Praise for Previous Books by Daniel J. Boyne
“The Seven Seat is a must-have for your rowing library. Dan Boyne beautifully captures the thrill of being the ‘newbie'—new to college (an elite college, no less), new to taking the top bunk in a small dorm room, new to competitive rowing. In this work of ‘creative non-fiction,’ Dan describes college rowing, ’70s style: leaden boats, wooden oars, cotton t-shirts, and no Concept II ergs. Score one! But that’s just the beginning. Read on. You’ll be glad you did.”
Description
When the body of an ex-Harvard rower is found floating in the Charles River, Boston state trooper Sean Delaney is put on the case to determine whether the drowning is purely accidental. Is it really the result of a college prank gone wrong? Or are there other reasons to explain why the son of a preeminent Boston venture capitalist, on the verge of his own brilliant career, would throw himself from the Eliot Bridge? What begins as a routine inquiry suddenly turns into a full-blown murder investigation when the savvy chief coroner, Sue Chasen, determines that the autopsy looks suspicious. The unlikely pair find themselves pulled together, in more ways than one, as they uncover the privileged world of Ivy League rowing, family ties, money, and sex.
Reviews
“Beautifully written, Dan Boyne’s The Seven Seat illuminates the redemptive power of rowing. A period piece set at Trinity College in the seventies, the themes are as relevant today as ever. I can’t help but believe that Dan’s storytelling prowess derives from his experience rowing in the seven seat. He translates life’s rhythm with technical precision and great timing. Through the lens of collegiate rowing, Dan’s newest book is a perfect catch.”
“With Dan Boyne’s books The Red Rose Crew and Kelly: A Father, A Son, An American Quest, he proved to be an author who knows how to tell good rowing stories. Now, Boyne is back with a new rowing tale, The Seven Seat: A True Story of Rowing, Redemption, and Revenge, a work that he himself calls 'creative non-fiction,' in which he takes a more active role as both a narrator and a character. Boyne shows in this wonderful 'saga' that he is a master of portraying American rowing history—whether it’s about a famous women’s crew, an American rowing legend, or rowing at Trinity College, Hartford, in the 1970s.”
“With a droll voice that is as smooth and brisk as a river at dawn, Dan Boyne not only tells the story of a heated rivalry, but also imparts the magic of reinventing oneself through a time-honored sport whose tribal quality is the envy those outside its closed community. It’s also an at-times hilarious memoir of college life in the 1970s—Animal House meets the boathouse—in this trim and well-rowed story.”
