Product Description

Fresh from his recent acclaim as a Good Morning America Bookclub choice, Philip R. Craig casts his observant eye on the fine line between tragedy and comedy on Martha's Vineyard.

Just look at the Vineyard's criminal du jour, "the Silencer." Loved by many and hated by some, the perp's on a campaign to destroy the audio systems in music-blasting party houses and open-windowed vehicles. Owners of said houses and vehicles feel both fear and hate, while some residents who seek silence silently cheer.

J. W. Jackson, former cop and now a part-time investigator, finds it difficult to get too excited about the Silencer's crimes. J.W.'s a classical music man himself, which may explain his reluctance to take the so-called crimes very seriously.

The fun stops, however, when someone is killed -- a night watchman is thrown over a cliff near an outrageously large new Chappaquiddick mansion.

Who killed Ollie Mattes? Was it the womanizer Harold Hobbes? Harold's mother, Vineyard aristocrat Maud Mayhew, begs J.W. to prove her son's innocence. Harold may have been guilty of vandalism at the mansion, but according to Maud, he's not a killer.

But if Harold didn't kill Ollie, who did? J.W. will soon find himself mired in an intrigue that links some of the Vineyard's most prominent families, families that have known, and sometimes hated, one another for generations. Who is telling the truth? Who will die next?

Meanwhile, at home, J.W.'s under pressure from Zee and the kids to acquire their first computer. Will J.W. ever enter the modern era? It's three against one, so how long can he hold out?

With his usual glorious mix of Vineyard ambience, romance, food, fishing, and first-rate suspense, Craig once again proves that his Martha's Vineyard mysteries are the perfect summer read.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1476875 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-01
• Released on: 2007-07-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .61" h x 5.51" w x 8.50" l, .77 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Set in early June, before the hordes of vacationers descend, Craig's 15th Martha's Vineyard mystery (after 2003's A Vineyard Killing) arrives just in time for the beach. The Vineyard crime scene is a tad slow: a jail prisoner escapes after supper but usually returns before breakfast because the food is so good, thanks to a local chef doing time, while the cops aren't trying too hard to catch "the Silencer," who's been "destroying the sound systems of some of the loudest cars on the island." Then the murders of a security man at a Chappaquiddick "castle" (depicted on the jacket and nicely portending disaster) and the scion of an aristocratic landowner raise the ante. Retired Boston policeman J.W. Jackson sets aside such favorite pastimes as fishing and cooking to investigate several old island families, interbred and linked in the most unpleasant ways, all with ample motives and opportunities for the killings. As ever, Craig depicts the island's residents with humor and affection. J.W. takes his usual pot shots at the author's pet peeves (like drivers who "have their windows down and the volume turned as high as it will go"), but faces a loaded shotgun with aplomb in the near-fatal finale.
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From AudioFile
Philip Craig and Tom Stechschulte are an ideal combo. Craig's characters and dialogue are outstanding, and Stechschulte knows how to build on a good thing. Retired cop J.W. Jackson can never resist becoming involved in the crimes on Martha's Vineyard. This is quite the opposite of the wishes of the local police. The longtime wealthy residents of the Vineyard are annoyed by the many ostentatious new homes being built, and "The Silencer" has taken it upon himself to destroy houses and auto stereo systems he deems too loud. Stechschulte's special skill is differen-tiating characters. He is particularly adept at female and children's voices; Bonzo, the drug-damaged simpleton, is also realistic. With its charming setting, this novel will appeal to mystery buffs and others. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Jefferson W. Jackson--J. W. to his friends--narrates this fourteenth Martha's Vineyard mystery in his usual sardonic and amiable voice. What makes this series so attractive is not only the sense of place but also J. W.'s real ties to his family. Sleuthing takes place while the kids are in school or when the beauteous and doe-eyed Zee can manage them. The deaths of two locals, unpleasant and unloved men, come the same summer an outlaw nicknamed the Silencer shoots out noisy car audio systems or the home stereos of people who boom their ugly music out their windows. In the course of his investigations, ex-cop J. W. finds even more blood ties among the old and monied families of the island. Along the way, he finally learns to use a computer (taught by his little children) and sees his daughter learn to skip stones and catch fish. A most pleasant trip down some unpleasant side roads. GraceAnne DeCandido
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