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Brady Coyne #9
Client Privilege
Defending a client, Brady gets himself implicated in a murder charge
Brady Coyne has known Chester “Pops” Popowski since law school. An honest, battle-hardened Massachusetts judge, Pops is more soldier than scholar—and has been known to defend what’s right with his fists. After years on the bench, Pops has been nominated for a federal judgeship, with a possible Supreme Court appointment in his future. Only one thing stands in his way: blackmail.
A TV reporter has evidence of a long-ago affair Pops conducted with a younger woman. Pops sends Brady, his genteel Boston lawyer, to tell the reporter he won’t be getting any money. Soon after their meeting, the blackmailer is found dead. Brady refuses to name his client, and finds himself under suspicion of murder. Brady will do whatever it takes to keep Pops out of the papers. If he’s lucky, he may even keep himself out of jail.
Brady Coyne has known Chester “Pops” Popowski since law school. An honest, battle-hardened Massachusetts judge, Pops is more soldier than scholar—and has been known to defend what’s right with his fists. After years on the bench, Pops has been nominated for a federal judgeship, with a possible Supreme Court appointment in his future. Only one thing stands in his way: blackmail.
A TV reporter has evidence of a long-ago affair Pops conducted with a younger woman. Pops sends Brady, his genteel Boston lawyer, to tell the reporter he won’t be getting any money. Soon after their meeting, the blackmailer is found dead. Brady refuses to name his client, and finds himself under suspicion of murder. Brady will do whatever it takes to keep Pops out of the papers. If he’s lucky, he may even keep himself out of jail.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
42 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
William G. Tapply
79 books89 followersWilliam G. Tapply (1940–2009) was an American author best known for writing legal thrillers. A lifelong New Englander, he graduated from Amherst and Harvard before going on to teach social studies at Lexington High School. He published his first novel, Death at Charity’s Point, in 1984. A story of death and betrayal among Boston Brahmins, it introduced crusading lawyer Brady Coyne, a fishing enthusiast whom Tapply would follow through twenty-five more novels, including Follow the Sharks, The Vulgar Boatman, and the posthumously published Outwitting Trolls.
Besides writing regular columns for Field and Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and American Angler, Tapply wrote numerous books on fishing, hunting, and life in the outdoors. He was also the author of The Elements of Mystery Fiction, a writer’s guide. He died in 2009, at his home in Hancock, New Hampshire.
Besides writing regular columns for Field and Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and American Angler, Tapply wrote numerous books on fishing, hunting, and life in the outdoors. He was also the author of The Elements of Mystery Fiction, a writer’s guide. He died in 2009, at his home in Hancock, New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 18, 2017
The ninth Brady Coyne novel opens when his client and long-time friend, Chester "Pops" Popowski, calls Brady with a problem. Already a distinguished jurist, "Pops" has been nominated for a seat on a federal court, and he has ambitions of one day sitting on the Supreme Court. But, as fate would have it, someone has chosen this rather inopportune moment to blackmail him over an incident that happened years earlier.
If the incident were to become public knowledge, it would almost certainly derail Popowski's judicial ambitions, and the blackmailer wants ten grand to keep the secret. He also wants to meet with Pops at a somewhat seedy bar to discuss the deal. Pops refuses to tell Brady what the incident involves and insists that it was nothing all that serious--just potentially embarrassing. He wants Brady to take the meet and tell the blackmailer that he's not going to pay.
As instructed, Brady meets the guy and delivers the message. The blackmailer gets huffy about it and they exchange some words. The blackmailer leaves the bar. Brady leaves the bar. The blackmailer gets murdered. Oh, crap.
The police identify the blackmailer and trace his movements to the bar where the cooperative bartender identifies both the victim and Brady, and tells the cops that he saw them arguing. The cops want to know what they were talking about and why they met, but Brady is bound by client privilege to protect Pops and can't tell them. Not surprisingly, he becomes the prime suspect.
Through the rest of the novel, then, we watch Brady attempt to extricate himself from this mess without breaking his obligation to his client. This means that he will have to find the Real Killer himself. It's an interesting hunt, but this is not one of the more compelling books in the series. Brady wanders here and there, attempting to solve the crime, but there's not a lot of suspense. He's never in any physical danger and the reader realizes that he's probably not really going to be arrested and convicted of the murder, and so we watch him go about his business, feeling pretty confident that things will all work out in the end.
It's an okay book, and those readers who are fans of the series and who are as compulsive about these things as I, will certainly want to read it. More casual readers who want to sample the series would be best advised to dip into other entries, and this will not be a problem. There are a lot of good Brady Coyne novels out there.
If the incident were to become public knowledge, it would almost certainly derail Popowski's judicial ambitions, and the blackmailer wants ten grand to keep the secret. He also wants to meet with Pops at a somewhat seedy bar to discuss the deal. Pops refuses to tell Brady what the incident involves and insists that it was nothing all that serious--just potentially embarrassing. He wants Brady to take the meet and tell the blackmailer that he's not going to pay.
As instructed, Brady meets the guy and delivers the message. The blackmailer gets huffy about it and they exchange some words. The blackmailer leaves the bar. Brady leaves the bar. The blackmailer gets murdered. Oh, crap.
The police identify the blackmailer and trace his movements to the bar where the cooperative bartender identifies both the victim and Brady, and tells the cops that he saw them arguing. The cops want to know what they were talking about and why they met, but Brady is bound by client privilege to protect Pops and can't tell them. Not surprisingly, he becomes the prime suspect.
Through the rest of the novel, then, we watch Brady attempt to extricate himself from this mess without breaking his obligation to his client. This means that he will have to find the Real Killer himself. It's an interesting hunt, but this is not one of the more compelling books in the series. Brady wanders here and there, attempting to solve the crime, but there's not a lot of suspense. He's never in any physical danger and the reader realizes that he's probably not really going to be arrested and convicted of the murder, and so we watch him go about his business, feeling pretty confident that things will all work out in the end.
It's an okay book, and those readers who are fans of the series and who are as compulsive about these things as I, will certainly want to read it. More casual readers who want to sample the series would be best advised to dip into other entries, and this will not be a problem. There are a lot of good Brady Coyne novels out there.
December 17, 2012
This was a fun book about a lawyer sleuth with the moral dilemma of honoring client privilege while doubting his client's innocence. Lots of good plot twists. Good writing makes me want to read more from this author.
February 21, 2022
The book was an average read which lacked a memorable storyline. I recently read a Tapply novel entitled The Nomination and it contained much more substance. Regardless, I have no regrets spending a few days with this short book.
July 1, 2020
Another good story featuring Boston lawyer Brady Coyne, trapped as a murder suspect by having to respect attorney client privilege.
February 6, 2016
#9 in the Boston attorney Brady Coyne series.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - Acting on behalf of his client and best friend, Judge Popowski (Pops), Coyne meets a TV reporter, Wayne Churchill, who threatens the judge's virtually certain appointment to the federal courts. Implicitly trusting the judge's statement that the newsman has no real grounds for blackmail, Coyne refuses Churchill's demand of $10,000 for his silence. The reporter's murder that same night brings the police to question the attorney, who, standing on client privilege, withholds Pops's name and therefore risks his own arrest as the killer. The circumstances force Coyne to search for the guilty party in order to clear himself, and it's a disheartening task, burdened by his nagging doubts about his friend.
Boston attorney Brady Coyne series - Acting on behalf of his client and best friend, Judge Popowski (Pops), Coyne meets a TV reporter, Wayne Churchill, who threatens the judge's virtually certain appointment to the federal courts. Implicitly trusting the judge's statement that the newsman has no real grounds for blackmail, Coyne refuses Churchill's demand of $10,000 for his silence. The reporter's murder that same night brings the police to question the attorney, who, standing on client privilege, withholds Pops's name and therefore risks his own arrest as the killer. The circumstances force Coyne to search for the guilty party in order to clear himself, and it's a disheartening task, burdened by his nagging doubts about his friend.
August 16, 2009
Very Good; Continuing character: Brady Coyne; Coyne assists judge/friend by checking into a blackmail scheme, but when the blackmailer is murdered suspicion falls on the attorney, who can't share what he knows because of "privilege"
February 26, 2015
Excellent mystery.
February 1, 2021
We really liked this ninth (and ours, in order) in Tapply’s 28-book Brady Coyne series. We find these tales invariably entertaining, and the puzzle herein “Client Privilege” particularly appealed. When a sitting judge gets involved in a probable blackmail attempt, he sends Brady to meet the perp – but when the perp ends up murdered later that night, our hero is of course a favorite suspect. He figures he needs to clear his own case, but the more the plot progresses, the more Brady’s convinced it’s his client judge who did the misdeed, particularly late in the game when the woman at the root of the problem gets severely beat up.
In the penultimate chapter, we correctly but atypically deduced whodunit from a fairly major clue, and wondered how Brady missed it. Only a page later, we learn he probably beat us to the punch – but whether Brady can ever treat his client in the same fashion is interestingly problematic. Another mystery solved, and well done!
