One-Way Ticket by William G. Tapply is another Brady Coyne mystery as reliable as any in the series. It may be more weakly plotted than some. It involves Boston mobsters, people with gambling addictions, and Brady's lover Evie leaving for San Francisco to be with her dying father. There are more than the usual number of references to Brady's friend J.W. Jackson, and the book is dedicated to Tapply's friend Philip Craig, the author of the Martha's Vineyard mysteries featuring J.W., who died last year.
Clearly elements of the story were inspired by and/or intended as tribute to Craig, which gives it a resonance and weight it wouldn't otherwise have. ***
If reading one of these is like watching a Red Sox game, this is like watching a not-especially well-played playoff game that they manage to win.
No comments:
Post a Comment