From Publishers Weekly
Movie-making and murder interrupt the laid-back island life of J.W. Jackson, former cop, occasional detective and new father. In his ninth outing (following A Deadly Vineyard Holiday, 1997), J.W. signs on as driver-guide for a Hollywood location scout, the tanned and toothy Drew Mondry, who likes the look of the Vineyard. He also likes the look of J.W.'s wife, Zee, enough to ask her to be an extra in the film. They're all distracted when J.W. finds state environmental officer Lawrence Ingalls murdered just one day after he and J.W. came to blows over Ingalls's closing of a local beach. Although J.W. is the prime suspect, other Vineyard residents also had grudges against the dead man: Zack Delwood once said someone would soon shoot Ingalls; Moonbeam Berube, the caretaker at Ingalls's new house, has a history of violence. To find the killer, J.W. must dig up some dirt on the victim's seemingly spotless past. In J.W.'s guide work, Craig shows off his affectionate knowledge of Martha's Vineyard, from the touristy towns to the locals' favorite fishing spots. J.W. and Zee sometimes lapse into precious dialogue, and there's way too much reporting on baby Joshua's diaper usage, but in all, the Jacksons and their neighbors are an agreeable group of summertime sleuths. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
When series star J.W. Jackson's long-time nemesis arrives in town and is murdered, J.W. can avoid suspicion only by finding the murderer. A handsome Hollywood movie scout, meanwhile, takes a shine to Jackson's new wife. A lively and entertaining addition to the series (e.g., A Deadly Vineyard Holiday, LJ 5/1/97).Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The title is a triple pun: J. W. Jackson and his wife, Zee, are discomfited and then ensnared when Hollywood descends upon the Vineyard to make a movie; Zee is back to practicing sharpshooting after the birth of baby Joshua; and a respected environmentalist whose enforced opinions threaten the age-old habits of the locals is found dead of a gunshot wound. Since J. W. found the body, and had fairly public words with the guy the day before, it behooves him to find the killer quickly. That takes a backseat, however, to fishing, caring for Joshua, and J. W.'s very ambivalent feelings when Zee is offered a small part in the movie. Zee is a little hard to take: she's incredibly beautiful, wildly sexy, and a great shooter, fisherwoman, and nurse. Mildly amusing, however, is a subplot wherein actor Kevin, er, Turner puts the moves on Zee, and actress Kate, er, Ballinger does the same to J. W. Movie stuff, lots of local color, and the real conflicts between native habit and habitat and environmentalism make for a fine summer read. GraceAnne A. DeCandido


From Kirkus Reviews
Yet another love letter to Marthas Vineyard via this ninth adventure for resident J.W. Jacksonex-Boston cop, fisherman, cook, husband of beautiful nurse Zee, sometime nanny to new son Joshua (A Deadly Vineyard Holiday, 1997, etc.). J.W. has long been antagonistic to beach-closing environmentalists led by blue-blooded biologist Lawrence Ingallsso, naturally, when J.W. finds Ingalls shot to death on the beach just days after theyd come to blows, he finds himself the prime suspect, even getting shot at by Ingallss assistant Beth Harper. Eventually off the hook, J.W. is hired as local guide by handsome Californian Drew Mondry, whos scouting locations for a Hollywood movie to be made on the island. Mondrys already tagged the gorgeous Zee for a minor role, increasing J.W.s baby-tending chores as he goes about the business of finding Ingallss killer. His attempts to explore Ingallss Chilmark residence, though, are thwarted by housekeeper Connie Beruba, who lives in a shack nearby with a brood of children and her abusive, recently vanished husband, Moonbeam. It takes all of J.W.s usual information sources, and more, to uncover the flaw in Ingallss seemingly blameless life and charactera flaw that pinpoints the murderer. Long on scenery, fishing lore, picturesque local characters, and J.W.s inner thoughts, now augmented by his archly whimsical one-sided conversations with three-month-old Joshua. Short on excitement and suspense. A genial snooze. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Library Journal
"Lively and entertaining."



"The Martha's Vineyard mysteries are a breath of fresh air, with a touch of murder most foul."


Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Spending time with author Craig on Martha's Vineyard is the next best thing to vacationing on the island itself."


Rocky Mountain News
"The Martha's Vineyard mysteries are a breath of fresh air, with a touch of murder most foul."


Book Description

Life on the Vineyard is good-maybe just too good--for ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson this August. The bluefish are running early, and there's plenty of quality fishing time to be spent with his new baby son Joshua. But an idyllic summer hits a snag when a movie scout from a glamorous land called "Hollywood" invades the beaches--and takes a liking not only to the island locale, but to Jackson's lovely lady Zee as well. Worse still, a longtime nemesis turns up murdered just one day after he and J.W. come to blows, and Jackson is considered by nearly everyone, up-island and down, to be the most likely suspect. And if he hopes to spend the remainder of this season--as well as many others to come--enjoying simple family pleasures and fine, fresh seafood outside of a prison cell, J.W. will have to cast his line out and hook the real killer.

About the Author
Philip R. Craig grew up on a small cattle ranch near Durango, Colorado, before going off to college at Boston University, where he was an All-American fencer. He earned his M.F.A. at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. A recently retired professor of English at Wheelock College in Boston, he and his wife Shirley now live year-round on Martha's Vineyard.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Life on the Vineyard is good-maybe just too good—for ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson this August. The bluefish are running early, and there's plenty of quality fishing time to be spent with his new baby son Joshua. But an idyllic summer hits a snag when a movie scout from a glamorous land called "Hollywood" invades the beaches—and takes a liking not only to the island locale, but to Jackson's lovely lady Zee as well. Worse still, a longtime nemesis turns up murdered just one day after he and J.W. come to blows, and Jackson is considered by nearly everyone, up-island and down, to be the most likely suspect. And if he hopes to spend the remainder of this season—as well as many others to come—enjoying simple family pleasures and fine, fresh seafood outside of a prison cell, J.W. will have to cast his line out and hook the real killer.

Life on the Vineyard is good-maybe just too good—for ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson this August. The bluefish are running early, and there's plenty of quality fishing time to be spent with his new baby son Joshua. But an idyllic summer hits a snag when a movie scout from a glamorous land called "Hollywood" invades the beaches—and takes a liking not only to the island locale, but to Jackson's lovely lady Zee as well. Worse still, a longtime nemesis turns up murdered just one day after he and J.W. come to blows, and Jackson is considered by nearly everyone, up-island and down, to be the most likely suspect. And if he hopes to spend the remainder of this season—as well as many others to come—enjoying simple family pleasures and fine, fresh seafood outside of a prison cell, J.W. will have to casthis line out and hook the real killer.

Author Biography: Philip R. Craig, a professor at Wheelock College, lives in Hamilton, Massachusetts. He spends his summers on Martha's Vineyard.

SYNOPSIS

Life on the Vineyard is good-maybe just too good—for ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson this August. The bluefish are running early, and there's plenty of quality fishing time to be spent with his new baby son Joshua. But an idyllic summer hits a snag when a movie scout from a glamorous land called "Hollywood" invades the beaches—and takes a liking not only to the island locale, but to Jackson's lovely lady Zee as well. Worse still, a longtime nemesis turns up murdered just one day after he and J.W. come to blows, and Jackson is considered by nearly everyone, up-island and down, to be the most likely suspect. And if he hopes to spend the remainder of this season—as well as many others to come—enjoying simple family pleasures and fine, fresh seafood outside of a prison cell, J.W. will have to cast his line out and hook the real killer.

FROM THE CRITICS

Rocky Mountain News

The Martha's Vineyard mysteries are a breath of fresh air, with a touch of murder most foul.

MinneapolisStar-Tribune