Customer Reviews

A Beautiful Place to Die (A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, Introducing Jeff Jackson)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the 1st book in the Martha's Vineyard Mystery series, we are introduced to J.W. Jackson, retired former Boston police officer, who now lives on Martha's Vineyard year-round. J.W., who spends most of his time fishing, puttering in his garden, and enjoying life on the Vineyard, has an insatiable curiosity that grew with his years on the force. When a boat explodes with the son of a friend of J.W. onboard, he quickly starts to question why the seemingly well-running boat blows up. The college-aged student, Billy, had been into drugs in the past, and J.W. begins to wonder if some of his old acquaintances want Billy dead. And when Billy's sister, Susie, pleads with J.W. to find out who would want her brother dead, he simply cannot resist the pull to investigate. Meanwhile, J.W. meets a beautiful, exotic nurse, named Zeolinda Madieras while fishing for blues one early morning. They start a simmering romance while J.W. seeks out a murderer before he becomes the next victim.

I just love this series! I had read all of the first books in the series several years ago, and have returned to read them for a second time. I feel as though I am revisiting a beloved vacation spot, as the setting of Martha's Vineyard is both beautiful and refreshing. I enjoy the characters of J.W. and Zee, and it is fun to watch their romance grow and blossom in this book. Reading this series is like taking a vacation on a beach on a gorgeous summer day, while enjoying good food, and the company of great friends. As J.W. would say, "Delish"!

The next book in the series is called "Death in Vineyard Waters". Enjoy!

I have read most of Philip Craig's books, and finally got around to his first J. W. Jackson mystery. What a treasure! It fascinates me how Craig began the series with most of the charming anecdotes that re-appear in the subsequent Vineyard books, from the pay toilets at Gay Head (an abomination to civilization) to his love for catching the blues with a red headed Roberts. The romance with Zee starts here too, which delighted both myself and my wife as we read it.

This book starts off with a bang (actually an explosion) and quickly leads into something involving illegal drugs in paradise. We discover a fascinating story of a young man trying to discover his past, and another young man entangled in a world of drugs he cannot control. J.W. gets into personal danger in multiple circumstances. One of those seemed like it could have been the grand finale to the book, but I knew it couldn't because if occurred with many pages to go, leaving me intrigued how the story would continue to develop. The only negative comment I have is the ending leaves the reader to clean up a few of the loose ends in his or her imagination. This didn't bother me, but it might bother some.

Enjoy this masterpiece. Delish!

"A Beautiful Place to Die" is the first book in Craig's J.W. (Jefferson Washington) Jackson series. Craig sets this series on Martha's Vineyard, where Jackson, a former cop in the Boston police department, has a small house on an old hunting camp property he inherited from his father. Despite having a bullet lodged near his spine, he lives happily in relative poverty, supporting himself on his disability pension, the bluefish he catches and sells to the local fish market, the clams he digs, and the garden vegetables he grows.

In this book, a young woman asks Jackson find out if someone tampered with boat carrying her brother and a friend that blew up off the coast, killing the friend. Though Jackson doubts there was any foul play, he discovers it feels good to be investigating again. What he learns is that there is a lot more to the boat explosion than he thought. The investigation leads to the drug trade on the island and to a surprising family relationship, and as he delves deeper Jackson himself becomes the target of the killer.

In "A Beautiful Place to Die" Craig introduces us to two recurring series characters: the police chief in Edgartown, Jackson's friend (of sorts) and local law enforcement helper-to-be, and the beautiful Zee, a local nurse he meets while fishing for bluefish and a new love interest. Craig makes the most of his setting in this series, giving the reader a feel for life on Martha's Vineyard--the different types of locals, the culture of the fishermen, the island layout, the sunbathers, the traffic from tourists. He also makes the reader's mouth water as describes the food, such as bluefish pate, that Jackson prepares for himself and the martinis he mixes. Craig's writing reflects the informal way that Jackson lives in its own light tone. I did find the dialogue a bit too cute and self-conscious. This promises to be a series that can't help but be pleasant despite the crimes involved

This book follows retired Boston Cop Jeff Jackson, more commonly known as J.W. When a local ship blows up he is contacted by the sister of the owner to investigate to find out what happened. Turns out the case involved illegitimate children, drugs etc.

Jeff has his hands full as he becomes the target of an angry drug addicted kid. Jeff also bonds with a nurse named Zee, they seem to be bonding very well in this budding friendship/romance.

This is a cute book that is full of mystery, action, catching fish and so much more.

First Line: The alarm went off at three-thirty.

During his years as a Boston cop, Jeff "J.W." Jackson got a bellyful of seeing the evil that people do to one another, so when he decided to retire, he bought a place on Martha's Vineyard. Now he spends his time working out in his garden, fishing, cooking, and getting to know a new nurse on the island.

When a local's boat explodes off the coast, killing a well-liked young man, Jackson finds himself being drawn into the investigation. His island sanctuary is being poisoned with drugs and death, and he's determined to do something about it.

Philip R. Craig has a deceptively smooth writing style that drew me right into the story, and J.W. Jackson's self-deprecatory sense of humor put me in his cheering section immediately.

The strength of this book is the depiction of the life and the people of Martha's Vineyard. I could smell the salt air and hear the cry of the gulls wheeling overhead. Between J.W. and island life, I almost didn't notice that the plot was rather thin and had practically no tension. In the case of A Beautiful Place to Die, this didn't really matter because I enjoyed the background so much.

In many ways, this first book in the series seems to have been written as the foundation for all the books to come. While some series start off with grabbing you by the throat and filling in the details later, Craig starts his by telling us, "This is where everything happens. Here's the guy you want to pay close attention to, and here are his neighbors. Come back tomorrow, and I'll tell you a story or two about what goes on here."

I look forward to coming back for more stories.

First in the Vineyard Murder series. The editing was a bit choppy, but I think I will most definately give book 2 a try.

During his career as a Boston cop, Jeff "JW" Jackson was shot and has decided to retire to the serenity of Martha's Vineyard to spend his days fishing and wooing a nurse named Zee. But when a local's boat mysteriously explodes off the coast, killing a young man, Jackson finds himself reluctantly drawn back into the investigative trade.

There are some wrong doings in paradise - and it's contaminating Jackson's lovely peaceful island with its poisonous venom of drugs and death.

Boston's rough streets were murder for J.W. Jackson, when he had to kill a woman who was trying to kill him. Long disenchanted with police work, J.W. pulls up stakes, takes a medical retirement, and moves to his father's ancient fishing cottage on Martha's Vineyard.
A boat explosion and a young girl's request to find a murderer drags J.W. back into an the fringes of the investigation, but the police are not happy with his work.
Drugs and death invade his retirement paradise. J.W. must put an end to the disturbance and so beings one of the most charming cozy series by the late Philip R. Craig.
Sins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelWriting as a Small Business

As the first book in the series it introduces charactes that reappear often in subsequent books, so if one has a choice, the beginning is the recommended place to start.
A good plot. The pages keep turning. Personally, I don't care for interjections such as "Yum" and "Delish" while describing the menu of the moment. That is an example of style elements that caused me not to rate this a 4.

I can't compare to the actual setting, but I get the feeling the description of Martha's Vineyard is accurate from the viewpoint of a local.

Recently discovered this series and love it! JW and Zee are both extremely likable characters, while still possessing realistic flaws. Craig's style of writing is engaging. A must read for fans of mysteries...especially those who have vacationed on the Island.

This is my new favorite series. I discovered this series by reading Cliff hanger now called Vineyard Fear. That one gets 5 stars too but this one was great. I give it 5 stars.