Tangled Vines, Island Crimes: Martha's Vineyard Off-Season

by Isabella Stewart

Isabella Stewart's Tangled Vines, Island Crimes is set in the quintessential seaport town of Edgartown on the island of Martha's Vineyard, seven miles off the coast of Cape Cod. In the summer, 120 thousand descend on the island, including many notable Jackie Onassis, Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton. But come September, the island shrinks to its year-round population of seventeen thousand hardy souls...some of whom abound in criminal activities. Her first book in a series features Maria, the island's leading real estate broker, who is determined at all costs to get accepted into the prestigious Yacht Club despite her Portuguese working-class background; and Rick, an attorney who takes advantage of Maria's greed and makes himself all-knowing. But when the pressures of her new marriage to a handsome off-islander make it more-than-necessary to keep her real estate sales flowing in, will it also make living life on the island - and keeping him interested enough in her increasing wealth and lifestyle- impossible? This is not a beach novel taking place in the soft summer winds; it is the flip side taking place in the off-season when the wild vines take hold of vacant summer properties and weaken their foundations, climb and strangle trees, and weave a cloth of deception that is stronger than twine. Written by someone who lives year-round in this place that only is accessed by boat or airplane, Stewart's accounts of island corruption and crimes are intense and ... truer than fiction ... that lead to death. She gives an insight into the dichotomy between the wealthy summer residents and the domestic- and working-class lives of islanders-the good, the bad, and the (almost) unbelievable.

396 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 2021

Reviews

[ESB · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a dreadful book. I bought it thinking I would learn more history of Martha's Vineyard and have a good story, too. In the beginning, I liked the history she gave but the book is very amateurly written and terribly edited with lots of mistakes. Plus the story is just nasty and mean-spirited. I actually quit reading about 60% through and I never abandon books but this one just wasn't worth my time..

[Jane Chittick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I also once lived on the island of Martha's Vineyard. The book is accurate re the different towns, the types of residents and the ethnic issues among the year-round population, how the summer folks came and went, leaving the year-rounders in charge of their million-dollar homes and property.

I remember hearing about "Maria" when I was there - her cutthroat ambition to "be one of them" (summer people and Yacht Club members)...and what she did to achieve her goal. Envy run amok, is what she was.

And the summer people still don't know that their palatial seaside homes are nothing more than cards .... until they come tumbling down in the off-season. Guess who the house-builder was?

[Gerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

A poorly edited book that tries to capture life on the island of Martha's Vineyard. It is loosely based on real events and real people who are somewhat camouflaged. Gossipy !