Martha's Vineyard Mysteries Books in Order

Retired Boston policeman J.W. Jackson hopes to enjoy fishing and romance on Martha's Vineyard. When a boat explosion kills a young drifter, he reluctantly investigates, finding that drugs and violence have followed him into his island refuge.

Professor Marjorie Summerharp's death in the ocean seems accidental, but J.W. Jackson suspects otherwise. Investigating her island connections draws him into academic rivalries, infidelity, and religious deception, where uncovering secrets may make him the next victim.

A visiting Middle Eastern ruler asks Martha's Vineyard to return a stolen emerald necklace, overwhelming its police. J.W. Jackson helps manage the visit, but the disappearance of both the jewels and Zee turns his assignment desperately personal.

J.W. Jackson's settled island life is disrupted by a student's death, threats from an abusive man, and uncertainty about Zee's future. Attempts on his own life send him toward Colorado in pursuit of a dangerous stalker.

Autumn on Martha's Vineyard brings renewed hostility between hunters and animal-rights activists. J.W. Jackson's quiet off-season ends when a body is found pierced by an arrow, forcing him to investigate a killing amid escalating local resentment.

Before his wedding to Zee, J.W. Jackson learns that her bank account briefly received an unexplained fortune. A poisoned student's body in his driveway and a similar withdrawal pull him into a dangerous financial mystery.

While enjoying married life with Zee, J.W. Jackson prevents an attack on an elderly former gangster at a Boston opera. The victim hires him to investigate possible Vineyard connections, leading toward island grievances and hidden motives.

J.W. Jackson discovers that a teenage beach acquaintance is the president's daughter and agrees to host her with Zee. When a corpse appears, the couple must protect their unexpected guest from a killer threatening her island holiday.

J.W. Jackson's summer with his young family is unsettled by Hollywood visitors and a dispute with an environmentalist. When that adversary is murdered after their confrontation, Jackson must find the killer to escape becoming the obvious suspect.

Preparing island houses before a hurricane, J.W. Jackson welcomes two visiting actresses to a client's home. Their fears about a convicted stalker, hostility from local bigots, and a break-in make him question whether the island offers safety.

An unexpected visit from blues musician Corrie Appleyard delights J.W. Jackson until suspicious fires strike island summer houses. A corpse discovered in the ashes raises fears for his friend and draws him into an investigation of arson and extortion.

Intruders attack Zee while demanding information about a man she does not know. J.W. Jackson recognizes him as his former wife's husband, whose flight from danger forces Jackson to confront old relationships and threats to his family.

J.W. Jackson helps a mysterious visitor search for stolen statues amid unease about an unsolved island murder and his wife's distance. Investigating the art trade exposes powerful collectors whose desire for rare objects may conceal lethal secrets.

Developer Donald Fox pressures Vineyard homeowners to sell valuable property cheaply, provoking resentment across the island. When his brother Paul is shot, J.W. Jackson wonders whether the wrong sibling was targeted and begins searching for the gunman.

A vandal targeting loud sound systems divides Vineyard residents, but a watchman's murder near a lavish mansion creates a more serious case. J.W. Jackson investigates at a mother's request, uncovering tensions among longstanding island families.

J.W. Jackson secretly brings his former Vietnam comrade Joe Begay back to the Vineyard after trouble strikes a covert government team. With an assassin possibly approaching and another agent arriving, Jackson must protect his friend and family.

An outspoken environmentalist is murdered on a Vineyard golf course, and J.W. Jackson becomes the leading suspect. His effort to clear his name requires finding the actual killer while the island's summer turns into a dangerous investigation.

Carole Cohen hires J.W. Jackson to identify the person stalking her reclusive brother, whose valuable land attracts pressure to sell. A body found nearby turns an apparently simple assignment into a murder investigation with competing personal interests.

An old friend arrives needing a place to hide, while Bonzo makes a discovery linked to a missing woman. J.W. Jackson investigates both problems as threats against his family disturb the Vineyard's otherwise peaceful winter.