Although this book had less Martha's Vineyard than Cynthia Riggs first novel starring "detective" Victoria Trumbull, I found it more enjoyable. In "Deadly Nightshade", there were too many coincidences that placed Victoria Trumbull in just the right place at the right time to be involved in the solution to the murder mystery. In The Cranefly Orchid Murders, Victoria still happens upon the first dead body, but the rest of plot involves her skills and pluckiness in a more natural way. There is more mystery to this book, and some enjoyable exchanges among the varied groups vying for the 200 acres of prime real estate which lead to the murders. There is also a wonderful description of one characters slip into alcoholism and homelessness, and I like that there are a few minor loose ends which are NOT neatly tied up at the end.
I look forward to the next Cynthia Riggs novel!

Victoria Trumbull is a spry ninety-two year old woman who lives on Martha's Vineyard year round. She has more energy than most people half her age, goes hiking, writes poetry and reads to the residents of the retirement home.

One of Victoria's neighbors, Phoebe Eldridge, has just sold her home and land to another Martha's Vineland resident, Harry Ness. While hiking Victoria discovers the murdered body of the lawyer who represented both parties in the property sale. Many different interest groups offer to buy the land from Ness but he refuses to sell it to anyone because he intends to build an exclusive $180 million dollar luxury community. When Harry is found murdered every person who wanted to buy the land is considered a suspect and Victoria decides it is her job to bring the killer to Justice.

The heroine of THE CRANEFLY ORCHID MURDERS makes this mystery novel very special. It's great reading about an elderly woman who has all her faculties while solving crimes, hiking and being creative. Victoria comes across as very believable and will appeal to readers of all ages. Thanks to Cynthia Riggs colorful descriptions, the real Martha's Vineyard comes alive to readers who will feel as if they vacationed there.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed the characters and the plot but the writing leaves a lot to be desired. I hated the transitions from scene to scene, characters were introduced very poorly, and the chapters ended very abruptly. I hope this is just a case of poor editing because the characters are good. Let's hope the next book is better done.

Victoria Trumbull has lived on Martha's Vineyard most of her 92 years. One night she hears something out of the ordinary. It is a scream, then a splash, and then the sound of a car speeding away. Her granddaughter Elizabeth, the harbormaster Domingo (and Elizabeth's boss), and her speed in a boat across to where she heard the sounds. There they find a body.

Domingo is concerned that something funny has been going on with the money at the harbor so Howland Atherton has written a computer program to seal up the loopholes in the system. The dock attendants handle the cash and receipts. Sometimes it hasn't all made it to the accountant.

Professor T. R. Folger (Rocky) has brought his large sailboat to the harbor. He's from an old-time summer family. He also owns a big house on Tashmoo. Everyone begins speculating how a professor can afford such luxuries. He apparently wrote a software program and has received large royalties.

Domingo quietly enlists island locals to keep an eye on Victoria as he is afraid something thinks she knows more about the murder than she does. Good thing. Vehicles start following Elizabeth and Victoria on dark streets putting them in harms way more than once.

Victoria knows everyone and even though she doesn't do a lot of sleuthing herself, she finds out information from various sources and discusses it with Domingo and Elizabeth. I feel they all do the sleuthing together.

I have been to Martha's Vineyard for a short visit and read Philip Craig's Martha's Vineyard series so I enjoyed the settings for this book immensely. They are very well described.

The characters in this book are well defined and believable. I look forward to further adventures with Victoria, Elizabeth and Domingo.

The plot in this book was good. It had some twists and turns. I felt this was a great first installment in this

I couldn't wait to get my hands on a mystery book based on Martha's Vineyard that wasn't by Phillip Craig (good reading, but enough is enough...). This book is a nice change from J.W. (the hero in Craig's books)and the writing more complex, but I would still classify this story as a light summer read. The book begins with a mysterious scream, heard, apparently, only by our heroine Victoria Trumbull. More coincidences occur in Victoria Trumbull's presence, which was abit unrealistic, although not uncommon to real life in a small community. I enjoyed Cynthia Riggs descriptions of the island and characterizations of the people (although I quickly became annoyed at Harbormaster Domingo's abundant use of the word "Sweetheart"!) If you are a fan of the Vineyard, Philip Craig, or light mysteries, you may enjoy this book