Product Description
Completely updated every year, Frommer’s Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard 2010 has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for romance or family fun. You’ll find details on the best towns, beaches, whale-watching cruises, bike rides, clam shacks, bird-watching, antique shops, and art galleries. The guide is written by a longtime resident of Cape Cod, who has personally inspected all the B&Bs, inns, cottages, and motels she recommends.
Frommer's Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard 2010 includes:

• Everything you need to know to find the perfect seaside clam shack and the best winding bike trail.
• Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.
  Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Customer Reviews (2)

more like a condensed phone book than a guide book
The Frommer's guide to Cape Cod is more like a compact directory of businesses than a proper guidebook.It might be useful for looking up shops and restaurants in the vicinity, but it does not provide enough information, analysis, and recommendations to be really useful in planning a trip.The index is particularly poor: for example, there is no index entry for "lighthouses" or for "museums", both subjects that a visitor would be likely to research.Instead of the Frommer's guide I recommend the Insider's Guide, which is a pleasure to read.See Insiders' Guide to Cape Cod & the Islands, 8th (Insiders' Guide Series)

Not up to Frommers standards
This guide book is full of political opinions regardingland development policy on Cape Cod and short on reveiws of some major lodging and dining establishments.A great dissapointment and definately not up to Frommers standards.Dont waste your money - buy a different guide book!This is written by someone who is usually a huge Frommers fan. ... Read more

Product Description
Cynthia Riggs draws from a lifetime's intimacy with fabled Martha's Vineyard and its people to create an irresistible series filled with murder and special atmosphere A small town, even one detached from the mainland, has its share of unpleasant residents. When a developer with an unhappy wife, a bullish attitude toward women, and a much frowned upon plan is murdered, not many tears are shed. The case naturally falls to Victoria Trumbull, the ninety-two year-old sharp-witted sheriff's deputy. Served by her in-depth knowledge of the island and her indomitable drive, Victoria is on the trail again. Bunions, lilac-bough cane, and all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Another good one
I totally enjoy all of this series...very entertaining diversions. Cynthia Riggs writes excellent dialogue and creates very believable characters.

Who's writing the obituaries?
Victoria Trumbull is 92 and lives on Martha's Vineyard.She gets fired from her job as West Tisbury correspondent for The Island Enquirer.The editor is going for a younger look.

Victoria throws her weight behind The Grackle, a two-page West Tisbury newsletter, into a competitor of the Enquirer.The Grackle's editor doesn't want it to grow, but Victoria takes over.

The Enquirer's editor has been receiving obituaries naming him as the deceased.Since they follow the deaths of people close to him, he can't laugh them off as jokes.He rehires Victoria to discover the identity of the obituary writer.Since she knows everyone on the island, she sets out to find the writer and hopefully not need one written for herself.

I really enjoy Victoria.She is such a spitfire at 92.She is the type of person I would enjoy hanging around.Martha's Vineyard is one of my favorite settings for mysteries.

The author has done a great job with the plot and provided many twists and turns to keep us guessing.I highly recommend this book.

A Vineyard soap opera mystery
Victoria Trumbull has lived on Martha's Vineyard her entire life -- all 92 years of it.Not only does she know every inch of the island, but she also knows everyone on it.She's the perfect person to help solve the mystery of the chilling obituaries that newspaper editor Colley Jameson keeps receiving -- ones that feature himself as the deceased.Chapter by chapter, author Riggs introduces us to a variety of characters whose paths must eventually cross and criss-cross again.In soap opera fashion, everyone seems to have been married or involved with everybody else in the community.(Writer Tom Dwyer should seem vaguely familiar to those who have read Philip R. Craig's books.)When people start dying and Colley's fake obits come too close to reality, Victoria vows to get to the bottom of it all.She is a feisty senior whose quirky approach to investigation is fun to follow to the end.An entertaining read for cozy mystery afficionadoes.

delightful cozy
On Martha's Vineyard, ninety two year old Victoria Trumbull is fired from her job at the Island Enquirer where she has been writing the West Tisbury column for over a half a century.Publisher Colley Jameson feels he can get someone to work the section cheaper.Shortly thereafter, he gets a fake obituary notice that he believes Victoria sent to him but she denies it vehemently.Instead the nonagenarian goes to work for the West Tisbury Grackle a one page broadsheet published by William Botts.

When Colley's biggest advertiser is killed, a second obituary notice arrives.When one of his ex-wives gets shot, he receives a third obit.Colley hires Victoria to find out who the writer is even though she has increased the circulation of the Grackle forcing Mr. Botts, who wanted to do the paper as a retirement hobby, to hire more staff.When Colley's ex-wife is shot and then killed in the hospital by candy laced with cyanide is killed by candy laced with cyanide another obituary notice arrives.Victoria figures out who the obituary writer is but believes that person is not the killer.The last obituary notice happens when Colley's lawyer is murdered.The crime wave comes to a climax when the two suspects meet with Victoria because they need her help.

The protagonist may be ninety-two but she has more energy than people half her age.Poor Mr. Botts didn't have a chance when Victoria changed his broadsheet into a sixteen pager with pictures and a staff of eight.The authorities think that none of the murders are linked but Victoria is determined to prove otherwise and ends up saving Colley's life when someone lures him into a trap.Cynthia Riggs has written a delightful cozy starring a likable protagonist.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cape Cod at its best
For many years, the author has sold beautiful photographs of Cape Cod scenes in his store in Chatham, Mass.This book is a compilation of these photographs, and they are exquisite.Anyone who loves Cape Cod, or photographs of natural beauty in general, should buy this book. The author manages to capture on film what so many people love about Cape Cod and convey a sense of what makes Cape Cod different from anywhere else.

Excellent Cape Cod Photographs
This is a superb collection of highly detailed photographs of mainly natural scenes on Cape Cod. The photographs are mostly of the Outer Cape (Chatham to Provincetown) and span all four seasons.The reproductions are exceedingly well done. Anyone who likes nature photography or Cape Cod should love this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.

Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Cape Cod!

•Updated annually, Fodor’s Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guide book.

•Fodor’s Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.

•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including out top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Cape Cod.

•Experience Cape Cod like a local! Fodor’s Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard includes choices for every traveler, from watching whales and pedaling along the Cape Cod Rail Trail to indulging in spa treatments and browsing art galleries, and much more!

•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.

Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent suggestions
My family used this book as we planned our trip to Cape Cod and Nantuckett.We were delighted with all of the recommendations.Though we stayed in Hyannis we traveled and visited towns across the Cape and took a day trip to Nantuckett.We visited several (4-5) 'Fodor's Choice' restaurants of various price levels and were delighted with what we found! We also tried out several beaches based on Fodor's recomendations and our four year old had an excellent time.I would suggest this book for anyone traveling and visiting the area. ... Read more

Product Description
In a work with profound implications for the electronic age, Ivan Illich explores how revolutions in technology affect the way we read and understand text.

Examining the Didascalicon of Hugh of St. Victor, Illich celebrates the culture of the book from the twelfth century to the present. Hugh's work, at once an encyclopedia and guide to the art of reading, reveals a twelfth-century revolution as sweeping as that brought about by the invention of the printing press and equal in magnitude only to the changes of the computer age--the transition from reading as a vocal activity done in the monastery to reading as a predominantly silent activity performed by and for individuals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A warning and further suggested reading about DVH
Those who wrote comments on this book ought to read Randy Engel's critique of PopeJPII's Theology of the Body.There they will see what a pivotal role DVH played in helping the Pope impose his own personalist and heretical opinions about Original Sin and the traditional teaching of the Church on the proper ends of marriage on the Church.See and read "JP II and the Theology of the Body: A Study in Modernism" on her website, [...]There you will see how and why TOB is based on the denial of OS and how DVH's mission to invert the traditional ends of marriage (condemned by 3 previous popes) to his own personalist philosophy was succesful, to the detriment of millions of souls.This poison has been enthroned in the new Code of Canon Law as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church.You will understand why, for instance, the number of annulments has increased astronomically since VAT II.In other words, DVH was guilty of promoting a heresy as evil as the ones he condemned in this book.When a theologian of his stature insists that Pope Pius II, Pope Pius XI and Pope Leo XII as well as all previous Fathers and Doctors of the Church were wrong in insisting on the primacy of the procreation and education of children over the secondary (but nevertheless important) ends of marriage (mutual aid a remedy for concupiscence) you don't have to be as brilliant as Chesterton to see that Satan has entered the Church.There is no way to explain why a Catholic philosopher and theologian, who has written so many wonderful, orthodox books,could go so far off track, except the old adage: most heresies were invented by over-educated scholars, not peasants.It is the Mystery of Evil.Engel has earned her reputation as a thoroughly reliable researcher.She documents every statement she makes.Her expose's of the extent of the Homosexual Collective's infiltration of the Church ("The Rite of Sodomy") and the promotion of sex education in Catholic schools ("The McHugh Chrinicles" and "The Final Plague") are more devastating than DV and they identify those who are responsible.

It Explains A Lot of Bad Theology
I've always loved Von Hildebrand.He is very good at getting to the heart of issues, and this book is no exception.

Von Hildebrand's work, Trojan Horse in the City of God, was more reserved than this book.In Devastated Vineyard, von Hildebrand seems to be more aggressive in his criticism of theology gone bad.He helps you understand both the origins of these ideas and the (heretical) conclusions that logically follow.

