Philip R. Craig Novels


Vineyard Shadows : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

It's just another gorgeous June day on Martha's Vineyard until J. W. Jackson and his young son, Joshua, arrive home from clamming to find an ambulance in the driveway and blood on the grass.
Two intruders have invaded their house. Little Diana is safe, but wife Zee has a split lip and a bruised cheek, not to mention the psychological trauma that goes with killing one man and wounding another. It was self-defense, but it's also a haunting memory that will stay with her forever.
The dead man and his accomplice weren't common burglars, that's for sure. They wanted one thing: to know the whereabouts of a man named Tom Rimini. Zee told the truth when she said she'd never heard of him. Too bad they didn't believe her. They should have asked J.W., who knows exactly who Tom Rimini is. He's the Boston schoolteacher-husband of J.W.'s ex-wife, Carla. J.W. hasn't seen Carla in fifteen years, but that's about to change: Rimini's on the run and J.W. offers his help.
As one who moved to Martha's Vineyard seeking tranquillity, J.W. despises the dark shadows that threaten his beloved island. He must broker a truce among some evil foes, or his life, and the lives of those he loves, may never be the same.
Rich with all the trademark charms of a Philip R. Craig Martha's Vineyard novel, including witty repartee and good food, Vineyard Shadows also gives us new insight into J.W. and Zee as they take an illuminating look at life's joys and sorrows. Both poignant and page-turning, this is summer entertainment at its best.

 

Death on a Vineyard Beach : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

During a matinee performance at Boston's Symphony Hall, ex-cop and newlywed J. W. Jackson manages to foil the attempted murder of an aging former gangster, Luciano Marcus, who persuades Jackson to help him find out who wants him dead and who is now after Jackson's new bride.

 

Off Season : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

Enjoying the end of the tour season at Martha's Vineyard, ex-cop J. W. Jackson becomes involved in an explosive confrontation involving animal rights activists, environmentalists, hunters, and land developers.

 

A Case of Vineyard Poison : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

A betrothed couple, J. W. Jackson and Zee Madieras discover that a $100,000 deposit has been made into their bank account, and a college student, who recently withdrew that amount, is murdered in their driveway.

 

A Fatal Vineyard Season : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

Martha's Vineyard is home to ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson, his adored wife Zee, their toddler Joshua, and newborn daughter Diana. For others, the picturesque vacation spot is a relaxing escape from a world filled with trouble. But there is no escap for Julia Crandel and Ivy Holiday, two Hollywood actresses staying in the Vineyard town of Oak Bluffs. Their arrival has incurred the wrath of a pair of local gangsters, and a deadly stalker from out of the young ladies' past has found out where they are hiding. Twin hurricanes are about to slam the idyllic island -- one a natural climatic disaster, the other an all-too-human catastrophe -- and it looks as if J.W. is going to get caught in the middle. And since his conscience won't allow him to abandon two frightened, helpless visitors to the fury of the coming storm, he stows away his fishing gear, sends his loved ones off-island ... and dives headfirst into the tempest.

 

 

Vineyard Blues : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

Amazon.com
You can almost taste the freshly caught bluefish and smell the tangy salt air in Philip Craig's newest Martha's Vineyard mystery, a seasonal delight featuring former Boston policeman J.W. Jackson. J.W. hasn't seen legendary bluesman Corrie Appleyard since he was a child, and when Corrie arrives on the Vineyard for a rare concert appearance, J.W. couldn't be happier. It's almost enough to take his mind off the series of arson fires that have destroyed the dilapidated summer cottages that a local slumlord rents out at outrageously high prices to college kids who've come to work and play in the famous summer colony. But when Corrie's precious guitar is found at the site of the latest fire, and an unidentified body is pulled from the ruins, J.W. fears the worst.
Although he's already busy trying to track down a blackmailer who's been threatening Susanna Quick, his wife Zee's close friend, J.W. agrees to investigate the arson fires for the owner of the cottages, which leads him into still another unsolved mystery: why is Zee so opposed to his newest client? By the time the connection between the arsonist, the slumlord, Susanna, and Zee is unraveled in a surprising denouement, you'll have worked up an appetite. Luckily, the author has included the recipes of Vineyard favorites at the end of this tasty mystery. J.W. is an extremely appealing hero, a man of simple pleasures who's not averse to putting himself on the line to defend his wife, his family, and his close-knit community of friends and neighbors . The pacing won't keep you from a nap after a day of sun and salt water, but the book moves along nicely, the Vineyard landscape is lovingly and authentically evoked, and the characters are well drawn. Vineyard Blues is another satisfying outing for this accomplished writer (who also brought us A Fatal Vineyard Season, A Shoot on Martha's Vineyard, Death on a Vineyard Beach) and his likable protagonist.

 

A Shoot on Martha's Vineyard : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery by Philip R. Craig

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 cast his line out and hook the real killer.

 

A Deadly Vineyard Holiday by Philip R. Craig

At first, the girl J. W. Jackson encounters strolling alone along South Beach seems like your typical teenager. But there's nothing typical about young Cricket Callahan, the spirited only daughter of the vacationing President of the United States. What ex-cop-turned fisherman Jackson can't figure out is why the feisty First Kid is so intent upon eluding her Secret Service guardians. . .or why the Chief Executive himself wants J. W. and his lovely lady Zee to watch over the errant sixteen-year-old.
The answer comes in the form of a dead body--and in the subsequent knowledge that a diabolical someone is able to crack the security surrounding Cricket as handily as J. W. cracks quahogs at a Vineyard clambake. And not even executive privilege will be able to shield the President's daughter from grievous harm, unless Jackson can root out a .vengeful killer who may be hiding among the ranks of the President's most trusted paladins.
Summary
J.W. Jackson is amazed to discover that the girl he met on the Vineyard's South Beach is Cricket Callahan, daughter of the vacationing President of the United States. And he's shocked when the Chief Executive agrees to let the spirited teen remain with J.W. and wife Zee. But when a corpse inconveniently pops up out of nowhere, J.W. and his lady love are the only ones who can protect the feisty First Kid from a vengeful killer.


 

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