cover image Vineyard Chill: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

Vineyard Chill: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery

Philip R. Craig, . . Scribner, $24 (239pp) ISBN 978-1-4165-3558-4

Craig's final Martha's Vineyard mystery (after 2007's Vineyard Stalker ), completed just before his death last spring, offers all the familiar pleasures his fans have come to relish—a swift-moving plot, appealing characters and beautifully described settings. In the dead of winter, retired Boston cop J.W. Jackson and his family are surprised by a visit from an old buddy of J.W.'s, Clay Stockton. Sailor, boat-builder, pilot and adventurer, Clay charms them all, but brings trouble in his wake. When two armed strangers later show up looking for Clay, J.W. steers them to the police for information while warning Clay, now employed by a local boat builder, to watch out. Meanwhile, the discovery of a bird's nest interwoven with the red hair of a young woman missing since the previous summer may implicate a bird-watcher devoted to J.W. in a crime. Three delicious recipes round out the volume. (June)