If you are interested in a philosophical refutation of the madness that has infected many good Catholics, this is a critical book.Once most people hear these truths, many un-Catholic problems can be uprooted.

A must read
Everything from DVH is great, but this book I can particularly recommend. In this book DVH systematically examines the evils that have entered the Church. True, alot of people are doing that today and it is a popular topic, but DVH does it with such intelligence, honesty, and love. His arguments are always very good and because he was a great philosopher, he can get down to the bottom of issues and their root causes in ways that lesser men simply aren't able to.

This book examines many trends from theology and philosophy to the use (or lack of) of Church authority. While he is never bitter, DVH is not at all afraid to call evil by its name and expose what it is doing to the Church and the world. So many of these errors are taken for granted by even many bishops and cardinals that it can be difficult for men who really want the truth to find it....even from teachers in the Church, This book will help you to withstand the world and its lies and also to help your friends and neighbors who have have willingly or unwillingly fallen prey to modernism and the spirit of the age.

While he always exhorts us to hope in God, DVH never falls into the thinking that this should stop us from confronting and combatting the evils in the Church and world. There is no bury-your-head-in-the-sand-and-put-on-a-smiley-face writing in this book. Satan has infiltrated the Church in a big way and we must thrust him out again. We are not in a "new springtime" folks.

I should note that DVH was a close personal friend of PiusXII, who called him a modern doctor of the Church. He was also a world renowned philosopher.

In brief, if you want to save yourself and others from whats going on today and please God then get this book.

I also recommend "The Charitable Anathema" and "The Trojan Horse in the City of God" and really anything else that this author has written.

I hope this helps. ... Read more

Product Description
The author of Heart of the Home takes readers through the seasons in this enchanting hand-lettered and watercolored book. It includes all the special foods that herald the changing seasons. Interwoven throughout the book are suggestions for romantic evenings, children's parties, homemade gifts, and, of course, ideas for celebrations for each of the seasons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

WONDERFUL BOOKS!
These books are a real pleasure to look at over and over again with just wonderful recipes!It is one you are proud to share with others and makes excellent gifts for anyone that loves to collect cook books and loves cooking.YOU CAN GIVE THIS ONE WITH PRIDE ... IF YOU CAN PART WITH IT!

Beautiful!
I recieved this book as a wedding gift almost 10 years ago, and I really love it.The recipes are fabulous, and the book itself is just beautiful, with poems and ideas for each season.A cookbook you can browse through over and over again.

Absolutely The Best!
This was my first Susan Branch book, of which now I have several, but I had no idea when I purchased it what a treat was in store for me! Each and every page of this, and all of her books, are chock full of the most beautiful artwork imaginable; thoughtful, inexpensive ideas, delicious recipes (although I'm not much of a cook) and beautifully written as well. I enjoy picking up one of my Susan Branch books and read it from cover to cover; absorbing each and every emotion that she puts into her work; it is all so very obvious how much she cares.Eventually, Susan Branch will feel like an old friend to you. I highly recommend each and everyone of her books, and enjoy giving them as gifts, too!

The REAL Woman's Martha Stewart.
I very much enjoy all of Susan Branch's books. This one was the first one I bought and it is well used. The book's recipes are simple recipes with many ingredients that you would already have in your own cupboard. The book is handwritten by Susan and she also does all the illustrations. It is filled with pictures and quotes and personal notes. Susan has a sunny style, the pictures are colorful and the books are wonderfully upbeat-as much fun to read as they are to cook from. I always read them first and tag all the pages with sticky notes on what I will try. I now own all of her books, and have found all of them to be wonderful. These books would make great gifts as well as a wonderful addition to your own kitchen.

Wonderful Book!
The recipes in this book are easy to follow.They do not require a lot of unusual ingredients which you may not have in your pantry.It's also a treat to look at; the illustrations are fun and fanciful. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Overview, But A Bit Cumbersome
Purchased this book for a return trip to Martha's Vineyard, primarily to learn about additional bike routes we might try. Decided to try the "on road" route for Chappaquiddick. Book said something like 12.3 miles, but turned out that about 5 of those miles were really "off road" - all sand - without a mountain bike (we have hybrids), utterly impossible.And the map, although basic, was a little too basic - hard to follow and figure out which road was which. We gave up (although it IS impossible to get lost on Chappy).Also think the directions are a bit hard to follow - after all, you can't be reading this while you're riding, and there is too much to memorize.

It's a good reference book to learn about what routes are available, but a bit cumbersome to actually use as a guide book unless you're hiking...

