Tight Lines [Hardcover]

William G. Tapply (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1992

Brady Coyne's dying client wants him to find her estranged daughter--an only child who ran off with an older man--but Coyne's investigation runs into a dead end. 15,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lawyer of choice to wealthy Bostonians, Brady Coyne avoids the term attorney for the pretensions it suggests. But at the behest of his old friend Susan Ames, descendant of an eminent family who have occupied the same Concord house since 1748, he enters into rarified social circles to trace the whereabouts of Susan's only child, Mary Ellen, who all but vanished while a college student 11 years earlier. With little time left for terminally ill Susan why? is she dying? well you might ask/sss and not much information, Brady patiently pursues lines of inquiry. Three murders occur during his investigation, during which he also pays attention to his divorced wife (whom he still calls "hon") and begins a relationship with a captivating stranger. In his measured style, Brady moves through Boston's fascinating environs and the colorful autumn countryside of New England as new avenues constantly open up in this well-crafted plot. Having come to know Tapply's vividly depicted characters--where they live, what they wear, what they eat and drink, how they think and feel--readers will delight in the tale's surprising, convincing resolution.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The elegiac tone that Tapply's affected for Brady Coyne's last few outings (Client Privilege, etc.) is perfectly suited to this autumnal tale of elderly, blue-blooded Susan Ames's attempt to find her daughter Mary Ellen so that they can make peace before Susan dies. It's clear from the beginning that wayward, father-loving Mary Ellen will predecease her hated mother, and two more deaths are pretty broadly portended too; the only question is which of Mary Ellen's Oedipal affairs (with her psychiatrist? the professor from ten years back who couldn't let go? the superannuated hippie bookstore-owner? her current boyfriend, a suspended Boston cop? her female building super?) led to her death. And this time the Freudian clues are so pointed that most readers will work out the answer before sad, subdued Brady does. The usual Tapply strengths: a deceptively tranquil style, heavy doses of the Brady charm, and just enough mystery to keep you turning the pages until the revelation you've feared all along. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press; First edition (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385302347
• ISBN-13: 978-0385302340
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very active mystery, June 6, 2009

By 

Paul Skinner (Manassas, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tight Lines: A Brady Coyne Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Brady Coyne is hired by a dying lady to find her estranged daughter. After some snooping, he finds her residence, but discovers she has been missing for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, he uncovers several unusual love partners of hers, leading to a series of suspects once her body is discovered. But then, more bodies fall and the mystery compounds. A great mystery. Enjoy!