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Martha's Vineyard Mystery #11
Vineyard Blues
A surprise visit from a dear old friend only adds to the joys of good weather, great fishing, warm breezes and loving family for J. W. Jackson this idyllic island summer. The ex-Boston cop is thrilled to see accomplished bluesman Corrie Appleyard strolling up his driveway, guitar case in hand. But days later, J.W.'s elation turns to dread when a rundown summer shack burns to the ground -- the latest in a string of suspicious fires. And when an unidentified corpse is discovered in the ashes, J. W. fears that the charred remains are Corrie's. Now twin obligations to friendship and the truth are leading him into an ugly morass of arson, extortion, secrets, and murder. And he'll go to the dangerous ends of paradise to bring a killer to justice -- because this outrage has slammed J. W. Jackson in the heart.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2000
50 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Philip R. Craig
28 books103 followersAuthor Philip R. Craig passed away on May 8, 2007 after a brief battle with cancer.
Phil left three completed novels, which have now all been published posthumously. Vineyard Stalker came out in June of 2007 just after Phil's death. Third Strike, co-written with Bill Tapply, came out in November of 2007. The final J.W. Jackson mystery, Vineyard Chill, is on the shelves now. Another J.W. book is partially written, and may someday be completed by his family per his instructions, so stay tuned. Delish, the cookbook co-written with Phil’s wife Shirley Prada Craig, is also still available.
The Philip R. Craig website will be maintained as a tribute to my father and his many fans. ~ Jamie Craig
Phil left three completed novels, which have now all been published posthumously. Vineyard Stalker came out in June of 2007 just after Phil's death. Third Strike, co-written with Bill Tapply, came out in November of 2007. The final J.W. Jackson mystery, Vineyard Chill, is on the shelves now. Another J.W. book is partially written, and may someday be completed by his family per his instructions, so stay tuned. Delish, the cookbook co-written with Phil’s wife Shirley Prada Craig, is also still available.
The Philip R. Craig website will be maintained as a tribute to my father and his many fans. ~ Jamie Craig
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 21, 2025
Vineyard Blues by Philip R. Craig is the 11th book of the Martha's Vineyard mystery series set on 20th-century Martha's Vineyard. J.W. Jackson is a retired Boston homicide detective who loves to fish and adores his wife Zee and their children. He prefers to fish and do handyman work around the island, to his fast-paced and violent-crime days in "America", as he calls the mainland. His investigative skills often serve him well on the island, however.
Teenagers on summer break from college annually come to stay on the island for a summer of sunning in the day and parties (drinking & drugs) all night. They rent rundown properties from unscrupulous landlords, and pack in far more bodies than any safety code allows. When the shacks burn down, it's written off as faulty wiring, and as long as no one is inside, islanders say 'Good riddance'.
When blues musician Corrie Appleyard unexpectedly shows up at J.W.'s, expecting to visit his father, J.W. and Zee have a wonderful nostalgic time, talking of old friends and shared memories. They meet again at a local nightclub where Corrie performs. But soon after, another one of the summer-rental shacks burns down, and a body is found inside. J.W. fears it is Corrie.
J.W. launches an investigation. He eventually learns why there was a rash of fires, where Corrie's grandson's girlfriend went, and what really happened the night of the fire. A satisfying tale that wraps up all loose ends, and showcases the author's love of the island. Read this series in order, for maximum enjoyment.
Teenagers on summer break from college annually come to stay on the island for a summer of sunning in the day and parties (drinking & drugs) all night. They rent rundown properties from unscrupulous landlords, and pack in far more bodies than any safety code allows. When the shacks burn down, it's written off as faulty wiring, and as long as no one is inside, islanders say 'Good riddance'.
When blues musician Corrie Appleyard unexpectedly shows up at J.W.'s, expecting to visit his father, J.W. and Zee have a wonderful nostalgic time, talking of old friends and shared memories. They meet again at a local nightclub where Corrie performs. But soon after, another one of the summer-rental shacks burns down, and a body is found inside. J.W. fears it is Corrie.
J.W. launches an investigation. He eventually learns why there was a rash of fires, where Corrie's grandson's girlfriend went, and what really happened the night of the fire. A satisfying tale that wraps up all loose ends, and showcases the author's love of the island. Read this series in order, for maximum enjoyment.
August 17, 2016
Very interesting & detailed story set in Martha's Vineyard. The Jackson family is endearing without being saccharine sweet. J.W. Is the perfect ex-cop/super sleuth. Realistic, but not perfect. The background setting is so vivid, you almost feel as if you are right there. I will definitely be revisiting this series.
November 30, 2020
Quick and fun read. Just nice and easy with not too many characters.
April 29, 2021
Enjoy his books.
July 15, 2010
I like this series, a cozy written by a man! I am just sorry Philip Craig died recently, no more books!!
August 29, 2018
Martha's Vineyard is a lovely place and Philip Craig's series of mysteries about former Boston police officer J. W. Jackson who now lives on the island use the Vineyard setting well. There is less violence in this volume than in other books in the series. (Less fishing, too.)
There is considerably more, though, about a fact often ignored in books set on the Vineyard; Martha's Vineyard has a large, well-established African-American population. A number of the characters in this book are African-American, but because this is not unusual on the Vineyard, people in the book seldom remark on this. But there is some very relevant mention of slavery as an issue.
The plot of the book revolves around a series of fires in buildings owned by the Martha's Vineyard version of a slumlord. He hires J. W. to find out who is behind this. Then a body, too badly burned to be easily identified, is found in one of the buildings. J. W.'s long-time family friend, an aging African-American blues musician, is missing; could the body be his?
Craig never excelled at making most of the folks in his books come to life. Some characters who play a regular part in the series, such as the Edgartown police chief and J. W.'s reporter friend Quinn, are essentially wind-up toys, repeating the same dialogue in book after book.
J. W., on the other hand, occasionally shows unexpected depths. For example, when he and others are surprised at the solution to a subsidiary mystery:
Like Lawrence looking at the golden snake drinking at his watering trough, we stared with fascination.
The editors and publishers of this book can't possibly believe that everyone reading this rather uncomplicated mystery novel will get that reference, but there is no attempt to have J. W., who narrates the book, explain it. It refers to a poem titled "The Snake" by D. H. Lawrence; and I only know that because I looked it up.
This relatively short book would be even shorter without a lot of padding, both about J. W.'s family and about the sexual practices of folks on the island. This is frequently entertaining, though.
There is considerably more, though, about a fact often ignored in books set on the Vineyard; Martha's Vineyard has a large, well-established African-American population. A number of the characters in this book are African-American, but because this is not unusual on the Vineyard, people in the book seldom remark on this. But there is some very relevant mention of slavery as an issue.
The plot of the book revolves around a series of fires in buildings owned by the Martha's Vineyard version of a slumlord. He hires J. W. to find out who is behind this. Then a body, too badly burned to be easily identified, is found in one of the buildings. J. W.'s long-time family friend, an aging African-American blues musician, is missing; could the body be his?
Craig never excelled at making most of the folks in his books come to life. Some characters who play a regular part in the series, such as the Edgartown police chief and J. W.'s reporter friend Quinn, are essentially wind-up toys, repeating the same dialogue in book after book.
J. W., on the other hand, occasionally shows unexpected depths. For example, when he and others are surprised at the solution to a subsidiary mystery:
Like Lawrence looking at the golden snake drinking at his watering trough, we stared with fascination.
The editors and publishers of this book can't possibly believe that everyone reading this rather uncomplicated mystery novel will get that reference, but there is no attempt to have J. W., who narrates the book, explain it. It refers to a poem titled "The Snake" by D. H. Lawrence; and I only know that because I looked it up.
This relatively short book would be even shorter without a lot of padding, both about J. W.'s family and about the sexual practices of folks on the island. This is frequently entertaining, though.
June 17, 2024
It's been several years since I read the previous book in this series, but it didn't take long to remind me why it's still on my list. I really like JW, the MC, and his friends and family. He and his wife have a great relationship (isn't *that a nice change of pace?) and he's an awesome dad, making sure his kids know the value of honest work - and making time to play with them every day. His friends are supportive and often provide the connections he needs to do the work he's been asked to do.
In this book, a series of fires have burned down the homes owned and rented out by a man who could best be described as a slumlord. He insists he's not responsible and hires JW to find out who is. When a body is discovered in the rubble of the latest fire, though, the investigation ramps up from vandalism and arson to potential murder.
The identity of the body is pretty obvious, but it wasn't clear right away whether the death was an accident or intentional. I wasn't surprised by the outcome, nor by the person responsible for everything, or the motive behind it all.
I intend to continue this series, and I hope it won't be another three years before I get to the next book!
In this book, a series of fires have burned down the homes owned and rented out by a man who could best be described as a slumlord. He insists he's not responsible and hires JW to find out who is. When a body is discovered in the rubble of the latest fire, though, the investigation ramps up from vandalism and arson to potential murder.
The identity of the body is pretty obvious, but it wasn't clear right away whether the death was an accident or intentional. I wasn't surprised by the outcome, nor by the person responsible for everything, or the motive behind it all.
I intend to continue this series, and I hope it won't be another three years before I get to the next book!
April 2, 2020
From the cover art I thought this would be too "cozy", but it isn't. It's a pretty good crime mystery without being hard-boiled & grisly. A good mid-range. I like that there is more than one situation happening and that there is some depth to the character. I warmed up to the main character quickly. He's smart, intuitive, and flawed - a good combination for likability. Kinda of a "Jesse Stone" without as much baggage! This is my first Philip R. Craig book, and sadly only have what's on the shelves to look forward to (RIP Mr. Craig). In any case, I will definitely look for more of his work. Incidentally, the movies on the Hallmark channel do NOT necessarily follow the plots in the books - so you won't watch spoilers. And like most reinventions on screen - the book is far better in character & plot.
November 27, 2019
What's not to like about J. W. Jackson's wry outlook on life and commentary--from Martha's Vineyard slumlords to home building projects? My wry outlook is that I must have skipped some of the installments because now J.W. and Zee have two kids! His home expansion project is limiting his fishing expeditions, but highlighting new talents. Plus he is a great Dad!
Martha's Vineyard is almost similar to a locked room mystery. Victims and perpetrators are usually still on the Vineyard. Who is setting the summer students' crash pads on fire? The slimy owner for the insurance payout? But one of J.W.'s childhood family friends may have been burned in the third arson fire.
Martha's Vineyard is almost similar to a locked room mystery. Victims and perpetrators are usually still on the Vineyard. Who is setting the summer students' crash pads on fire? The slimy owner for the insurance payout? But one of J.W.'s childhood family friends may have been burned in the third arson fire.
May 27, 2019
It really isn’t about the tourist side of Martha’s Vineyard, but focuses on the year-round residents of the island. …. Corrie Appleyard, an itinerant blues musician comes back to the island after many years absence. He is remembered fondly by many of the permanent residents of the area. He says he has a place to stay with what turns out to be a rowdy bunch of college students. When the house burns down, it becomes one of a string of recent fires – all arson. Is Corrie a victim also? Who is setting these fires – and why? --- A good quick mystery.
February 2, 2022
Into the gap between hard-boiled and cozy charges J.W. Jackson, Craig's series sleuth. Yes, he's a Vietnam vet and former Boston cop, and he sometimes carries a gun, but he also owns cats with cute nicknames, cooks (providing his recipes), and interrogates suspects while dandling his child on his knee. In fact, his domestic activities slow down his detective work, but this series is not about fast-paced crime-solving. It's about the good life of a nice guy. Bracket JW with his fellow Massachusetts mensches, Doc Adams, Brady Coyne, and John Cuddy.
June 28, 2020
One of the best in the Vineyard series. Emphasis on mystery (there are two), interesting characters, plot development, and resolution. Not as much fishing, sailing, and beach going as in previous books. J.W. takes one or both of his little kids on his sleuthing escapades and sometimes lets them loose on their own. There is an interesting plot twist in solving one of the mysteries; I never saw it coming so it was a pleasant surprise.
August 24, 2017
I just love this series! Set on Martha's Vineyard, our amateur sleuth-former Boston cop - family man is at it again. He moves through the wonderful places on the island with his small children in tow. This time it's a series of arsons that are the mystery to be solved. Entertaining for sure!
July 9, 2018
This was an easy to read, good mystery. I was able to get into enjoying the references to familiar surroundings. Wasn't able to solve the mystery, which is always a plus. I have purchased two of the authors' other Martha's Vineyard mysteries and will be anxious to read them in future.
July 7, 2020
An ex-cop enjoys life on beautiful Martha's Vineyard with his family until an old family friend arrives. Arson, extortion and a murder force J. W. Jackson into action. Great, colorful characters will keep your interest as the story unfolds.
July 4, 2017
I enjoy this series very much! Good characters, believable plot and good pace. Good as a standalone even with references to characters introduced in other books.
June 28, 2018
Blues singing guitarist. J W investigates arson.
July 15, 2018
I had forgotten how much I enjoy these.
August 18, 2018
Best Philip R. Craig yet.
July 24, 2020
A fast read but I pretty much guessed everything.
November 21, 2020
How could you go wrong? Blues and J W Jackson, a wonderful combination
February 27, 2022
This author really needs to research who and what God is. It's sad to be so blatantly ignorant. Overall this was a reasonable good read.
March 6, 2023
Excellent; Continuing character: J. W. Jackson; the arrival of an old blues player out of JW's past coincides with arson aimed at a local slumlord
May 4, 2023
An easy, breezy read like most in this series. I liked how the plot diverged from previous books, though there isn't as much of the soothing Vineyard lifestyle on display in this one.
