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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
VINEYARD SHADOWS - Fun in the island sun with some mobsters,
By
This review is from: Vineyard Shadows : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (Hardcover)
Ah summer. Sunshine, lazy days and another Philip Craig novel about the charm and easy pace of Martha's Vineyard.Retired Boston cop J. W. Jackson moved to the island of Martha's Vineyard for a lifestyle change, only to find that trouble always has a way of finding him there. A couple of Beantown mobsters show up at his home and try muscling his wife, Zee, for some information about one Tom Rimini, an apparent missing gambler who is in deep hawk with the loan sharks. The thugs get physical with Zee, so she manages to modify their behavior by grabbing her pistol and shooting. With one dead and one wounded, the mystery begins to unfold about who Tom Rimini is and why the Soprano types are looking for him on the island. Once a cop, always a cop. J.W. Jackson's instincts lead him to a series of clues that allow him to piece together the puzzling story of Tom Rimini and his myriad of problems, including those involving the Boston crime family. All this while taking his kids out for an occasional ice-cream, and playing with his two cats, Velcro and Oliver Underfoot. Philip Craig's books, about the adventures of J. W. Jackson and his family on Martha's Vineyard, are fun and laid back. Yeah, there is usually a mystery to solve, in between getting stuck in the traffic jams at the A&P supermarket, or the long queues at the standby auto lines at the ferry dock in Vineyard Haven. Craig has captured the nuance and magic of sleepy Martha's Vineyard while delivering a light-hearted mystery laced with humorous dialog and usually dumb bad guys. For less than the cost of a ferry ticket, and with no waiting lines, you can enjoy the essence of the island and understand why so many people, famous and otherwise, enjoy trekking to this island every year for some summer fun.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Vineyard Shadows,
By Ricky N. "Ricky C. Nelson" (Commerce, GA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Vineyard Shadows: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)
I read "Vineyard Shadows" by Philip R. Craig because one of my favorite mystery writers, William G. Tapply, had written a Brady Coyne/J. W. Jackson novel with Craig, and I wanted to get to know J. W. before I read their joint effort, "First Light". J. W., his wife Zee and their 2 children, Joshua and Diana live on Martha's Vineyard. The book opens as 2 thugs come to J. W. and Zee's house looking for Tom Rimini. When Zee tellsl them she knows of no Tom Rimini, the thugs attack her, and she shoots them, killing one and wounding the other. When J. W. returns from a clamming trip, he learns that the thugs were looking for Tom Rimini. J. W. knows that Rimini is the husband of J. W.'s ex-wife, Carla. It seems that Rimini owes gambling debts to Sonny Whelan, a Boston mob boss. When Rimini does come to J. W.'s house, J. W. agrees to hide him out at a neighbor's house more to help Carla than Rimini, whom he dislikes. There was little mystery and the plot was a bit thin for my taste. I liked the characters, but certain things about this novel annoyed me. The children who are small act like they are 10 years older than they really are, and are more polite than most children. This novel was average, and certainly not up to par with the Brady Coyne novels by William G. Tapply. At least when I read "First Light", I will know about J. W. and his family.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good light fiction,
By
This review is from: Vineyard Shadows : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (Hardcover)
While not great literature, this novel is a very readable mystery. It is recommended for a long airline flight, relaxing at the beach, or a rainy evening at home. It is mystery No. 12 in the Vineyard series. While some people prefer to read the series in order, this one can be read as a stand along book. J.W. Jackson has his past catch up with him when he becomes involved with his ex-wife (after 15 years), her second husband, and the criminals he left behind in Boston.J.W. is retired on disability from the Boston P.D. after being shot while on duty. He lives on Martha's Vineyard with his wife, Zee, their two young children, and two cats (but no dog in spite of his children's pleas). His preference for retirement is fishing, claming, occasional boating, and socializing with family and friends. His quiet life is disrupted by intruders from the mainland, in this case his ex-wife's husband and the hard cases looking for him for reasons not entirely clear (the man is not overly truthful about circumstances). Yuppies spending themselves into debt, gambling, drugs, two timing men and women, criminal elements, and J.W.'s old Boston friends all figure into the plot. Two thugs make a bad mistake (fatal for one) when they try to rough up Zee. Zee then gets irked when J.W. tries to help his ex-wife by pulling her husband out of the hole he dug himself into. The plot, as they say, thickens. It takes a major effort by J.W. to restore things to a peaceful retirement. His children acquire some goldfish, but no dog, at least not yet.
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