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. Agent, Fred Morris at Jed Mattes
. (Sept.)
