Rating: 
Summary: Low Tide
Review: After a great start, this ones slows to a crawl and gets tedious. The ending would work, if we believe all the characters are reasonable people, but they aren't. Strangely passive ending. I'll come back, but might not stay much longer.
Rating: 
Summary: VINEYARD SHADOWS - Fun in the island sun with some mobsters
Review: Ah summer. Sunshine, lazy days and another Philip Craig novel about the charm and easy pace of Martha's Vineyard.Retired Boston cop J. W. Jackson moved to the island of Martha's Vineyard for a lifestyle change, only to find that trouble always has a way of finding him there. A couple of Beantown mobsters show up at his home and try muscling his wife, Zee, for some information about one Tom Rimini, an apparent missing gambler who is in deep hawk with the loan sharks. The thugs get physical with Zee, so she manages to modify their behavior by grabbing her pistol and shooting. With one dead and one wounded, the mystery begins to unfold about who Tom Rimini is and why the Soprano types are looking for him on the island. Once a cop, always a cop. J.W. Jackson's instincts lead him to a series of clues that allow him to piece together the puzzling story of Tom Rimini and his myriad of problems, including those involving the Boston crime family. All this while taking his kids out for an occasional ice-cream, and playing with his two cats, Velcro and Oliver Underfoot. Philip Craig's books, about the adventures of J. W. Jackson and his family on Martha's Vineyard, are fun and laid back. Yeah, there is usually a mystery to solve, in between getting stuck in the traffic jams at the A&P supermarket, or the long queues at the standby auto lines at the ferry dock in Vineyard Haven. Craig has captured the nuance and magic of sleepy Martha's Vineyard while delivering a light-hearted mystery laced with humorous dialog and usually dumb bad guys. For less than the cost of a ferry ticket, and with no waiting lines, you can enjoy the essence of the island and understand why so many people, famous and otherwise, enjoy trekking to this island every year for some summer fun.
Rating:
Summary: VINEYARD SHADOWS - Fun in the island sun with some mobsters
Review: Ah summer. Sunshine, lazy days and another Philip Craig novel about the charm and easy pace of Martha's Vineyard. Retired Boston cop J. W. Jackson moved to the island of Martha's Vineyard for a lifestyle change, only to find that trouble always has a way of finding him there. A couple of Beantown mobsters show up at his home and try muscling his wife, Zee, for some information about one Tom Rimini, an apparent missing gambler who is in deep hawk with the loan sharks. The thugs get physical with Zee, so she manages to modify their behavior by grabbing her pistol and shooting. With one dead and one wounded, the mystery begins to unfold about who Tom Rimini is and why the Soprano types are looking for him on the island. Once a cop, always a cop. J.W. Jackson's instincts lead him to a series of clues that allow him to piece together the puzzling story of Tom Rimini and his myriad of problems, including those involving the Boston crime family. All this while taking his kids out for an occasional ice-cream, and playing with his two cats, Velcro and Oliver Underfoot. Philip Craig's books, about the adventures of J. W. Jackson and his family on Martha's Vineyard, are fun and laid back. Yeah, there is usually a mystery to solve, in between getting stuck in the traffic jams at the A&P supermarket, or the long queues at the standby auto lines at the ferry dock in Vineyard Haven. Craig has captured the nuance and magic of sleepy Martha's Vineyard while delivering a light-hearted mystery laced with humorous dialog and usually dumb bad guys. For less than the cost of a ferry ticket, and with no waiting lines, you can enjoy the essence of the island and understand why so many people, famous and otherwise, enjoy trekking to this island every year for some summer fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Craig's themes are getting shallower
Review: As has been the case with all the Vinyard mysteries, Philip Craig continues to entertain with plots that are located in an area that many of us love and easily indentify. Unfortunately, the characters and plots are getting weaker with each new mystery. There is less development and interaction. And for those of us who also enjoyed the fish tales, they seem to have disappeared as well. I still enjoyed the novel and will continue to watch for new spins, hoping they improve.
Rating: 
Summary: A delightful reading experience
Review: Fifteen years ago, Boston police officer J.W. Jackson was injured on the job and subsequently retired on disability. He moved to Martha's Vineyard and married his beloved Zoe. They raised two children. One day, two thugs enter the Jackson home looking for Tom Rimini. Zoe informs them that she does not know anyone by that name, but they do not believe her. They injure her and her daughter, forcing Zoe to kill one of them and injure the other. Zoe and her child go to the hospital for treatment. After visiting them, J.W. returns home only to find Tom there. He admits to being married to the former's ex-wife. Tom also confesses that loan sharks are after him. J.W. agrees to help Tom, but quickly learns the man lied to him. Unable to leave well enough alone, J.W. enters the fracas in a manner that disproves fifteen years of investigative rust. VINEYARD SHADOWS contains all the excitement of the showdown at the OK Corral with none of the subsequent violence. Zoe comes into her own as a strong "I am woman" persona and J.W. continues his up the middle practice of justice. Phillip R. Craig writes one of the best books of his illustrious career as the action flows hot and heavy yet allows for timely time outs via family interplay to cool down the lava flow. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Vineyard Shadows
Review: I read "Vineyard Shadows" by Philip R. Craig because one of my favorite mystery writers, William G. Tapply, had written a Brady Coyne/J. W. Jackson novel with Craig, and I wanted to get to know J. W. before I read their joint effort, "First Light". J. W., his wife Zee and their 2 children, Joshua and Diana live on Martha's Vineyard. The book opens as 2 thugs come to J. W. and Zee's house looking for Tom Rimini. When Zee tellsl them she knows of no Tom Rimini, the thugs attack her, and she shoots them, killing one and wounding the other. When J. W. returns from a clamming trip, he learns that the thugs were looking for Tom Rimini. J. W. knows that Rimini is the husband of J. W.'s ex-wife, Carla. It seems that Rimini owes gambling debts to Sonny Whelan, a Boston mob boss. When Rimini does come to J. W.'s house, J. W. agrees to hide him out at a neighbor's house more to help Carla than Rimini, whom he dislikes. There was little mystery and the plot was a bit thin for my taste. I liked the characters, but certain things about this novel annoyed me. The children who are small act like they are 10 years older than they really are, and are more polite than most children. This novel was average, and certainly not up to par with the Brady Coyne novels by William G. Tapply. At least when I read "First Light", I will know about J. W. and his family.
Rating:
Summary: Another trip to Martha's Vineyard
Review: J. W. Jackson goes clamming with his son Joshua and is horrified when he returns home and finds that his wife, Zee, and daughter Diana have been attacked by two thugs. Zee, who is an accomplished target shooter, has used her skills to defend herself and Diana. The thugs are looking for Jackson's ex-wife's current husband, Tom Rimini. Soon the ex-husband shows up seeking help from J. W., and inexplicably the Jacksons oblige by hiding him in a friend's home. This one stretches credibility as J. W. takes it upon himself to help the husband of someone he still has feelings for, and solves the mystery as to why the mob is looking for Rimini in the first place. He alternates between being a househusband and then somewhat foolishly chasing after the bad guys without benefit of his friends on the police force. A visit to Martha's Vineyard is always pleasant but this is not the best book of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Another trip to Martha's Vineyard
Review: J. W. Jackson goes clamming with his son Joshua and is horrified when he returns home and finds that his wife, Zee, and daughter Diana have been attacked by two thugs. Zee, who is an accomplished target shooter, has used her skills to defend herself and Diana. The thugs are looking for Jackson's ex-wife's current husband, Tom Rimini. Soon the ex-husband shows up seeking help from J. W., and inexplicably the Jacksons oblige by hiding him in a friend's home. This one stretches credibility as J. W. takes it upon himself to help the husband of someone he still has feelings for, and solves the mystery as to why the mob is looking for Rimini in the first place. He alternates between being a househusband and then somewhat foolishly chasing after the bad guys without benefit of his friends on the police force. A visit to Martha's Vineyard is always pleasant but this is not the best book of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Shades of Spenser
Review: Philip Craig's "Vineyard Shadows" is a pleasant piece of summer reading for mystery lovers. His protagonist, J W Jackson is a retired Boston cop who has moved to Martha's Vineyard to fish and raise a family. But trouble follows him. Two Boston hoods threaten and assault JW's wife and daughter while he is off clamming. They are looking for the husband of a woman to whom JW was once married. It is their bad luck that Zee, JW's present wife is packing. She was preparing to leave for the pistol range where she shoots competitively when they arrive. Soon after, the man the hoods were looking for turns up on JW's doorstep seeking asylum. JW decides he must find out what is going on in order to protect his own family and lend a helping hand to his ex-wife. JW Jackson strikes me as a funnier, less pompous, domesticated relative of Robert Parker's Spenser. He confronts the kingpin of the Charlston Irish Mafia, as Spenser would. He milks old friends in law enforcement for information. Judged by the length of time it takes him to solve the central puzzle in the story, JW isn't as smart as Spenser -- or the average reader, for that matter. But then he doesn't have a sidekick like Hawk.
Rating:
Summary: Shades of Spenser
Review: Philip Craig's "Vineyard Shadows" is a pleasant piece of summer reading for mystery lovers. His protagonist, J W Jackson is a retired Boston cop who has moved to Martha's Vineyard to fish and raise a family. But trouble follows him. Two Boston hoods threaten and assault JW's wife and daughter while he is off clamming. They are looking for the husband of a woman to whom JW was once married. It is their bad luck that Zee, JW's present wife is packing. She was preparing to leave for the pistol range where she shoots competitively when they arrive. Soon after, the man the hoods were looking for turns up on JW's doorstep seeking asylum. JW decides he must find out what is going on in order to protect his own family and lend a helping hand to his ex-wife. JW Jackson strikes me as a funnier, less pompous, domesticated relative of Robert Parker's Spenser. He confronts the kingpin of the Charlston Irish Mafia, as Spenser would. He milks old friends in law enforcement for information. Judged by the length of time it takes him to solve the central puzzle in the story, JW isn't as smart as Spenser -- or the average reader, for that matter. But then he doesn't have a sidekick like Hawk.
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