Dark Tiger

by William G. Tapply

Seven years ago, Stoney Calhoun woke up in a VA hospital with no memories and a series of unexplained talents (language ability, weapons expertise, etc.). Since then he's been living quietly, working as a part time fishing guide and co-owner of a local bait shop-with an unnamed visitor coming around occasionally to see if he's regained any memories. But this time, the visitor shows up looking for his help-and creating potential mayhem in Stoney's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312379781
• ISBN13: 9780312379780
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 277 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Tapply's last cast hooks a keeper

Readers of Bitch Creek and Gray Ghost were hanging in the lurch, anxiously waiting for the Stoney Calhoun saga to continue. Their reward came simultaneously with the sorrowful news of William G. Tapply's passing. Still, Tapply's last cast landed a keeper. Rarely is a story so calm and so suspenseful at the same time. Tapply's command of context--the outdoor sporting lifestyle of his characters--is always comfortable, believable, compelling. Our loss of Tapply is the loss of a great read next to a log fire at the lodge. Fortunately, he worked to pass along his gifts to his students.

Compelling, Fast-paced, and Filled with Subtext

Stoney Calhoun is a wonderful lead-detective, even though he's not really a detective. A lightning strike changed his world seven years ago, or so they tell him, and he can't remember anything about his life before the event. Sometimes he wonders...but the telltale scar supports their story. He co-owns Kate's Bait, Tackle, and Woolly Buggers shop in Casco Bay, Maine with his business partner and lover, Kate Balaban. On occasion, he's called upon to serve his country, utilizing skills and talents he learned in his previous life. Like disappearing into the wilds of northern Maine and poising as a fishing guide while trying to uncover the true story behind the murder of a government operative and a sixteen year-old girl in a staged murder/suicide. Dark Tiger is a compelling mystery populated with well-drawn characters, a fast-paced plot, and a lot of subtext. I especially liked the contrast between the calm, gentle present-day Stoney with the darker, more violent personality we suspect he possessed in his past. His pragmatic and mature outlook toward his relationship with Kate, and the other secondary characters, adds an unexpected layer to his character. Tapply's writing style is not as gripping as his characters and his plot, but I kept forgetting about that as I continued turning pages. As I think back on the story, more and more subtext becomes apparent, which makes Dark Tiger a terrific read. I'm looking forward the the final book in the series.

First we lost Philip Craig; now we've lost Bill Tapply

(What's a New England mystery lover to do???) Maine outdoorsman Stoney Calhoun is tying "Dark Tiger" fishing lures in Kate Balaban's shop when his life begins to turn upside down. It's all a precursor to another visit by The Man in the Suit, who gives Stoney a mandatory assignment in northern Maine. Avid mystery readers are familiar with Stoney Calhoun's unusual story: he's a man with amnesia and only glimpses of memory into his previous life. And he evidently used to be into some heavy-duty government-sponsored investigations, possibly even espionage. This time, Stoney is supposed to figure out who shot a man and a woman who had already been killed by some kind of poisoning. It's a very unusual case. The answer appears to be lurking at a private lodge on Loon Lake in Aroostook County, along the Canadian border. Stoney agrees -- well, he has no choice -- to leave Kate's tackle shop temporarily and take Ralph, his Brittany spaniel, and "become" a fishing guide to the rich and famous. But as soon as he arrives at Loon Lake, even more tragedies occur. Can Stoney solve the puzzle without becoming a victim himself? As in "Bitch Creek" and "Gray Ghost," the pacing of the plot mirrors the way Stoney Calhoun talks and acts -- slowly and thoughtfully, as a Mainer should. (The irony is that Stoney isn't a native. But he sure seems like one.) You have a feeling that Stoney will eventually figure everything out, anyway. This is not an action-packed thriller; at least, not for the most part. And it's not necessarily perfect. I wonder why Stoney doesn't mention seeing Mount Katahdin as he flies up to the top of Maine and later, as he drives south. I thought Kate was a bit more whiney than her character should have been. But she is a woman, after all, even though she owns a bait and tackle shop. And I think the identity of the REAL Dark Tiger falls onto the seemingly insecure nineteen-year-old at the Lodge, who acts as a human lure in an attempt to snag Stoney away from the truth. This episode may be a bit thin, under the circumstances. But it's still good writing that makes a good read. I was shocked to hear of William Tapply's passing. I discovered the disturbing news while reading the reviews posted here, before I even read "Dark Tiger." I met Bill several times and had a few nice chats with him. After the first Stoney Calhoun book "Bitch Creek" was released, Bill agreed to come to our book discussion group session. He was as wonderful in person as his words are in print. And when members of the audience asked him if there would be MORE Stoney Calhoun books to come, he seemed truly startled by the question. He hedged on the answer and wouldn't quite say yes or no. It seemed to us then that he meant "Bitch Creek" to be a stand-alone, and not the opening installment of a series. I don't know if we put the idea into his head, or if overwhelming public outcry did it. But I am quite glad that this is the third Stoney Calhoun book.

super whodunit

Several years have gone by since Stoney Calhoun awakened in a Virginia VA hospital with total amnesia. He opened up a Portland, Maine bait shop owner with Kate Balaban and is a fishing guide and does occasional work for the cops and for "the Man in the Suit" who shows up periodically with an assignment that Stoney has the skills to accomplice. Although his memory remains erased from before the awakening Stoney still has the skills with weapons for instance before he went comatose. The Suit offers Stoney a deal he cannot refuse. Instead of the usual tidbits about the past, he says he will insure they keep the bait shop potentially being sold to another buyer and keep Kate's loved one covered by health insurance being challenged. Not even knowing the case Stoney agrees to the terms because he would do anything for Kate. The Suit arranges for a Mr. Brecia to meet with Stoney. Mr. Brecia directs Stoney to investigate the deaths of operative McNulty and the underage teen townie Millie Gautier in what looked like a murder-suicide at St. Cecilia on the Canadian border. Mr. Brecia wants Stoney to find out what their agent was doing there with a sixteen year old. He suggests going undercover at the nearby exclusive Loon Lake Lodge as that is the only place in the vicinity of any known significance. The third Stonewall Jackson Calhoun tale (see BITCH CREEK and GRAY GHOST) is a super whodunit with obvious overtones to Ludlam's Bourne, but with the late William Tapply's distinct New England take. The story line is fast-paced starting with the Suit showing what he can do to insure Stoney cooperates and never slows down. Fans will enjoy the hero's activity in northern Maine as his in dubiously presence increases the homicide count considerably. DARK TIGER pay homage to Mr. Tapply who died in late July. Harriet Klausner