A Fine Line: A Brady Coyne Novel [Hardcover]

William G. Tapply (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

Walt Duffy was a world-renowned ornithologist, outdoorsman, and nature photographer who spent his life traveling and taking some of the most highly regarded photographs of birds in their natural habitats. Until, that is, over a year ago, when a climbing accident left him paraplegic. Now he spends his time in the backyard of his brownstone in Boston, with only his dog and his teen-aged son Ethan for company.

Brady Coyne, Walt's long-time friend and attorney, handles his routine legal affairs and is asked by Walt to deliver a set of Meriweather Lewis letters to a rare book dealer for authentication. Shortly after, responding to a call from Duffy, Coyne stops by after work only to find Walt dead - murdered - in his backyard. Robbery is dismissed as a motive when the only thing that turns up missing is Walt's laptop. Equally disturbing is the fact that Ethan, Walt's son, is missing without a trace, any sign of struggle, or any clue to where he may have gone. There is also evidence that Walt was somehow involved in a notorious eco-terrorist group that is currently taking deadly action around the Boston area.

With the FBI and the Boston police watching him closely, the eco-terrorists escalating dramatically, and Ethan still missing, Brady finds himself in the center of an increasingly dangerous plot. With the death toll mounting, Brady realizes he has to find the missing Ethan and unravel the complex puzzle before either of them becomes the latest victim.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Walter Duffy was the world's leading bird photographer until an accident crippled him. So Boston lawyer Brady Coyne, an old friend, makes a point of visiting him in his bird-filled garden terrace--until the day Brady finds him lying next to his crutches, fatally bashed in the back of the head. Was it an accident or murder? Where is Walter's college-age son, who was also his much abused household helper? Who keeps calling Brady at odd hours, tipping him off to upcoming arson fires? And what's it all got to do with a packet of letters allegedly written by Meriwether Lewis?

This is Brady Coyne's 19th solo outing, and fans will find their hero just as likable, even-tempered, and incorruptible as ever. They'll also appreciate his growing relationship with companion Eve Banyon (who may be unrealistically gorgeous and devoted, but whose presence gives rise to one of the best sex-in-a-thunderstorm scenes you'll read this year). The suspense in A Fine Line is on the mild side, and the slightly disconnected plot concludes with a too-neat wrap-up. But you'll still enjoy reading Tapply for his fully fleshed people, his evocation of Boston, and his lean prose, which--as always--goes down as smoothly as 16-year-old single malt. --Nicholas H. Allison

From Publishers Weekly

Brady Coyne (Past Tense; Scar Tissue; etc.) has been around for almost two decades now, and the low-key, fly-fishing Boston lawyer with an overly developed need for self-reliance has never been in better form. Among Coyne's clients who are also personal friends is Walt Duffy, a nature photographer recently derailed by a paralyzing accident. Duffy asks Coyne to carry a packet of letters, purported to be from explorer Meriwether Lewis to ornithologist Alexander Wilson, to a noted book dealer for authentication. Soon thereafter, Duffy is dead from a suspicious accident; his son, Ethan, is missing; and Coyne is about to embark on a case that will once again test not only his ability to survive but his willingness to accept help and support from others. As the case escalates from accident to murder, an amorphous group of ecoterrorists, using arson as a primary weapon, begins to emerge as suspects. A deadly arsonist uses our hero as a pawn, forcing the attorney to comply with his demands or put others at deadly risk. At the same time police and FBI press Coyne to cooperate. Coyne's tendency to draw into himself and face the problem alone may be the wrong decision, especially since it threatens his deepening relationship with girlfriend Evie Banyon. Tapply consistently delivers well-written, well-constructed and thoroughly entertaining mysteries, and his latest is a fine addition to the series.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312303521
• ISBN-13: 978-0312303525
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #843,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Line, January 6, 2004

By 

Ricky N. "Ricky C. Nelson" (Commerce, GA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Fine Line: A Brady Coyne Novel (Hardcover)

"A Fine Line" is the 19th Brady Coyne novel by William G. Tapply. Walt Duffy, a renowned ornithologist who was left paralyzed by a fall, asks his attorney and friend, Brady Coyne to deliver some letters supposedly written by Meriwether Lewis to Benjamin Frye, a rare book dealer, for authentication. Shortly after Brady delivers the letters, he finds Walt Duffy dead in his backyard. The police think it is murder. Duffy's son, Ethan, is also missing. Benjamin Frye gives the letters back to Brady, and shortly thereafter Frye is found dead in a warehouse fire. Brady feels that his life may be in danger because it appears someone will stop at nothing to obtain those rare letters. Brady needs to find Ethan Duffy and the murderer who appears to be a member of the radical ecoterrorist group, SOLF (Spotted Owl Liberation Front.) "A Fine Line" is also important concerning Brady's relationship with Evie. This is an excellent novel by William Tapply. Even after 19 Coyne novels, his plots are fresh and the suspense is riveting. "A Fine Line" is highly recommended.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine Brady Coyne novel, November 16, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Fine Line: A Brady Coyne Novel (Hardcover)

Every Tuesday, Boston lawyer Brady Coyne visits his friend Walt Duffy, once the foremost bird photographer in the country until he too had a bad fall and ended up a paraplegic. Now he lives in his Boston townhouse and spends much of his time bird watching in his garden. He lives with his college age son Ethan and their dog Henry. On Brady's latest visit, Walt asks him to get some letters appraised by antiquarian book dealer and fellow bird lover Ben Fyre.

The next day Walt asks Brady to visit him at his home but when the lawyer arrives he finds his friend/client dead with the police calling it a homicide. Ethan is nowhere to be found and Ben insists Brady take back the letters. When Ben is murdered too and Ethan remains missing, Brady finds himself in the middle of a FBI investigation involving eco-terrorists.

A Brady Coyne novel is always a treat and A FINE LINE is especially fine. It's cute watching Brady taking care of Nathan's dog Henry and decide whether or not he's brave enough to make a commitment to his girlfriend Eve. The plot is a clever adventure in misdirection and readers will find themselves caught up in the non-stop action of William G. Tapply's latest work.

Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid entertainment, March 20, 2011

By 

Eric C. Welch (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Fine Line: A Brady Coyne Novel (Brady Coyne Novels) (Kindle Edition)

Walt Duffy, famous bird photographer who had lost the use of his legs, asks Coyne, his lawyer, to take some valuable letters of Merriwether Lewis to be appraised. The next day, Coyne finds Duffy on the brick floor of his birdhouse, his head bleeding profusely, crutches by his side and Ethan, Duffy's son who lived with him has gone missing.

The plot becomes thicker as Coyne finds himself manipulated by a killer with links to a secret environmentalist organization. The killer seems to know Coyne's every move and Coyne is not sure what move to make to save lives.

Sounds thin, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers. All you need to know is that Tapply writes well, always tells an engaging story, sprinkled with humor, and provides a few hours of solid entertainment.