Lawrence Sanders McNally's Folly

South Florida's premiere sleuth-about-town strikes again -- in a deliciously daffy caper that takes a decidedly deadly turn.

When the Palm Beach Community Theater needs a director for its production of Arsenic and Old Lace, Archy tosses his megaphone into the ring. After all, Hollywood legend Desdemona Darling will lend her considerable talents to the production. While resident grande dame Lady Cynthia Horowitz wants a little of the spotlight to fall on her latest live-in hunk, Buzz Carr, she has no intention of letting Buzz rehearse all day with the actress, who, like Lady C, has made marriage a cottage industry.

For poor Archy, there's more drama backstage than onstage, and plenty of confusion everywhere, especially with the fuzzy-headed Binky Watrous serving as stage manager. And When an actor takes a sip of prop wine and drops dead, the Palm Beach police suddenly take a special interest in the local theater scene.

In a play filled with murders, only Archy can separate the actors from the genuine article, and bring down the curtain on the latest and most enjoyable of McNally's follies.