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Brady Coyne #1
Death at Charity's Point
Florence Gresham hires attorney Brady Coyne to investigate the facts surrounding the death of her son George, a shy unassuming teacher whose body washes ashore after plunging from the cliff of Charity's Point
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
119 people are currently reading
355 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 14, 2016
First published in 1984, this is the book that introduced Boston attorney, Brady Coyne. His creator, William G. Tapply, would ultimately go on to write another twenty-seven books in the series, ending with Outwitting Trolls, which was published in 2010, shortly after Tapply's death. It's a very good series, sort of medium-boiled, with a likable protagonist and well-developed plots.
Unlike a lot of series characters, Brady Coyne was almost fully developed by the time he first appeared. He has a small, one-man firm and a faithful secretary named Julie. More by accident than by design, he has developed a client list that consists of mostly elderly, wealthy people. Brady does a lot of wills and estate planning, and he spends a lot of time holding the hands of his clients and giving them personal service.
He's also a dedicated fisherman who loves to sneak out of the office for a late afternoon on a river somewhere. (Tapply was an ardent outdoors man who, in addition to writing novels, contributed articles to magazines like Field & Stream.) Brady is in is mid-thirties when we first meet him, and he doesn't age much as the series progresses. He'd divorced with two sons and has a somewhat awkward relationship with his ex-wife and his children. He's a ladies' man and usually has his eye out for an attractive woman.
One thing he's definitely not is a gourmet cook. In creating the character, Tapply decided that there were already too many such characters in crime fiction and so he decided to go totally in the opposite direction. Coyne eats a lot of meals at places like Burger King, and when dining at home, his preference is for Dinty Moore Beef Stew straight out of the can. Unlike a certain famous Boston P.I., no one will ever get a great recipe from Brady Coyne.
This being a crime fiction series, even the business of Brady's elderly clients will sometimes land him in big trouble and personal danger, and such is the case here in his maiden effort. A wealthy client named Florence Gresham has, or had, two sons. The elder, Winchester, is missing and presumed dead, a victim of the war in Vietnam, but his body was never found. Mrs. Gresham wants Brady to investigate and determine once and for all what happened to him. Brady protests that, as an attorney, he's not really equipped to make an investigation like this, but his client is insistent and you don't say no to someone like Florence Gresham.
No sooner does Brady begin his investigation when Mrs. Gresham's only other child plunges off a cliff and is killed. George Gresham was a mild-mannered history teacher at an elite prep school, and when his body is discovered in the waters off Charity's Point, his death is ruled a suicide. Mrs. Gresham refuses to accept the verdict and demands that Brady investigate.
What follows is a fairly standard sort of mid-1980s mystery novel. It's a good book but not a great one, and it shows the signs of being the author's first novel. But from the seed planted here, Tapply would gain his footing and produce a number of very good books. In all, this turns out to be a fine regional mystery series, and it's always fun to pull one off the shelf and re-read it on a quiet afternoon at the lake when Brady Coyne would be off fishing.
Unlike a lot of series characters, Brady Coyne was almost fully developed by the time he first appeared. He has a small, one-man firm and a faithful secretary named Julie. More by accident than by design, he has developed a client list that consists of mostly elderly, wealthy people. Brady does a lot of wills and estate planning, and he spends a lot of time holding the hands of his clients and giving them personal service.
He's also a dedicated fisherman who loves to sneak out of the office for a late afternoon on a river somewhere. (Tapply was an ardent outdoors man who, in addition to writing novels, contributed articles to magazines like Field & Stream.) Brady is in is mid-thirties when we first meet him, and he doesn't age much as the series progresses. He'd divorced with two sons and has a somewhat awkward relationship with his ex-wife and his children. He's a ladies' man and usually has his eye out for an attractive woman.
