What do you think?
Rate this book
Brady Coyne #12
The Snake Eater
Boston lawyer Brady Coyne loves few things more than fishing. So when the owner of a small bait-and-tackle shop is arrested in rural Massachusetts, Brady is sympathetic. But when he discovers Daniel McCloud has been arrested for growing marijuana - which the Vietnam vet uses only to treat his Agent Orange poisoning - Brady offers his legal services as well. While Coyne's skills are impressive, it's still a surprise when the Commonwealth suddenly drops all the charges. With the case out of the way, Brady befriends both Daniel and his beautiful girlfriend, Cammie Russell. He learns that Daniel McCloud spent his youth in the jungles of Vietnam and the rest of his life recovering from the experience. McCloud's men dubbed him "Snake Eater" for his impressive wilderness survival skills - skills that brought him - and most of them - home safely. As their friendship develops, Brady agrees to help Daniel find an agent for a book he's written. Coyne persuades an old law school buddy, now a literary agent, to read the manuscript. At first the agent is enthusiastic. Then, without explanation, he rejects it. Soon thereafter events take a deadly turn. Brady finds himself fighting a guerrilla war on the home front, unable to separate friend from foe in the last battle of a tragic conflict now half a lifetime past.
273 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1993
About the author
William G. Tapply
79 books90 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 1, 2017
Boston attorney Brady Coyne has a practice that's devoted almost exclusively to meeting the needs of a small group of very wealthy and, for the most part, elderly clients. He's rarely ever in a courtroom and does not do criminal defense work. But when a Vietnam vet is arrested for trafficking in marijuana, a mutual friend reaches out and Brady agrees to step in.
The vet, Daniel McCloud, is a former Green Beret who is suffering the after-effects of exposure to Agent Orange. Marijuana is the only thing that works to relieve the pain and McCloud is growing a small crop at his home in rural New England. Mostly it's for his own use, although he shares a small amount with a couple of other vets in similar circumstances. But the local cops aren't interested in his condition or his explanations. They arrest McCloud, throw him in jail, and confiscate his crop.
Brady agrees to represent McCloud as a favor to a friend, but he warns McCloud that the case is pretty cut and dried: He's in violation of the law, and he's almost certainly going to do time. But then, mysteriously, the case is dropped and McCloud is freed. There's no logical explanation for this, but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. In the wake of the case, McCloud and Brady become friends, and Brady visits McCloud and his girlfriend on several occasions. Then McCloud tells Brady that he's written a book and would like Brady to find an agent for it.
Brady cannot read the book, and McCloud won't tell him anything about it, which makes the job a lot more difficult, but Brady finds an agent who begins reading the book and who is initially very excited about it. Shortly, though, the agent rejects the book and warns Brady away from the book and from his new friend, McCloud. Almost immediately thereafter, people begin to die and Brady finds himself in the middle of a very confusing and dangerous situation.
Any sensible person would think to leave well enough alone, but Brady is determined to follow this case to its conclusion, no matter the risk, and before this is over, he'll need all of his considerable skills to save himself from joining the list of the recently departed. As always, along the way, his love life will get increasingly complicated, and all in all, this is another very good addition to this series.
The vet, Daniel McCloud, is a former Green Beret who is suffering the after-effects of exposure to Agent Orange. Marijuana is the only thing that works to relieve the pain and McCloud is growing a small crop at his home in rural New England. Mostly it's for his own use, although he shares a small amount with a couple of other vets in similar circumstances. But the local cops aren't interested in his condition or his explanations. They arrest McCloud, throw him in jail, and confiscate his crop.
Brady agrees to represent McCloud as a favor to a friend, but he warns McCloud that the case is pretty cut and dried: He's in violation of the law, and he's almost certainly going to do time. But then, mysteriously, the case is dropped and McCloud is freed. There's no logical explanation for this, but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. In the wake of the case, McCloud and Brady become friends, and Brady visits McCloud and his girlfriend on several occasions. Then McCloud tells Brady that he's written a book and would like Brady to find an agent for it.
Brady cannot read the book, and McCloud won't tell him anything about it, which makes the job a lot more difficult, but Brady finds an agent who begins reading the book and who is initially very excited about it. Shortly, though, the agent rejects the book and warns Brady away from the book and from his new friend, McCloud. Almost immediately thereafter, people begin to die and Brady finds himself in the middle of a very confusing and dangerous situation.
Any sensible person would think to leave well enough alone, but Brady is determined to follow this case to its conclusion, no matter the risk, and before this is over, he'll need all of his considerable skills to save himself from joining the list of the recently departed. As always, along the way, his love life will get increasingly complicated, and all in all, this is another very good addition to this series.
