The Tenth Commandment by Lawrence Sanders (1980)

The Tenth Commandment
by Lawrence Sanders
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Copyright: 1980

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife . . ."

Lawrence Sanders' latest Commandment stars Joshua Bigg, whose name is merely one of many jokes life played on him. For Bigg is in reality small -- five feet, three and three-eighths inches small, to be precise ("In a world of giants, those eighths are precious to a midget"), and while he has managed to adjust to his size in numerous respects (learning, for example, certain secrets that enable him to lead a flourishing sex life), the jokes are cruel and survival among the giants a constant challenge.

After several years' apprenticeship, Bigg has become the Chief -- and only -- Investigator of the New York law firm of Tabatchnick, Orsini, Reilly and Teitelbaum, when suddenly he gets his first big case -- or rather his first two big cases: one the apparent suicide of an old friend and client of Mr. Tabatchnick's, the other the disappearance of one of Teitelbaum's clients. In order to solve them, Bigg must weave his diminutive way through a maze of fascinating, and suspicious, characters, including:

-- Mrs. Ula Stonehouse, slightly flaky wife of the disappeared Professor Stonehouse. She knows he's dead, because she had a vision;

-- Glynis Stonehouse, the daughter. She seems to be taking her father's disappearance a little too cooly;

-- Powell Stonehouse, the son. Is his tirade against his father candor, or a clever smokescreen?

-- Tippi Kipper, Saul Kippeer's not-quite-grieving widow. Bigg has a hunch that she has a past to hide;

-- Martin Reape ("as in 'rook before you Reape'"), a sleazy private eye. He claims to have important information to sell about Saul Kipper's "suicide";

-- Rev. Godfrey Knurr, a Protestant lay minister who runs a shelter for kids in trouble. But he seems a little too attracted to wealthy women (especially widows);

-- Chester Heavens, the Kippers' obese, religious, vaguely sinister butler. It is possible that "the butler did it"?

Bigg's job is to interview -- and cajole, shadow, and otherwise intimidate -- these and many other people in an attempt to answer such questions as: What was the nature of Professor Stonehouse's mysterious "illness"? Why did Saul Kipper jump forward (instead of straight down), and why did he jump only six stories when he could have jumped thirty-four?

Out of these elements, set against a sharply realized New York decor, which has provided the background of his best novels, Lawrence Sanders has created another brilliant and spellbinding tale of murder and suspense.

Condition: Used. Hardcover. Dust cover shows a bit of shelf wear, discoloration. Dust cover flaps are discolored. Pages are tanning from age. Back dust cover flap is dog-eared. Previous owner's name is on the front endpaper.

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