February 6, 2024
JW is in the thick of things again
July 26, 2024
Nice whodonit. Pretty straight forward. Not too many characters. The author keeps you guessing until close to the end .
November 15, 2025
Once again, JW figures it out and sets things right - he’s a little loose where the law is concerned, but prevails in the end…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2013
This is book 11 in the J.W. Jackson series, so if you aren't a random
dipper, be aware of that before reading on. It's early summer on Martha's
Vineyard, and all of the tourists are filling the place, including the usual
collection of college kids up for the summer to play and maybe work a little
if they can find something to do. Since none of them are particularly
wealthy, they gravitate to what amounts to carpeted outhouses-or not much
more than that. These slum dumps are owned by a fulltime resident of the
Vineyard, Ben Krane. Prior to the beginning of this book, Krane had lost
one of his properties to what appeared to be arson. As the book opens, a
second place has gone up in smoke.
But retired Boston cop J.W. Jackson isn't worked about that much. He's
loving life hanging out with his two kids and his wife Zee, all of whom are
patiently waiting for him to add a wing to the family house.
But that paradise is abruptly disrupted when a long-time family friend of
J.W.'s shows up playing an old guitar and singing as he did when J.W.'s dad
was alive.
As it turns out, old Corrie Appleyard, the blues guy, is a grandfather to
one of the college kids staying in one of those rickety slum boxes. As he
and J.W. catch up on old times and get reacquainted, he decides to leave the
island. But before he can do that, another of the tinderbox houses goes up
in flames, and this time, Corrie Appleyard is inside.
Ben Krane the lawyer who owns the places, reluctantly hires J.W. to figure
out who's torching his places. It's not a relationship destined for the
friendship of a lifetime award, and worse still, J.W.'s wife, Zee, is
opposed to him taking the job even though the family needs the money. But
take it he does because a family friend his dead.
There are some fascinating subplots here. The wife of a contractor who is
doing work for J.W. is getting unsettling calls from a man who has become
aware of her less-than stellar past when, as a single girl, she dressed as a
female super hero and played kinky parts in low-budget movies. So J.W. has
to figure out who her secret caller is, and his employer's brother is
definitely a suspect.
Then there's the mystery of why Zee is so dead set against him taking the
job for Ben Krane to find out who is torching the houses. She's so opposed
that it is impacting their marriage negatively, and J.W. wants to understand
why.
The F-bomb gets dropped here in a few spots, but there are no sexual
descriptions. Clearly, J.W. and Zee have a rock-solid healthy relationship,
but things tastefully fade to black as this highly successful writer shows
you rather than tells you about that relationship.
dipper, be aware of that before reading on. It's early summer on Martha's
Vineyard, and all of the tourists are filling the place, including the usual
collection of college kids up for the summer to play and maybe work a little
if they can find something to do. Since none of them are particularly
wealthy, they gravitate to what amounts to carpeted outhouses-or not much
more than that. These slum dumps are owned by a fulltime resident of the
Vineyard, Ben Krane. Prior to the beginning of this book, Krane had lost
one of his properties to what appeared to be arson. As the book opens, a
second place has gone up in smoke.
But retired Boston cop J.W. Jackson isn't worked about that much. He's
loving life hanging out with his two kids and his wife Zee, all of whom are
patiently waiting for him to add a wing to the family house.
But that paradise is abruptly disrupted when a long-time family friend of
J.W.'s shows up playing an old guitar and singing as he did when J.W.'s dad
was alive.
As it turns out, old Corrie Appleyard, the blues guy, is a grandfather to
one of the college kids staying in one of those rickety slum boxes. As he
and J.W. catch up on old times and get reacquainted, he decides to leave the
island. But before he can do that, another of the tinderbox houses goes up
in flames, and this time, Corrie Appleyard is inside.
Ben Krane the lawyer who owns the places, reluctantly hires J.W. to figure
out who's torching his places. It's not a relationship destined for the
friendship of a lifetime award, and worse still, J.W.'s wife, Zee, is
opposed to him taking the job even though the family needs the money. But
take it he does because a family friend his dead.
There are some fascinating subplots here. The wife of a contractor who is
doing work for J.W. is getting unsettling calls from a man who has become
aware of her less-than stellar past when, as a single girl, she dressed as a
female super hero and played kinky parts in low-budget movies. So J.W. has
to figure out who her secret caller is, and his employer's brother is
definitely a suspect.
Then there's the mystery of why Zee is so dead set against him taking the
job for Ben Krane to find out who is torching the houses. She's so opposed
that it is impacting their marriage negatively, and J.W. wants to understand
why.
