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Martha's Vineyard Mystery #6
A Case of Vineyard Poison by Philip R. Craig
A toast to the happy couple . . . with hemlockVineyard wedding bells are about to chime for ex-Boston cop-turned-island-fisherman J.W. Jackson and his lady Zee Madieras. And Zee's Automatic Teller tells them rather substantial "present" has been deposited in the bride-to-be's one hundred thousand unexplained dollars.The bank screams, "computer glitch"! And sure enough, two days later, the windfall has flown. But, coincidentally, the college student lying dead in J.W.'s driveway'a young woman done in by a dose of locally grown poison'recently withdrew a hundred grand from her own account. And now, before exchanging vows with his love, J.W. must first match wits with a murderer who may be gearing up to kill again.
Paperback
First published June 5, 1995
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About the author
Philip R. Craig
26 books101 followersAuthor Philip R. Craig passed away on May 8, 2007 after a brief battle with cancer.
Phil left three completed novels, which have now all been published posthumously. Vineyard Stalker came out in June of 2007 just after Phil's death. Third Strike, co-written with Bill Tapply, came out in November of 2007. The final J.W. Jackson mystery, Vineyard Chill, is on the shelves now. Another J.W. book is partially written, and may someday be completed by his family per his instructions, so stay tuned. Delish, the cookbook co-written with Phil’s wife Shirley Prada Craig, is also still available.
The Philip R. Craig website will be maintained as a tribute to my father and his many fans. ~ Jamie Craig
Phil left three completed novels, which have now all been published posthumously. Vineyard Stalker came out in June of 2007 just after Phil's death. Third Strike, co-written with Bill Tapply, came out in November of 2007. The final J.W. Jackson mystery, Vineyard Chill, is on the shelves now. Another J.W. book is partially written, and may someday be completed by his family per his instructions, so stay tuned. Delish, the cookbook co-written with Phil’s wife Shirley Prada Craig, is also still available.
The Philip R. Craig website will be maintained as a tribute to my father and his many fans. ~ Jamie Craig
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 10, 2021
Major characters:
Katherine Ellis, NYU student, poisoning victim
Denise Vale, NYU student
Miles Vale, Denise's father, a medic with a short fuse
Glen Gordon, former NYU student, now a bank IT programmer
Beth Goodwin, Katherine's roommate
Peter Dennison, Katherine's friend
Quinn, reporter for The Boston Globe
David Greenstein, concert pianist
Locale: Martha's Vineyard, off Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Synopsis: Retired Boston cop, and now Martha's Vineyard resident, J. W. Jackson, is counting down the days to his wedding to Zeolinda "Zee" Madeiras. He hears from old buddy, reporter Quinn, that he is coming to visit and bringing a friend; who turns out to be concert pianist David Greenstein.
J. W. comes home one day to find a moped lying in his driveway, and a young woman dead beside the drive. She is Katherine Ellis, NYU student on vacation. She is found to have been poisoned by a local plant.
Some strange things are happening in the banks around the island. Zee has a deposit of $100K to her account, which gets removed a few days later. Poison victim Katherine had a deposit of $100K, to which she wrote a series of $9000 checks, which were then cashed - and now she is dead. Roommate Denise Vale also had a $100K transaction, and now she is missing. All transactions link back to bank IT programmer Glen Gordon, who was previously at NYU along with both Katherine and Denise.
Review: This one was a little odd, with very little focus on the two murders which occur. The first (the poisoning of Katherine Ellis) is not explained, it is just mentioned in passing - when it could have been expanded into how the killer got the obscure poison and administered it; but nothing along that line. The second (the shooting) is given a brief wrap-up mention in the final chapter.
Much of the book focuses on J.W.'s hosting of his friends Quinn and David Greenstein, fishing, looking into the banking transactions, and preparations for his upcoming marriage (which we did not get to, it occurs without being recorded, in between #6 and #7). The rocky relationship with his future mother-in-law is funny and enjoyable, although when it progresses to outright flirtation and more-than-platonic kissing it is a bit creepy.
This is #6 in the series, and some of the local anecdotes are getting a copy/paste flavor; leading to a "I've read this before" feeling. I am beginning to skim over the fishing play-by-plays, Sam Adams beer ads, and complaints about the parking situation.
