A Vineyard Killing (Martha's Vineyard Series) FROM THE PUBLISHER
"It's March on Martha's Vineyard. Too early for bluefish, but not too early for trouble. Former Olympic fencing champion turned millionaire real estate developer Donald Fox has targeted the island for his newest moneymaking scheme. With land values huge and many longtime residents in possession of fuzzy deeds of sometimes dubious legal value, Fox and his team plan to force people to sell cheap. Give up now or we'll fight you in court, is the threat. Even full-time fisherman and part-time investigator J.W. Jackson and wife, Zee, have been approached to sell their house to Fox. Big mistake." Given the escalating tensions, J.W.'s not particularly surprised when Donald Fox's brother, Paul, is shot down on a Vineyard street. But was Donald really the intended victim? Both Foxes have many enemies. And could a man named John Reilley be one of them? For reasons unrelated to land disputes, J.W. finds himself probing this mysterious man's past. Bad things are happening, and John Reilley may be involved.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
This absorbing yarn, the 14th in Craig's series set on Martha's Vineyard, portrays an island unknown to most visitors, cold and raw with a March wind biting instead of fish. Retired Boston policeman and part-time PI J.W. Jackson and his wife, Zee (whose head was turned by another man in last year's Vineyard Enigma), are enjoying an off-season lunch with friends at a Vineyard Haven deli when shots ring out in the street. Someone has tried to kill Paul Fox, brother of unscrupulous real-estate tycoon Donald Fox. The odd thing is, Paul was wearing a bulletproof vest, as if he were expecting serious trouble. Donald Fox, who's been buying up land with questionable titles and threatening island residents, may have been the intended target. In his search for answers, J.W. encounters some nasty thugs among the familiar cast of diverting locals, from the "keep out of this" police chief to the chief's sassy assistant. Island incidentals include fencing, fishing and firearms, along with the usual complaints about tourists. J.W.'s homely philosophy and a subtle theme of loyalty add depth. Well-constructed and well-paced, with humor and suspense, this outing shows Craig in fine form. (June 1) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
This latest visit to Martha's Vineyard begins with a bang: an unknown assailant shoots someone outside the delicatessen where series private investigator J.W. Jackson (Vineyard Enigma) is eating with his wife. Jackson is soon embroiled in a murder case involving grabby real estate developers and recalcitrant islanders. Off-season atmosphere and the usual high-caliber sleuthing. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Martha's Vineyard in the off-season: the bluefish aren't running, but two real-estate developer brothers are when someone takes a potshot at them. Which Fox brother was the target, Donald or Paul? Former Olympic fencer Donald and Brad Hillborough, his gimpy right-hand man and former teammate, ruthlessly sue landholders who turn down their bids. But the kindlier Paul, who is courting won't-sell Dodie Donawa's daughter Maria, not only has grief from his future mother-in-law but flack from Maria's former beau, the beefy Rick Black. In the week or so after ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson, now a laid-back odd-jobs man (Vineyard Shadows, 2001, etc.), first lays eyes on the brothers, first Paul and then Donald resorts to body armor, one of their agents is murdered, two of their more inept employees tail J.W., and the lovesick Black attacks him. Furthermore, John Reilley, who's been keeping company with Dodie, seems to have no past-no family, no credit rating, no proof he is who he claims to be, although he emerged 40 years ago just as Spain's Olympic hopeful, fencer Juan Diego Valentine, disappeared. In sorting through everyone's history, J.W. stays a step ahead of Vineyard cops Agganis and Otero, but only a sidestep away from a fatal encounter with a saber. Moderately savvy readers will nab the baddie early on, but will undoubtedly hang around for bluefish season, seafood casserole (recipe included), and J.W.'s low-key island philosophizing.
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