One thing he's definitely not is a gourmet cook. In creating the character, Tapply decided that there were already too many such characters in crime fiction and so he decided to go totally in the opposite direction. Coyne eats a lot of meals at places like Burger King, and when dining at home, his preference is for Dinty Moore Beef Stew straight out of the can. Unlike a certain famous Boston P.I., no one will ever get a great recipe from Brady Coyne.
This being a crime fiction series, even the business of Brady's elderly clients will sometimes land him in big trouble and personal danger, and such is the case here in his maiden effort. A wealthy client named Florence Gresham has, or had, two sons. The elder, Winchester, is missing and presumed dead, a victim of the war in Vietnam, but his body was never found. Mrs. Gresham wants Brady to investigate and determine once and for all what happened to him. Brady protests that, as an attorney, he's not really equipped to make an investigation like this, but his client is insistent and you don't say no to someone like Florence Gresham.
No sooner does Brady begin his investigation when Mrs. Gresham's only other child plunges off a cliff and is killed. George Gresham was a mild-mannered history teacher at an elite prep school, and when his body is discovered in the waters off Charity's Point, his death is ruled a suicide. Mrs. Gresham refuses to accept the verdict and demands that Brady investigate.
What follows is a fairly standard sort of mid-1980s mystery novel. It's a good book but not a great one, and it shows the signs of being the author's first novel. But from the seed planted here, Tapply would gain his footing and produce a number of very good books. In all, this turns out to be a fine regional mystery series, and it's always fun to pull one off the shelf and re-read it on a quiet afternoon at the lake when Brady Coyne would be off fishing.
June 10, 2017
Someone here on goodreads liked this author, so I tried the first of the Coyne series through Kindle Unlimited. There were some characters that were interesting, but I did not care for Brady Coyne. The plot was way out there as well. I won't try any others.
February 18, 2019
The first in the Brady Coyne series - having read some positive reviews by some friends in the US. Enjoyed the book - well written story of a lawyer getting drawn into a suicide or murder mystery
January 14, 2018
First book in the Brady Coyne series. Good writting, easy to follow. Not as good as the last, but gives you more back ground.
August 27, 2013
I love Tapply's stuff and was dismayed to hear of his death in 2009. Fortunately all of his work is being issued as ebooks. This is the first in his Brady Coyne series and sets the stage for the following books in the series. All are worth reading.
Charity's Point is a cliff named after a Puritan accused of being a witch who jumped to her death in the 17th century. Now, George, the son of Florence Gresham has been found washed up at the base of the same cliff. He was very different than his brother, Win, who was described as a real killer by his mother. Win had been killed in Vietnam. Or was he?
Florence is quite a character. Dud, her husband, blew his brains out with a shotgun in the bathroom, preferring that to a slower death from cancer. They had talked about it. Two weeks later, Florence, while taking a bath, castigated the maid for not cleaning the bathroom up well as she had just found a piece of Dud's skull.
She asks Brady, whose law practice is as much about catering to the whims of his rich clients as it is providing legal advice, to research George's suicide. And then to check into Win's death as well. The elite prep school where George taught history has an interesting set of characters including a strong skin-head contingent. And did the football star's plagiarized paper have anything to do with George's death?
This is a fine start to a wonderful series. Coyne is a great character to follow and I an so glad the series is being re-released as many of the originals had gone out-of-print.
One joke I must relay. Brady and his friend Charlie, who works in the Justice Department, are having dinner and Charlie is describing a recent scene in which the Coast Guard ship he was on stopped a boat on which the smugglers began breaking open bales of marijuana and throwing it overboard to the hundreds of circling gulls.
"So we asked one of the guys what the hell he thought he was doing, feeding the gulls like that. Know what he said?”
“What did he say?”
Charlie stared at me. “He said, ‘I wanted to leave no tern unstoned.’”
And another sample: "Charlie and I sat across from each other at one of the long tables covered with a stained, yellowed tablecloth. Next to Charlie sat a fat couple from Arizona, each of whom was hunched over a big sirloin, well-done. The couple’s two kids, a girl and a boy maybe eleven and nine, split a bowl of spaghetti. The boy complained that he hated spaghetti. The father told him to shut up, as he shoveled chunks of thick, overcooked beef into his mouth. The girl asked her mother for a french fry. The mother told her to eat her spaghetti first, then proceeded to gobble down all her french fries so that when the girl was finished there’d be none left."
My thanks to the publisher for this free advance copy through Netgalley in return for my always honest opinion.
Charity's Point is a cliff named after a Puritan accused of being a witch who jumped to her death in the 17th century. Now, George, the son of Florence Gresham has been found washed up at the base of the same cliff. He was very different than his brother, Win, who was described as a real killer by his mother. Win had been killed in Vietnam. Or was he?
Florence is quite a character. Dud, her husband, blew his brains out with a shotgun in the bathroom, preferring that to a slower death from cancer. They had talked about it. Two weeks later, Florence, while taking a bath, castigated the maid for not cleaning the bathroom up well as she had just found a piece of Dud's skull.
She asks Brady, whose law practice is as much about catering to the whims of his rich clients as it is providing legal advice, to research George's suicide. And then to check into Win's death as well. The elite prep school where George taught history has an interesting set of characters including a strong skin-head contingent. And did the football star's plagiarized paper have anything to do with George's death?
This is a fine start to a wonderful series. Coyne is a great character to follow and I an so glad the series is being re-released as many of the originals had gone out-of-print.
One joke I must relay. Brady and his friend Charlie, who works in the Justice Department, are having dinner and Charlie is describing a recent scene in which the Coast Guard ship he was on stopped a boat on which the smugglers began breaking open bales of marijuana and throwing it overboard to the hundreds of circling gulls.
"So we asked one of the guys what the hell he thought he was doing, feeding the gulls like that. Know what he said?”
“What did he say?”
Charlie stared at me. “He said, ‘I wanted to leave no tern unstoned.’”
And another sample: "Charlie and I sat across from each other at one of the long tables covered with a stained, yellowed tablecloth. Next to Charlie sat a fat couple from Arizona, each of whom was hunched over a big sirloin, well-done. The couple’s two kids, a girl and a boy maybe eleven and nine, split a bowl of spaghetti. The boy complained that he hated spaghetti. The father told him to shut up, as he shoveled chunks of thick, overcooked beef into his mouth. The girl asked her mother for a french fry. The mother told her to eat her spaghetti first, then proceeded to gobble down all her french fries so that when the girl was finished there’d be none left."
My thanks to the publisher for this free advance copy through Netgalley in return for my always honest opinion.
December 24, 2016
It's good to have friends on Goodreads because they can point out hidden gems that they have stumbled on in their reading. This book and probably the series is just such a gem. I would usually not bother with a book published over 30 years ago with less than 500 reviews -- I mean, the public has spoken (or not!). That would be a mistake. This is an intelligent, well rounded character working his way through an intelligent story line. I highly recommend it.
July 8, 2018
I enjoyed this. The series has been highly recommended by James, a Goodreads friend and author, so I was eager to read it and will plan to find more. Brady Coyne is a likable protagonist, and there are other interesting characters. Looking forward to how this series develops.
August 5, 2020
We frankly had forgotten author Tappley despite several years ago having enjoyed his final adventure (of 28) featuring nice guy (for a lawyer, probably what today we would call a concierge attorney) Brady Coyne. We were delighted during the pandemic to glom onto (ironically) the very first in the set, “Charity’s Point”, a 1980’s, almost nostalgic mystery about a wealthy woman client convinced her one son’s death was not the suicide ruled by the ME; and convinced that another son declared MIA/dead by the Army was still alive! She decides it’s Brady’s job to find out.
So indeed Brady starts sleuthing around without much luck. Although he thinks he has no particular skills as a private eye, soon enough he starts to wonder about a few things he has learned, abetted somewhat by a new girlfriend who apparently enjoys midnight strolls in the surf. While Brady is almost killed himself after closing in on the probable conclusion, all is tidied up at the end very nicely, in a tale both suspenseful and pleasingly entertaining.
So now that we’ve polished off Tappley’s alpha and omega so to speak, we wonder if we can hunt up some of the his remaining 26 stories?!
So indeed Brady starts sleuthing around without much luck. Although he thinks he has no particular skills as a private eye, soon enough he starts to wonder about a few things he has learned, abetted somewhat by a new girlfriend who apparently enjoys midnight strolls in the surf. While Brady is almost killed himself after closing in on the probable conclusion, all is tidied up at the end very nicely, in a tale both suspenseful and pleasingly entertaining.
So now that we’ve polished off Tappley’s alpha and omega so to speak, we wonder if we can hunt up some of the his remaining 26 stories?!
April 17, 2017
(2 1/2). I want to give a big shout out to my Goodreads friend James for turning me on to this series. He is a very astute mystery connoisseur and I take his endeavors seriously. This is the first offering in a long series and it is a very enjoyable debut. Brady Coyne is an easy going protagonist who gets thrown into the investigative world from his little boutique law practice by a client. The story is fun, a couple of the characters are big fun and there is nice twist at the end that gives us a little extra bump of intrique. Good, not great, but more than enough to make me pursue the series further. Thanks James!
November 17, 2017
#1 in the Brady Coyne mystery series
I very much liked this book, partly because it's based in Boston and its environs, which are familiar to me. But I also liked Brady. He's an educated man, a lawyer, but he's not stuffy at all, very casual actually. He sounds like a gofer because his job is to handle a lot of personal tasks for wealthy people and basically be on call for them, but he's his own man, sets limits, and genuinely likes his job and the people he works for. In this case he's asked by a strong elderly lady to do some detective work, even though that's not his strong point. She's lost her elder son to Vietnam, her husband to suicide, and now her younger son to suicide, and she wants an explanation. Brady investigates at the private school where George worked, slowly putting together the pieces of his life. We really get an understanding of Brady's personality as he interacts with his clients, his ex-wife and sons, and his friends. I liked him a lot and will look for more in this series.
I very much liked this book, partly because it's based in Boston and its environs, which are familiar to me. But I also liked Brady. He's an educated man, a lawyer, but he's not stuffy at all, very casual actually. He sounds like a gofer because his job is to handle a lot of personal tasks for wealthy people and basically be on call for them, but he's his own man, sets limits, and genuinely likes his job and the people he works for. In this case he's asked by a strong elderly lady to do some detective work, even though that's not his strong point. She's lost her elder son to Vietnam, her husband to suicide, and now her younger son to suicide, and she wants an explanation. Brady investigates at the private school where George worked, slowly putting together the pieces of his life. We really get an understanding of Brady's personality as he interacts with his clients, his ex-wife and sons, and his friends. I liked him a lot and will look for more in this series.
July 11, 2012
Enjoyable first mystery. Boston lawyer trying to solve the puzzle of a wealthy clients son's death. While the ending is somewhat easy to guess, the Boston surrounding coupled with brief digressions into fishing and Shakespeare make it a good read.
July 12, 2022
I read one later book in this series and now have finished the first one. I will read more. Brady Coyne is a good change from the British amateur sleuths I have been reading. He is a mess in his habits. The setting in the suburbs of Boston is familiar to me. The book ends without everything settled but there are answers to the deaths even if justice is not met.
May 4, 2018
I guess I'm going to have to rethink my take on detecting done by those who are not detectives. This is the second I've read in this series and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Brady is a lawyer to the rich. But he never knows what they'll want from him. It could be detecting. And he aims to please. After all, they pay well and much of the work they give him is boring. This was a fun read.
August 11, 2017
Exactly what it should be. Neatly but unexceptionally written, fairly amusing, and with a mystery that keeps you engrossed. Our hero and his maker are a bit clumsy with women....
