Drowning off Martha's Vinyard (Craig - Death in Vinyard Waters)

Philip R. Craig. Death in Vineyard Waters (1991) Originally The Man Who Walked Into The Sea. Ex-Boston cop J W Jackson doesn’t like the verdict of suicide pronounced over the body of Marjorie Summerharp, a 70-something academic whom he met at a party and liked. She’s made enemies, and we all know that academic feuds are among the most vicious on Earth. Jackson knows the tides and the currents, and the supposed time of death doesn’t fit where she was found many hours later. He tells his doubts to the sheriff, who decides to wait and see while Jackson does the sleuthing.
     The story unfolds slowly. Jackson is a likeable character, with a strong sense of honour. This interferes with both his love life and the investigation, when Ian McGregor, his rival for Zee Madeiras’s affections, may have a motive for removing Marjorie. There’s gentle satire of the summer denizens of the village, some sharp academic talks, and a send-up of some purveyors of expensive wellness. There’s what may be the slowest chase ever, involving two identical sailboats whose speed hardly differs. There’s also a lot of lore about fishing and clamming and other bucolic tasks and pastimes.
     A nicely done entertainment, second in the series. Above average for the genre. **½