Customer Reviews

Nervous Water: A Brady Coyne Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am not a huge "mystery" genre lover. I much prefer a good thriller. However, Tapply and Brady Coyne are the exception to my rule.

Nervous Water is another entry into the Coyne series. I am never sure if I just really like Tapply's writing or if I just really like the character her created. Regardless, this book is another wonderful Brady Coyne story.

What makes these books so great is that Tapply has given his characters "real life" traits. They fight, make mistakes and work their way through the storylines at such a delightful and real pace that you can almost feel that they are real.

Nervous Water explores deep-rooted family issues intermingled with legal and personal issues. At the same time, being entertaining and a page turner.

I am not sure about the relationship between our main character and his "love". I always kind of feel that this does not work for Coyne and he should be single for a while.

Also, I do find it difficult to plod through all the fishing references made (and there are alot in this one). I know that Tapply is a fishing enthusiast, but I would love for him to figure out that there is a really good chance that most of his fans ARE NOT and that is why I give this book 4 instead of 5 stars.

Otherwise. Another perfect read.

Where is Cousin Cassie? Boston lawyer Brady Coyne needs to find her and reunite her with her ailing adopted father, Brady's Uncle Moze, before the worst happens. His search covers ground from his ancestral home in southern Maine to towns west of Boston and south to Rhode Island. Cassie's new husband and stepchildren are less than helpful and seem to know more than they're telling about her disappearance. The task gets even trickier when Cassie's previous boyfriend is murdered mere minutes before he can talk to Brady. Very few strands of a trail exist, and Brady diligently pursues each one of them. If Cassie's not responsible for the most recent attacks, then who is? At the same time, Brady is serving as a mediator to a couple planning divorce, and that causes him to debate the stability of his own two-year live-in relationship with Evie. His own reunion with Uncle Moze forces him to think about the family matters that he usually ignores.

With a storyline that's driven by dialogue, this is a fast read that can be finished in one or two sittings. Now that we know more about Brady's past, some of us may want to <sigh> read (or re-read) the 23 previous episodes in the series at our earliest convenience.

William Tapply has written another winner in his Brady Coyne series. All books will stand on their own. I won't give away the plot. (Read the Amazon summary and other reviewers)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and read it in two sittings. Lots of twists and turns, there are some surprises and some---well you could guess whodunit. Great book for beach, poolside or plane.

I enjoyed this novel-an interesting and easy read. Storyline was intriging, plot twists convincing, and character development about as deep as a book of this length can provide. I could best describe the book as Greg IIles-lite.

His uncle who he has not seen in thirty years contacts Boston lawyer Brady Coyne. It seems his Uncle Moze had a falling out with his daughter Cassandra and he has not seen her in a year and a half. Recently finding out that he has heart problems, Moze wants to make amends before it it is too late. The problem is that Cassie cannot be found. Moze wants Brady's help in finding Cassie. Is it a missing person or is it murder?

This is another fine entry in this underrated mystery series. NERVOUS WATER gives us a glimpse into Brady's family on his mother's side. There are a few skeletons rattling around on the old family tree. The story was well plotted and very engaging. In addition to the missing person case, there are a few sub plotlines that are interesting and keep the story moving forward. Brady is not the most dynamic of characters, he is a little to laid-back for that, but the character dynamic keep the pages turning....Brady and his girlfriend, Brady and his secretary, Brady and his dog. Tappley did a great job in setting the scene in small-lakeside town Maine.

Maine lobsterman Moze Crandall has called his estranged niece Cassie, who he raised with his late wife, several times to attempt reconciliation before he dies from cancer. However, though his calls turn increasingly frantic, Cassie has not returned any. He knows she may just simply not want to speak to him since he objected to the man she eventually married, but his gut tells him otherwise.

