Touch-Me-Not

Martha's Vineyard Mystery #9

by Cynthia Riggs

Victoria Trumbull, the ninety-two-year-old poet/sleuth, is back in another entertaining mystery, set in beautiful Martha's Vineyard.

A mathematical knitters group is working on a coral reef quilt for a competition to draw attention to global warming. When a telephone stalker begins preying on their members, they become terrified and distracted and turn to Victoria Trumbull for help. Victoria and Police Chief Casey O'Neill attempt to track down the man the women suspect of stalking, but he seems to have disappeared. To complicate matters, someone gets killed. Victoria must solve the murder and also deal with issues on the home front when her daughter, Amelia, arrives from California, determined to help her mother and concerned that Victoria may be too great a burden on Elizabeth, Amelia's daughter.

Cynthia Riggs has once again created a suspenseful mystery with a cast of eccentric and memorable Island characters, bringing the rich setting of Martha's Vineyard to life.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Cynthia Riggs, a tall gray-haired and imposing figure, is a 13th generation Islander, the mother of five and daughter of author and poet Dionis Coffin Riggs and school principal and printmaker Sidney N. Riggs.

With a degree in geology, her own remarkable resumé -- writing for the National Geographic Society and Smithsonian (she spent two months in Antarctica), working in public relations for the American Petroleum Institute, operating boat charters (she lived on a 44-foot houseboat for 12 years), running the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Boat Company, and being a rigger at Martha's Vineyard Shipyard. After enrolling six years ago in the Master of Fine Arts creative writing program at Vermont College, Riggs found yet another calling. She has become a successful mystery writer.

All her mysteries take place on the Vineyard, and all draw from local scenes and fictionalized composites of Island characters. She knows them all well, having been a two-time candidate for West Tisbury selectman ("No, I don't think I'll do that again"), a commissioner on the Martha's Vineyard Commission, a member of what is now the Martha's Vineyard Arts Council, and an active Island voice in both politics and human rights causes.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Riggs' Touch-Me-Not will keep you on the edge of your seat as you devour this tale of how easily a man's life can unravel. Unlike with the usual mystery -- whether Riggs' or anyone else's -- you'll know the perpetrator of one of the two mysteries in this book from the very first chapter. What will surprise you is how quickly and how abjectly electrician LeRoy Watts' life spirals out of control. As usual, the uncanny Victoria Trumbull -- the perennially 92-year-old poet, sage, sheriff's deputy and sleuth -- becomes the first to suspect that LeRoy Watts -- exemplary businessman, father, Boy Scout troop leader, and pillar of his church and community -- isn't all he's cracked up to be; however, that mystery takes a backseat to a self-destructive spiral worthy of a Greek tragedy.

Victoria also determines how this first mystery ties into a second that develops in the second half of the book. Yet a third sub-plot involves Victoria's daughter, Amelia, the mother of Victoria's beloved granddaughter Elizabeth; Amelia Trumbull comes from San Francisco to visit, concerned that her mother is over-exerting herself at 92 and should consider relocating to a retirement home in San Francisco. Appalled, Victoria comes up with a plan to thwart any such thing!

Riggs, the 13th generation of her family to call Martha's Vineyard home, as always, makes the island seem a character in the novel. Whether a lesson on the Touch-Me-Not plant or lush description of delicate Ladyslipper orchids, readers feel as if Riggers were taking them on a personal tour of Martha's Vineyard. I learn so much botany and natural science from reading Riggs' novels! That has been true even in some recent novels, Shooting Star and Death and Honesty, which have not been up to Riggs' usual high standard. While those novels were still fun, the endings were patently unbelievable.

But no fear of that in the case of this book, Riggs' ninth Victoria Trumbull novel. While I truly loved The Cemetery Yew or Jack in the Pulpit, Touch-Me-Not may be Riggs' best book yet.

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always liked the books in this series. But this one left a little to be desired in the ending. Some of the solution to the various mysteries seemed to be totally unsubstantiated by any evidence.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mystery which grabbed you and did not let go! One poor choice led to another and oy-veh! Ninety-two year old sleuth Victoria Trumbull gives you hope for your aging future!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series that I've read, and I find them great fun - even though they seem somewhat like Murder, She Wrote with Martha's Vineyard filling in for Cabot Cove. What's not to love about a 92-year-old woman who's a deputy with the local police department, a newspaper columnist, and general great gal. What's fun about this book is that the murder happens early in the book, and you know who did. A good part of the book is spent on the murder trying to cover up his crime and falling apart in the process. Meanwhile there are several other mysteries going on at the same time - all circling around a group of knitters who are creating a 3D quilt. It all comes together in interesting ways.