March 7, 2017
March 2017 This is the first Brady book, 1984. Lots of Winston smoking. This book began the precedent of leaving Brady close to death in most, if not all, of the stories. This was a very good story and had terrific twists and turns for a 200 page story. Funny I never read the first story in the series.
August 25, 2016
This is the first of a long series which has many fans, so I thought I would try it. I'm afraid I found it disappointing, but I suppose not to the extent that I will not allow for this being a first novel and try another one or two.
Brady Coyne, a 42 year old Boston lawyer is a pretty bland character first time out. It's a struggle to find adjectives to describe him. Certainly no bon vivant, his apartment is a chronic mess and he lives on junk food and the cheapest beer (Rolling Rock, Carling's). Coors is seen as a special treat, but of course one has to allow that this was well before the current craft beer era.
Aside from Florence Gresham, perhaps, the other characters are just as flat. J P Marquand did a far better job of bringing Boston Brahmins to literary life. I attended a private school and taught in a public one, so my background is somewhat parallel to Tappley's, and I found his portrayal of Ruggles, the school which is central to the story, as lacking authenticity.
And I was uncomfortable with what felt like Tapply's awkwardness (hyperbole) with diversity and gender issues. The two black and one Asian character are painful stereotypes and while he tries to avoid male chauvinism, I found the effort unsuccessful. Breasts, for instance, fascinate Coyne, which I found TMI. It's hard to tell whether these shortcomings are Tapply's or his effort to make Coyne a different kind of P.I., but that ambiguity troubles me.
I also dislike books where the first chapter telegraphs the ending. Otherwise, the plot is merely ok.
So I guess my reaction is pretty much "meh," but I am hoping Coyne grows as a character and Tapply as a writer in the later episodes.
Brady Coyne, a 42 year old Boston lawyer is a pretty bland character first time out. It's a struggle to find adjectives to describe him. Certainly no bon vivant, his apartment is a chronic mess and he lives on junk food and the cheapest beer (Rolling Rock, Carling's). Coors is seen as a special treat, but of course one has to allow that this was well before the current craft beer era.
Aside from Florence Gresham, perhaps, the other characters are just as flat. J P Marquand did a far better job of bringing Boston Brahmins to literary life. I attended a private school and taught in a public one, so my background is somewhat parallel to Tappley's, and I found his portrayal of Ruggles, the school which is central to the story, as lacking authenticity.
And I was uncomfortable with what felt like Tapply's awkwardness (hyperbole) with diversity and gender issues. The two black and one Asian character are painful stereotypes and while he tries to avoid male chauvinism, I found the effort unsuccessful. Breasts, for instance, fascinate Coyne, which I found TMI. It's hard to tell whether these shortcomings are Tapply's or his effort to make Coyne a different kind of P.I., but that ambiguity troubles me.
I also dislike books where the first chapter telegraphs the ending. Otherwise, the plot is merely ok.
So I guess my reaction is pretty much "meh," but I am hoping Coyne grows as a character and Tapply as a writer in the later episodes.
October 13, 2014
This series was first released in the 1980s. I enjoyed them then and am enjoying my Kindle reread . The main character is an outdoorsman/lawyer who, typically for that decade, is a bit chauvinistic. The books are well written, with good plots. Coyne was a columnist for Field and Stream when I was a kid. There are many references to fishing and hunting.
June 23, 2014
I enjoyed Tapply's stuff when it was new. Especially the Miane guide protagonist he introduced late in his career, but having just finished the first Brady Coyne I see these novels are withstanding the test of time. They are released and if you missed them first time around. Now is your chance.
January 17, 2019
Very well done first novel. Introduces Attorney Brady Coyne as wealthy clients present unique problems requiring diligent research. Coyne's assistant is bright and beautiful and not engaged in the actual legal work. Very complicated situation with many different twists. Good read.