The F-bomb gets dropped here in a few spots, but there are no sexual
descriptions. Clearly, J.W. and Zee have a rock-solid healthy relationship,
but things tastefully fade to black as this highly successful writer shows
you rather than tells you about that relationship.
April 12, 2016
VINEYARD BLUES by Philip R. Craig…..
Someone is burning up a slumlord’s vacation rental properties on Martha’s Vineyard and neither the fire marshals nor police have a clue who’s doing it. So, what does the slumlord do? He hires our hero, former Boston patrolman and now amateur sleuth, J.W. Jackson to find the arsonist. Only J.W. really knows nothing about arson investigations and none of the official investigators want to help him. Poor J.W.
This was not one of my favorite “Vineyard” mysteries, and I’ve read a bunch. Now, J.W. and his lovely wife, Zee, have a pair of rug rats that J.W. not only takes fishing and clamming, but allows them to tag along on his investigations. And they only get in the way, figuratively and literally. If Phil Craig were still alive I’d suggest that he lose the kids. Create a great lapse in time between cases and mention that the youngsters are already far away in college, unable to annoy misopedists like me. Let J.W. and Zee get back to skinny dipping and the other kinky things those almost newlyweds do so often.
But annoying children wasn’t all with which I found fault. The punch-line stretched my plausible acceptance a bit thin. While not exactly predictable, the ending wasn’t a total surprise, nor was it totally satisfying. But I did like seeing the reappearance of a shady character from a previous book. He did lots to help J.W. bring the affair to a conclusion.
With all the better books Craig wrote, I really can’t hate one that fell just a little short of what I tend to expect. 3 stars.
Someone is burning up a slumlord’s vacation rental properties on Martha’s Vineyard and neither the fire marshals nor police have a clue who’s doing it. So, what does the slumlord do? He hires our hero, former Boston patrolman and now amateur sleuth, J.W. Jackson to find the arsonist. Only J.W. really knows nothing about arson investigations and none of the official investigators want to help him. Poor J.W.
This was not one of my favorite “Vineyard” mysteries, and I’ve read a bunch. Now, J.W. and his lovely wife, Zee, have a pair of rug rats that J.W. not only takes fishing and clamming, but allows them to tag along on his investigations. And they only get in the way, figuratively and literally. If Phil Craig were still alive I’d suggest that he lose the kids. Create a great lapse in time between cases and mention that the youngsters are already far away in college, unable to annoy misopedists like me. Let J.W. and Zee get back to skinny dipping and the other kinky things those almost newlyweds do so often.
But annoying children wasn’t all with which I found fault. The punch-line stretched my plausible acceptance a bit thin. While not exactly predictable, the ending wasn’t a total surprise, nor was it totally satisfying. But I did like seeing the reappearance of a shady character from a previous book. He did lots to help J.W. bring the affair to a conclusion.
With all the better books Craig wrote, I really can’t hate one that fell just a little short of what I tend to expect. 3 stars.
September 3, 2007
VINEYARD BLUES- (Amateur Sleuth-Martha's Vineyard, MA-Cont) – G
Craig, Philip R. – 11th in series
Scribner, 2000- Hardcover
J.W. Jackson receives a visit from Corrie Appleyard, an old blues man who had been a friend of his father. While Corrie is playing at a local club, a house, owned by a local slumlord, burns down. A second house burns down, a body is found inside, Corrie is missing and the slumlord hires Jackson to find out who is burning his buildings. At the same time, another friend asks Jackson for help finding out who has been calling her about her former life as a porn actress.
*** This series has always been on the cozy side, and I've enjoyed previous books, but there is no development of the supporting characters and even the uniqueness of Martha's Vineyard is lost here. I'd like to see better dialogue and the word "delish" disappear completely. But it's a quick, light read in which there are no "evil" bad guys, just humans driven by greed, revenge and curiosity.
Craig, Philip R. – 11th in series
Scribner, 2000- Hardcover
J.W. Jackson receives a visit from Corrie Appleyard, an old blues man who had been a friend of his father. While Corrie is playing at a local club, a house, owned by a local slumlord, burns down. A second house burns down, a body is found inside, Corrie is missing and the slumlord hires Jackson to find out who is burning his buildings. At the same time, another friend asks Jackson for help finding out who has been calling her about her former life as a porn actress.
*** This series has always been on the cozy side, and I've enjoyed previous books, but there is no development of the supporting characters and even the uniqueness of Martha's Vineyard is lost here. I'd like to see better dialogue and the word "delish" disappear completely. But it's a quick, light read in which there are no "evil" bad guys, just humans driven by greed, revenge and curiosity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews