What do you think?
Rate this book
Brady Coyne #17
Scar Tissue
Brady Coyne is an attorney with a select clientele and a small practice - he handles mostly the boring paperwork such as deeds, wills, and divorces and leaves the more exciting aspects of the legal profession to others. A call from Jacob Gold, an old friend and client, on a cold February day, however, shatters the slow pace of Brady's life. Gold's fifteen year old son Brian and Brian's girlfriend Jenny were involved in a tragic accident. Their car went off the road and into a river - Jenny was DOA and Brian is missing, his body probably swept away by the river's current.
With the parents paralyzed by grief, Brady - divorced with two sons of his own - agrees to help as much as he can. But what seems a simple, if tragic, situation quickly becomes complicated. The accident scene makes no sense to Brady, the police chief of this quiet, middle class Boston suburb seems particularly eager to be rid of Brady and then Jacob Gold moves out of his home and disappears. For the sake of his friends and clients, and for their child, Brady must now find out the truth that lurks behind this tragedy - before yet another innocent life is lost.
With the parents paralyzed by grief, Brady - divorced with two sons of his own - agrees to help as much as he can. But what seems a simple, if tragic, situation quickly becomes complicated. The accident scene makes no sense to Brady, the police chief of this quiet, middle class Boston suburb seems particularly eager to be rid of Brady and then Jacob Gold moves out of his home and disappears. For the sake of his friends and clients, and for their child, Brady must now find out the truth that lurks behind this tragedy - before yet another innocent life is lost.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2000
9 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 19, 2018
Scar Tissue is among the best of the books in William G. Tapply's series featuring Boston attorney Brady coyne, largely because it features one of the best plots that Tapply ever developed for the series. Coyne has a small, one-man practice, and focuses mostly on writing wills and doing other such mundane tasks for a small group of generally very wealthy clients.
In line with the personal service he provides, Brady has become close friends with a number of his clients and, as a friend rather than as their lawyer, Brady rushes to the side of Jake and Sharon Gold when their son, Brian, is involved in a fatal traffic accident. Brian was riding in a car driven by his girlfriend, when the car veered off a slick highway in the middle of winter and plunged down the bank into an icy river. The girlfriend was killed immediately; Brian, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was apparently thrown from the car and and swept away.
The Golds live in the small town of Reddington, and hour or so away from Boston, and the accident occurred on the outskirts of town. Brady sits with the Golds while waiting for Brian's body to be recovered, but his curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to examine the site of the accident for himself. He also talks to the local police chief and gets the distinct impression that the chief does not want him to be interfering with the investigation.
Of course, as any reader knows, you should never tell the protagonist in a book like this to butt out of your business, and sure enough, Brady continues poking around. Almost immediately, the wheels start turning, and Brady had better be looking over his shoulder for the trouble that is about to rain down on him.
As I've said in earlier reviews, Brady Coyne is an engaging protagonist and this is a solid regional mystery series. In and around his investigation, Brady's personal life continues to develop, and no one who enjoys the series will want to miss this entry.
In line with the personal service he provides, Brady has become close friends with a number of his clients and, as a friend rather than as their lawyer, Brady rushes to the side of Jake and Sharon Gold when their son, Brian, is involved in a fatal traffic accident. Brian was riding in a car driven by his girlfriend, when the car veered off a slick highway in the middle of winter and plunged down the bank into an icy river. The girlfriend was killed immediately; Brian, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was apparently thrown from the car and and swept away.
The Golds live in the small town of Reddington, and hour or so away from Boston, and the accident occurred on the outskirts of town. Brady sits with the Golds while waiting for Brian's body to be recovered, but his curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to examine the site of the accident for himself. He also talks to the local police chief and gets the distinct impression that the chief does not want him to be interfering with the investigation.
Of course, as any reader knows, you should never tell the protagonist in a book like this to butt out of your business, and sure enough, Brady continues poking around. Almost immediately, the wheels start turning, and Brady had better be looking over his shoulder for the trouble that is about to rain down on him.
As I've said in earlier reviews, Brady Coyne is an engaging protagonist and this is a solid regional mystery series. In and around his investigation, Brady's personal life continues to develop, and no one who enjoys the series will want to miss this entry.
January 25, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I’ve been working my way through Tapply’s Brady Coyne murder mysteries. I always enjoy them but I particularly enjoyed Scar Tissue.
A quick, enjoyable and intriguing read!
I’ve been working my way through Tapply’s Brady Coyne murder mysteries. I always enjoy them but I particularly enjoyed Scar Tissue.
A quick, enjoyable and intriguing read!
April 11, 2017
April 2017 - First time reading this story..... Over-lying theme a heavy one that was always the "elephant in the room" throughout the story. Well written!
January 7, 2022
A great start to our new year reading adventure was found in this 17th Brady Coyne tale, as we continue to read in order Tapply’s popular 25-book series about a nice-guy attorney to the Boston-area wealthy. We would tend to classify these stories, now mostly a couple decades old, as classic mysteries with a clever and likable protagonist eventually solving each puzzle. Yet “Scar Tissue” almost seemed more of a modern thriller as some daring investigative work by Coyne winds up with a gun to the head of his beloved administrative assistant Julie.
The plot heats up when after the apparent drowning death of one of his client’s son, followed soon thereafter by the suspicious disappearance of the boy’s father, and then the death of the investigating police chief, Brady discovers some damning clues en route to finding yet another dead body. His cop pal (of sorts) Horowitz plays a big role in keeping the other investigators at bay, and by the time everything is resolved a number of twists and turns not only add great suspense but significantly ratchet up the entertainment factor. We enjoyed it as one of the best so far in the set!
