Shadow of Death by William G. Tapply, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Brady Coyne returns in Shadow of Death, the twentieth mystery in this series by William G. Tapply.

There are several notable aspects to this book; unfortunately, the mystery isn't one of them. The dust jacket description provides the unifying key to the individually puzzling elements of Brady's case, allowing the reader to be far more clever in solving the mystery than Brady himself. That said, there are a one or two unexpected twists and turns that help keep the book from being a total disappointment.

The more interesting perspectives of the book have to do with Brady's relationship with Evie, his professional conflicts with his clients, and Tapply's devastating insights into the priorities of a political campaign.

Brady is clearly aging well. It's good for the series that a character changes with the passage of time, and doesn't get stale or, worse, predictable. Though Shadow of Death is far from among the best of this series, reading a Brady Coyne mystery is like meeting up with an old friend, comfortable and satisfying.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Shadow of Death for this review.

Out Cold
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), September 2006
ISBN-13: 9780312337469; ISBN-10: 0312337469

Shadow of Death

A Brady Coyne Mystery by William G. Tapply