Review: OUTWITTING TROLLS, by William Tapply

When Boston attorney Brady Coyne meets old friend and neighbor Ken Nichols for a drink, he doesn't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen. Instead, he becomes mixed up in murder, when Ken's ex-wife, Sharon, finds him stabbed to death in his hotel room. When Brady takes Sharon on as a client, he is quickly involved in the mystery surrounding Ken's death. Sharon is the prime suspect, but as Brady investigates he finds other possibilities. Could the mysterious bearded man Brady saw talking to Ken be responsible? Or Ken's drug-dealer son, Wayne? Brady needs to find the real killer, before the killer can find him.

As with all Tapply's books, this is well-written and fast-paced, with solid characterizations and a mystery that keeps the reader guessing to the end. Sadly, Tapply died in 2010, and so this is his last book. His earlier books in the Brady Coyne series, as well as those featuring Stoney Calhoun, are available through the library.

Challenging the World

Libraries run lots of programs for children: story hours, summer reading programs, Dr. Seuss's birthday celebrations, etc. The Teen Room at the Lawler Branch Library caters to the needs of young adults, providing not only reading material, but entertainment, special programs, and a place to hang out. For our adult patrons,though, there's been little besides our book clubs. That was one reason we decided to offer the 50 Book Challenge. We expected it to be successful. We just didn't realize how successful. To date we have nearly 200 people participating. It's a fantastic response, especially considering that it's the holiday season, and we're pretty excited about it.

What we never expected was to get attention outside the area. Somehow, the story about our challenge went national. We've been featured on the websites of CNN, USA Today, MSN, and the New York Daily News. The Boston and Providence newspapers carried the story, which also was shown on TV news from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon. But then we went global: Singapore, Prince Edward Island, Shenyang Province, China - all posted news about us, to our astonishment. Yahoo News made the challenge the subject of its daily poll; 87% of people responding said they could read 50 books in a year. That's a gratifying amount.

People being people, some of the reactions have been a bit, well, odd. Commenting on the Yahoo poll, one responder wondered why he should waste time reading so many books, unless he gets money as a prize. Some people considered 50 books an enormously high amount to read; others thought it ridiculously low. One man even used the challenge as an excuse to take potshots at libraries and at paying taxes. Most people have been positive, though, with a few from out of the area wishing they could join in. Maybe we've started a trend.

If you haven't yet joined, come see what the fuss is about. Stop in at any New Bedford library and take the challenge. We can't wait to see you.

It's On!

The 50 Book Challenge, that is. Starting today I'm challenging myself to read 50 books in the next year. It's pretty exciting. I've met this challenge in the past, but this year I'll be among friends and fellow readers, all aiming for the same goal. The New Bedford Free Public Library is presenting the challenge as a reading program for adults. Why should kids have all the fun?

If reading 50 books in a year sounds impossible, think of it this way. It averages one book a week, with time to spare. Since it's the holiday season, I decided to kick off the challenge by reading Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron. It's part of a mystery series set in a fictional North Carolina county, featuring Judge Deborah Knott and her extended family. Murder might not quite fit into the holiday spirit, but Maron is a good writer and the book, so far, is fun. And that's what this challenge is about. I love to read, and I plan to enjoy every page of the next 50 or so volumes.

I think you should, too. So shut off the TV and put down the remote (unless you're watching the Celtics or the Patriots). What better thing to do on a cold winter night than snuggle up with a good book and some chocolate? Sounds good to me. In fact, I think I'll go do so, right now!

For more information on the 50 Book Challenge, visit the New Bedford Free Public Library's website at www.newbedford-ma.gov/library.