Defending Billy Ryan vs The vulgar boatman: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Massachusetts, Lawyers, Legal stories, Fiction
Defending Billy Ryan
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Twelve years ago Jerry Kennedy delivered his first report, Kennedy for the Defense, on being the classiest sleazy criminal lawyer in Boston, as Mack, his then-wife, called him. Seven years ago, Jerry called in again,…
The vulgar boatman
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When a politician's son is suspected of murder, Boston lawyer Brady Coyne is dispatched to fix it—only to uncover a web of deceit: "Tapply at his best" (The New York Times).   Running for governor on the…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Defending Billy Ryan has the widest readership — 100 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| Defending Billy Ryan | The vulgar boatman | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.8 (100) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (6) | 3.5 (10) |
Reception
| Defending Billy Ryan | The vulgar boatman | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 100 | 10 |
| Editions | 10 | 5 |
| Want to read | 75 | — |
| Reading it now | 9 | — |
| Written reviews | 9 | — |
| Pages | 250 | 333 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Defending Billy Ryan or The vulgar boatman?
Defending Billy Ryan has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Defending Billy Ryan 3.8/5, The vulgar boatman 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Defending Billy Ryan or The vulgar boatman?
Defending Billy Ryan is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Defending Billy Ryan (250 pages, ≈ 4 h 38 m); The vulgar boatman (333 pages, ≈ 6 h 10 m).
Which is harder to read: Defending Billy Ryan or The vulgar boatman?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Defending Billy Ryan: Moderate; The vulgar boatman: Moderate.