Smooth, intelligent, engaging...a most worthy whodunit of a gentler nature. No F-bombs or brain splatter to dodge. Protagonist Brady Coyne is a bright level-headed lawyer with low key style and intrinsic truth seeking skills. A very likeable guy who seems like your best bud. Yes, "Outwitting Trolls" is a great quick read. Sadly though, I believe it's the last novel Tapply penned. However...there are twenty-seven prior installments in the Coyne Mystery series. And that is...delightful. I loved this book. It was easy to read, charming, a mystery, a feel good, all wrapped up together. I liked that there were some parallels to my life, ie: Setting in Berkeley, CA and Idaho Mountains, as well as Boston, where Del worked before we got married. There was a young couple, like our daughter and her newly married husband. There was a little generation gap with a son and his Dad. He had a dog like ours. Here are a couple of quotes I liked: Like our daughter when she visited last Christmas: "Billy and Gwen brought three pounds of ground sirloin and two packages of bratwurst, a tub of potato salad, and another of coleslaw. There were buns, jars of relish and mustard and dill pickles, two big tomatoes, and a Bermuda onion.""She found my hand with hers, interlaced our fingers, and held it tight against her hip. "What's going to become of us?" she asked. "We're going to live happily ever after," I said. "Ever after what?" "After we slay the wicked stepmother," I said , "and escape from the castle and outwit the trolls as the bridge." "All that, Huh?" "Nobody ever said that happily ever after was going to be easy." She gave my hand a squeeze, then let it go. "Well, I don't see why it has to be so hard," she said."He was lying on the bricks with his chin on his paws and his ears perked up, watching me. It was approaching his suppertime, so nothing would escape his notice. Henry (his dog) lived with the chronic fear that I'd forget to feed him. Now, when he heard my voice, he lifted his head. Had I just uttered a "food" word?"
What do You think about Outwitting Trolls (2010)?
Tappley's final book was worth reading although not his best.
—omarvalenzuela007
ok story, nothing fantastic condensed version
—Ash