September 20, 2021
This is number 12 in William G. Tapply's series of novels about the lawyer Brady Coyne. It is a mystery story involving a character who has been damaged by his experiences in Vietnam. The plot is well thought out, the action is well-paced and writing competent. However the descriptions of his wilderness skills and guerrilla warfare are unrelentingly violent. If you like your novels "gritty and then some", you will enjoy this. For me it was deeply unpleasant and an ordeal to get through.
August 14, 2015
Brady Coyne fits the mold of the P.I. we have come to love:
- He seeks justice
- He represents those who cannot succeed on their own
- He is courageous and resourceful
- He is doggedly determined, even in the face of daunting odds
Of course he has a darker side:
- He is divorced and unable to make a go of a long-term relationship with another women
- He drinks too much
- He smokes too much
- He rarely backs down from a confrontation
"I have been accused on more than one occasion of not being sensitive or intelligent enough to take a hint.
It's a bum rap. I'm pretty good at understanding hints when I hear them. I just tend to ignore them, which is different."
The book is set in Southern New England. Coyne practices law in Boston. He is an upscale attorney doing a general practice that can range from revising a will to representing a client in criminal court. This pays the freight for a nice apartment and car and the ability to take a fly-fishing vacation when the opportunity arises. He has friends that occupy different rungs on the legal system ladder. He trades on his Yale alum relationships when help is needed.
In brief, without spoilers, a close friend (and government attorney) asks Coyne, as a favor, to represent a Viet Nam vet who has been arrested in Connecticut for growing marijuana. We learn a lot about this vet and his combat buddies, including how some of them have come back from the war with severe damage from Agent Orange which the DOD and Veterans Administration chooses to ignore. One death leads to a deadly trail and Coyne ignores warnings to not pursue the loose threads.
Tapply does well with plot, characterization and dialogue. This plot becomes very complex and Coyne finds himself and his "clients" at risk in desperate circumstances and we roll toward a conclusion full of twists and surprises. I believe most will find (when all is done) the resolution is satisfying.
- He seeks justice
- He represents those who cannot succeed on their own
- He is courageous and resourceful
- He is doggedly determined, even in the face of daunting odds
Of course he has a darker side:
- He is divorced and unable to make a go of a long-term relationship with another women
- He drinks too much
- He smokes too much
- He rarely backs down from a confrontation
"I have been accused on more than one occasion of not being sensitive or intelligent enough to take a hint.
It's a bum rap. I'm pretty good at understanding hints when I hear them. I just tend to ignore them, which is different."
The book is set in Southern New England. Coyne practices law in Boston. He is an upscale attorney doing a general practice that can range from revising a will to representing a client in criminal court. This pays the freight for a nice apartment and car and the ability to take a fly-fishing vacation when the opportunity arises. He has friends that occupy different rungs on the legal system ladder. He trades on his Yale alum relationships when help is needed.
In brief, without spoilers, a close friend (and government attorney) asks Coyne, as a favor, to represent a Viet Nam vet who has been arrested in Connecticut for growing marijuana. We learn a lot about this vet and his combat buddies, including how some of them have come back from the war with severe damage from Agent Orange which the DOD and Veterans Administration chooses to ignore. One death leads to a deadly trail and Coyne ignores warnings to not pursue the loose threads.
Tapply does well with plot, characterization and dialogue. This plot becomes very complex and Coyne finds himself and his "clients" at risk in desperate circumstances and we roll toward a conclusion full of twists and surprises. I believe most will find (when all is done) the resolution is satisfying.
March 4, 2018
Well, this is a great story but Tapply needed a different protagonist than Brady Coyne, the fly-fishing obsessive Boston lawyer with the boring but lucrative rich people clients. I guess he didn't want to start a new series. Given that this book was published in 1992, Tapply was certainly prescient in bringing up the controversy over the medical use of marijuana.
August 31, 2011
BOTTOM LINE: A missing tell-all book, a dead ex-Green Beret, lots of weed, and deadly arrows combine to make life more serious and difficult than usual for nice-guy Brady; one of the best in the series so far, darker than most of the other novels.
Daniel, a troubled ex-Green Beret, has written a book he won't allow anyone to see, not even his beloved Cammie. When his (large) crop of marijuana (personal medicinal use only) gets raided by the local police in little Weston Falls, in western Massachusetts, where he's lived for twenty years, since he came home from VietNam in 1972, Brady comes to help with the court case and stays on to help with the book. But very unexpectedly the case is closed, Daniel released, and nothing more to be said/done, according to the authorities, and nobody is talking. Brady doesn't know what to make of it, but agrees to arrange for a literary agent to read the book while not looking at it himself, and he does so. But when the agent gets killed and seems to be tied to several others connected with Daniel and his service buddies, things get murky indeed. And soon everybody in any position of power (and Brady's friends too) advises Brady to stop looking for answers, stop hunting for clues, just stop. And the only copy of the book disappears.
Daniel's dead. Book is gone. Everybody wants him to stop. Crisis of conscience? Well, sort of, for usually laid-back Brady. He doesn't like to give up on anything, including his marriage to and divorce from Gloria, and his inability to commit to/with the woman in his life now, gentle Terri. In the 10+ years since the divorce he's been a love-for-a-while and then leave sort of guy, but now his relationship with Terri is changing, and not for the better.
Determined Brady pushes on with his search, and, of course, winds up in big trouble. But predictable as that all sounds, the working out of this plot is extremely well-done, with a bitter, dark edge that usually doesn't show up in Tapply's work in this series. The denouement, however, while exciting at first, doesn't quite work overall, as Tapply attributes motives to an influential player in the episode and minimally describes them at the very end, which would be OK, except they don't quite ring true. It's the only false note, however.
Except for that one problem bit, this was an excellent story, more thriller than cosy sleuth story than usual, with a real McGuffin in play, good pacing and, for me, likable and extremely recognizable characters - I'm of the Woodstock/'Nam generation, and this twenty-years-later story is very familiar, and comfortable. It might not be so for some readers, though, and they should keep in mind that in ~1990 VietNam vets were still mostly ignored or disliked, often feared, for their wild ways. Daniel and some of his friends suffer illnesses attributable to Agent Orange and use marijuana for the pain, a fact accepted by many now-a-days, but at that time hotly contested and with little medical documentation as yet - most sufferers were considered crazy at the time. This all plays into motivations and explanations during the story, and should be kept in mind while reading. This story is, itself, twenty years old now, and while it may suffer a bit for that "datedness", I, personally, found it unputdownable.
Daniel, a troubled ex-Green Beret, has written a book he won't allow anyone to see, not even his beloved Cammie. When his (large) crop of marijuana (personal medicinal use only) gets raided by the local police in little Weston Falls, in western Massachusetts, where he's lived for twenty years, since he came home from VietNam in 1972, Brady comes to help with the court case and stays on to help with the book. But very unexpectedly the case is closed, Daniel released, and nothing more to be said/done, according to the authorities, and nobody is talking. Brady doesn't know what to make of it, but agrees to arrange for a literary agent to read the book while not looking at it himself, and he does so. But when the agent gets killed and seems to be tied to several others connected with Daniel and his service buddies, things get murky indeed. And soon everybody in any position of power (and Brady's friends too) advises Brady to stop looking for answers, stop hunting for clues, just stop. And the only copy of the book disappears.
Daniel's dead. Book is gone. Everybody wants him to stop. Crisis of conscience? Well, sort of, for usually laid-back Brady. He doesn't like to give up on anything, including his marriage to and divorce from Gloria, and his inability to commit to/with the woman in his life now, gentle Terri. In the 10+ years since the divorce he's been a love-for-a-while and then leave sort of guy, but now his relationship with Terri is changing, and not for the better.
Determined Brady pushes on with his search, and, of course, winds up in big trouble. But predictable as that all sounds, the working out of this plot is extremely well-done, with a bitter, dark edge that usually doesn't show up in Tapply's work in this series. The denouement, however, while exciting at first, doesn't quite work overall, as Tapply attributes motives to an influential player in the episode and minimally describes them at the very end, which would be OK, except they don't quite ring true. It's the only false note, however.
Except for that one problem bit, this was an excellent story, more thriller than cosy sleuth story than usual, with a real McGuffin in play, good pacing and, for me, likable and extremely recognizable characters - I'm of the Woodstock/'Nam generation, and this twenty-years-later story is very familiar, and comfortable. It might not be so for some readers, though, and they should keep in mind that in ~1990 VietNam vets were still mostly ignored or disliked, often feared, for their wild ways. Daniel and some of his friends suffer illnesses attributable to Agent Orange and use marijuana for the pain, a fact accepted by many now-a-days, but at that time hotly contested and with little medical documentation as yet - most sufferers were considered crazy at the time. This all plays into motivations and explanations during the story, and should be kept in mind while reading. This story is, itself, twenty years old now, and while it may suffer a bit for that "datedness", I, personally, found it unputdownable.
