- Hardcover: 223 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (26 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0684834553
- ISBN-13: 978-0684834559
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.5 x 2 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,687,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
A Scribner Crime Novel
It's been many years since J. W. Jackson has seen Corrie Appleyard, so J.W.'s delighted when the elderly African-American bluesman strolls unexpectedly up his driveway, guitar in hand. Corrie has come to Martha's Vineyard to play a few shows and to catch up on old times. But there's more to the Vineyard mix this summer than music, bluefish, and friendship.
Someone is torching the run-down summerhouses that a reviled local slumlord rents out to college kids who flock to the island for sun, sex, and summer jobs. J.W. and Zee, busy adding a wing to their house for precocious offspring Joshua and Diana, might almost cheer for the arsonist if they didn't fear someone would get hurt.
They are especially concerned for Corrie Appleyard, who opts to bunk in one of the dilapidated structures. Corrie doesn't need much in the way of amenities, and a friend's grandson has offered him hospitality. It's a bad choice. When a fire breaks out and an unidentified body is pulled from the scorched ruins, J.W. fears the worst. Corrie's precious guitar lies abandoned nearby, an ominous sign that the old man who seemed to live for his music has become the arsonist's victim.
With Corrie probably dead, this is no longer a mildly amusing case of a slumlord getting his due. For J.W., the search for the arsonist has become deadly serious and personal.
And there are other casualties this beautiful summer. Zee's friend, Susanna Quick, has received threatening letters from someone who knows far too much about Susanna's mysterious past, and who may use that knowledge in frightening ways.
As J.W. pursues the arsonist and closes in on Susanna's feared correspondent,this masterly mystery moves toward a surprising, immensely satisfying conclusion. As always, though, it's the ensemble cast, the vibrant Martha's Vineyard ambiance, and the enticing fishing and food that will win our hearts and bring us back for more. Perfect summer reading, "Vineyard Blues" is proof once again that Philip R. Craig is at the top of his form.
"Includes three delicious Vineyard recipes!"
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First Sentence
The first time I saw Corrie Appleyard I was about five years old. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The first time I saw Corrie Appleyard I was about five years old. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Amazon.com:
17 reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
A good series just got great
14 May 2000
Format:Hardcover
J.W. Jackson used to be a soldier before an injury forced him out of the service. He joined the Boston Police Department before a bullet forced him into an early retirement. He next moved to Martha's Vineyard to escape most of the evil element that permeates much of the world. He married a nurse and they had children who they now teach how to be good people. J.W. accepts temporary work whenever he can find it while Zee works a shift at the local hospital. They are not wealthy, but are happy.
When a slumlord asks J.W. to learn the identity of the arsonist torching his buildings, he reluctantly accepts the job. Ben Krane is a bail bondsman, lawyer, and real estate developer. He rents property that is not up to standard to college students looking to have a good time. J.W. finds a host of suspects, but no one he can clearly accuse. As he digs deeper, he begins to learn things about people close to him that he would have preferred not to know.
Sometimes a well-written story contains no obvious villains or heroes just human beings trying to do the right thing in an imperfect world. Phillip R. Craig shows he is a potent storyteller by accomplishing just that with VINEYARD BLUES, a tale with quite an impact on the reader. J.W. is an enigmatic yet likable person who the audience will find appealing. The children's interactions with the adults ring true and add depth to an emotionally charged story line and that will help make this novel a triumph for Mr. Craig.
Harriet Klausner
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Very, very good book
20 Dec 2000
Format:Hardcover
This is one of the few mysteries that I've ever read and it is a terrifiic story! JW and Zee and their children are so refreshing. After reading the book, I feel like I've actually met them. And Corrie is such a laid back old soul--I loved him. This wonderful author doesn't overdo the detective into some kind of super-motcho man--JW is an everyday kind of guy with a family that he also has time for; his career just happens to be looking for evidence and then putting it together and come up with a solution. The story involves college students rooming in houses that are not kept up by the landlord. He owns the houses for the profit made on them. Some of the college students get a little too rapped up in their partying and sometimes revenge to each other. Then throw in arson and there's a story to make you read til you find out if it's arsen or fate and who's behind it all--if anyone is. Really a super story. The author keeps you reading because you're always "just about to find out more".
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Entertaining light fiction
30 Jun 2000
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a good book for summer reading, whether crashed out in a beach chair or just spending a quiet evening at home. It is an early book in what could be a promising new series of mysteries, introducing an interesting cast of players. The chief protagonist is J.W. Jackson, on a medical retirement from the Boston police department, who lives on Martha's Vineyard with his wife, two young children, and two cats. He has the opportunity to earn a little extra money by investigating the fires that have destroyed some run-down summer rental units owned by a local attorney. Events quickly become more complicated when a blues man, an old friend of his late father, disappears the evening of one of the fires; and J.W.'s investigation dredges up information on some individuals kinky sexual preferences. He also finds an unexpected ally. The book is hard to put down, but a length that is easy to read in an evening. As a bonus, the book contains three recipes. It also includes a map of Martha's Vineyard for readers unfamiliar with the island.
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