly Sin1985With Edward X. DelaneyA prominent psychiatrist is murdered, and Delaney investigates his patients.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read The First Deadly Sin, The Second Deadly Sin, The Third Deadly Sin and The Fourth Deadly Sin in order. The Anderson Tapes, where Delaney first appears, can be read first.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Edward X. Delaney | John Duke Anderson | Abner Boone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Anderson Tapes | ·Minor | LLead | |
| 2 The First Deadly Sin | LLead | ||
| 3 The Second Deadly Sin | LLead | MMajor | |
| 4 The Third Deadly Sin | LLead | MMajor | |
| 5 The Fourth Deadly Sin | LLead | MMajor |
Characters in the Deadly Sins books
3 characters from Lawrence Sanders’s chart, with the number of Deadly Sins books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Edward X. DelaneyNew York police captain | 5 | The Anderson Tapes 1970 |
| John Duke AndersonEx-con planning a heist | 1 | The Anderson Tapes 1970 |
| Abner BooneDetective sergeant | 3 | The Second Deadly Sin 1977 |