May 8, 2021
“Snake Eater” is our 12th in Tapply’s 28-book series featuring Brady Coyne, nice-guy attorney to the greater Boston-area wealthy. Reading in order, we accorded the previous eleven novels with three stars to nine of them, and four stars to the other two. But this thriller was so captivating, so suspenseful, and so difficult to put down we decided one of our rare five-star ratings was certainly in order.
Almost as usual, Brady’s charm is surpassed only by his intelligence and persistence in solving whatever puzzle his clients present. In the plot, he is asked to defend a Vietnam vet caught with a yard full of marijuana and held in jail all weekend. Mysteriously, his case is dropped before the arraignment; the man later prevails upon Brady to act as a go-between with a book agent to get a secretive novel he has written published. Shortly thereafter, his client is murdered – and despite the initial enthusiasm of the book agent with his work, that guy gets murdered as well, sending Brady into a long hunt for what really happened. In the client’s papers, he discovers a list of another eight men who are either dead under unusual circumstances or missing. Despite being warned off by at least a couple of his cop friends to desist, Brady pursues the matter to a series of absolutely stunning revelations.
As said, we were absolutely engaged with the twisty turns of events; and only just a little disappointed with Brady’s love affair with Terri Fiore (from the prior novel “Tight Lines”) going off the rails due to no obvious fault of his own. Despite that, we immensely enjoyed this tale as the best of the set so far. Onward!
Almost as usual, Brady’s charm is surpassed only by his intelligence and persistence in solving whatever puzzle his clients present. In the plot, he is asked to defend a Vietnam vet caught with a yard full of marijuana and held in jail all weekend. Mysteriously, his case is dropped before the arraignment; the man later prevails upon Brady to act as a go-between with a book agent to get a secretive novel he has written published. Shortly thereafter, his client is murdered – and despite the initial enthusiasm of the book agent with his work, that guy gets murdered as well, sending Brady into a long hunt for what really happened. In the client’s papers, he discovers a list of another eight men who are either dead under unusual circumstances or missing. Despite being warned off by at least a couple of his cop friends to desist, Brady pursues the matter to a series of absolutely stunning revelations.
As said, we were absolutely engaged with the twisty turns of events; and only just a little disappointed with Brady’s love affair with Terri Fiore (from the prior novel “Tight Lines”) going off the rails due to no obvious fault of his own. Despite that, we immensely enjoyed this tale as the best of the set so far. Onward!
February 6, 2016
#12 in the Boston attorney Brady Coyne series.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - Daniel McCloud, a Vietnam vet suffering from exposure to Agent Orange, is busted in his small New England town for cultivation and possession of marijuana, which he uses to alleviate his pain. As a favor to a mutual friend, Coyne agrees to defend McCloud and then, after the case is dropped for no apparent reason, tries to help the former Green Beret find a publisher for the book he has written. Coyne's old college mate, now a literary agent, reads the manuscript, which Coyne has not seen, and suggests that the lawyer drop his involvement with the author. Soon the agent is murdered; next, McCloud is slain in gruesome fashion. Neither McCloud's live-in lover nor his cadre of Vietnam vet friends can shed light on the matter, not even after Coyne uncovers evidence that some earlier deaths among their circle are tied to recent events.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - Daniel McCloud, a Vietnam vet suffering from exposure to Agent Orange, is busted in his small New England town for cultivation and possession of marijuana, which he uses to alleviate his pain. As a favor to a mutual friend, Coyne agrees to defend McCloud and then, after the case is dropped for no apparent reason, tries to help the former Green Beret find a publisher for the book he has written. Coyne's old college mate, now a literary agent, reads the manuscript, which Coyne has not seen, and suggests that the lawyer drop his involvement with the author. Soon the agent is murdered; next, McCloud is slain in gruesome fashion. Neither McCloud's live-in lover nor his cadre of Vietnam vet friends can shed light on the matter, not even after Coyne uncovers evidence that some earlier deaths among their circle are tied to recent events.
January 28, 2009
I liked this and a fast read. def want to read more. not sure why I picked a book in the middle of a series but hey, it was good anyways. definitely surprised by the twist and liked how he saved himself.
August 16, 2009
Outstanding; Continuing character: Brady Coyne; Coyne helps a Vietnam vet who is arrested for using marijuana to offset the effects of Agent Orange, then gets caught up as a book the vet has written starts a series of murders
August 24, 2010
One of Tapley's early Brady Coyne mysteries - an enjoyable read, interesting characters.
