A Deadly Vineyard Holiday by Philip R. Craig (#8 -1997)

 

This is Martha's Vineyard mystery #8.

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Cricket Callahan a.k.a. Debby Jackson, daughter of the president
• Joe & Myra Callahan, the president and first lady
• Karen Lea a.k.a. Karen Jackson, Secret Service agent
• Walt Pomerlieu, Secret Service agent
• Ted Harris, Secret Service agent
• Joan Lonergan, Secret Service agent
• Jake Spitz, FBI agent
• Burt Phillips, writer for a scandal sheet
• Kenneth Eppers, a retired spook
• Barbara Miller, a retired spook

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Synopsis: The president, Joe Callahan; first lady, Myra Callahan; and teenage daughter Cricket Callahan are vacationing on Martha's Vineyard. J. W. Jackson encounters Cricket while surf fishing. She is frustrated with the constant surveillance by the Secret Service and wishes to get out by herself. She winds up at J. W.'s house with the Secret Service keeping an eye in the background.

J.W. notices a car stationed at the end of his driveway. It is occupied by Burt Phillips, a writer for a scandal sheet, The National Planet. J. W. flattens his tire to strand him until the authorities can take a look at him. Phillips walks up  the drive to the neighboring wildlife refuge, where he is later found dead from a broken neck.

J.W. learns there is concern about a possible attack on Cricket, and it is suspected that one of the Secret Service agents may be in on the plot; and may have been responsible for Phillips' death. This makes returning her to the compound unwise. Cricket changes her appearance and assumes a false identity of Debby Jackson, a cousin; and enjoys some time on the island as an un-famous teenager.

Review: A good adventure if you can suspend disbelief a bit, and envision the Secret Service A). losing track of one of the presidential family, and B). allowing her to stay with unknown J.W. Jackson instead of in the secure compound. The Secret Service agents come off as thugs, and I am sure they are much more professional in dealing with the public than portrayed. I hope so.

Those things aside, a good page-turning read of the "if you can't trust the government, who can you trust?" situation. It is amusing when J.W. learns a presidential visit to his home is imminent. What to do first? Mow the lawn? Shave? Put on clean clothes? Fix something to eat? I read 3/4 of the book in one sitting, only stopping as I was getting sleepy.

PS. There is no particular holiday - as mentioned in the title - involved. Think of holiday meaning "presidential vacation."

A Case of Vineyard Poison by Philip R. Craig (#6 - 1996)

 

This is Martha's Vineyard Mystery #6. 

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Katherine Ellis, NYU student, poisoning victim
• Denise Vale, NYU student
• Miles Vale, Denise's father, a medic with a short fuse
• Glen Gordon, former NYU student, now a bank IT programmer
• Beth Goodwin, Katherine's roommate
• Peter Dennison, Katherine's friend
• Quinn, reporter for The Boston Globe
• David Greenstein, concert pianist
• J. W. Jackson
• Zeolinda "Zee" Madeiras
• Maria Madeiras, Zee's mother

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, off Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Synopsis: Retired Boston cop, and now Martha's Vineyard resident, J. W. Jackson, is counting down the days to his wedding to Zeolinda "Zee" Madeiras. He hears from old buddy, reporter Quinn, that he is coming to visit and bringing a friend; who turns out to be concert pianist David Greenstein.

J. W. comes home one day to find a moped lying in his driveway, and a young woman dead beside the drive. She is Katherine Ellis, NYU student on vacation. She is found to have been poisoned by a local plant.

Some strange things are happening in the banks around the island. Zee has a deposit of $100K to her account, which gets removed a few days later. Poison victim Katherine had a deposit of $100K, to which she wrote a series of $9000 checks, which were then cashed - and now she is dead. Roommate Denise Vale also had a $100K transaction, and now she is missing. All transactions link back to bank IT programmer Glen Gordon, who was previously at NYU along with both Katherine and Denise.

Review: This one was a little odd, with very little focus on the two murders which occur. The first (the poisoning of Katherine Ellis) is not explained, it is just mentioned in passing - when it could have been expanded into how the killer got the obscure poison and administered it; but nothing along that line. The second (the shooting) is given a wrap-up mention in the final chapter.

Much of the book focuses on J.W.'s hosting of his friends Quinn and David Greenstein, fishing, looking into the banking transactions, and preparations for his upcoming marriage (which we did not get to, it occurs without being recorded, in between #6 and #7). The rocky relationship with his future mother-in-law is funny and enjoyable, although when it progresses to outright flirtation and more-than-platonic kissing it is a bit creepy.

