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Product Description
Review
"Tapply just keeps writing excellent prose, filled with fine characters and solidly crafted plots….If you haven’t already discovered him, start now." – Globe and Mail (Toronto) on Nervous Water
"Adept at plot and characterization…Tapply can be counted on to provide maximum enjoyment." – San Diego Union-Tribune on Out Cold
Product Description
Boston attorney Brady Coyne finds his own past coming back to haunt his professional life when his ex-girlfriend Alex Shaw, long out of touch, reappears, wanting Brady to represent her brother. Augustine Shaw was a notable photo-journalist, happily married with two small children – until he returned from a stint in Iraq missing a hand and suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Now he’s lost his career, his peace of mind and his family.
Brady is hired to seem him through the divorce. The client wasn’t eager to accept Brady’s representation, but before the divorce proceedings are very far along, the photographer is found dead in his rented apartment, an apparent suicide.
But something isn’t right and Brady starts to think the suicide was staged. With very little to go on and with everyone around him wanting to quickly close the books on what appears to be a tragic case, Brady soon finds himself alone, in the midst of one of the most dangerous situations of his entire life, and facing people who do anything to avoid being exposed.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Brady Acts on Faith in a Story Where Almost Nothing Happens in the First Half of the Book,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: Hell Bent: A Brady Coyne Novel (Hardcover)
"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." -- Matthew 5:30Many readers will miss the Biblical allusion in this story so I have quoted it above. If you don't understand the spiritual context of this story, you probably won't enjoy it very much. William G. Tapply has written a sort of morality play in which people are tempted, fall into sin, and the sin drags them down into worse actions . . . until the eternal pit awaits. The book opens with a prologue about a violent anti-war protest in 1971 at UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts that turns fatal. Thank goodness for that. Without that background, hardly anyone would stick with this book long enough to get to the ultimate mystery. The story revolves around Augustine ("Gus") Shaw, brother of Brady's old girlfriend, Alexandria ("Alex") Shaw. Gus lived for the hot spots of conflict, taking photographs as an independent . . . but taking huge risks. His methods caught up with him in Iraq where a landmine removed his right hand, the one he needed more for photojournalism. Rather than taking this change as an opportunity to be a good husband and father, Gus just withdraws into sadness . . . another war victim with a lingering case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. His wife is divorcing him, and Gus is trying to avoid the whole subject. Alex wants Brady to represent Gus, and that's how Brady and Gus meet. Gus isn't the kind of client that Brady would normally take on. In the meantime, Evie Banyon is still in California and avoiding contact with Brady. He's sad and lonely. Does that mean his heart is open to Alex? As the jacket copy reveals, Gus is found dead of an apparent suicide in the middle of the book. Alex insists that Brady investigate . . . which he does with an open mind. What else was going on in Gus's life? You'll find out in the second half. Hell Bent is more than anything else a character study, primarily of Gus, Alex, and Brady. If you like character studies, you'll like this book better than those who were looking for a mystery. Mr. Tapply is portraying characters that aren't very much connected to other people and are alienated beyond that. As a result, the interactions are touchy, fragile, and brief. You won't look forward to them. I thought that the book worked reasonably well, except for some strange oversights in the police investigation. I just didn't enjoy it very much. I think I was supposed to feel spiritually chilled by the story, but mostly I felt nothing. As a result, it felt like reading half a book rather than a full mystery. If you are a big Tapply fan, you will enjoy the book. If you aren't such a big fan, you might want to consider skipping this one.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sloowwwww,
By Tina "Tina" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Hell Bent: A Brady Coyne Novel (Hardcover)
I have to start this review off by saying that I LOVE WILLIAM TAPPLY and I ADORE BRADY COYNE.Hell Bent is the newest book in the Brady Coyne series. Brady has been away from Evie for 4 months and is bored - enter his ex-girlfriend and her brother - who bring along with them murder and mayhem. The only problem is that the mayhem in Hell Bent is kept to a bare minimum. Although there are some great description of Brady Coyne moments - especially with his dog Henry - this book drags and drags. There is very little chemistry between any of the characters - I did not feel any heat between Brady and Alex and the Gus character is in the first third of the book only. Actually, the only fun relationship in this book was between Brady and Horowitz, who makes a return appearance from previous books. I love reading about Brady and his home-cooked meals and his loving relationship with his dog, which, in itself, carries a lot of the Brady Coyne charms - but this book left me blah and with a nagging sense that now I will have to wait another year before I get a *more interesting* Brady Coyne novel. I hate writing this review because I will always continue to read Tapply's books - but I have to be honest and say that, for me, this one did not do anything for me. Bring on the next Brady Coyne book. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bombs Away,
By Ted Feit - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Hell Bent: A Brady Coyne Novel (Hardcover)
Brady Coyne, Boston family lawyer, takes on a new client when his old flame, Alexandria ["Alex"] Shaw, asks him to represent her brother, Gus, in a divorce suit. Gus, an outstanding photojournalist, has recently returned from Iraq, where he lost his right hand, and is suffering from PTSD. Then within days, Gus is found dead of a head wound, an apparent suicide.Alex doesn't believe that Gus killed himself, and prevails upon Brady to undertake an investigation to determine the truth. He travels all around Boston and its environs, meeting with various people in an effort to learn more about Gus and what he saw in Iraq, where he supposedly took many revealing pictures. Were they connected to his death? Tapply writes about Boston with a fervor equal to that of any Patriots fan. He addresses the losses of loved ones in the Iraq conflict with deep insights, and keenly addresses the frustrations and bitterness of veterans. The story is told with a hard-boiled attitude, when necessary, and is softened by the ups and downs of Brady's love life. A tale well-told and very much worth reading, and recommended. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A thoroughly satisfying mystery read,
By Neal C. Reynolds - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Hell Bent: A Brady Coyne Novel (Hardcover)
I thought that this was the first Brady Coyne novel I've read, but mention of THE DUTCH BLUE ERROR rings a bell in my memory. I've been off mysteries for a long while, and have forgotten many that I once read. Be that as it may, I found this quite satisfying. There's a lot of backgroundof previous stories I haven't read, but I did find this good as a stand alone book.The setting of the situation and the meeting of the eventual victim works quite well I quite like how this builds from a rather pedestrian mystery up to one of monumental proportions. Highly recommended.
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