The plot heats up when after the apparent drowning death of one of his client’s son, followed soon thereafter by the suspicious disappearance of the boy’s father, and then the death of the investigating police chief, Brady discovers some damning clues en route to finding yet another dead body. His cop pal (of sorts) Horowitz plays a big role in keeping the other investigators at bay, and by the time everything is resolved a number of twists and turns not only add great suspense but significantly ratchet up the entertainment factor. We enjoyed it as one of the best so far in the set!
May 30, 2022
I really like the Brady Coyne books, for some reason Kindle in the UK only has up to #16 so I was pleased to get this on an online used books site. Longstanding clients call Coyne in for support after their son is missing presumed dead after a car drives int a river.
February 6, 2016
#17 in the Boston attorney Brady Coyne series.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - When Brian, the 15-year-old son and only child of Jake and Sharon Gold, is apparently involved in a fatal auto accident, Brady rushes to their home in suburban Reddington, Mass., to lend his support. The local police, headed by Chief Ed Sprague, have fished the body of Brian's girlfriend out of a car that plunged through a guardrail into the frozen river below. The two were inseparable, so the search goes on for Brian somewhere beneath the ice. Brady, however, soon suspects the boy is alive. Then Jake, after sending Brady a sealed envelope for safekeeping, asks that they meet at a motel outside Boston. When Brady enters the room rented by ""John Silver,"" he finds not his friend but Chief Sprague, shot dead. Jake turns up later in Sprague's barn, his corpse showing signs of torture. The plot gets even thicker when Brady finds hundreds of dollars torn into shreds hidden in Brian's room. The tension mounts as Brady comes under pressure from politically ambitious DA Gus Nash and cynical detective Roger Horowitz to reveal what he knows.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - When Brian, the 15-year-old son and only child of Jake and Sharon Gold, is apparently involved in a fatal auto accident, Brady rushes to their home in suburban Reddington, Mass., to lend his support. The local police, headed by Chief Ed Sprague, have fished the body of Brian's girlfriend out of a car that plunged through a guardrail into the frozen river below. The two were inseparable, so the search goes on for Brian somewhere beneath the ice. Brady, however, soon suspects the boy is alive. Then Jake, after sending Brady a sealed envelope for safekeeping, asks that they meet at a motel outside Boston. When Brady enters the room rented by ""John Silver,"" he finds not his friend but Chief Sprague, shot dead. Jake turns up later in Sprague's barn, his corpse showing signs of torture. The plot gets even thicker when Brady finds hundreds of dollars torn into shreds hidden in Brian's room. The tension mounts as Brady comes under pressure from politically ambitious DA Gus Nash and cynical detective Roger Horowitz to reveal what he knows.
September 15, 2021
(3). Brady Coyne is such a great character. I think I have missed one of these books because it was not available at the library, but I have certainly enjoyed them all. This one is a little bit of a fooler, one of those “you can’t tell a book by looking at the cover” stories. It starts out nice and simple, and then gets deliciously complicated. Tapply makes it a little more fun by throwing Brady in a relationship quandary at the same time as things are unfolding. Some great twists and turns, especially towards the end, and other than Brady smoking way too many cigarettes, I have no complaints. Just taking my time wandering through this series. Always good stuff.
September 4, 2024
The main character is a lawyer, who has great difficulty, figuring out what is happening. There are accidents and murders, and he even must kill one who comes to kill him. There is great sadness and a lot of mystery involved in this story. Some happiness finds itself in the end.
October 17, 2017
Excellent Brady Coyne book, it is a great series.
May 27, 2023
Good read but predictable plot
September 24, 2025
I only have a few more Brady Coyne novels to go. I will miss the character.
Give the books a try.
Give the books a try.
March 30, 2011
Another good Brady Coyne novel. Brady gets a call late one night from Jack Gold, a long-time friend and client who reports that his son and girlfriend have been in a car accident. Jenny, Brian’s girl friend, had been driving and their car left the road on a curve and crashed down a hillside into a frozen river. Jenny’s body has been recovered but there is no sign of Brian. Brady travels up to their house to console and has a conversation with the highly respected local police chief. But things start to go awry (here I have a minor problem with the way Tapply handles the timing, but it had me turning pages back several times to try to figure out an apparent time lapse.) Brady gets a call from Jack, who has split up from his younger wife Sharon, who is unable to reconcile with the apparent death of her son. He has some important information that he wants to show Brady. When he doesn’t show for the appointment, Brady becomes concerned and tracks him down to a seedy motel where no one answers the door. When police are summoned, they discover the body of the police chief.
Anything more would be a spoiler. Solid mystery. Tapply is consistently enjoyable. My favorite character is Horowitz.
Anything more would be a spoiler. Solid mystery. Tapply is consistently enjoyable. My favorite character is Horowitz.
March 23, 2009
Nice details and reads well, but the underlying plot is predictable. Some funny lawyer lines, the main character is well developed as a character and is likeable. The author writes tense scenes well. Without giving plot away, there is a scene in this book in which a surprise takes place and I really enjoyed that. It was well written and funny.
August 16, 2009
Very Good; Continuing character: Brady Coyne; when a client's son is presumed dead in a car accident that ended up in a river, Coyne starts out as a comforting friend, but as the mystery deepend he starts digging into things and finds all kinds of secrets in the small town
August 8, 2011
easy to read, passes the time
Read
February 18, 2012I like ALL of Tapply's books. He's a wonderful writer
August 20, 2019
See previous comments.
March 18, 2015
Could have doen without this story line but the mystery of who done it was good.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews