What do you think?
Rate this book
Brady Coyne #25
One-Way Ticket
Boston attorney Brady Coyne has a generally placid life with a nice house, a stable relationship, and the occasional fishing trip with old friends. But one balmy June evening, that quiet life begins to fall apart after Brady receives a frantic phone call from his friend and client Dalton Lancaster. Dalt is in the emergency room, having been severely beaten by a group of thugs who warned him that he has a week to pay off his debt. Even worse, the message comes directly from Paulie Russo, the head of the Boston mob. Dalt swears he has no such debt, but when Brady tries to intercede, Russo lets him know he is holding Brady responsible for his client's obligation. Then Dalt disappears and no one seems to know whether he's fled for his life or been murdered -- until the ransom demand arrives.
While Brady tries to rescue Dalt, and himself, from the escalating situation, his live-in girlfriend Evie buys a one-way ticket to California to care for her dying father, leaving Brady to wonder when -- or if -- she will return.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 18, 2007
32 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
William G. Tapply
79 books89 followersWilliam G. Tapply (1940–2009) was an American author best known for writing legal thrillers. A lifelong New Englander, he graduated from Amherst and Harvard before going on to teach social studies at Lexington High School. He published his first novel, Death at Charity’s Point, in 1984. A story of death and betrayal among Boston Brahmins, it introduced crusading lawyer Brady Coyne, a fishing enthusiast whom Tapply would follow through twenty-five more novels, including Follow the Sharks, The Vulgar Boatman, and the posthumously published Outwitting Trolls.
Besides writing regular columns for Field and Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and American Angler, Tapply wrote numerous books on fishing, hunting, and life in the outdoors. He was also the author of The Elements of Mystery Fiction, a writer’s guide. He died in 2009, at his home in Hancock, New Hampshire.
Besides writing regular columns for Field and Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and American Angler, Tapply wrote numerous books on fishing, hunting, and life in the outdoors. He was also the author of The Elements of Mystery Fiction, a writer’s guide. He died in 2009, at his home in Hancock, New Hampshire.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 2, 2018
This is the twenty-third book in William G. Tapply's long-running series featuring Boston attorney, Brady Coyne. The story begins when the son of a former client demands that Brady come to the emergency room late at night to see the former client who's been beaten by a trio of thugs. The former, and-soon-to-be current client, Dalton Lancaster, tells Brady that he was not robbed and that he has no idea why he was attacked.
Brady knows that Lancaster is an allegedly reformed gambler and he assumes that Lancaster is gambling again and in debt to bad people who want their money. Lancaster insists that this is not the case, and digging deeper, Brady soon discovers that it is not Lancaster who now has the problem after all. Rather, it's Lancaster's son, Robert, who is now the compulsive gambler with a huge debt.
The situation becomes even more complicated when Robert is kidnapped and held for a large ransom. Naturally, the kidnappers tell the family not to bring in the cops, which means that Brady becomes the designated middle man who must now sort all of this out and attempt to bring the situation to a happy conclusion.
The main plot is serviceable enough, although it's not one of Tapply's better efforts. The real problem with the book, to the extent that there is one, involves Brady's personal life. For a long time, Brady was a bachelor who lived in a tiny condo, ate most of his dinners out of tin cans, and had quite a way with the ladies.
Several books ago, Tapply decided to domesticate Brady. He gave him a nice house with a yard, a dog, and a live-in girlfriend, Evie. Personally, though, I never bought into the Evie character or Brady's relationship with her. I never sensed any real chemistry there. In this book, Evie has a personal problem that calls her away to California.
Brady then spends a lot of time moping around, talking to the dog, and worrying about the long-term future of his relationship with Evie. After a while, it got tiresome, and I found myself hoping that she would never come back and that the relationship would be finished. I'd like to see Brady get back to being Brady again. But that said, Tapply was doing this for a long time by the time he got to this book, and all the really good books in this series more than make up for the fact that this isn't one of the better ones.
Brady knows that Lancaster is an allegedly reformed gambler and he assumes that Lancaster is gambling again and in debt to bad people who want their money. Lancaster insists that this is not the case, and digging deeper, Brady soon discovers that it is not Lancaster who now has the problem after all. Rather, it's Lancaster's son, Robert, who is now the compulsive gambler with a huge debt.
The situation becomes even more complicated when Robert is kidnapped and held for a large ransom. Naturally, the kidnappers tell the family not to bring in the cops, which means that Brady becomes the designated middle man who must now sort all of this out and attempt to bring the situation to a happy conclusion.