[Chris Stauffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading PD James, I found Cynthia Riggs to be refreshingly light-hearted. Her description of Martha's Vineyard is done subtly and poetically. Her appealing heroine is a capable 92-year-old woman who is flawed, but has every reason to be confident in her intuition. One suspect finds himself in situations that could drive a man crazy and brings a laugh to the reader. I felt drawn into the plot, trying to guess the murderer, and I enjoyed the suspenseful way the murderer's identity was revealed.

I was introduced to Cynthia Riggs tell a story on The Moth Radio Hour. She was 92 at the time, and her zest for life convinced me to read her books.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed this book because I love this series. Victoria Trumbull is ninety two and definitely has her own ideas about things. She is stubborn, at times irascible, very much admired by those who know her best. She does not want to be coddled just because she is over ninety. She no longer drives and has been known to hitchhike. Of course she helps find murderers.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very different book. I was unsure if it would be a good read as it was written very differently from most that I have read. Very interesting how the murderer became the victim of the next murder. A very good read! Most delightful.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria Trumball, 90+ YO, resident of Martha's Vineyard and super sleuth is on another case. When two bodies show up and young female residents are receiving anonymous harassing phone calls, Victoria is determined to find out who is behind it all.

[Samantha Kershaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book grabbed my attention and was a very easy read, but towards the end found myself being impatient cause you could tell the big twist halfway through, and some of the conversations in the book felt irrelevant and repetitive. Was an okay book to just pass the time for me.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read in this series and I enjoyed it. Definitely unusual having a 92 year old woman as the main character.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needles of a different material (plastic vs. steel) don't necessarily signify different sizes, but that is the only flaw I found in this book.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library find.
Interesting!
Descriptive!
Well written!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Umm not really my style tbh. It was like a soap opera and though I like the way it didn’t follow the same outline like others, it was slow 🤪 still good

[Sally Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of characters!

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last 2 chapters far better than rest of book.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, Library claiming that I ruined it & trying to charge me. grr.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Cynthia Riggs's Touch-Me-Not, the 9th installment in the Martha's Vineyard Mystery series, you'll be enchanted and intrigued into this fast-paced mystery. For 92-year-old Police Deputy Victoria Trumbull, there was nothing she couldn't do. While she loved gardening her flowers on the beautiful island of Martha's Vineyard, she loved having her granddaughter in her home. But first, she dealt with a electrical outlet in her inn and then having to solve two connected murders. LeRoy Watts had a terrible secret he didn't want anyone to find out, when Jerry Sparks, a former employee with a drug problem, had discovered it and blackmailed him. From there, Jerry Sparks ended up dead, and later on, during the mathematical knitting group, there's talk about stalkers and prank callers on the phone line. When his secret became uncovered, someone went after LeRoy Watts and killed him. For Victoria and Casey, they had to deal with true gruesome murders and find the connection between the two of them. Before she knew it, she would be next to discover who done it and why.

[Gwen Mayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cynthia Riggs is one of my favorite authors so picking one of the Victoria Trumbull books off the rack is a chance to catch up with old friends. Victoria doesn't disappoint. The perpetual 92-year-old deputy and her quirky friends are wonderful companions on a cold winter day.

I was looking forward to reading Touch-Me-Not and the book does have many strong points. The complex relationship between Victoria and her daughter is great. The murder investigation and stalking subplot were both well written.

In the end justice is served in a way that is very satisfying. What I found disappointing was the amount of time devoted to Jerry Sparks without identifying what tipped the scale in his life to send him back to drugs. I also found it troubling that we don't get a better payoff for the amount of attention the book gives to the Sparks murder. When I closed the final page I wondered if this book had been rushed to press without giving the plot the amount of attention it deserved.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant read, as all of Cynthia Riggs's Martha Vineyard books are; they've become a bit of a tradition for me, as I generally read one of her books towards the end of the summer. I think the world of Riggs and Victoria Trumbell--a ninety-two-year-old poet and sheriff's deputy (!)--is one of my favorite fictional characters, but the real star here is the Vineyard, and I enjoy visiting with Victoria and the Vineyard.