March 11, 2011
Good. Previously read it. Didn't remember reading it.
September 8, 2011
Good book ... Thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 8, 2015
A real page turner.
August 13, 2014
Enjoy every one of his Brady Coyne books. Left me wanting to know the rest of the story, which I assume he wanted. Darn.
October 23, 2017
Another Brady Coyne thriller/mystery. This one concerns the murder of a Viet Nam vet and his friends, many of whom were exposed to Agent Orange. It seems that only significant amounts of marijuana will ease the pain from the toxic effects of the Orange, and the government still fails to recognize the long-lasting effects of that exposure. The murder victim has written a book, which disappears under mysterious circumstances after a literary agent has read it. The agent is killed, and Our Hero is also seriously threatened. The obfuscating details and the bodies mount up, with a rather surprising ending after it all. Very readable (hard to put down).
July 23, 2020
(3 1/2). Brady Coyne is just the most comfortable set of shoes you own. He feels so good. I am (sadly) getting to the end of this franchise and savoring every last book. They only take a day or so to read, but this was a good day. A slightly different style in this story, with a plot that was only mildly typical Brady, and some questions that felt there were easy answers for. But a good twist about halfway though and some major turns right towards the end really sealed the deal. Brady is Brady, a keeper. Good stuff.
March 22, 2021
Another story where Boston lawyer Brady Coyne gets drawn into playing amateur detective when one of his clients gets brutally murdered with an arrow thrust up into his heart. His love life also takes a turn for the worst. Great stuff.
May 25, 2025
Admittedly, this novel isn't great literature, but any book that I can almost finish in one reading has to be something special. Tapply is a great mystery writer, Unfortunately, his books are difficult to find. Our local county library is missing many of his books.
October 17, 2017
Good ole Brady Coyne, never disappoints.
April 13, 2019
A mystery, nothing special.
May 13, 2013
This entry in Tapply’s long-running string of novels about Boston attorney Brady Coyne should work fine . . . but doesn’t. The plot, in outline, is promising enough: A reclusive Vietnam veteran, busted by local cops for growing marijuana with which to blunt the effects of Agent Orange exposure, needs legal help and Brady, who agrees to provide it, uncovers dark secrets and murder. The vet and his girlfriend – a free-spirited artist whom he rescued from drug addiction and prostitution – are well-drawn characters. Brady is his usual amiable self, and long-time supporting characters have their smile-inducing moments.
The problem is that it doesn’t end there. There’s a subplot involving the vet’s unpublished memoir, a mysterious list of names, an elaborately described funeral, a romantic subplot, and not one but two scenes in which friends with ties to the federal government tell Brady – fruitlessly, of course – to stop investigating. All that, along with a larger-than-usual supporting cast (three of whom have significant back stories that are relevant to the plot), is a lot to pack into a novel of less than 300 pages, and it shows. Most of the supporting characters (the agent, the vet’s war buddies, a hard-nosed local cop, and Brady’s current girlfriend) barely exist except as plot devices, Brady’s investigation is perfunctory and over-reliant on luck, and the final showdown with the killer relies on a gray-bearded Hollywood cliché.
The whole enterprise feels like an omelet with too much filling and not enough egg: It lacks shape and proportion, and sprawls across the plate with bits falling out on every side. The fact that some of the bits are tasty – the funeral is beautifully evoked, and Brady’s scenes with the artist-girlfriend work in interestingly complicated ways – doesn’t make the dish, as a whole, anything close to a success.
The problem is that it doesn’t end there. There’s a subplot involving the vet’s unpublished memoir, a mysterious list of names, an elaborately described funeral, a romantic subplot, and not one but two scenes in which friends with ties to the federal government tell Brady – fruitlessly, of course – to stop investigating. All that, along with a larger-than-usual supporting cast (three of whom have significant back stories that are relevant to the plot), is a lot to pack into a novel of less than 300 pages, and it shows. Most of the supporting characters (the agent, the vet’s war buddies, a hard-nosed local cop, and Brady’s current girlfriend) barely exist except as plot devices, Brady’s investigation is perfunctory and over-reliant on luck, and the final showdown with the killer relies on a gray-bearded Hollywood cliché.
The whole enterprise feels like an omelet with too much filling and not enough egg: It lacks shape and proportion, and sprawls across the plate with bits falling out on every side. The fact that some of the bits are tasty – the funeral is beautifully evoked, and Brady’s scenes with the artist-girlfriend work in interestingly complicated ways – doesn’t make the dish, as a whole, anything close to a success.
April 19, 2012
This one was a real page-turner! could NOT put it down!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews