From Publishers Weekly
Craig's Martha's Vineyard mysteries chart the fishing, sleuthing, culinary and amorous adventures of retired (on disability) Boston cop, J.W. Jackson. Here, following A Case of Vineyard Poison, Jackson and Zee Madieras, whom he has long pursued, have finally married and plan to settle in peacefully in Jackson's house. But on a trip to Boston for the opera, Jackson foils an attempt to murder a retired Mafia don, Luciano Marcus, who then hires Jackson to investigate possible Vineyard suspects. Atop the list are local Wampanoag Indians, angrily battling Marcus for title to a cranberry bog that they claim was stolen from their ancestors. But Marcus family members and top aide Thomas Decker would profit from the wealthy Marcus's death. Jackson's enigmatic buddy from Vietnam, Joe Begay, has suddenly appeared on the island, married to a Wampanoag woman. When their lives seem threatened, Jackson persuades the anti-gun Madieras to learn to shoot, finding she's more of a markswoman than either would have bet. All is not work for the honeymooners, though, who make the most of the locale's opportunities to fish, clam, sail romantically and engage in affectionate repartee. There's real crime here, greed, betrayal and murder tied in a plausible puzzle, but Craig's series owes most of its charm to the Vineyard and his intelligent, likable characters. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Ex-cop J.W. Jackson, series sleuth and island resident, finds the body of a college girl-dead of water hemlock poisoning-in his driveway. Her death may have something to do with an elusive $100,000 that shows up in the bank account of Jackson's girlfriend-who has finally agreed to marry him.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Yet another good-natured, lethargic chronicle of the days and nights of ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson, this time honeymooning with gorgeous nurse Zee Madeiras (A Case of Vineyard Poison, 1995, etc.) in his Martha's Vineyard cottage. A trip to Boston to see a production of Carmen puts J.W. on the scene as, leaving the theater, someone takes a shot at rich, secretive fellow islander Luciano Marcus. J.W. saves the former gangster's life, but the shooter escapes, and once back on the island, Marcus hires J.W. to find the culprit. A rundown on Marcus produces several possibilities: someone from his distant, mob-related, lucrative past; one of the local Wampanoag Indian tribe claiming ownership of a cranberry bog that's part of Marcus's extensive island estate; a local fisherman with a grudge against Marcus's equipment-damaging trawler fleet; or a member of his family impatient for a huge legacy--such as grandson Vinnie, who's been hauled back from the mainland fleshpots to work on the Marcus land and to be spoiled by Marcus's sweet wife Angela. While exploring these ideas--leisurely- -J.W. cooks up a storm; fishes, clams and sails with Zee; renews an old Vietnam comradeship; hears lots of boring philosophy from shaman Bill Vanderbeck, and encourages Zee to practice riflery and pack a gun. His slow, ruminative approach finally pays off, and life can resume its sleepy course. A comfortable companion for a day at the beach or summer dreaming on a cold winter's night. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Bullets and BouquetsThere is no room for murder on a honeymoon.When J.W. Jackson foils an attempt to terminate former mob boss Luciano Marcus on the steps of Boston's Symphony Hall, it puts a definite damper on Jackson's and bride Zee Madieras's newlywedded bliss'especially when the mayhem follows them back home to Martha's Vineyard.A part-time Vineyard resident himself, Marcus wants J.W. to find out who is behind the botched hit'an assignment the laid-back ex-cop can't refuse, since lady love Zee saw one of the would-be assassins and is now in peril herself. But with everyone from gangland rivals to Wampanoag Indians wishing Marcus harm, keeping the circling island sharks from the kill might be more than J.W. can handle.


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

For ex-cop J.W. Jackson, a Vineyard summer spent honeymooning with the fetching Zee Madieras is as good as life gets. But when Zee and J.W. treat themselves to a matinee performance of the opera Carman in Boston, a hooded figure with a sawed-off shotgun cuts their idyll short. J.W., reacting just in time, foils the attempted murder of an aging former gangster, Luciano Marcus. Marcus, who lives in a magnificent, secluded Vineyard estate at Gay Head, understandably wants to keep the situation quiet. Suspecting island links to the assault, he persuades a somewhat reluctant J.W. to look into the matter. J. W., who would much rather just enjoy some quiet times with Zee, quickly finds himself up to his fishing rod and cooking utensils in a complex and surprising mystery. Marcus's commission leads J.W. into the local Wampanoag Indian community, where several people apparently have reason to wish Marcus dead and gone. J.W. meets the enigmatic Bill Vanderbeck, a Wampanoag thought by some to be a shaman, and he must also confront a man from his own distant past, the mysterious Joe Begay, who once saved J.W.'s life. Now, on the Vineyard, Joe is married to a member of a well-known Wampanoag family. It's an intriguing case with many elements, but J.W. worries that it could also mean danger for Zee, who saw the face of one of the would-be assassins.

FROM THE CRITICS

Boston Herald

Appealing ... The humanization of the gangsterfamily, the peeks behind the Vineyard facades, and thebeach environment will win those who like their read-ing to be as leisurely as a long summer's afternoon.

Dallas Morning News

Refreshing . . . An entertaining mystery with a dab of romance . . . Skillfully weaving indian lore with local interest and atmosphere . . . and Craig can mix a motivation and scramble a subplot with the best of them.

Murder & Mayhem

One of the most underrated writers inthe genre ... Craig is a consummate storyteller.

Publishers Weekly

Craig's Martha's Vineyard mysteries chart the fishing, sleuthing, culinary and amorous adventures of retired (on disability) Boston cop, J.W. Jackson. Here, following A Case of Vineyard Poison, Jackson and Zee Madieras, whom he has long pursued, have finally married and plan to settle in peacefully in Jackson's house. But on a trip to Boston for the opera, Jackson foils an attempt to murder a retired Mafia don, Luciano Marcus, who then hires Jackson to investigate possible Vineyard suspects. Atop the list are local Wampanoag Indians, angrily battling Marcus for title to a cranberry bog that they claim was stolen from their ancestors. But Marcus family members and top aide Thomas Decker would profit from the wealthy Marcus's death. Jackson's enigmatic buddy from Vietnam, Joe Begay, has suddenly appeared on the island, married to a Wampanoag woman. When their lives seem threatened, Jackson persuades the anti-gun Madieras to learn to shoot, finding she's more of a markswoman than either would have bet. All is not work for the honeymooners, though, who make the most of the locale's opportunities to fish, clam, sail romantically and engage in affectionate repartee. There's real crime here, greed, betrayal and murder tied in a plausible puzzle, but Craig's series owes most of its charm to the Vineyard and his intelligent, likable characters. (June)

Library Journal