The main plot is serviceable enough, although it's not one of Tapply's better efforts. The real problem with the book, to the extent that there is one, involves Brady's personal life. For a long time, Brady was a bachelor who lived in a tiny condo, ate most of his dinners out of tin cans, and had quite a way with the ladies.
Several books ago, Tapply decided to domesticate Brady. He gave him a nice house with a yard, a dog, and a live-in girlfriend, Evie. Personally, though, I never bought into the Evie character or Brady's relationship with her. I never sensed any real chemistry there. In this book, Evie has a personal problem that calls her away to California.
Brady then spends a lot of time moping around, talking to the dog, and worrying about the long-term future of his relationship with Evie. After a while, it got tiresome, and I found myself hoping that she would never come back and that the relationship would be finished. I'd like to see Brady get back to being Brady again. But that said, Tapply was doing this for a long time by the time he got to this book, and all the really good books in this series more than make up for the fact that this isn't one of the better ones.
May 8, 2023
Another very good Brady Coyne book, as he gets drawn into a situation where a client’s son owes a gambling debt to some unpleasant people and son gets kidnapped. All at the same time as his lover leaves for San Francisco to help her ailing father. Great pace throughout.
February 22, 2017
The purpose of a book is to pass some time, kill a couple nights and allow us to escape from our own reality. William Tapply’s ‘One Way Ticket’ did exactly that. But not much more.
This was the first novel I’ve read by this author. I guess I would describe this is a quick, easy read. A beach-read if you will. If you’re looking for a simple novel without much depth that doesn’t require much thinking, this is a perfect novel. That’s not a put down at all. Sometimes you just want to read something you don’t need to concentrate too hard on. And this book is that.
The best part about this novel is the fact it’s very fast moving. There are no unnecessary scenes, no pointless description. It’s 292 pages. I read it in two nights, in a total of about 5 ½ hours. The fact that the book flows and moves quickly is the best part of it. Had it dragged, had it been 350 pages, I would not have finished.
I like a book with twists and turns, unexpected things. This book had none.
I like a book where you can relate to the characters on some level. Honestly, I didn’t feel anything nor relate to them in any way. The only way I at all felt anything for Brady Coyne is that he is a baseball fan and loves dogs. I do too.
The story itself, the plot is nothing new or original. Grandson of a judge gets kidnapped. That’s it. That’s the entire premise.
As for the author’s style, its…okay. Like I said, the book moves very quickly. However, I have a few complaints.
The story takes place in Boston and, in my opinion, at times the author went over and above with directions: He took a right here, drove 2 miles, made a left there, crossed the T and turned left at the next light.
There was one scene in which Evie, Brady’s girlfriend, is calling from California. She has just learned that her father is dying of stage IV pancreatic cancer. It’s spreading to his other organs and lymph nodes. Not good.
Two problems.
Evie says that she is going to stay with her father to the end. She’ll be home in six months, maybe less.
Now, Pancreatic Cancer is very fatal, very terminal. Stage iV of any cancer is serious. When it’s the pancreas and it’s already spreading there’s no way (I doubt) that a person will have 6 months. Hell, they probably wont have 6 weeks.
Also, this was a scene where some emotion should’ve been stirred up. I’m sure everyone out there has lost someone to cancer. I’ve lost plenty. A good author would’ve and should’ve written this in a way that would’ve caused us to feel some emotion, some sadness, get a little teary eyes. Yet, I felt nothing. This scene, which should have been touching, read very formulaic.
Lastly, the kidnap victim, Robert Lancaster. The book was written in 2007 and our kidnap victim is in college. That means he was born in the late 1980’s. In one scene, Brady is looking through Robert’s bedroom for clues. He comes across a set of World Book encyclopedia’s and The Hardy Boys.
Okay, hold up. Let’s get real. How many college kids even know who The Hardy Boys are, much less have their books? And why would someone who grew up with the Internet have a need for the World Book encyclopedia?
As a kid, I had some Hardy Boys’ books and had those encyclopedias. But I was born in the 1960’s.
As I said, this book was…average. The best thing about it is the fact that it’s a very simple easy read. I will read more novels by this author but wont run out and grab them anytime soon.
This was the first novel I’ve read by this author. I guess I would describe this is a quick, easy read. A beach-read if you will. If you’re looking for a simple novel without much depth that doesn’t require much thinking, this is a perfect novel. That’s not a put down at all. Sometimes you just want to read something you don’t need to concentrate too hard on. And this book is that.