February 15, 2022
I found this really slow to start - lots of doubt that anything out of the ordinary is going on and not a lot of action until you hit Chapter 13, when things start to pick up. Probably more realistic in that respect than some other books, but it almost lost my attention. Once it picked up, it was quite enjoyable.
I appreciated the main character's anti-nazi and pro-people of color stance, and found him likeable in his awareness and embarassment re: his racial/gender faux pas and his openness to respect the boundaries/follow the lead of a "liberated woman," but in other ways he was clearly a product of a different time in his approach towards women. On the other hand, I appreciated the strong female characters, who were adamant and clear, setting strong boundaries throughout the book.
Nicely done sex scenes, although I found the one instance of passive-aggressive/aggressive angry sex with questionable consent frustrating because I don't think it reflects well on the character... seems like he should honor consent given his approach up to that point. But - given heightened emotions - even that, I suppose, could be argued to be portrayed realistically.
I appreciated the main character's anti-nazi and pro-people of color stance, and found him likeable in his awareness and embarassment re: his racial/gender faux pas and his openness to respect the boundaries/follow the lead of a "liberated woman," but in other ways he was clearly a product of a different time in his approach towards women. On the other hand, I appreciated the strong female characters, who were adamant and clear, setting strong boundaries throughout the book.
Nicely done sex scenes, although I found the one instance of passive-aggressive/aggressive angry sex with questionable consent frustrating because I don't think it reflects well on the character... seems like he should honor consent given his approach up to that point. But - given heightened emotions - even that, I suppose, could be argued to be portrayed realistically.
February 11, 2018
This was such a strange book. Had a reference not been made in the story, I would have guessed the book had been written in the 50s, yet it was published in the 90s. The protag is a lawyer who is in his 40s but refers to young men (anywhere from 16 to guys in their 20s/30s) as "sonny." Women talk about being liberated yet, ugh. It kept reading to me as a book about white male privilege.
Here's the thing: I read books all the time not only from different decades but different centuries. I am usually only momentarily troubled by sexism, etc, and let it go as being from a bygone era. For reasons I don't get, this book really bugged me and took me out. Oh, and the protag commits a rape (in my opinion) and we are to think it is justified. yech!
So, I'm done with this series. I can't read Travis McGee either; couldn't get past that first book. Lovers of McGee think I'm nuts. This book about Brady Coyne really rubbed me the wrong way, but politics aside, I think I'm most bothered by this weird uncomfortable quaintness.
Here's the thing: I read books all the time not only from different decades but different centuries. I am usually only momentarily troubled by sexism, etc, and let it go as being from a bygone era. For reasons I don't get, this book really bugged me and took me out. Oh, and the protag commits a rape (in my opinion) and we are to think it is justified. yech!
So, I'm done with this series. I can't read Travis McGee either; couldn't get past that first book. Lovers of McGee think I'm nuts. This book about Brady Coyne really rubbed me the wrong way, but politics aside, I think I'm most bothered by this weird uncomfortable quaintness.
December 20, 2021
Brady Coyne is a solo attorney in Boston, catering to the wealthy. One of his clients asks him to investigate the Army's claim that one of her sons died in battle overseas. Soon, the second son dies apparently of suicide, and he is asked to investigate that as well. A third death ensues and it's up to Brady to make sense of it all. The best parts of this book is the smooth, well-structured narrative and the (mostly) easy going nature of the protagonist. My criticisms are numerous. First, there is not a lot of mystery as we watch Brady handle other clients and wander around Boston. Second, Brady has a complex relationship with women. He hits on his secretary, makes rude comments to another secretary about her underwear, and is overly aggressive during sex on a second date. The combination of all these just made me uncomfortable. Third, I found the resolution of the mystery unsatisfying.
December 25, 2024
I have never read this author before but I got it on my Kindle for free and so I thought I would give it a try and as I was reading I was thinking that even though the story was set in the eighties that it could have actually been written in the eighties because it was really quite tame. The main character, Brady Coyne, was a bit limp and undecided, he is a lawyer to the rich and not accustomed to murder investigation and the plot never really got going for me.
Later I discovered on Goodreads that it was his first book written in 1984 and that he has now wrote up to 28 Brady Coyne novels and so I must try one of his more recent ones and see how that goes, I am always a trier, for this book however, I can’t give it more than a three because it lacked any real excitement, no cut and thrust. 3/5
Later I discovered on Goodreads that it was his first book written in 1984 and that he has now wrote up to 28 Brady Coyne novels and so I must try one of his more recent ones and see how that goes, I am always a trier, for this book however, I can’t give it more than a three because it lacked any real excitement, no cut and thrust. 3/5
August 21, 2020
Brady Coyne is a lawyer to the wealthy. Death at Charity's Point was originally written in 1985, and it is a cozy mystery about the apparent suicide of a History teacher at a private boarding school. I mention the publication date because the most sophisticated forensic science is using saliva found on a sealed envelope to determine the blood type of the person who sealed the envelope. It's a pleasant read, and sometimes even the wealthy have to accept that the lives of the children have not turned out as they had hoped. I might read more of these, but I am not racing to put them on hold.
February 11, 2025
The First.Of The Brady Coyne Mysteries
Tapply's Brady Coyne mysteries have Manny volumns but they started with Death at Charity's Point. It serves as an introduction to the 42 year.old Yale graduate lawyer, his best friend since law school Charley McGivitt, his ex-wife Gloria, his two sons, his legal assistant Joy and a few.of his client. Florence Gresham,a 72 year old wealthy widow, is the source of his endeavours in this book. One.is.interested.enough in the cast of characters that outlook forward.to meeting them again in the later books in the series.
Tapply's Brady Coyne mysteries have Manny volumns but they started with Death at Charity's Point. It serves as an introduction to the 42 year.old Yale graduate lawyer, his best friend since law school Charley McGivitt, his ex-wife Gloria, his two sons, his legal assistant Joy and a few.of his client. Florence Gresham,a 72 year old wealthy widow, is the source of his endeavours in this book. One.is.interested.enough in the cast of characters that outlook forward.to meeting them again in the later books in the series.
October 9, 2022
Torn a bit between 2-3 stars. Nothing really special about this detective, and my first impression is that the whole book is a cliche. The resolution seemed trite and unlikely, although the ending of the book did a good job of convincing me that it could be plausible. The characters didn't grow on me much but I've got another one or two in this series that I'll check out and see if the writing and story gets better.
December 15, 2024
I liked it well enough for a debut entry in a long series. Coyne is an interesting character with some quirks and a good, lawyerly mind, but not a lot of experience in PI methodologies. But, he is loyal to his clients and dogged once his instincts kick in. I've read that the series improves and so I'm ready to move on to The Dutch Blue Error which, from the Kindle book cover, deals with a stamp-based story.
December 9, 2018
I'm so glad I've discovered William G. Tapply and that my discovery was of the first book in the series--Brady Coyne is a new fictional hero of mine, for I like the humanness of the characters, and how the detecting weaves in with history and discoveries open secret doors and the read is fast and surprising.
August 11, 2019
A throughly enjoyable first book in the Brady Coyne mystery series. A lawyer who has to become a sleuth to make his law client happy looks into the suicide of a private school teacher. Full of twists and turns the story moves along quickly with surprises making me want to see what the second book will bring Brady Coyne.
November 22, 2023
A decent enough mystery debut featuring an attorney for the rich; in this volume his client actually wants him to perform more as a detective by researching whether her son actually committed suicide, had an accident, or was murdered. Plenty of fodder to think about.
Although I liked this one well enough, I don't think I'll pursue the series, at this time.
Although I liked this one well enough, I don't think I'll pursue the series, at this time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews