A Fatal Vineyard Season

J.W. Jackson is married with two children, when Julia Crandel and Ivy Holiday flee a Hollywood stalker who has access to a computer from his prison cell. Julia is from an old Vineyard family and their sanctuary is precious to the girls, but their race taunts a pair of local gangsters who use intimidation to collect "protection money" from their neighbors' businesses. Philip Craig creates one of his most vicious villains who is worse than any stalker. J.W. aids the girls, but he protects his own by sending them off-island, then he fights back against vicious killer and a hurricane. A FATAL VINEYARD SEASON is top notch Craig. Nash Black, whose books are available in Kindle editions. Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the FathersHaints

I HAVE ALL OF PHILIP CRAIG'S MARTHA'S VINEYARD SERIES, IT IS A WONDERFUL INSIGHT TO LIFE IN THE VINEYARD WITH CLEVER MYSTERIES THROWN IN. I MYSELF HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE VINEYARD. I WAS SO SAD TO HEAR OF MR CRAIG'S PASSING. HE WILL BE MISSED.

This is the first published novel I've read by this author and it was like getting acquainted with an old friend both literally and figuratively. I was a collegue of Mr. Craig's many years ago when we both taught at a college in Boston. We became friends and I was privileged to read an unpublished manuscript he had of a novel set in the Southwest prior to the contact of Europeans in that area. It was skilfully written, excitingly plotted and full of fascinating fact and fantasy. During that time Phil invited me down to his summer place at Martha's Vineyard and he and his lovely wife Shirley were gracious informal hosts and showed us around the island. I'd lost track of Phil until a year or so ago when I found out he had published all these murder mysteries set on the Vineyard, so I ordered a couple. I chose to read Vineyard Blues first because I am musician and in fact Phil and I have been know to pound the odd chord, and raise our voices and a glass or two in merry or melacholy lament. It was such a treat to revisit the Vineyard through Phil's clear descriptive prose, and I did enjoy the story and the character's. Before I started writing this review I read a dozen or so other reviews posted on one of the big bookseller websites and was interested to see the comments of readers who have been fans of JW Jackson and are not happy with the addition of a budding little "perfect" family. Well I haven't read the earlier books yet but I probably will. I guess Phil should be flattered to have created a character that people care about. I read a lot of popular fiction and a lot of "Murder Mysteries", I'm not a particular aficiando of the genre I just like stuff that is easy to read but engaging. This book certainly fills the bill or should I say, "Phil's the bill." I'm halfway through "A Fatal Vineyard Season" and enjoying it just as much.

This novel is a good mystery with some unexpected twists at the end. An actress shows up on Martha's Vineyard with a friend from the island, saying she wants refuge from a stalker in California. It is out of the frying pan and into the fire when she attracts the attention of a local psychopathic hoodlum. J. W. Jackson becomes more involved than he intended when he takes on the task of carrying out an investigation. His own life is endangered when he, in turn, draws the hoodlum's attention. Saying more would give away the plot.This book, like some of the author's other books, has recipes in an appendix. It also has the usual map of Martha's Vineyard for readers unfamiliar with the island, and some side accounts of fishing.

After a bullet disabled him former Boston police officer J. W. Jackson moved to Martha's Vineyard. He supplements his small pension with odd jobs such as caring for the summer homes of part time residents. This allows him to spend time with his wife Zee and their two children. At times, J.W. also solves local crimes. When J.W. goes to the Crandall home to fix a faucet, he meets the two occupants, Julia Crandall and Ivy Holiday, two individuals hiding from a stalker. The two beautiful ladies attract the resident psychopath Alexandro Vegas, an ex-con that hates women, especially black females. Alexandro begins a campaign of terror against the two women. They hire J.W. to protect them from Alexandro and the California stalker who may be jailed but has plans for his victims. After ten successful novels, this enjoyable series retains its freshness by providing new insight into the personal life of the hero such as his wife giving birth since the previous tale (see A SHOOT ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD). A FATAL VINEYARD SEASON addresses major social issues such as racism amidst an isolated population and defending oneself against stalkers. Phillip R. Craig gifts his audience with the best novel in one of the better series available today.Harriet Klausner