The best part about this novel is the fact it’s very fast moving. There are no unnecessary scenes, no pointless description. It’s 292 pages. I read it in two nights, in a total of about 5 ½ hours. The fact that the book flows and moves quickly is the best part of it. Had it dragged, had it been 350 pages, I would not have finished.
I like a book with twists and turns, unexpected things. This book had none.
I like a book where you can relate to the characters on some level. Honestly, I didn’t feel anything nor relate to them in any way. The only way I at all felt anything for Brady Coyne is that he is a baseball fan and loves dogs. I do too.
The story itself, the plot is nothing new or original. Grandson of a judge gets kidnapped. That’s it. That’s the entire premise.
As for the author’s style, its…okay. Like I said, the book moves very quickly. However, I have a few complaints.
The story takes place in Boston and, in my opinion, at times the author went over and above with directions: He took a right here, drove 2 miles, made a left there, crossed the T and turned left at the next light.
There was one scene in which Evie, Brady’s girlfriend, is calling from California. She has just learned that her father is dying of stage IV pancreatic cancer. It’s spreading to his other organs and lymph nodes. Not good.
Two problems.
Evie says that she is going to stay with her father to the end. She’ll be home in six months, maybe less.
Now, Pancreatic Cancer is very fatal, very terminal. Stage iV of any cancer is serious. When it’s the pancreas and it’s already spreading there’s no way (I doubt) that a person will have 6 months. Hell, they probably wont have 6 weeks.
Also, this was a scene where some emotion should’ve been stirred up. I’m sure everyone out there has lost someone to cancer. I’ve lost plenty. A good author would’ve and should’ve written this in a way that would’ve caused us to feel some emotion, some sadness, get a little teary eyes. Yet, I felt nothing. This scene, which should have been touching, read very formulaic.
Lastly, the kidnap victim, Robert Lancaster. The book was written in 2007 and our kidnap victim is in college. That means he was born in the late 1980’s. In one scene, Brady is looking through Robert’s bedroom for clues. He comes across a set of World Book encyclopedia’s and The Hardy Boys.
Okay, hold up. Let’s get real. How many college kids even know who The Hardy Boys are, much less have their books? And why would someone who grew up with the Internet have a need for the World Book encyclopedia?
As a kid, I had some Hardy Boys’ books and had those encyclopedias. But I was born in the 1960’s.
As I said, this book was…average. The best thing about it is the fact that it’s a very simple easy read. I will read more novels by this author but wont run out and grab them anytime soon.
February 8, 2017
Feb 2017 I know I've read this book years ago but not in Goodreads.
Engrossing story. Poor Brady, once again, gets on the short end of violence.
Engrossing story. Poor Brady, once again, gets on the short end of violence.
February 19, 2024
(3 1/2). Oh no! I only have two more books left in the Brady Coyne series. That makes me sad. This has been such an enjoyable journey. And this is one of the best ones in ages. Poor Brady is mostly on his own in this one (with Henry the dog, that is) and the story is a rip snorter. Yes, I had (and you probably will too) most of it figured out but the way it goes down is just delicious. I will miss Brady and Brady’s Boston mightily when these are done. Good stuff.
July 28, 2022
We see we’re not the only Brady Coyne fans who found Tapply’s 25th entry in the set, “One-Way Ticket”, to be one of his lesser efforts. First of all, his now live-in significant other Evie is called to California to tend a dying father; she basically tells Brady not to call, not to come out there, and maybe even get on with his life. Brady then mopes around for the rest of the book, tiresome at best. Meanwhile, the plot is another in a recent trend of the last few in the series to feature less mental gymnastics by our hero – rather more of an “action thriller”, perhaps the result of the publishers and editors wanting something more “modern” than the excellent early classic mystery-style stories that endeared us to the author and his main character.
The plot involves a man who has run up a huge gambling debt to the mob; who is later kidnapped with Brady (of course) serving as a go-between. Some good sleuthing on his part eventually aided a fairly good resolution of the whole shin-dig, but we never really engaged with the tale to much of a degree, particularly disliking some violence rendered to Brady himself. With only two books to go to finish the whole set (one of which being the third co-authored outing with Philip Craig), we’re anticipating a good wrap to the whole series – but fear our hopes may not come to pass.
The plot involves a man who has run up a huge gambling debt to the mob; who is later kidnapped with Brady (of course) serving as a go-between. Some good sleuthing on his part eventually aided a fairly good resolution of the whole shin-dig, but we never really engaged with the tale to much of a degree, particularly disliking some violence rendered to Brady himself. With only two books to go to finish the whole set (one of which being the third co-authored outing with Philip Craig), we’re anticipating a good wrap to the whole series – but fear our hopes may not come to pass.
November 17, 2023
I couldn't put this book down. As I remember other Coyne books, it was pretty dramatic at the end. Again, there is so much evil and I wonder why I read about it. Tapply died in 2009 and this book dates from 2007. I will check to see if there are others--but will not look for another one right away. Need something more uplifting next!
July 20, 2018
So a FAMILY ATTORNEY abandons the rest of his practice, risks his life and limb repeatedly, works 24/7 for a long forgotten client for no compensation. Just like every lawyer I know. Stilted dialogue, silly plot and outcome, but written in an overall appealing manner.
November 4, 2018
I've read all of Tapply's books before. I've read this one and it's one of his best. Brady Coyne is an excellent protagonist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 1, 2020A novel without drama just a good story. Well written.
November 26, 2007
I really liked this novel for a couple of reasons. Tapply nearly always delivers an interesting twist or two in his novels, and he didn't fail here. When a client gets kidnapped, he gets drawn into a complicated family dynamic and a possible mob connection. The other part of the story was about Brady's complicated relationship with his lover Evie. Her father becomes ill and she leaves. He has to learn to be alone again and it's interesting to see him struggling with this, realizing how much his life is different with her in it. I really didn't understand Evie's strange notion that she had to be with her father without Brady at all, but it worked within the framework of the novel. I totally enjoyed it.
May 4, 2015
#23 in the Brady Coyne series; Goodreads show it as #25 by counting the first two of the Brady Coyne and J.W. Jackson series. Coyne is a Boston lawyer, primarily with Estates and Trusts, but his avocation is fly-fishing. The avocation is shared with author Tapply.
Brady Coyne is called in when hoods rough up an old friend. The hoods speak of a debt but Dalt Lancaster swears that he is a reformed gambler and has no debts. Brady finds his friend's son has incurred a gambling debt and gives him a week to come clean with his family but he is kidnapped before the week is up. Girlfriend Evie leaves for S.F to be with her dying father.
Brady Coyne is called in when hoods rough up an old friend. The hoods speak of a debt but Dalt Lancaster swears that he is a reformed gambler and has no debts. Brady finds his friend's son has incurred a gambling debt and gives him a week to come clean with his family but he is kidnapped before the week is up. Girlfriend Evie leaves for S.F to be with her dying father.
October 30, 2025
I am certain I had read this before but had absolutely no memory of any part of it. So it was fun to guess some ways in which it could end.
What I liked best was Brady's relationship with his dog. I no longer have a dog and reading about Henry was almost as good as having my Sunny back.
Btw, I won't miss Evie one little bit!
What I liked best was Brady's relationship with his dog. I no longer have a dog and reading about Henry was almost as good as having my Sunny back.
Btw, I won't miss Evie one little bit!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2007
Tapply's protagnist, lawyer/fisherman Brady Coyne, is a compelling character. If you like him you'll find there are about 20 novels in the series. This one if most recent. I am getting tired of Brady's high maintenance girlfriend. I hope he ditches her in the next novel. I will be waiting for it.
April 10, 2008
Brady Coyne's girlfriend leaves for California to be with her dyding father. Brady has to find kidnapped Robert Lancaster. All Tapply's books are good.
Read
August 11, 2008Liked it
October 9, 2008
Classic Tapply--exciting plot and characters to care about.
February 26, 2009
A nice change from other crime novels. The lawyer, Brady Coyne, is tougher than most lawyers we'd know :-)
August 16, 2009
Excellent; Continuing character: Brady Coyne; Coyne helps a client whose son has been kidnapped over his gambling debts, while dealing with the departure of his girlfriend
August 1, 2010
I enjoy these Brady Coyne books, they have elements of Spenser or Stone Barrington, but are better written, have less gratuitous sex and violence and are quite entertaining.
July 4, 2011
When a friend and clients son is beaten so badly that he iis hospitalized, Brady Coyne is called in to help. When he does try the mob becomes involved.
May 4, 2012
Tapply wites a decent detective novel with interesting characters and settings. Plotting is well thought out and not overly complicated. A very good evening's entertainment.
September 27, 2017
very good brady coyne
April 8, 2015
Spoiler alert early on. Still a good read.
October 29, 2014
Now I have to go back and start reading from #1..
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews