Craig, Philip R. – VINEYARD BLUES

[LJ Roberts]

VINEYARD BLUES- (Amateur Sleuth-Martha's Vineyard, MA-Cont) – G Craig, Philip R. – 11^th in series
Scribner, 2000- Hardcover

J.W. Jackson receives a visit from Corrie Appleyard, an old blues man who had been a friend of his father. While Corrie is playing at a local club, a house, owned by a local slumlord, burns down. A second house burns down, a body is found inside, Corrie is missing and the slumlord hires Jackson to find out who is burning his buildings. At the same time, another friend asks Jackson for help finding out who has been calling her about her former life as a porn actress.

This series has always been on the cozy side, and I've enjoyed previous books, but there is no development of the supporting characters and even the uniqueness of Martha's Vineyard is lost here. I'd like to see better dialogue and the word "delish" disappear completely. But it's a quick, light read in which there are no "evil" bad guys, just humans driven by greed, revenge and curiosity.