Nervous Water: A Brady Coyne Novel (Brady Coyne Novels) [Hardcover]

William G. Tapply (Author)

Book Description

Series: Brady Coyne Novels | Publication Date: August 11, 2005

In one of the finest novels yet in Tapply's long-running series, Nervous Water explores the previously hidden past of his much beloved character, Boston attorney Brady Coyne. Contacted by an aged relative with whom he'd long lost touch, Brady agrees to help his Uncle Moze with a sensitive family matter. Having received a diagnosis of terminal cancer, Moze is looking to mend fences with his only daughter. But the daughter seems to have simply disappeared, leaving no clues or hints as to her whereabouts. As Brady tackles the seemingly impossible task of finding his cousin - a case that looks less and less like a simple missing person case - it becomes clear that whatever is going on now is related to a dark, undiscussed episode in his family's past: the brutal, still unsolved murder of another of Brady's uncles.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Boston lawyer Brady Coyne tackles family troubles past and present in his compelling if slightly wordy 21st solo outing (after 2003's Shadow of Death). Coyne agrees to help his Uncle Moze, an aging Maine lobsterman, find Moze's daughter, Cassie, who hasn't been returning Moze's phone calls. Cassie's unfriendly new husband, dentist Richard Hurley, confirms her disappearance. Hurley isn't particularly forthcoming, perhaps because, as Coyne learns, both of his previous wives died under less than clear circumstances. An attack on Moze in his home and Moze's subsequent heart attack add urgency to Coyne's search. The murder of Cassie's former lover, English professor Grantham Webster, ups the ante. Meanwhile, Coyne's girlfriend, Evie Banyon, also seems to be hiding something. As ever, Tapply's strength lies in his convincing characters and dialogue, but on occasion he goes off on tangents, such as a mediation session between a divorcing couple. Still, this long-running series remains fresh and Tapply underrated as one of today's finest regional mystery writers.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Fans of Boston attorney Brady Coyne know plenty about the easygoing lawyer-sleuth's lifestyle: not much work, lots of fishing, good meals at Boston's finest restaurants, and the occasional murder case, whenever one of his friends finds a spot of trouble. What we don't know is much about Brady's past. That changes dramatically in this twenty-first installment of the long-running series. A phone call from Brady's uncle Moze, an avuncular lobsterman in rural Maine, sends the citified nephew on the road to reestablish ties after a 30-year hiatus. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Moze hopes to set things right with his estranged daughter, but he needs Brady to find her. The trail leads to other relatives on Brady's mother's side of the family and to what well may be a murder case. Tapply tackles the difficult issues of human relationships and family ties with his typically light touch, always underplaying the big moments but ever sensitive to "nervous water"--a fishing term for the look of the ocean when a school of fish is about to strike. Another winner in an always-satisfying series. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (August 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312337442
• ISBN-13: 978-0312337445
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,047,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE BRADY COYNE, September 30, 2005

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Nervous Water: A Brady Coyne Novel (Brady Coyne Novels) (Hardcover)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced New England mystery, August 27, 2005

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Nervous Water: A Brady Coyne Novel (Brady Coyne Novels) (Hardcover)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another page turner by William Tapply, June 14, 2006

By 

Patricia Ann "bookmark" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nervous Water: A Brady Coyne Novel (Brady Coyne Novels) (Hardcover)

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.