DEAD IN VINEYARD SAND

A clash between golfers and cyclists stirs up tension on idyllic Martha’s Vineyard.

Ex-cop J.W. Jackson (Vineyard Prey, 2005, etc.) is buying a pound of shrimp when he’s verbally and physically attacked by Yale professor Henry Highsmith, who takes exception to J.W.’s parking his SUV too close to Highsmith’s bike. When the professor’s wife, Abigail, is run off the road by an old SUV, rumor suggests J.W. is to blame. A round of golf with some friends reveals Highsmith’s body buried in a sand trap. When someone takes a shot at Abigail, J.W. starts sleuthing to clear his name. Another recent death by drowning may be involved, since the Highsmiths’ teenaged children were the last to see Heather Willett alive at a raunchy beach party. Although the police warn him off, J.W. can’t let the mystery go, especially when he learns that the Willets and Highsmiths, formerly good neighbors, fell out over Heather’s pursuit of hunky teen Greg Highsmith. Do the murders stem from tensions over growth on the island, or is the motive more personal? Computer research, a spot of lock-picking and interviews with possible suspects help lead J.W. and the police to the truth.

Fans will enjoy another visit to Craig’s beloved island, and won’t mind how early the solution is telegraphed.