This is #6 in the series, and some of the local anecdotes are getting a copy/paste flavor; leading to a "I've read this before" feeling. I am beginning to skim over the fishing play-by-plays, Sam Adams beer ads, and complaints about the parking situation.

Off Season by Philip R. Craig (#5 - 1994)

 

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• J. W. Jackson, investigator and narrator
• Zeolinda "Zee" Madieras, J. W.'s fiancée
• Mimi Bettencourt, a very vegetarian
• Ignacio "Nash" Cortez, hunting rights activist
• Chug Lovell, chubby but lovable
• Angie Bettencourt, J. W.'s old girlfriend
• Manny Fonseca, gun enthusiast
• Phyllis Manwaring, ready to be wife of a senator
• Heather Manwaring, her daughter, an attorney
• Carl Norton, seller of land for conservation
• Helene Norton, his daughter
• Joey Percell, a mainland thug

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Synopsis: The island conservation group is purchasing a 50 acre parcel from Carl Norton, and holding a hearing to determine best use. This leads to conflict between animal rights people (led by Mimi Bettencourt) and hunting rights people (led by Nash Cortez).

J. W. Jackson is visiting Nash, when a stranger arrives. It is Joey Percell, ex-cop and now rumored to be with the Providence mob. Percell and Nash argue, Percell assaults him, and J.W. holds him until the police arrive. 

Chug Lovell, a local back-to-nature type and archery enthusiast, is hanging out with attorney Heather Manwaring, but the word around town is that he is going to dump her for Helene Norton, daughter of Carl Norton. He also seems to have no obvious source of income. Then he is found dead, with one of his own arrows in him. Investigation shows lots of people had motives to do away with him.

Review: Reading the cover blurb, I thought oh, no, not a book of town political squabbles. While part of the story, they do not overwhelm the story line and it is nice to settle down with easy-going J.W. and Zee. I enjoy their repartée and even steal a few of their lines to use on my wife! 

The story line is good and believable. I finished this one in two sittings (or, more precisely, two lyings - as in lying in bed). This one tells the story of how J.W. acquired his two cats - no, wait - how two cats acquired J.W. -  in an amusing episode which really involves four cats.

Cliff Hanger by Philip R. Craig (#4 - 1993)

 

This is Martha's Vineyard #4.

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• J. W. Jackson, retired Boston cop
• Zeolinda Madieras, his girlfriend
• Dan Wiggins, a.k.a. "Iowa"
• Geraldine Miles, Iowa's niece
• Lloyd Cramer, Geraldine's abusive boyfriend
• John Skye, professor
• Billy Jo Skye, his sister? cousin? in Colorado - it's unclear.
• Bernadette Orwell, John Skye's former student
• Gordon Berkeley Orwell, Bernardette's brother

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts; and Colorado

Synopsis: J. W. Jackson's girlfriend, Zeolinda "Zee" Madieras, is off to New Hampshire for a month long conference, so J. W. is on his own on Martha's Vineyard. First, Geraldine Miles, niece of local Dan "Iowa" Wiggins, is staying on the island to escape her abusive boyfriend, Lloyd Cramer of Iowa. Lloyd hunts her down, asks for forgiveness, and not receiving any, beats her up.

J. W. briefly meets Bernadette Orwell, a former student of professor John Skye, while she is on the island with a class. Soon after she returns to the mainland, she dies from a drug overdose. Her journal hinted at an affair with John Skye, which causes her brother, Gordon Berkeley Orwell, to seek out John Skye for revenge. However, not knowing Skye is really at the family ranch in Colorado, he mistakes caretaker J.W. for Skye, and attempts to kill him several times. J. W. heads to Colorado to warn Skye that Orwell is after him. During his visit to Colorado, he becomes enamored with Skye's (sister? cousin?) Billy Jo Skye. Orwell arrives and plays cat-and-mouse with J.W. and the Skyes.

Review: This is the best Craig mystery I have read thus far. I was not too excited initially reading the book blurb, as it puts J.W. way out of his element in Colorado. Usually when the series protagonist is off somewhere else, the story line suffers; but not here.  J.W. is faced with two badly-obsessive guys: Lloyd Cramer and Gordon Berkeley Orwell. Either one alone would have made a good adventure, but we get two at once. The cat-and-mouse chase between Orwell and J.W. is well done, and depicts Orwell as a dangerous man to have after you. The tension is great. 

Vineyard Deceit by Philip R. Craig (#3 - 1992)

 

This is J. W. Jackson #3, Also published as "The Double Minded Men".

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Edward C. Damon, ambassador-to-be
• Emily Stonehouse Damon, his wife
• Amelia Stonehouse Muleto, Emily's twin sister, a farmer, Zee's aunt by marriage
• Ali Mohammed Rashad, a.k.a. The Padishah of Sarofim
• Colonel Ahmed Nagy, his bodyguard
• Standish Caplan, State Department
• Jasper Cabot, a banker
• Willard Blunt, a banker
• Jason Thornberry,  of Thornberry Security
• Helga Johanson, of Thornberry Security
• J. W. Jackson
• Zeolinda "Zee" Madieras, J.W's girlfriend

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Synopsis: A middle eastern potentate, the Padishah of Sarofim, has come to Martha's Vineyard on a quest to reclaim a priceless emerald necklace stolen from his country decades ago. It is now in the possession of the Stonehouse sisters - farmer Amelia Stonehouse Muleto and Emily Stonehouse Damon, wife of diplomat Edward C. Damon. 

The return of the necklace was negotiated to occur at Damon's mansion, in exchange for a sum not mentioned. The police have rounded up extra security for the event, including J. W. Jackson. The plan is for the two necklaces (the real one and a paste copy) to be displayed, the real one turned over to the Padishah, while Emily retains the paste copy, prior to a big celebration party.

The handoff of the paste copy goes as planned, but when they open the box for the real one, it is empty. Guests are searched, the house is searched - no necklace. Shortly afterward, Willard Blunt, one of the bankers who was responsible for guarding the necklace is found dead.

Review: It is so relaxing to settle down with a Martha's Vineyard mystery. They are a bit hard to find on the used market, I suspect people are hoarding them. I have managed to find all but #1 so I have a good stash.

This was an excellent story. The bad guy is the Padishah, who is described as a "petulant child in a man's body", is controlled by his advisers, and is more interested in grabbing women in their private places than governing. This is soooooooo familiar to our own [insert name of a president here] who, at this writing, has just 9 days remaining in office. But I digress.

Back to the story .. an interesting story line is when J.W. teams up with Helga Johanson, and she winds up in his house .. wearing Zee's clothes .. and Zee finds out ... but it gets straightened out. 

The theft of the emerald necklace looked like the old switcheroo coming up, as there is a real one and a fake one. I thought I knew how the real one got stolen and snuck out of the house, but no, the red herrings tricked me. The actual logistics of the theft were quite a surprise, and definintely a method I had not seen in other books.

A couple enjoyable characters: Manny Fonseca and Bonzo. They have small but essential parts, and I hope they return in future titles, which await me on the shelf.

Death on a Vineyard Beach by Philip R. Craig (#7 - 1996)

 

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Luciano Marcus, mob boss and target
• Angela Marcus, his wife
• Vinnie Cecilio, their grandson
• Thomas Decker, their assistant
• Jonas, their cook
• Priscilla, their housekeeper, wife of Jonas
• Joe Begay, J. W.'s former sergeant, a Wampanoag
• Toni (Vanderbeck) Begay, Joe's wife, a Wampanoag
• Linda Vanderbeck, Toni's mother, a Wampanoag
• Maggie Vanderbeck, Toni's sister, a Wampanoag
• Bill Vanderbeck, a shaman
• Benny White, UMass student
• Roger the Dodger, UMass student
• J. W. Jackson
• Zeolinda "Zee" Jackson, his wife

Locale: Martha's Vineyard (island) off Cape Cod, MA

Synopsis: J. W. Jackson and Zee have just married. While in Boston attending the opera, J. W. interrupts a murder attempt on Luciano Marcus. Back on the Vineyard, J. W. is surprised by a dinner invitation from Marcus, not knowing he is also an island resident. J. W. is hired by Marcus to find out who attacked him.

Marcus is wealthy and has fingers in many businesses; looks like a mob boss. His palatial home is on a large piece of property. One part is a cranberry bog, whose ownership is contested by the local Wampanoag tribe. Tribal members want the land back, providing a possible motive.

Review:

This is a laid-back book, and the most enjoyable of the series I have read thus far. It does not even become a murder mystery until the end; remaining an attempted murder mystery throughout. I continued to wonder when someone - and who - would turn up dead, didn't happen until the end.

Luciano and Angela Marcus are way too refined, cultured, and pleasant to be mob bosses. In fact, they are not even identified as such; just hinted. They are enjoyable characters, although Luciano has a short fuse when people wander into his property.

The best character is Bill Vanderbeck, a shaman. He pops in and out and no one sees him come and go. He offers his philosophy and comments and does not get involved in tribal drama. He reminds me of Mister Rogers!

The only little drawback to this book is that the attempted-murderer character from the opera scene (which opens the book) is not introduced until the very end, which cheats the reader out of trying to identify him throughout.

By the way ... the cover fooled me. It took a while before I realized the cattails, boathouse, and ducks form a skull!

Murder at a Vineyard Mansion by Philip R. Craig (#15 - 2004)

 

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Mickey Gomes, in jail but constantly escaping
• Ron Pierson, builder of 'Pierson's Palace'
• Maud Mayhew, the old aristocrat
• Harold Hobbes, her son, admitted window-breaker
• Ollie Mattes, short-lived night watchman
• Sarah Bradford, an older softball player
• Cheryl Bradford, her daughter
• Ethan Bradford, her hermit son
• J. W. Jackson

Locale: Martha's Vineyard (island), Massachusetts

Synopsis: The biggest news on Martha's Vineyard is a unknown vigilante, called 'The Silencer', who is on a crusade to destroy annoyingly-loud music speakers in cars and homes. Yes, it is illegal, but people secretly support his work.

Ron Pierson is building a giant showy residence, which locals sarcastically call 'Pierson's Palace'. Someone doesn't like it and has gone on a window-breaking spree. Pierson hires Ollie Mattes as a night watchman, but Mattes quickly falls (or was he pushed?) off the cliff to his death. Aristocratic matriarch Maud Mayhew approaches J.W. to establish that her son, Harold Hobbes, did not push him - because Harold admits to the window breaking which puts him high on the suspect list anyway. That doesn't last long, Hobbes is found dead in the driveway.

J. W. observes Cheryl Bradford hanging around the unfinished house, and has repeated interviews with her and her mother, Sarah Bradford. Both are horse lovers, and Sarah plays on a softball team for older women. Sarah's son is Ethan Bradford, a long-haired hermit, who meets visitors with a shotgun and threats; a strange retirement activity for a refined former electrical engineer who likes classical music.

Review: The murder mystery is very good. There are a small number of people in the story, and when the murderer - and the motive - is discovered, I realized the little clues that had been dropped here and there but it did come as a surprise. 

However, the Silencer story line is rather sci-fi and on the unbelievable side - someone has a mysterious ray gun and goes around zapping sound systems, but somehow all the other electronics in the cars and houses are not affected? Details about how the zapping was done are not revealed. I could just see a big fat violation of Knox Commandment #4 coming .. ."No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end." Sure enough, we get the appliance and a long scientific explanation at the end. Perhaps it is included on a technicality as it is not the murder weapon, but just a gadget that annoys readers. The identity of the Silencer was clearly indicated as soon as the character was introduced and was no surprise. 

The middle portion of the book deals with J.W. delving into the genealogy and relationships among the old-time local families. This does lay the groundwork for figuring out the killer at the end, so is essential, although I chose not to try to follow and comprehend the family trees presented.

Anita Pereira, a former lover of Hobbes, is a piece of work. She describes her open marriage  - oh, by the way, my husband has a new lover but I'm available at the moment - and comes on to J.W. repeatedly. When rebuffed, she just changes her pitch like any good salesperson: "Say, if you've not interested in sex with me, how about renting one of our horses and taking a couple of riding lessons?" Well, if you don't want the fish, how about the chicken?

Oh, another little annoyance is Craig's incorrect use of homophones. As in previous books, he uses "bridal path" instead of "bridle path", and "metal" instead of "mettle". Tsk, tsk. And he was a professor of English! 

Overall, a good story which kept me turning pages. No need to follow the family trees unless you really want to map things out and try to identify the killer that way - which would be possible. Don't worry too much about The Silencer. And don't get involved with Anita Pereira. She's probably found someone else by now anyway.

Some nice extras:

• A map of Martha's Vineyard will all the places labelled
• Recipes
• Synopses/excerpts from books 1-14.

Vineyard Enigma by Philip R. Craig (#13 - 2002)

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Abraham Mahsimba, of Zizbabwe, seeking two carved eagles
• Matthew Duarte, art dealer
• Connie Duarte, his estranged wife
• Rose Abrams, his girlfriend
• Same Hopewell, his accountant
• David Brownington, the 'Headless Horseman'
• Charles Mauch, art collector
• Miguel Periera, food deliverer
• J. W. Jackson, ex-cop
• Zeolinda "Zee" Jackson, his wife

Locale: Martha's Vineyard, island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Synopsis: Abraham Mahsimba, of Zimbabwe, comes to Martha's Vineyard (MV) in his search to find two historic carved eagles and return them to the government of Zimbabwe. He hire J. W. Jackson as his local guide and investigator. Together, they make the rounds of the art galleries seeking anyone with any knowledge of them. J.W. is also concerned about the attraction building between his wife, Zee Jackson, and Mahsimba.

The eagles are rumored to be on MV as local Matthew Duarte was the agent for their sale. J.W. and Mahsimba so to see him, but find him dead. 

Investigation reveals a tie to David Brownington, who was seeking the eagles at one point. He has not been seen for years, and J.W. wonders if he could be the 'Headless Horseman', a name given to a still-unidentified headless body found years ago. Brownington knew Matthew's father, Daniel Duarte, who died in a car accident.

Review:

This is #13 in the series of 20 and now I find it is is best they be read in order, as the characters and incidents seem to build, with references to incidents in previous books.  The series was published 1989-2008 so finding other copies in the series may be a challenge, although they are frequently available on paperbackswap.com. 

A good missing-artifact mystery, although the holder of the missing-artifact is a bit obvious. The character of Abraham Mahsimba is well done. I suspected he was not as he seemed, but he turned out sincere for the most part.

J.W. has become a good father but as a husband is a bit too laid-back for me, he doesn't seem to care about his wife getting involved with another man, hey, there's enough love to go around, right? The hinted-at affair never gets off the ground, but still... In his interviews of Rose Abrams (former girlfriend), J.W. comes off as a bully. 

The fishing episodes are recounted in too much length and detail, not of interest to non-fishermen, and do not add to the plot.

Surprise: Recipes in the back!

Peeves:

1. We don't find out who killed David Brownington.

2. We don't find out who killed Daniel Duarte. Or was it an accident? 

3. We don't find out any more about the possibly related dead woman on the cape, that story line is dropped.

4. Repeated misuse of "bridal trail" for"bridle trail"! It is for horses, not for brides! 

Death in Vineyard Waters by Philip R. Craig (#2 - 1991)

originally published as The Woman Who Walked Into the Sea

About the author: Philip R. Craig (1933 –2007) was a writer known for his Martha's Vineyard mysteries. He was born in Santa Monica and raised on a cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado. In 1951 he attended Boston University intending to become a minister, and got a degree in 1957. He taught English and Journalism at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1965, and at Wheelock College in Boston until 1999, at which point he retired to become a full-time writer. (Wikipedia)

Major Characters:

• Dr. Marjorie Summerharp, who walked into the water
• Dr. John Skye, professor at Weststock College
• Jen and Jill Skye, John’s twin teen daughters
• Dr. Ian McGregor, who ‘collects women as honey collects insects’. 
• Dr. Helen Barstone
• Dr. Bill Hooperman
• Tristan Cooper, caretaker of mystical stones
• Hans and Marie Van Dam, owners of Sanctuary
• J. W. Jackson, ex-Boston cop
• Zeolinda "Zee" Madieras, J.W.’s girlfriend

Locale: Martha’s Vineyard, island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Synopsis: Ex-cop J. W. Jackson, retired after an injury, is now a year-round resident of Martha’s Vineyard. He meets up with a collection of academics, centered around aging Marjorie Summerharp and her protégé, young Ian McGregor. They are collaborating on an article about a purported new work of Shakespeare which has been found; which they posit is genuine. Summerharp goes for her usual early morning swim and does not return, until her body is caught up in a fishing net. Ian McGregor seeks J.W.’s help in finding if there was foul play, perhaps from someone in the tight-knit Shakespearean academic community, who could be threatened by their work. This alliance proves to be troublesome, as J.W.’s girlfriend, Zee, now takes up with Ian.

Besides the academics, others include the Van Dams, who operate a semi-religious retreat called Sanctuary, on land leased from Tristan Cooper. There are rumors of illicit happenings at Sanctuary. Cooper serves as caretaker of ancient stones on his property, which he maintains have sacred/astrological significance. 

Review:

Craig obviously knows Martha's Vineyard. His character of J.W. strikes me as a male version of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone: both are ex-cop private eyes, living a simple and solitary life. I will be seeking out the other titles of the series. I was saddened to find Craig has passed away. The writing is warm and real. The repartee with the twins is amusing and serves as a relief to the drama.

The ancient stones story line is interesting, and the stones described are similar to those found in Mystery Hill in New Hampshire.

A map of Martha’s Vineyard would have been helpful to the reader, perhaps it was included in the original hardcover version. I did find one in his Vineyard Enigma.

A couple of peeves: Craig uses the terms ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ interchangeably, which they are not: A thesis is generally written in  attaining a master’s degree, while a dissertation is a more complex form written in attaining a doctorate. Second, he repeatedly uses the term ‘final draft’, which is an oxymoron. A draft is, by definition, a preliminary version of a document and cannot be a final version.