This book was sadly marred by insufficient editing and proofreading. I found a typo--only one, as I wasn't reading too carefully--but some details were repeated over and over again, like one character being referred to as "Fran, the retired professor". Yes, I get it. I got it the first time. Stop.

But, as I say, spending time with Victoria and Martha's Vineyard is always time well spent and very pleasant.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest mystery in a series involving a 90+ year old “deputy” assisting the local female police chief continues developing several highly independent, perhaps, non-traditional women characters. These women and their relationships among each other, their determination to live their lives as they choose, draws me to this series for more than the plot. Having said that, the plot surfaces unexpected details (e.g., a quilting group where the quilt design is based on mathematical equations and concepts.) Finally, many of the names of the characters are people who made donations to local charities on Martha’s Vineyard for the honor of their name appearing in the book…great fun all for good causes.

[Consuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone at work gave me this book -- it was a promotional copy. I thought the title sounded like it was a gothic novel, but hey it was free so I started it. I LOVED it! This is a series of books about a wonderful character named Victoria Trumbull. She has lived her whole life on Martha's Vineyard and is an "amateur" detective. I put amateur in quotes because she solves most of the cases on the island. Oh yeah, and she is 92 years old, but it doesn't matter one bit. Her character is charming, resourceful and funny. She is a poet and loves gardening. I liked this book so much, and felt such an affinity to Victoria (this is the grandmother I wish I'd had) that I ordered a bunch more of these books from my favorite wonderful used books site: www.betterworldbooks.com

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book on the way to Martha's Vineyard because it takes place there and involved a bunch of obsessive knitters. I thought it would be fun. When I first started reading it and learned that the two electricians in town were named Watts and Sparks, I thought I was in trouble and that I would hate the book. But as the story developed, I became really interested. It was a simplistic story but had many twists and turns and I loved the characters and the descriptions of the location. So my rating went from one star to two and then finally to three. It ended rather abruptly. But how could I hate a book that had a knitting needle as a possible murder weapon? I spent a lot of time knitting while reading it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun series. I have read a lot of cozies in my time but this detective is over the top. Victoria Turnbull is 92 years old and a deputy sheriff on Martha's Vineyard. There is a murder very early in the story and Victoria is assisting the town's chief of police in solving that. There is a stalker making phone calls to some of the town's residents and then another murder has people lining up to confess. It is a fun story and I will definitely read more Victoria Turnbull stories.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mathematical knitting group that meets at the library is making a quilt of the local coral reef for a national contest. Local electrician Jerry Watts shoots his assistant with a Taser, accidentally killing him. He covers up, hiding the body in the book sale warehouse at the library (his wife is on the library board). Several of the women in the knitting group admit to receiving calls from a heavy breather - creepy. Then another body turns up....Not a quiet spring on Martha's Vineyard for 92-year-old super sleuth Victoria!

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series, but I have to say that this one wasn't as tightly plotted as previous titles in the series.

There's no mystery for one of the murders and not much for the second. I suppose the most interesting part was having Victoria's daughter come visit from California. Apparently, there's quite a bit of tension between them because Amelia doesn't understand that even at 92 years of age, her mom is more spry than most people half that.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Druggie Jerry Sparks is determined to get his job as an electrician back, but his boss, LeRoy Watts, is equally determined to have nothing to do with the younger man. Meanwhile, elderly Victoria Trumbull, living happily with her granddaughter, is afraid that her daughter plans to visit and interfere with her active, busy life. Riggs has some nice plot twists with which to surprise readers in this gentle cozy.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Riggs and this series, but this was not my favorite. Victoria still intrigues and I love the Vineyard setting. While the stalking theme was topical, I wasn't as engaged as I have been with past mysteries.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was all ready to give this book one or maybe two stars but the last few chapters got really exciting. It's a simple mystery -- good for reading in short spurts while waiting in the car, at the dentist, etc. Be patient with it though -- it is not what it seems.

[Joann Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always Cynthia Riggs is always ready to take you on an unexpected journey. Having visited Martha's Vineyard I love her descriptions of the surrounding. Always hate to see the end and it will always hold a twist.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

She does have many twists and turns in the plot and good descriptions. I do like the protagonist, elderly Victoria Trumbull, but her police chief partner is not too believable. It is entertaining to a degree that I keep reading to solve the mystery.