A Posthumous Success: The Nomination by William G. Tapply
Title: The Nomination
Author: William G. Tapply
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Publication Date: February, 2011
Age Group: Adult
ISBN: 978-1-60239-990-7
Price: $24.95
For those already familiar with William G. Tapply’s mystery novels or for those who are new to his forty-plus works, this posthumous publication of his last novel ends a writer’s career at the top of his game. Swift and engrossing, Tapply’s suspense novel will keep readers whipping through the pages and have them reading well past bedtime.
The war-torn era of the Vietnam War clashes with the present political climate when Massachusetts judge Thomas Larrigan is nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States. Desperate to conceal his unsavory past, Larrigan will stop at nothing to keep his skeletons from spilling out of the closet. No one is safe in a suspense novel that examines the lust for power, the lure of greed and the lengths one will go to bury their treacherous secrets.
An aging film star with a terminal disease could be Larrigan’s undoing as they share a common link to a woman, a former detective Jessie Church, who has no knowledge that she lies at the heart of a potential political controversy. On the run for her life, Jessie begins to discover her own past and connection to a mother she’s never met and a father that cruelly abandoned her.
When widower and ghostwriter Mac Cassidy and his daughter Katie become unwitting targets for Larrigan’s murderous plot to destroy all evidence of his past, Jessie must decide between self-preservation or to sacrifice her life for a man she hardly knows.
The conclusion is as startling as it is believable. One thing is certain though, after this nomination, no one’s life will ever be the same.
Tapply’s deft ability to propel the plot reveals a master of suspense. His characters are memorable and relatable, something that is often overlooked by other writers of this genre. The hairpin turns and twists of fate develop naturally from the personalities that are as vivid as they are enjoyable. Don’t bother trying to savor this novel; each chapter will leave you wondering what’s next and who’s going to survive the injustices of a potential Supreme Court Judge.
About the Author
Known for his New England based Brady Coyne mystery novels, Tapply was also an outdoor enthusiast and wrote thousands of related articles and was a contributing editor for Field & Stream. Along with his columns for the American Angler, Tapply contributed articles and books on writing. He was a professor of English at Clark University, MA and a Writer in Residence. Tapply lived with his wife, novelist Vicki Stiefel at Chickadee Farm in New Hampshire. In July 2009, Tapply lost his battle with leukemia. The Nomination is Tapply’s final thrilling novel.
For more on William G. Tapply go to www.williamgtapply.com
Blog Note: This book was reviewed by Still Blonde after all these YEARS by MR Hunter.