Katherine Ellis, NYU student, poisoning victim
Denise Vale, NYU student
Miles Vale, Denise's father, a medic with a short fuse
Glen Gordon, former NYU student, now a bank IT programmer
Beth Goodwin, Katherine's roommate
Peter Dennison, Katherine's friend
Quinn, reporter for The Boston Globe
David Greenstein, concert pianist
Locale: Martha's Vineyard, off Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Synopsis: Retired Boston cop, and now Martha's Vineyard resident, J. W. Jackson, is counting down the days to his wedding to Zeolinda "Zee" Madeiras. He hears from old buddy, reporter Quinn, that he is coming to visit and bringing a friend; who turns out to be concert pianist David Greenstein.
J. W. comes home one day to find a moped lying in his driveway, and a young woman dead beside the drive. She is Katherine Ellis, NYU student on vacation. She is found to have been poisoned by a local plant.
Some strange things are happening in the banks around the island. Zee has a deposit of $100K to her account, which gets removed a few days later. Poison victim Katherine had a deposit of $100K, to which she wrote a series of $9000 checks, which were then cashed - and now she is dead. Roommate Denise Vale also had a $100K transaction, and now she is missing. All transactions link back to bank IT programmer Glen Gordon, who was previously at NYU along with both Katherine and Denise.
Review: This one was a little odd, with very little focus on the two murders which occur. The first (the poisoning of Katherine Ellis) is not explained, it is just mentioned in passing - when it could have been expanded into how the killer got the obscure poison and administered it; but nothing along that line. The second (the shooting) is given a brief wrap-up mention in the final chapter.
Much of the book focuses on J.W.'s hosting of his friends Quinn and David Greenstein, fishing, looking into the banking transactions, and preparations for his upcoming marriage (which we did not get to, it occurs without being recorded, in between #6 and #7). The rocky relationship with his future mother-in-law is funny and enjoyable, although when it progresses to outright flirtation and more-than-platonic kissing it is a bit creepy.
This is #6 in the series, and some of the local anecdotes are getting a copy/paste flavor; leading to a "I've read this before" feeling. I am beginning to skim over the fishing play-by-plays, Sam Adams beer ads, and complaints about the parking situation.
May 31, 2016
The first of several in a series about Martha's Vineyard which were purchased by my best friend after she and I visited there. A good slice of Vineyard life, even if all the characters do is drink and eat seafood. Oh yeah, and solve murders. After dinner on the patio. This was pretty good, but not wonderful.
May 23, 2017
I have now read all 19 books in the Martha's Vineyard Mystery series and have enjoyed the trip. All the books have good, entertaining mystery plots, but the most enjoyment I got from these books was to learn more about the island itself - its geography, the residents (both permanent and summer), blue fishing, clamming, and, of course, the island food recipes. As one reviewer said, when you read these books it's like vacationing on Martha's Vineyard without the travel expenses.
Sadly, there will be no more of these books, because Philip Craig passed away in 2007, but I will always remember him because of these novels, his clever New England sense of humor, and his tempting sea food recipes.
Individually, most of these books rate about 3-Stars but I have rated the overall experience of reading the entire series as 4-Stars!
Sadly, there will be no more of these books, because Philip Craig passed away in 2007, but I will always remember him because of these novels, his clever New England sense of humor, and his tempting sea food recipes.
Individually, most of these books rate about 3-Stars but I have rated the overall experience of reading the entire series as 4-Stars!
January 30, 2020
I love the writings of Philip R Craig. Paragraphs are small which I love. He writes with such descriptions of scenery as character is driving along the roads of sandy beaches and waves hitting the landscape.
We get to know the characters through their movements which becomes part of the story. It just so happens upon coming home for the evening he sees a body in his yard and she was poisoned.
There are a few stories being played out throughout the story.
If you’ve been to Martha’s Vineyard then this is the series for you.
We get to know the characters through their movements which becomes part of the story. It just so happens upon coming home for the evening he sees a body in his yard and she was poisoned.
There are a few stories being played out throughout the story.
If you’ve been to Martha’s Vineyard then this is the series for you.
