Violent crime is a rarity on the tranquil shores of Martha's Vineyard, which is why ex-cop J.W. Jackson turned in his Boston badge to retire to the idyllic isle. And that's what makes a six-month-old murder so troubling to the perplexed locals. But Jackson's got troubles of his own -- including a loving wife, Zee, who's becoming curiously distant ... and the arrival of a mysterious visitor who's searching for a valuable set of stolen statues, and who's certain J.W.'s the man to hunt them down. It's an assignment that plunges the fisherman/chef-cum-private investigator into an unfamiliar milieu: the Vineyard's cutthroat world of art aficionados. And suddenly J.W. finds himself pitted against some of the island's most powerful and unscrupulous figures, uncovering lethal threads that may connect an unsolved mutilation/slaying with those who would stop at nothing -- including murder -- to add rare forbidden objects to their collections.

Vineyard Enigma : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

Humor & Entertainment

Craig, Philip R.

Humor

William Morrow Paperbacks

Acerbic professor Marjorie Summerharp was reborn on Martha's Vineyard -- her mind and acid-tongue sharpened by the island's gentle waves and whispering breezes. So why would she walk into the ocean on a warm June morning, to be swallowed up forever by the hungry, merciless sea? Ex-Boston-cop "J.W." Jackson knows that evil can flourish even in the most serene of settings. And the more he investigates, the more it appears that the mysterious "accidental" death of the renowned local scholar was more premeditated than it originally appeared. But nosing around in a snake pit of academic jealousy, adultery, and bogus religion could prove deadly for the policeman-turned-fisherman...especially when Jackson exposes too many sinister secrets that are well worth killing for.

Death in Vineyard Waters: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, 2)

A Middle Eastern potentate and his entourage are descending on Martha's Vineyard -- and chaos is in the salt air. Ex-Boston-cop Jeff "J.W." Jackson would rather be fishing with his lady Zee, but the island's overtaxed police force needs his help to control the madness their visitor's arrival has stirred up -- especially since the great man will not leave before ceremoniously reclaiming an emerald necklace stolen from his nation a century ago. But when both the jewels and Zee vanish, J.W. is quickly transformed from rent-a-cop to frantic investigator. Because an ill tide has carried desperate men to this idyllic island with murder on their minds. And Jackson suddenly stands to lose everything that he dearly loves.

Vineyard Deceit: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, 3)

Sell Low, Die Hard
Former champion Olympic fencer-turned-sleazy real estate developer Donald Fox isn't making any friends on Martha's Vineyard this gray and chilly March. He's using unscrupulous methods and legal ambiguities to force homeowners to sell their valuable land at rock bottom prices. He's even approached fisherman/sometime-sleuth J. W. Jackson and his wife Zee, not realizing that the retired Boston cop is anything but an easy mark. So when Donald's brother Paul is shot by an unseen assailant on a Vineyard street, J. W. can't help wondering if the wrong Fox sibling inadvertently took the bullet. Since Jackson's curiosity and deep-rooted sense of justice have always gotten the better of him -- and since the bluefish aren't running yet anyway -- he's going to track down the shooter, before preseason on his beloved isle turns irrevocably deadly.

A Vineyard Killing (A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, 14)

Escaping the city and its violence, ex-cop Jeff "J. W." Jackson found solace in fishing, cooking, and simplyenjoying life on Martha's Vineyard -- and nothing, he figures, will ever entice him to leave. However, suddenly there's a very real possibility that his lady love Zee will be departing the idyllic island forever. And when a young student commits suicide, and a girlfriend-abusing thug starts spewing vicious threats, J. W. seriously considers a temporary escape from paradise. But it's a failed trio of attempts on his own life that ultimately propels him off-island -- and onto the trail of a stalker that's leading Jackson to the perilous peaks of the Colorado Rockies, where he quickly learns that, thorns and all, there's no place quite like his Vineyard home.

Vineyard Fear : A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

It's particularly quiet on Martha's Vineyard this summer, since a shadowy figure called "the Silencer" began his covert campaign of destruction -- disabling the audio systems in the homes and vehicles of selfish, music-blasting islanders. A respite from the unwanted noise suits fishing enthusiast, former cop, and sometime investigator J.W. Jackson just fine -- until a gargantuan new Chappaquiddick mansion is vandalized and a night watchman is thrown to his death off a nearby cliff. Hired by the aristocratic mother of the most likely suspect to help prove her son's innocence, J.W. starts to explore some mysterious connections linking the Vineyard's most prominent families. But digging up the dirty secrets of the island elite may only inflame a murderer who's not done killing -- and hasten J.W.'s own journey to the graveyard.

Murder at a Vineyard Mansion (A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, 15)

Summer is a distant memory. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Hunting season is in full swing on the Vineyard . . . And some of the prey is human.
Ex-cop, chef, and dedicated angler J.W. Jackson would do anything for his old 'Nam buddy and fishing companion Joe Begay. But when Joe asks to be smuggled back onto the Vineyard in secret, J.W. knows there's big trouble brewing. After his tour of duty officially ended, Joe was involved in highly sensitive covert government work. Now only Begay and one other former operative on his team -- the seductive and extremely dangerous Kate MacLeod -- are still alive. The three remaining shadow warriors died unexpectedly, quite possibly at the hands of a ruthlessly efficient killer known only as the Easter Bunny. J.W.'s beloved wife, Zee, and their two young children could easily get caught in the deadly crossfire if the assassin makes his way to their now desolate island. Or perhaps he -- or she -- is already there . . .

Vineyard Prey: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (A Martha's Vineyard Mystery, 16)

Former Boston cop and Vietnam veteran Jeff Jackson's quiet life casting for bluefish on Martha's Vineyard is interrupted when his fishing partner's son is almost killed in a mysterious boat explosion, prompting him to investigate. Reissue.

A Beautiful Place to Die

Literature & Fiction

Genre Fiction

AVON.

When crusty university professor Marjorie Summerharp "accidently" drowns on Martha's Vineyard, former police officer Jeff Jackson's investigation exposes some sinister secrets and a world full of jealousy and adultery. Reprint.

The Woman Who Walked into the Sea (Martha s Vineyard Mystery)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

Avon/Books

Former Boston cop Jeff Jackson is pressed into temporary security duty when a Middle Eastern big shot visits Martha's Vineyard, and when an emerald necklace suddenly disappears, Jackson must use all of his investigative skills. Reprint.

The Double Minded Men: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

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