Helping you get the most of what you want from the Vineyard
More than 200 pages describing trips/trails: 20 walking/hiking, 8 on-road biking, 5 off-road biking, and 12 paddling.Each trip has the Location (detailed directions to find it), Rating (easy to difficult), Fees (if any), Food (when available), Map, and a Description Overview with a detailed Route pointing out birds (great blue heron, osprey...) and plants (Lady's Slipper, cinnamon fern...) to enjoy, as well as plants to avoid (poison ivy).Additional notations such as "good for kids," "dogs allowed," and "swimming area" and other highlights were very helpful.

In my few days on the Vineyard, I chose four of the trails at different ends of the island and followed the directions. The info in Lee Sinai's book did not disappoint. Before leaving the Vineyard, I purchased another copy of the book for friends who are soon leaving for a two-week vacation on the island.

Indispensable for the active visitor
An amazing resource for those who want to explore Martha's Vineyard on foot, by bike or paddling. Clear table of contents and excellent directions to each of the 45 trips.Includes information about parking, available rest rooms, flora and fauna, as well as trail maps and tips. We were really impressed by the detail included in this handy paperback. Made our visit a real treat. ... Read more

Product Description
Holly Nadler, the ghost lady of Martha's Vineyard, won lots of attention for her collections of ghostly accounts on the island in Haunted Island. Now, in her second volume, Nadler brings her sassiness and spunk to investigating and delivering the dirt on even more eerie happenings on an island that is home to the rich, famous -- and, yes, the otherworldly. In fact, she says, Martha's Vineyard is America's most haunted island. ... Read more

Product Description
The vocation of chef is a noble one. It involves providing for others the fuel essential to life in a way that celebrates the senses and enlivens the spirit. All of the chefs who have contributed to this book are artisans of their vocation. Their culinary delights are best appreciated, however, when teamed with the art of a winemaker." -Park B. Smith, Veritas restaurant

Culinary masters from across the country contribute more than 80 fabulous recipes that pay homage to the world-famous Bryant Family Vineyard wine legacy.

Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet, first produced in 1992, is internationally recognized in such magazines as Wine Spectator, Decanter, and Food and Wine, and is served with distinction by wine connoisseurs and well-known chefs alike.

To celebrate the fervor and passion that keeps the Bryant Family Vineyard waiting list over 6,000 deep, culinary legends, including Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Terrence Brennan, Lidia Bastianich, Patricia Wells, and Gale Gand, share recipes inspired by their ardent love of the Bryant grape.

The The Bryant Family Vineyard Cookbook features a foreword by wine connoisseur and restaurateur Park B. Smith, an introduction by distinguished chef Charlie Trotter, and four-color photography by Robert Holmes showcasing the Napa vineyard's landscape and wine-making activities.

A portion of the proceeds from The Bryant Family Vineyard Cookbook sales will be donated to The Bowery Mission, a charity dear to Barbara Bryant’s heart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

If you're not hungry, you will be after reading this book...
I'm not much of a cook, but I enjoyed this book.The vineyard/wine pictures are lovely (but there are no photos of the food).The recipies are clearly written with lists of ingredients. Directions appear to be easily followed.Proceeds from the book are for charity.Congratulations to Ms. Bryant and Mrs. Fentress on a job well done!

Cookbook of the year?
Even if you can't afford a bottle of Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, you may be able to afford the vineyard's cookbook, which will last longer and is at least as intoxicating (and you don't have to wait a single moment for it to be at its peak).

This book is tantalizingly full of wonderful recipes from some of the finest restaurant chefs in the United States. If you want to experience one of the most satisfying meat dishes ever created, try Kevin Hashan's Grilled Rib-Eye with Bone Marrow Bread Pudding, Fiddlehead Ferns, and Chimichurri Sauce.If you want a vegetable to accompany it, try Alexandra Guarnaschelli's Pan-Roasted Cipollini Onions with Bacon and Fresh Daikon Radish.One of the wine recommendations for each of these is Barolo, so you needn't worry about a mismatch.(The wine recommendations in this book are brief, expert, apt, and international; and in no way are they an advertisement for Bryant Family Vineyard's own wine.)

This may be the most beautifully produced cookbook of the year.It may also be the best.

jill
What a wonderful book not to mention cookbook! I have not found or purchased a cookbook of this caliber before.
Thank you so much for taking the time and for the thoughtful, careful pairing of wine and foods. Stunning!

My new favorite cookbook


What a constellation of chefs




























One glance at the contributing chefs and another at the unique recipes sold me on the book. But I have had several
cookbooks go into my giveaway pile after trying the recipes and finding them lacking in accuracy when tried in my
home kitchen. I have already tried out four recipes from this cookbook and have been very happy with the results, so I am giving it five stars.

Elegant and appetizing!
A must for any foodie or lover of wine, this cookbook is lovely.Well written and beautifully illustrated, I am delighted to have this on my shelf.Plus, a portion of the proceeds benefit a truly wonderful charity in NYC, making this a guilt-free purchase! ... Read more

Product Description
Cape Cod and the Islands are New England's playground by the sea. Visitors looking to escape the maddening crowds and pricey parking lots for the experience of its diverse landscape, unique history, and charming communities will find all the information they need in this new Moon Handbook. While most conventional guides include only the obvious highlights, this guide covers the entire region with an insider's perspective on must-see attractions and undiscovered gems worth seeking out. Author and Massachusetts resident Jeff Perk provides generous helpings of historical and cultural information along with details on sports and recreation, small towns, historical exhibits, and nature trails that provide alternatives to the beaches. This first edition guide also includes a special chapter on the Elizabeth Islands, a little-known archipelago along the edge of Buzzards Bay, as well as coverage of other offbeat attractions, from square dancing under the stars in Wellfleet to seal-watching cruises from Nantucket. Complete with selective listings of dining and accommodation options, detailed maps, photos and illustrations, and insightful sidebars, Moon Handbooks Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket is the ultimate resource for an enriching and extraordinary getaway. ... Read more

Product Description
"Who Else Wants Learn How To Grow Your Own Juicy Grapes in 7 Days (Or Less)
- Guaranteed?"



If you are interested in learning everything there is to know about grape growing, than this is going to be the most important information you'll ever read...

Because:

Recently, a new breakthrough in grape growing was discovered and reported in an amazing new eBook called Grape Growing Secrets.

It's amazing, because it covers nearly every bit of information you wanted to know about grape growing, plus more...

Just imagine being able to learn how to grow your own grapes in just 7 days (or less) without buying expensive products or becoming frustrated.

And you could do this from the comfort of your own home, wouldn't that be great?

Yes you could have plump, juicy grapes.It truly is possible, but you just need to know how.

That's what this brand new amazing eBook on grape growing can help you - Plus you can....

Find Out All Of The Things You Can Do With Grapes In Just 7 Days

Why?

Because, every bit of this eBook is packed with the latest cutting edge information on grape growing and it took over 1 year to research, gather the data and compile it into this amazing new eBook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great guide
This is a great guide for anyone interested in growing grapes.It has easy to follow instructions and gives very helpful advice.I highly recommend it to anyone interested in grapes.

Great Information
Growing grapes has always seemed like something that would be very difficult to do, but after reading through this book, I have already started working on my own little backyard vineyard.It gives step by step instructions and you don't have to be an expert to understand them.I look forward to when I get to harvest my own grapes from my own backyard. ... Read more

Product Description
Vineyards in the Sky is the lively biography of Martin Ray, the cahrismatic California vintner who launched America's Wine Revolution. This third edition has been updated with new text and photos by Barbara Marinacci.

In Vineyards in the Sky you will
- View a century of California wine history, woven into the interconnected lives of French-born vintner Paul Masson and Martin Ray.
- Live vicariously those exciting years when Martin Ray owned Paul Masson's Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California from the mid 1930s to the early 1940s.
- Share the decades when Martin Ray, at his own vineyards on Mt Eden in the Santa Cruz Mountains, was host to internationally famous celebrities and wine connoisseurs.
- Glimpse through Martin Ray's turbulent career the eternal "dream of wine" that lures people to the winegrower's way of life.
- Experience all four dimensions of a forceful man who worked, loved, talked, laughed, fought, drank wine, enjoyed life, and dreamed in larger-than-life ways. ... Read more

Product Description
Fresh from his recent acclaim as a Good Morning America Bookclub choice, Philip R. Craig casts his observant eye on the fine line between tragedy and comedy on Martha's Vineyard.

Just look at the Vineyard's criminal du jour, "the Silencer." Loved by many and hated by some, the perp's on a campaign to destroy the audio systems in music-blasting party houses and open-windowed vehicles. Owners of said houses and vehicles feel both fear and hate, while some residents who seek silence silently cheer.

J. W. Jackson, former cop and now a part-time investigator, finds it difficult to get too excited about the Silencer's crimes. J.W.'s a classical music man himself, which may explain his reluctance to take the so-called crimes very seriously.

The fun stops, however, when someone is killed -- a night watchman is thrown over a cliff near an outrageously large new Chappaquiddick mansion.

Who killed Ollie Mattes? Was it the womanizer Harold Hobbes? Harold's mother, Vineyard aristocrat Maud Mayhew, begs J.W. to prove her son's innocence. Harold may have been guilty of vandalism at the mansion, but according to Maud, he's not a killer.

But if Harold didn't kill Ollie, who did? J.W. will soon find himself mired in an intrigue that links some of the Vineyard's most prominent families, families that have known, and sometimes hated, one another for generations. Who is telling the truth? Who will die next?

Meanwhile, at home, J.W.'s under pressure from Zee and the kids to acquire their first computer. Will J.W. ever enter the modern era? It's three against one, so how long can he hold out?

With his usual glorious mix of Vineyard ambience, romance, food, fishing, and first-rate suspense, Craig once again proves that his Martha's Vineyard mysteries are the perfect summer read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Who Can Outbuild their Neighbor?
The old families are upset as a corporate tycoon is building the largest house on the island on a high bluff above the ocean. Philip R. Craig's MURDER AT A VINEYARD MANISON has all the cast of local characters out in force to preserve their access to their favorite fishing spots.
J.W. is dumbfounded when Maud Mayhew comes calling asking him to prove her son innocent of killing Ollie Mattes, but then the son ends up murdered in the family driveway. J.W. can turn away from a good mystery, especially where everyone is kins (maybe too close) to everyone else.
Many secrets lie buried around the homes of the upper crust and they will go to any means to protect those secrets.
A fun read for the beach and any other time.
Nash Black, author of QUALIFYING LAPS.

A Genealogical Mystery
If you live on Martha's Vineyard, you'll probably like this book at lot better than I did. I found the elaborate genealogy of the various characters to be a trifle (yawn) boring. J.W.'s endless trips to interview people didn't help matters much. I don't know the Vineyard's geography well enough to understand all of the points, Mr. Craig was making so that also confused matters for me.

The background is a conflict between new money and old, exemplified in this case by two sides of a family eager to put the other side down. The practical form of competition is building mansions where the natural beauty would be preferred by most people.

Anger over one new mansion leads to the windows being trashed so a security guard is hired, one who is soon found dead at the bottom of the cliff. Evidence shows that he was battered from behind first, and the search is on for a killer.

Into investigation, J.W. Jackson is drawn when an upset mother wants her son protected from suspicion of the murder. Before J.W. can get very far, the matter becomes much more complicated.

In the background, someone is doing the fans of soothing music a favor by destroying sound systems that are blasting away. J.W. thinks it's a grand idea until the police chief points out that he wouldn't feel that way if the vandal started going after those who play Beethoven.

Although he's not supposed to snoop, J.W. can't resist and he learns more than he ever wanted to about who used to sleep with whom.

As usual, J.R. Craig takes potshots at the stuck-up wealthy wannabes, the old-money patricians, visitors to the island, and environmentalists.Part of the book's charm comes in its description of life in the Jackson household after J.W. relents and agrees to buy a computer for the family.

High hopes destroyed
I had high hopes for this mystery, high hopes right up to the penultimate chapter when the murderer is revealed.Then the author pulled out the old secretly tape recorded confession trick, and I groaned with disappointment.This trick is used too often and when there is no evidence that would stand up under cross examination in court.I would add that the trick is usually followed immediately by the death of the one confessing, so that there is no chance of the solution being questioned.This hackneyed solution should be banned, and any author who tries to use it should be banished forever.

Other than that, this wasn't too bad.It wasn't too good, either.The best thing about it was Martha's Vineyard itself, the sunny days, sandy beaches, ferries, fish, etc.Atmosphere is important to me, and the novel had plenty of that.But it also had too many asides, a cute kid or so too many, etc.The characters were not very interesting, except for Oliver Underfoot and Velcro.The plot was somewhat predictable.Any experienced mystery reader will see right through it about halfway into the book.Still, it was the Vineyard that made this worthwhile.

Until that next to the last chapter when the author ruined it all with a cheap trick.

A great mystery set on Martha's Vineyard
J. W. Jackson, former copy and now part-time investigator, enjoys his life of fishing and spending time with his family on Martha's Vineyard.Recently the Vineyard has been plagued with antics of the "Silencer."This recent criminal destroys the audio systems in houses blasting music during parties as well as in open-windowed vehicles.Many hate the Silencer, but some are thrilled with the quiet.

A night watchman is thrown over a cliff near a new mansion in Chappaquiddick.Who killed Ollie Mattes?There are plenty of suspects.One suspect's mother hires J. W. to prove her son's innocence.If he didn't kill Ollie, then who did?

As J. W. investigates, he finds himself looking into the lives of some of the Vineyard's most prominent families.He will have to sort through what he's told to determine who is lying and who is telling the truth.

Can he discover the killer before there is another murder?At the same time, will he succumb to the pressure at home to get their first computer?

I have long been a fan of this series.J. W. has grown and changed, and I am saddened at the death of the author.I am happy that I still have a few more books in this series to read before I have to say good-bye to J. W. Reading this series is what made me want to visit Martha's Vineyard so much.I like the descriptions the author gives and the slice of life he presents to the reader.

I highly recommend this book and series.

Mildly pleasant
I picked the audio version of this book up in the library to while away the many miles I had to spend on long commutes, many without radio contact.I'm not a particular fan of mysteries but I have enjoyed the ones I have read.This was OK...I managed to listen to the whole thing, mostly because it was better than nothing.I read here that this was the last one in a long series, and other reviewers have commented that it's one of the weaker ones.

Perhaps because I was listening and not reading, I had a hard time telling one character from another.There was a string of ex-girlfriends of one the murder victims, but other than the one who invited our hero, the amateur detective, to have sex with her, they all blended into one person in my mind.I think the trouble was that there was very little action involving the many characters--we mostly just hear about them, through others. There were a lot of complicated relationships--ex-husbands, half-brothers, bastards, etc. etc.I needed a score card to keep them straight, and as none of them was very interesting, I didn't bother.As another reader said, this would make a poor movie...it's all talk.Once I knew whodunnit, I turned off the cassette and didn't look back. I didn't care about any of them.

Mosly what one hears (or reads) is a whole lotta talk about this character, J. W. Something, the hero/narrator/sorta-detective.We know more about him than anyone would care to....his opinions of the rich folks on the island, (bad), environmentalists (bad), cops (not so great-- he used to be one and hated it), his wife (oo-la-la), answering machines (bad), blue fish (good), microbrewed ale (yes) horses (bad), his son (adorable), his daughter (adorable), church (bad), sex (good), fishing (very good). hip-hop (bad), Beverly Sills (good) etc.It's all pretty predictable and sorta boring.I tend to think this is a lot of wish fulfillment for the author.("I'm a manly man." the hero says, as if we hadn't already got the message.)The attempt at "romantic" scenes are hilarious or really really awful, depending on your point of view.

But I suppose that if you love Martha's Vineyard, this would be interesting, and if you love dective stories that are not very complicated or intelligent, you might like this. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (13)

Jackson Thriller
J.W. Jackson moves from the cozy side of the mystery field to a thriller with excellent results. This time his friend, Joe Bengay asks for his help and J.W. delivers.
VINEYARD PREY by Philip R. Craig features one of the most intriguing characters of the series, Joe Begay. The reader knows the story of J.W. and Hopi Indian Joe, but this volume allows the reader a closer examination of the man J.W. often uses as a source of information.
This volume may be the best of the series as it has a little bit of style for everyone.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.

vineyard prey
I've real a lot of philip craig's books............mystery books....they all take place on Martha's Vineyard...
a beautiful place to vacation.........

Vineyard Prey
Another vineyard mystery , but very similar to previous books.i wasn't sure I hadn't read it before--I hadn't.I would not recommend it unless you are really bored and need a quick beach read.

Another fun read about the Vineyard
My husband is hooked on the Philip Craig books. I really thought they were "guy" mysteries, but I've read them and found the stories place you right there, on Martha's Vineyard. I love the characters and it's a perfect gift for guys who love the beach, fishing and a well-toldtale. Suggestion: Read them in order!

Sorry to see this series end
I was very saddened to read about the death of Philip Craig. I have enjoyed this series since I came across the first or second book many years ago. I like very much the recipes in the end. I will be reading the other series J. W. and Brady Coyne stories. I will miss this author. ... Read more

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The story centers on Angela and Lutie, who have been married for over thirty years. Early in the book I chronicle their upbringings, while Angela was sheltered and filled with the good things of life, thanks to her mother's personality and desires, Lutie's was filled with hard work and the tragic deaths of his parents, and an eventual brutal period of service in Korea. After the war he puts himself through college and takes a banker's job in the very bank run by Angela's stepfather, and so they meet, fall in love and marry. After the death of Angela's mother, in the early eighties, the couple desides to accept the legacy she left of a fine home, on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, where much of Angela's growing up took place, and substantial investments to guarantee a genteel lifestyle. The transition from their home of three decades in Pittsburgh to a life of leisure on the Island takes some getting used to, but they soon come to enjoy it. In fact, before long Angela has taken on the mantle left by her mother as hostess and reknowned artist in the community. Meanwhile, the unexpected reappearance of a hated old combat soldier from Korea thrusts Lutie back into that time period and that mentality, and begins to take its toll. This, combined with an unwelcomed population burst on the Island, starts to wear on his normally imperterbable psyche. Angela observes the changes in her husband, which is never more noticable than the night he attacks and beats up a crowd of rowdy teenagers breaking glass and scattering trash on his favorite beach. The real trouble will not begin until he discovers his loathsome old comrade, frozen and dead in the house of a friend, closed for the winter. A vision of a chainsaw passes through his head, and suddenly he has a plan to stem the tide of growth on his beloved Island. It isn't long before the population is shocked and appalled to learn that a chainsaw wielding maniac is wreaking havoc on the Island, chopping up human bodies and displaying their parts around the various towns. While the rest of the community is in a panic Lutie grows increasingly agitated at what he has started, and when the investigation reveals the source of the bodies and the fear is assuaged, he decides to sink his remaining parts in the sea and get his life back to normal. It appears that he is in the clear, but is he ? This book is skillfully crafted, highly suspenseful and cleverly written, with understatement that only serves to reinforce the plotline. It presents the the troubling idea that people are not always what they appear, and it is a testatment to the detrimental psychological effects of being in a brutal war zone. Given the high number of veterans experiencing this trauma in our current wars, the book has a high contemporary relevance. My wife, our two children and I lived on the Island for over twenty years, and I have tried to distill the charm and grace, as well as the gritty underside, of this beloved piece of paradise. ... Read more

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Renowned photographer Alison Shaw and legendary editor Henry Beetle Hough capture the spirit of Martha's Vineyard. ... Read more

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This book examines the history of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Florida from the beginning of Reconstruction to the institution of Jim Crow segregation, a period when the AME Church played a crucial role in the religious, cultural, and political lives of black Floridians. The book begins with an overview of slave religion and the first stirrings of African Methodism before 1865 and culminates with the formidable challenges that faced the church by 1895. ... Read more

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Martha's Vineyard is home to ex-Boston cop J.W. Jackson, his adored wife Zee, their toddler Joshua, and newborn daughter Diana. For others, the picturesque vacation spot is a relaxing escape from a world filled with trouble. But there is no escap for Julia Crandel and Ivy Holiday, two Hollywood actresses staying in the Vineyard town of Oak Bluffs. Their arrival has incurred the wrath of a pair of local gangsters, and a deadly stalker from out of the young ladies' past has found out where they are hiding. Twin hurricanes are about to slam the idyllic island -- one a natural climatic disaster, the other an all-too-human catastrophe -- and it looks as if J.W. is going to get caught in the middle. And since his conscience won't allow him to abandon two frightened, helpless visitors to the fury of the coming storm, he stows away his fishing gear, sends his loved ones off-island ... and dives headfirst into the tempest.

Customer Reviews (11)

One of the Better Mysteries in This Series
This is the 10th book in the J.W. Jackson Martha's Vineyard series, so there are few surprises by this point.The virtue of these books is the Martha's Vineyard setting, which is great fun if you are familiar with the Island, and a welcome reminder of the Island when you are stuck on the mainland.As a mystery series, they are so-so; I would not be reading them without my M.V. connection.

As the series goes, this is one of the better mysteries and it comes with plenty of Island settings.More of the action takes place in Oak Bluffs than in many of the other books, and as someone who grew up on summers down island, I especially enjoyed that.J.W.'s family is sent off-island early in the book and pretty much stays there, so, other than his pining for and worrying about them, the family plays little role---which may be a plus or a minus for you.

The Price of Fame
J.W. Jackson is married with two children, when Julia Crandel and Ivy Holiday flee a Hollywood stalker who has access to a computer from his prison cell.
Julia is from an old Vineyard family and their sanctuary is precious to the girls, but their race taunts a pair of local gangsters who use intimidation to collect "protection money" from their neighbors' businesses.
Philip Craig creates one of his most vicious villains who is worse than any stalker.
J.W. aids the girls, but he protects his own by sending them off-island, then he fights back against vicious killer and a hurricane. A FATAL VINEYARD SEASON is top notch Craig.
Nash Black, whose books are available in Kindle editions.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the FathersHaints

Disappointing
What I've liked about the many Martha's Vineyard novels by Philip Craig is the setting.While I've never been to that island off Cape Cod, I've walked its beaches and visited its villages in my imagination and through Craig's descriptions.

This book just never really took me there, as previous books from the series did.Instead, Mr. Craig introduced me to a cast of characters that I didn't much like, one-dimensional apes who run a protection racket and shallow Hollywood layabouts.I didn't connect with a single one of them.

The story was nothing much for the first three-fourths of the book.The island was far in the background until near the grand finale.So what else is there to keep one reading?

THE BEST OF PHILIP CRAIG
I HAVE ALL OF PHILIP CRAIG'S MARTHA'S VINEYARD SERIES, IT IS A WONDERFUL INSIGHT TO LIFE IN THE VINEYARD WITH CLEVER MYSTERIES THROWN IN. I MYSELF HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE VINEYARD. I WAS SO SAD TO HEAR OF MR CRAIG'S PASSING. HE WILL BE MISSED.

different
If you have read other Vineyard books from Philip Craig, then you will note the tone of this one is edgier.I didn't particularly like the extremely dangerous nature of the Vegas brothers running around the island causing mafia like terror in paradise.You may also note early in the story that one of the two Hollywood actresses doesn't seem to be nearly as concerned about a stalker and the danger surrounding her as the other actress, which is curious.I would say this is a fine book, but I bumped it down to 3 stars mainly because it wasn't quite the Philip Craig style I have grown to love. ... Read more