July 26, 2018
Former Boston police offer J.W. Jackson's wedding to his longtime love, Zee, is in three weeks and all is right on Martha's Vineyard. But when J.W. finds a young woman dead in his driveway who has been poisoned, he feels responsible to find the killer. I love the Martha's Vineyard mystery series. the food, the fishing, the beach really makes me want to vacation there! Unfortunately author Philip R. Craig died some time ago but he left a large body of work that I look forward to reading.
March 26, 2022
Summer on Martha's Vineyard - JW and Zee prepare for their wedding - lots of fishing, clamming, cooking and drinking - interrupted when college coed dies on JW's drieway from apparent poisoning which leads to uncovering of scheme by NYU students to embezzle $200K from local banks. Slow easy pace until last 10 pages, but the poisoning is never solved - was it murder? suicide? accident?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2018
I love this series set on Martha's Vineyard with landmarks so well described that it takes me there. JW is a likeable guy who ends up in the middle of mysteries by virtue of his being a former Boston policeman and his inquisitive nature. Sit back and enjoy.
April 18, 2021
Love Philip Craig's Martha Vineyard Mystery's. It does help to read them in order to get to know the characters. Sometimes starts out a little slow, but once the mystery starts are can hardly put it down. Get for quick summer reading.
July 15, 2022
Some editing issues with this one. A character's name changes mid-stream, and a couple of paragraphs are repeated almost verbatim within about ten pages. But the laid-back atmosphere and the breezy tone are always strong. If you like seafood, I defy you to read these books without getting hungry.
August 7, 2017
Timeline - Just before Zee and J. W. get married.
October 30, 2017
JW never disappoints.
July 13, 2018
Philip Craig's books are very similar to William Taply's in that the protagonist, not a policeman, solves the mystery. In both cases the result is an easy to read and enjoyable experience.
November 21, 2023
If you have spent any time on Martha's Vineyard, then you will enjoy Philip Craig's mysteries. His love of the Island shows through in his detective stories.
September 23, 2025
This latest book was my favorite, I think. It moved right along, and was a good mix of new characters and old familiars. Love the setting.
May 26, 2014
A Case of Vineyard Poison by Philip R. Craig is the sixth book of the Martha’s Vineyard Mystery series set on Martha’s Vineyard in the 1990s. I’m a fan of protagonist J.W. Jefferson and his easy-going lifestyle. A former Boston policeman, he retired young due to a bullet lodged near his spine. He fishes almost daily, selling his catch to local restaurants, and he works at various handyman jobs around the island (multiple jobs are typical for many year-round residents). J.W. grows a garden and cooks what he grows. When not fishing with rod and reel, he’s quahogging with a rake.
“Quahogging involves wading out into shallow water with a floating basket tied to your waist, and scratching around on the bottom with a quahog rake. When you find a quahog, it feels and sounds something like, but not quite like, hitting a rock. After a while you know a quahog when you've found one, and you no longer get excited about hitting rocks. Conchs and the occasional horseshoe crab, however, often feel like quahogs and serve to make the game seem a bit chancier than it would otherwise be.”
“Quahogs are hard-shell clams that are true gifts from the sea. The smallest keepers are littlenecks, which are usually eaten raw on the half shell and which cost a shocking amount to buy, considering how easy they are to catch. Cherrystones are the next step up, and I use them mostly for clams casino - clams on the half shell, topped by garlic butter, some bread crumbs, and a bit of bacon, broiled until the bacon is done. Even people who say they don't like clams like casinos, and no wonder. You can also french fry the little guys if you want to, and I often do. The bigger quahogs usually become stuffers or find their way into chowders. You can make a lot of different kinds of meals out of quahogs, and all of them are good.”
The story is set in June, close to J.W. and Zee’s July wedding. On a routine stop at an ATM for cash, Zee discovers an extra $100,000 in her account. It disappears in a few days. When a college girl, working on the Vineyard for the summer, dies of poisoning on J.W.’s driveway, he takes it personally. So does one of the medics who recover the body. He sublimates his worry for his own daughter into hostility toward J.W., and beats him up. In his usual roundabout but effective fashion, J.W. checks into the victim’s friends, family and elusive boyfriend. Investigating her bank account, he sees she also had $100,000 in it at one time, most unusual for a college student working a summer job on the island.