He asks his nephew Brady Coyne to talk to Cassie. Brady learns from Cassie's belligerent husband, dentist Richard Hurley that she has vanished though he tells him little else. Brady soon learns that Hurley's two previous wives mysteriously died. However, the simple missing person's case turns bizarre when an assailant assaults Moze, who suffers a heart attack, and someone murders Cassie's former lover, Professor Grantham Webster.

NERVOUS WATER showcases why the Coyne novels are one of the best regional mystery series on the market today though there are over twenty books published. The story line is obviously personal as Brady searches for his missing cousin. Readers will ponder why getting cooperation from her spouse is like pulling teeth though he might be cautious thinking strike three and your out or hiding that he did something nasty to Cassie. Though how Cassie serves as the central magnet of several ugly even deadly incidents is never explained, fans will appreciate Coyne's thrilling caper.

Harriet Klausner

"Nervous Water" is the 21st Brady Coyne novel by William G. Tapply whom I feel is one of the finest mystery writers working today. Brady is called by his Uncle Moze in Maine to try to find his daughter Cassie who has apparently disappeared. Cassie is actually Moze's niece, but he and his wife had raised Cassie as their own. Brady begins to search for his cousin and finds that most people who are close to her are not cooperative. Her husband Richard Hurley is not helpful to Brady and he wonders if Hurley knew something of her disappearance. When Cassie's former lover is killed, Brady knows that someone will stop at nothing to keep Cassie's whereabouts a secret. He even wonders if Cassie is still alive. When Moze suffers a heart attack, Brady knows that he needs to find Cassie. There is also a suplot in which Brady's girlfriend, Evie, is acting strangely. I gave this novel a 5 star because it is a fast paced and very suspenseful read. The only thing I felt was strange about the plot was the fact that Brady had not visited his uncle in 30 years, but I overlooked that and highly recommend this book.

I've only read one other in this series, so far, but really appreciate that each book stands on this own and I don't feel lost for not having read the previous books. Tapply's characters are real; human and fallible. Because Brady is not a criminal attorney, there are no courtroom scenes, which is refreshing. Instead, the characters drove the story and the focus was family and relationships. The plot was solid and definitely kept me turning the pages, his dialogue is spot-on. Although there were a couple loose threads, this was a very enjoyable read. I'm delighted there are 19 other books in the series awaiting me

These are indeed well written crime stories, but somehow, it doesn't seem like Brady Coyne spends a lot of time working as a lawyer. And while he's not a criminal lawyer, he does get involved in weird situations.In this novel, it's strictly family as he searches for a cousin who's separated herself from the family on behalf of a dying uncle who raised her as a daughter. The story is engrossing and fast moving, but somehow doesn't reach the heights of excellance.

Brady becomes reacquainted with is favorite uncle from Maine, whom he hasn't seen or heard from in 30 years. Already you can see one problem with this book. That's an unlikely set of circumstances.

If you get past that one, Mr. Tapply throws you another unlikely event, Brady's uncle's daughter won't talk to her father and has gone missing. Uncle Moze wants Brady to be sure Cassie is all right and to get her to call Moze. Even if Brady can succeed in finding her, will she be willing to call?

Brady finds himself drawn to do something, especially after Moze has a heart attack. Brady isn't sure that Moze will survive without seeing Cassie.

Arriving at Cassie's house, Brady finds a family that seems to be pretending that nothing's wrong . . . but something clearly is.

As Brady checks out the alternatives by visiting with her family and friends, he seems stymied when a lead suddenly appears. From there the story takes many unexpected turns that will keep you turning the pages.

If you can buy into the story of Brady's connection to Moze and Cassie's relationship with Moze, you have a four or five star book on your hand. There are marvelous scenes of lobstering and fishing that make you want to head for Maine. The title theme of "nervous water" is nicely developed in the book. The mystery itself isn't all that mysterious, but it'll do.

There's an edgy backdrop of tension between Evie and Brady that adds a little personal touch to the story without advancing the plot very much.

After reading the book, I found myself wishing that Mr. Tapply had written this book as a case involving non-relatives of Brady's. I think the story would have worked better.