A Beautiful Place to Die

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

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!

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!

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.