J.W.’s Boston Globe reporter friend Quinn arrives for a visit, bringing his friend Dave. Zee recognizes Dave on sight: he is a famous piano musician. Dave is world-weary of his constant performance tours, in need of quiet time for a few days. He has told no one in his professional life of his plan to be on the Vineyard. Meanwhile Zee’s mother Maria will soon be coming to stay with her and prepare for the wedding.
J.W. is a great cook. The day Quinn and friend are due to arrive, J.W. gathers the fresh ingredients for a clam boil, as a true island welcome: clams, quahogs, littlenecks and cherrystones. From quahogs he makes “stuffers”: ground cooked quahog meat, onion, garlic, linguiça, bread crumbs, hot pepper and bacon, returned to the half shell for baking. From cherrystones he makes clams casino (Euell’s recipe). He cooks up extra potatoes, sausage and onions to go with the clams. They start with cold littlenecks and cocktail sauce, and then eat broiled casinos “while the stuffers baked and the steamers steamed”. After they ate the stuffers, J.W. served the potatoes, sausage and onions in bowls with the steamed clams. A feast heartily enjoyed by all.
J.W. contacts his banker friend Hazel, and together they find suspicious links between the poisoned girl, the medic’s daughter, a boyfriend apparently to both girls, and mysterious $100,000 balances that appear in various accounts. Quinn gets interested, and uses his contacts to flesh out all the details from mainland connections. J.W. thinks he has it figured out, and goes to meet with a suspected accessory, after midnight in a deserted place – not a smart move. But it all works out in the end, even with his prospective mother-in-law.
My only complaint with this book is what appears to be a big gaffe: Banker Hazel Fine’s name changes to Helen partway through the story. Hazel Fine was introduced to the series in the previous book, Off Season. Her name Hazel was never described as a nickname for Helen.
I’m so fond of the series by now; I will continue reading, gaffe or no. Next up is Death on a Vineyard Beach.
“Quahogging involves wading out into shallow water with a floating basket tied to your waist, and scratching around on the bottom with a quahog rake. When you find a quahog, it feels and sounds something like, but not quite like, hitting a rock. After a while you know a quahog when you've found one, and you no longer get excited about hitting rocks. Conchs and the occasional horseshoe crab, however, often feel like quahogs and serve to make the game seem a bit chancier than it would otherwise be.”
“Quahogs are hard-shell clams that are true gifts from the sea. The smallest keepers are littlenecks, which are usually eaten raw on the half shell and which cost a shocking amount to buy, considering how easy they are to catch. Cherrystones are the next step up, and I use them mostly for clams casino - clams on the half shell, topped by garlic butter, some bread crumbs, and a bit of bacon, broiled until the bacon is done. Even people who say they don't like clams like casinos, and no wonder. You can also french fry the little guys if you want to, and I often do. The bigger quahogs usually become stuffers or find their way into chowders. You can make a lot of different kinds of meals out of quahogs, and all of them are good.”
The story is set in June, close to J.W. and Zee’s July wedding. On a routine stop at an ATM for cash, Zee discovers an extra $100,000 in her account. It disappears in a few days. When a college girl, working on the Vineyard for the summer, dies of poisoning on J.W.’s driveway, he takes it personally. So does one of the medics who recover the body. He sublimates his worry for his own daughter into hostility toward J.W., and beats him up. In his usual roundabout but effective fashion, J.W. checks into the victim’s friends, family and elusive boyfriend. Investigating her bank account, he sees she also had $100,000 in it at one time, most unusual for a college student working a summer job on the island.
J.W.’s Boston Globe reporter friend Quinn arrives for a visit, bringing his friend Dave. Zee recognizes Dave on sight: he is a famous piano musician. Dave is world-weary of his constant performance tours, in need of quiet time for a few days. He has told no one in his professional life of his plan to be on the Vineyard. Meanwhile Zee’s mother Maria will soon be coming to stay with her and prepare for the wedding.
J.W. is a great cook. The day Quinn and friend are due to arrive, J.W. gathers the fresh ingredients for a clam boil, as a true island welcome: clams, quahogs, littlenecks and cherrystones. From quahogs he makes “stuffers”: ground cooked quahog meat, onion, garlic, linguiça, bread crumbs, hot pepper and bacon, returned to the half shell for baking. From cherrystones he makes clams casino (Euell’s recipe). He cooks up extra potatoes, sausage and onions to go with the clams. They start with cold littlenecks and cocktail sauce, and then eat broiled casinos “while the stuffers baked and the steamers steamed”. After they ate the stuffers, J.W. served the potatoes, sausage and onions in bowls with the steamed clams. A feast heartily enjoyed by all.
J.W. contacts his banker friend Hazel, and together they find suspicious links between the poisoned girl, the medic’s daughter, a boyfriend apparently to both girls, and mysterious $100,000 balances that appear in various accounts. Quinn gets interested, and uses his contacts to flesh out all the details from mainland connections. J.W. thinks he has it figured out, and goes to meet with a suspected accessory, after midnight in a deserted place – not a smart move. But it all works out in the end, even with his prospective mother-in-law.
My only complaint with this book is what appears to be a big gaffe: Banker Hazel Fine’s name changes to Helen partway through the story. Hazel Fine was introduced to the series in the previous book, Off Season. Her name Hazel was never described as a nickname for Helen.
I’m so fond of the series by now; I will continue reading, gaffe or no. Next up is Death on a Vineyard Beach.
January 2, 2016
I begin this by reiterating my long standing wish that Goodreads reviews could be done for series as a whole or better, arbitrary collections of books -- not just at the level of individual books. People don't necessarily read series or sets of books the same way as they do single ones. Themes and plot arcs can span multiple books and their value to the reader may be hard to characterize at the level of an individual book review without needless repetition across many reviews.
Onward... I'm currently working through the Martha's Vineyard mysteries and have no plans to review each of them individually (other than assigning a star rating).
This book is pretty typical for the series, with splashes of the (mostly) good life enjoyed on the Vineyard mixed with a quietly rising mystery that peaks but never quite steals your attention away from the "local"'s eyed view of the island.
I class this series in my popcorn books category, literary comfort food which as it turns out has proven perfect for the extended New Years holiday here in Japan.
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu and a hearty Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou!
Onward... I'm currently working through the Martha's Vineyard mysteries and have no plans to review each of them individually (other than assigning a star rating).
This book is pretty typical for the series, with splashes of the (mostly) good life enjoyed on the Vineyard mixed with a quietly rising mystery that peaks but never quite steals your attention away from the "local"'s eyed view of the island.
I class this series in my popcorn books category, literary comfort food which as it turns out has proven perfect for the extended New Years holiday here in Japan.
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu and a hearty Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou!
May 19, 2013
Just a short funny piece from the book: JW met the police chief and they are having a conversation:
"I know I said it last year, but this time I really mean it. The other day when I came out of the station, this woman stops her car and asks me, "Is this the right road?" Not "Is this the right road to Katama?" or "Is this the right road to the airport?" Just, "Is this the right road?" Ye gods, what kind of question is that? Then, about an hour later I wa up in front of the A & P and damned if a guy doesn't stop his car and ask me the very same thing. That's when I knew it was time to go up to Nova Scotia."
"What did you tell those people?"
"I did the right thing. I smiled and said yes, it was. And they drove off."
Lots of funny stuff like this in the book and a good mystery, too.
"I know I said it last year, but this time I really mean it. The other day when I came out of the station, this woman stops her car and asks me, "Is this the right road?" Not "Is this the right road to Katama?" or "Is this the right road to the airport?" Just, "Is this the right road?" Ye gods, what kind of question is that? Then, about an hour later I wa up in front of the A & P and damned if a guy doesn't stop his car and ask me the very same thing. That's when I knew it was time to go up to Nova Scotia."
"What did you tell those people?"
"I did the right thing. I smiled and said yes, it was. And they drove off."
Lots of funny stuff like this in the book and a good mystery, too.
June 5, 2013
A CASE OD VINEYARD POISON by Philip R. Craig
Amidst the plans for J.W. Jackson and Zee Maderias getting married we find a young woman dead on J.W.’s property, apparently poisoned. Things point to an accident of a health food fan eating the wrong mushrooms, but J.W. doesn’t buy that theory. Craig had me guessing not exactly whodunnit but how and why right up until the last few pages. I’m a sucker for these Martha’s Vineyard mysteries because Craig intersperses plenty of surf casting, clamming, and scalloping along with a few good seafood recipes all of which remind me of my younger days on Long Island’s North Fork. 4 stars.
Amidst the plans for J.W. Jackson and Zee Maderias getting married we find a young woman dead on J.W.’s property, apparently poisoned. Things point to an accident of a health food fan eating the wrong mushrooms, but J.W. doesn’t buy that theory. Craig had me guessing not exactly whodunnit but how and why right up until the last few pages. I’m a sucker for these Martha’s Vineyard mysteries because Craig intersperses plenty of surf casting, clamming, and scalloping along with a few good seafood recipes all of which remind me of my younger days on Long Island’s North Fork. 4 stars.
November 1, 2013
As with most of the Vineyard series, this one really does have a decent mystery plot. Also as usual, one has to wade through a lot of inane filler: 'witty banter', fishing and otherwise procuring seafood, the manner of cooking same, and the reiteration of things the author says about Martha's Vineyard at least once or twice each book. Having duly waded through this swash for half the book or so, picking up the various mystery lines, one is finally rewarded with a fairly decent and satisfactory ending.
March 14, 2014
I very much enjoy this series, and this book is no exception. J.W. Jackson and his girlfriend Zee, along with two other friends, find themselves trying to solve the murder of a girl who was a summer worker, and who drove her moped to, and subsequently died in, J.W.'s driveway. It all starts when Zee find an unexplained deposit in her bank account of a hundred thousand dollars, and it ends in J.W. tracking down the criminal who put it there.
December 11, 2023
Another good read!
I like that we finally get to meet some of Zee's family. They have been a bit of a mystery up to this point, especially as it concerns her relationship with J.W.. This was a very enjoyable addition to the series. It was one of the stories they turned into part of a movie series on Hallmark. I liked that there were some similarities to the movie, but the book was great and unique in its own way. I'm looking forward to the next book.
I like that we finally get to meet some of Zee's family. They have been a bit of a mystery up to this point, especially as it concerns her relationship with J.W.. This was a very enjoyable addition to the series. It was one of the stories they turned into part of a movie series on Hallmark. I liked that there were some similarities to the movie, but the book was great and unique in its own way. I'm looking forward to the next book.
October 20, 2008
A CASE OF VINEYARD POISON - G
Craig, Philip R. - 6th in Martha's Vineyard series
A betrothed couple, J. W. Jackson and Zee Madieras discover that a $100,000 deposit has been made into their bank account, and a college student, who recently withdrew that amount, is murdered in their driveway.
Very enjoyable. Excellent characters, great sense of place, well-plotted.
Craig, Philip R. - 6th in Martha's Vineyard series
A betrothed couple, J. W. Jackson and Zee Madieras discover that a $100,000 deposit has been made into their bank account, and a college student, who recently withdrew that amount, is murdered in their driveway.
Very enjoyable. Excellent characters, great sense of place, well-plotted.
January 22, 2016
Number six in the Martha Vineyard's mystery series starring JW Jackson and his family, this is a great series. I've never been to Martha's Vineyard, but hope to go someday. I hope I will feel that JW Jackson and his wife and kids might pop up at any moment. I miss the series.
February 7, 2016
#6 in the Martha's Vineyard Mystery series.
A betrothed couple, J. W. Jackson and Zee Madieras discover that a $100,000 deposit has been made into their bank account, and a college student, who recently withdrew that amount, is murdered in their driveway.
A betrothed couple, J. W. Jackson and Zee Madieras discover that a $100,000 deposit has been made into their bank account, and a college student, who recently withdrew that amount, is murdered in their driveway.
July 24, 2010
A very good read.
August 31, 2010
Not one of his best.
July 18, 2013
I enjoy the author's chatty writing style and I enjoyed the story. My only complaint was his use of the phrase "half-wit" but the book was copyrighted in 1995 so that is probably part of it.
April 10, 2016
Setting Martha's Vineyard-retired Boston Police Officer-J.W. Jackson
Light mystery/light romance...good series/enjoyed!
Light mystery/light romance...good series/enjoyed!
December 21, 2011
A good series; a good read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews