Death on a Vineyard Beach is a typicalwho-dun-it with ex-cop J.W. Jackson, the investigative protagonist, andthe villain living under the same roof as his intended victim. This bookis only mediocre. If you have time to kill, it's worth reading for thelittle bits about life on Martha's Vineyard. It's a weak case for oursleuth, but with enough of a twist to make it enjoyable.

The onequality lacking is that even with detailed characters, I never caredabout what happened to them. They just exist. With the exception of twopages, the author uses an easy-to-read, slow, but progressive style thatbrings the reader to the next page comfortably, calmly and with noimmediate need to see what happens next.

Jackson is followedintimately, as the story is told through him. The first-personperspective gives a steady reference point to follow characters'movement. Craig spends lots of time describing daily life on theVineyard, but this is his signature feature and not unexpected.

There is an almost obvious false lead easily disguised by thereasoning that the "most likely suspect often did it"proclaimed by our sleuth. An easy read, without any major problems,everything fits well and all loose ends are tied up at the end. There'snothing distinguishing to make Death on a Vineyard Beach a great book,but it is enjoyable.