If we can find them all, we plan to polish off this entire set over the next year or so…
In the penultimate chapter, we correctly but atypically deduced whodunit from a fairly major clue, and wondered how Brady missed it. Only a page later, we learn he probably beat us to the punch – but whether Brady can ever treat his client in the same fashion is interestingly problematic. Another mystery solved, and well done!
If we can find them all, we plan to polish off this entire set over the next year or so…
August 3, 2011
BOTTOM LINE: Another comfortable visit with lawyer Brady Coyne, courtesy of a writer who was not only a craftsman but also a gentleman. In this ninth in series Brady gets involved in a murder that's connected to a close friend who has recently been nominated for a federal judgeship. A tidy plot, decent pace, and wonderful characters.
Brady Coyne is a laid-back lawyer who caters to the rich'n'careful in Boston. The most important things on his mind are usually fishing, his ex-wife Gloria and their sons, and lastly his law practice. Luckily his snappy secretary Julie keeps the business percolating and makes him toe the line, well, once in a while. And his friends are awfully important to him as well, so when a very good friend who is a local judge and with whom Brady shares a lot of history asks him for help, he can't very well refuse, now, can he? Poor Brady - pretty much one of the last Good Guys, he's got as bad a case of Knight Errant Syndrome as Parker's Spenser, and despite being far less well-known the writing in this series is always clean, nicely plotted, beautifully characterized, and has a subtle humor that meanders all the way through.
Seems his friend Judge Popowski got into a bit of trouble while he was sowing his wild oats many years ago, and now that he's up for the federal judgeship (and the increased scrutiny that goes with it) there are folks who want to make him pay. The judge thinks he's got everything pretty much covered, but then the phone calls begin, and soon there's a blackmailer who wants a good deal of money to keep his mouth shut. Pops recruits Brady to meet with the blackmailer to see if there's any meat to the story, and Brady's consensus is that there's isn't, and the judge is going to be ok. But then the blackmailer gets himself murdered, and it turns out that he wasn't truly a blackmailer but had other reasons for contacting the judge. Soon Brady finds himself suspected in that crime and not only won't any of the other folks concerned talk to him, his "good friend" the judge disappears, seemingly gone incognito and unreachable, on holiday in Florida, thus leaving Brady holding the bag, more or less.
Crisp plot, a bit of emotional by-play with both his old friend and his ex-wife, decent pacing, and what was at the time in the news a lot (1990) - prospective judges showing nasty or "difficult" things in their distant past and the subsequent media hoop-la. Another good cosy mystery featuring a not quite amateur sleuth, in what for me is an entirely local setting. Lovely.
Brady Coyne is a laid-back lawyer who caters to the rich'n'careful in Boston. The most important things on his mind are usually fishing, his ex-wife Gloria and their sons, and lastly his law practice. Luckily his snappy secretary Julie keeps the business percolating and makes him toe the line, well, once in a while. And his friends are awfully important to him as well, so when a very good friend who is a local judge and with whom Brady shares a lot of history asks him for help, he can't very well refuse, now, can he? Poor Brady - pretty much one of the last Good Guys, he's got as bad a case of Knight Errant Syndrome as Parker's Spenser, and despite being far less well-known the writing in this series is always clean, nicely plotted, beautifully characterized, and has a subtle humor that meanders all the way through.
Seems his friend Judge Popowski got into a bit of trouble while he was sowing his wild oats many years ago, and now that he's up for the federal judgeship (and the increased scrutiny that goes with it) there are folks who want to make him pay. The judge thinks he's got everything pretty much covered, but then the phone calls begin, and soon there's a blackmailer who wants a good deal of money to keep his mouth shut. Pops recruits Brady to meet with the blackmailer to see if there's any meat to the story, and Brady's consensus is that there's isn't, and the judge is going to be ok. But then the blackmailer gets himself murdered, and it turns out that he wasn't truly a blackmailer but had other reasons for contacting the judge. Soon Brady finds himself suspected in that crime and not only won't any of the other folks concerned talk to him, his "good friend" the judge disappears, seemingly gone incognito and unreachable, on holiday in Florida, thus leaving Brady holding the bag, more or less.
Crisp plot, a bit of emotional by-play with both his old friend and his ex-wife, decent pacing, and what was at the time in the news a lot (1990) - prospective judges showing nasty or "difficult" things in their distant past and the subsequent media hoop-la. Another good cosy mystery featuring a not quite amateur sleuth, in what for me is an entirely local setting. Lovely.
Read
November 11, 2012Brady Coyne is one of those low-key, nice guy lawyers (really) that drafts wills and other legal paperwork. His clients tend to be rich white men and women that provide him with nice retainers and in return he's there when they need him. His best asset is his ability to keep a secret, legally known as client privilege. As the story opens, Honorable Chester Y. Popowski's, called "Pops" for short and a friend since college, is being nominated to the Federal District Court. Coyne is also Pops' lawyer since "even judges need lawyers." Everyone knows that to be nominated as a Federal Judge your slate has to be very clean - that's American politics and Pops seems to be the cleanest, most noble human being that has walked this earth.
Well almost perfect, as it turns out there is one little matter that Pops needs Coyne's help with. Someone is bringing up the name Karen Lavoie from his past. While Pops admits that something did briefly happen between them when he was an Assistant D.A., it isn't anything to keep him from the bench, maybe from President, but not the bench. He says that he doesn't want to have any of this get out since "the qualifications for being a husband are much more stringent than those for being a judge." Coyne volunteers to meet with the mysterious caller that seems to want something from Pops at this most inopportune time in his career. Sometime later in the evening after Coyne publicly meets the "blackmailer," the man is found murdered and Coyne seems to be high on the suspect list. Due to client privilege, he can not help himself anymore than he can help the police with this case. Worse he's beginning to think he might not really know Pops.
This is one of those quick read mysteries that's a pleasant page turner and moves along without revealing "whodunit" until the final pages. I truly enjoyed the Boston aspect of the novel and especially like his reference to his fishing buddy Doc Adams. At the end of my copy are the first pages of The Spotted Cat. This excerpt was interesting enough that I would have kept reading it until the end if the whole book had followed. While not heavy on the intellectual side, this author does have some good casual insight and humor and any of his books would make a good vacation read.
Well almost perfect, as it turns out there is one little matter that Pops needs Coyne's help with. Someone is bringing up the name Karen Lavoie from his past. While Pops admits that something did briefly happen between them when he was an Assistant D.A., it isn't anything to keep him from the bench, maybe from President, but not the bench. He says that he doesn't want to have any of this get out since "the qualifications for being a husband are much more stringent than those for being a judge." Coyne volunteers to meet with the mysterious caller that seems to want something from Pops at this most inopportune time in his career. Sometime later in the evening after Coyne publicly meets the "blackmailer," the man is found murdered and Coyne seems to be high on the suspect list. Due to client privilege, he can not help himself anymore than he can help the police with this case. Worse he's beginning to think he might not really know Pops.
This is one of those quick read mysteries that's a pleasant page turner and moves along without revealing "whodunit" until the final pages. I truly enjoyed the Boston aspect of the novel and especially like his reference to his fishing buddy Doc Adams. At the end of my copy are the first pages of The Spotted Cat. This excerpt was interesting enough that I would have kept reading it until the end if the whole book had followed. While not heavy on the intellectual side, this author does have some good casual insight and humor and any of his books would make a good vacation read.
February 24, 2017
Feb 2017 At 177 pages, this is more of a novella. Good news is that Brady is constantly left in a near death situation at this go-around. physically but his ethics get a serious pummeling.
June 2, 2010
Extremely well-written book--until the wrap-up, where it gets a bit clunky. This is the first of this series I have read (I read Tapply's Stoney Calhoun series first, then turned to this one), and will read the others gladly.
May 5, 2016
3 3/4 Stars: A pretty good "gum shoe detective" mystery. The characters were mostly interesting and the action rolled along. It was as if I could hear the detective speaking in a voice over. But it wasn't charming or intriguing or that much of a mystery.
January 8, 2019
(2 1/2). Brady, Brady, Brady. He is such a likable guy. A cad at times as well. But he is squarely in the middle of this one. Another reasonable tale, with more involvement with the ex-wife than usual. It reminds me of the early Jesse Stone books by Parker where his life was mildly in ruins because of his ex. Tapply might have had an influence on Parker there as I believe they are both Bostonians. Either way, this story kind of muddles along until it doesn't. Then it gets pretty damn interesting. And then, from out of nowhere, we get blindsided. Big time. That is a really good thing is a super short mystery. Not a great book but a terrific ending really saves the bacon.
October 17, 2017
Classic Coyne
June 9, 2020
He didn't break his confidential privilege with client.
September 2, 2020
A Brady Coyne mystery set in Boston. May be my first Brady Coyne? a good lazy day read.
May 14, 2023
I really enjoy the books about Brady Coyne. They are dated for sure, but that isn't a problem. This one seemed a little weak to me, so I do not recommend it as the first read in the series.
April 12, 2014
Entertaining Boston mystery featuring the lawyer/sleuth Brady Coyne. 4 Stars.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews