What do you think?
Rate this book
Brady Coyne #14
Close to the Bone
According to Booklist, A new Brady Coyne novel is as easy to slip into as a well-worn pair of jeans, and Close to the Bone is no exception. When an old friend disappears, Boston lawyer and occasional sleuth Brady Coyne investigates, only to find that the truth hits too close to home.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
25 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
William G. Tapply
79 books87 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 26, 2017
The Constitution guarantees that everyone accused of a crime is entitled to a defense--even though he or she might actually have committed the offense for which they have been charged. This is bound to cause difficulties for many attorneys--at least for those with a conscience--who find that they must mount the best defense they can even for clients that they personally find reprehensible.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne finds himself in this situation when the son of one of his clients is charged with killing two people while driving drunk. There's no question about the fact that the son was driving the car, that he was legally drunk, that he hit another car and killed two people. But the wealthy father wants his son off the hook.
As readers of this series know, Coyne's one-man law practice is largely confined to administering the affairs of wealthy, mostly elderly clients. He doesn't do criminal defense himself, but acting on the instructions of his client, Coyne finds an excellent defense attorney named Paul Cizek to take the case. Cizek, who is one of Brady's friends, was once a prosecuting attorney with an outstanding record. Since going into private practice he has successfully defended a number of high-profile defendants who have been acquitted as the result of his efforts, which certainly does not mean that they were not guilty.
Such is the case here, and against seemingly impossible odds, Cizek wins an acquittal for the drunk driver who was surely as guilty as sin. But Cizek is troubled by the fact that he is now helping guilty clients escape the consequences of their actions. His marriage is also in trouble and one night, shortly after the trial, he disappears off his boat which he has taken out into a storm.
Did Cizek die by accident? Was he so depressed that he took his own life? Brady Coyne is haunted by the death of his friend and goes searching for answers. Naturally, his quest will stir up all kinds of additional problems that Brady never anticipated, and before long, he will be in considerable trouble himself.
If that weren't bad enough, Brady's own love life has hit a troubled patch. For some time, he has been in a relationship with a newspaper reporter who seems to be his ideal mate. But when she get a chance for a big advancement, it may mean moving away from Boston and may, in turn, have serious consequences for her relationship with Brady.
This is a very good entry in this series. The case is an interesting one, and the reporter, Alex Shaw, is one of Brady's more appealing love interests, and so the reader winds up rooting for them to succeed. All in all, a good read.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne finds himself in this situation when the son of one of his clients is charged with killing two people while driving drunk. There's no question about the fact that the son was driving the car, that he was legally drunk, that he hit another car and killed two people. But the wealthy father wants his son off the hook.
As readers of this series know, Coyne's one-man law practice is largely confined to administering the affairs of wealthy, mostly elderly clients. He doesn't do criminal defense himself, but acting on the instructions of his client, Coyne finds an excellent defense attorney named Paul Cizek to take the case. Cizek, who is one of Brady's friends, was once a prosecuting attorney with an outstanding record. Since going into private practice he has successfully defended a number of high-profile defendants who have been acquitted as the result of his efforts, which certainly does not mean that they were not guilty.
Such is the case here, and against seemingly impossible odds, Cizek wins an acquittal for the drunk driver who was surely as guilty as sin. But Cizek is troubled by the fact that he is now helping guilty clients escape the consequences of their actions. His marriage is also in trouble and one night, shortly after the trial, he disappears off his boat which he has taken out into a storm.
Did Cizek die by accident? Was he so depressed that he took his own life? Brady Coyne is haunted by the death of his friend and goes searching for answers. Naturally, his quest will stir up all kinds of additional problems that Brady never anticipated, and before long, he will be in considerable trouble himself.
If that weren't bad enough, Brady's own love life has hit a troubled patch. For some time, he has been in a relationship with a newspaper reporter who seems to be his ideal mate. But when she get a chance for a big advancement, it may mean moving away from Boston and may, in turn, have serious consequences for her relationship with Brady.
This is a very good entry in this series. The case is an interesting one, and the reporter, Alex Shaw, is one of Brady's more appealing love interests, and so the reader winds up rooting for them to succeed. All in all, a good read.
February 13, 2023
(3 1/2). This was a great find. A Brady Coyne book that was not available at my home library that I found at my new winter library. And solid Brady it is. With twists and turns galore, and lots of fill in for story lines that continue in the books afterward that I never quite understood. We have silly old clients and really bad situations, a little violence and lots of implied sex, along with the occasional fly fishing and legal activities. What more could you ask for? Ya gotta love Brady. Good stuff.
January 17, 2008
This is a great series. As a Massachusetts native, I know the places and feel as though I Am There! Brady Coyne's sense of humor makes me laugh!
November 6, 2016
Love William Tapply's books. Reading them is like being with a best friend. So much comfort and pleasure reading them.
August 16, 2009
Excellent; Continuing character: Brady Coyne; lawyer friend of Coyne who has successfully defended a series of truly guilty people appears to have been drowned, but then the people he defended start turning up dead
October 25, 2011
Another Brady Coyne mystery. One of the reviewers said something like, reading a Brady Coyne novel is like putting on your most comfortable pair of jeans: I agree. After reading so many of the books in this series, I feel like I am right there with him, and liking him.
March 14, 2011
Tapply does good work.
March 13, 2015
Good story. Not a clue about the ending until it happened.
February 7, 2019
Can Brady finally be ready for "adulting"? Good story, nice twist or two, and a long, slow, apparently painful move towards (finally!) a two-sided commitment. Can't wait to see how he adjusts his life and career to fit in with Alex's.
March 13, 2017
March 2017 Another winner! Loved the characters and the interactions. Loved the dialogue.
September 5, 2007
CLOSE TO THE BONE (Legal Thriller-Brandy Coyne-Boston-Cont) - VG
Tapply, William G. – 14th in series
St. Martin’s Press, 1996, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312145675
First Sentence: Julie keeps telling me I’ll never be a proper lawyer if I keep driving out to the suburbs to meet my clients at their homes whenever they request it.
*** Attorney Brady Coyne refers his wealthy client, Roger Falconer, to criminal attorney Paul Cizek. Roger’s son, Gary, was arrested in a DUI accident that resulted in the death of a young mother. Paul, known for defending undesirable clients, gets Gary off, but the attorney later disappears off his boat during a storm. Brady wants to know whether it was an accident, suicide, or something else.
*** I’ve always enjoyed Tapply’s books but felt this had a bit more depth than some. His books always have the basic foundation of fully-dimensional and interesting characters, a strong sense of place, good dialogue, and great flow to the story. This one included the added elements Brady having to make a serious decision about his own life and a multi-layered, nicely twisted plot. Even when I thought I knew where things were going, events didn’t proceed quite as I’d expected, which I enjoyed. One thing I do enjoy is always knowing when I pick up a book by Mr. Tapply, I shall be assured of a pleasurable, and interesting, read.
Tapply, William G. – 14th in series
St. Martin’s Press, 1996, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312145675
First Sentence: Julie keeps telling me I’ll never be a proper lawyer if I keep driving out to the suburbs to meet my clients at their homes whenever they request it.
*** Attorney Brady Coyne refers his wealthy client, Roger Falconer, to criminal attorney Paul Cizek. Roger’s son, Gary, was arrested in a DUI accident that resulted in the death of a young mother. Paul, known for defending undesirable clients, gets Gary off, but the attorney later disappears off his boat during a storm. Brady wants to know whether it was an accident, suicide, or something else.
*** I’ve always enjoyed Tapply’s books but felt this had a bit more depth than some. His books always have the basic foundation of fully-dimensional and interesting characters, a strong sense of place, good dialogue, and great flow to the story. This one included the added elements Brady having to make a serious decision about his own life and a multi-layered, nicely twisted plot. Even when I thought I knew where things were going, events didn’t proceed quite as I’d expected, which I enjoyed. One thing I do enjoy is always knowing when I pick up a book by Mr. Tapply, I shall be assured of a pleasurable, and interesting, read.
February 6, 2016
#14 in the Boston attorney Brady Coyne series.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - Coyne recommends Paul Cizek, a fishing buddy and a defense attorney with a reputation as a miracle worker, to defend a client's son involved in a fatal DUI rap. Cizek takes and wins the case, but privately explains to Coyne how his victories are eating at him. He detests the people he is defending - the child molester, the Mafia hit man and now an unremorseful alcoholic. When Cizek, depressed and separated from his wife, disappears and his empty boat is found drifting in a storm, the police assume accident or suicide. But Coyne's investigation, undertaken at the behest of Cizek's wife, and accruing dead bodies suggest more sinister possibilities.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - Coyne recommends Paul Cizek, a fishing buddy and a defense attorney with a reputation as a miracle worker, to defend a client's son involved in a fatal DUI rap. Cizek takes and wins the case, but privately explains to Coyne how his victories are eating at him. He detests the people he is defending - the child molester, the Mafia hit man and now an unremorseful alcoholic. When Cizek, depressed and separated from his wife, disappears and his empty boat is found drifting in a storm, the police assume accident or suicide. But Coyne's investigation, undertaken at the behest of Cizek's wife, and accruing dead bodies suggest more sinister possibilities.
June 30, 2021
We’re enjoying reading Tapply’s fine Brady Coyne series, complete at 25 novels (not counting three dubious collaborations with J.W. Jackson), with our reading in order now polishing off #14, “Close to the Bone.” Although this one features a fine mystery, involving the disappearance of a relatively famous Brady client, the illumination of mid-life crisis issues, as well as Brady’s first really serious relationship in a while almost overshadowed the puzzle.
The plot revolves around Paul Cizek, a prominent defense attorney, who gets another of Brady’s clients’ son off from a clearly guilty vehicular manslaughter charge, adding to Cizek’s list of almost certainly guilty parties for whom he has won their court cases. Cizek is now really questioning where he is in life, somewhat sick of his clientele, and generally depressed enough to separate from his wife and go off to a small island cabin. Soon he has apparently been lost at sea, but Brady suspects that is not the case and as his wont, investigates persistently to discover if something else is afoot, especially since Kizak was seriously threatened by the husband of the lady killed by his client. When a couple more deaths occur, the scene is set for some brilliant discoveries and revelations by our hero.
Meanwhile, Brady himself, having just about cohabitated for quite a while with newspaper reporter Alex Shaw, is debating his own status in life, aggravated by her decision to write a novel and move to Maine in seclusion to do so. She wants him to come along and possibly take a fresh look at his own lifestyle and career, which to say the least creates quite the dilemma for our protagonist.
All told, quite a lot provided for thought and entertainment in this engaging outing! {3.5}
The plot revolves around Paul Cizek, a prominent defense attorney, who gets another of Brady’s clients’ son off from a clearly guilty vehicular manslaughter charge, adding to Cizek’s list of almost certainly guilty parties for whom he has won their court cases. Cizek is now really questioning where he is in life, somewhat sick of his clientele, and generally depressed enough to separate from his wife and go off to a small island cabin. Soon he has apparently been lost at sea, but Brady suspects that is not the case and as his wont, investigates persistently to discover if something else is afoot, especially since Kizak was seriously threatened by the husband of the lady killed by his client. When a couple more deaths occur, the scene is set for some brilliant discoveries and revelations by our hero.
Meanwhile, Brady himself, having just about cohabitated for quite a while with newspaper reporter Alex Shaw, is debating his own status in life, aggravated by her decision to write a novel and move to Maine in seclusion to do so. She wants him to come along and possibly take a fresh look at his own lifestyle and career, which to say the least creates quite the dilemma for our protagonist.
All told, quite a lot provided for thought and entertainment in this engaging outing! {3.5}
April 25, 2022
This book had been sitting on my Kindle app for quite a while but today I gave it a start for the second time. And that was it for the rest of the afternoon as I was hooked! There was more to think about than the usual crime story when the plot revolves around defending some despicable criminals because everyone deserves a legal defense. This is the first Brady Coyne book I have read and I see there are many more. I would like to know how Brady's relationship proceeds so I may check out some more in the series.
October 17, 2017
amazing how every book is good, with a quick pace and likable characters
June 1, 2021
Another great story featuring curious Boston lawyer Brady Coyne and a defense lawyer friend who is losing self-esteem.
January 13, 2024
Good story with lots of twists and turns.
April 22, 2009
Lawyer Brady Coyne of Boston seems mild-mannered and quiet but he grows on you as the plot develops along with his personal life. He is persistent in an investigation of a case till he comes to its resolution. Dead people just seem to turn up where he is!
Read
December 11, 2018Nice twist at the end, left wanting to know how they get on.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews