Cynthia Riggs Books In Order

Publication Order of Victoria Trumbull/Martha's Vineyard Mystery Books

Publication Order of Cozy Case Files Mystery Sampler Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Cynthia Riggs is a mother of five and a child of the renowned poet, Dionis Riggs and printmaker, Sydney N. Riggs. After completing her high school education, Cynthia Riggs went on and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology. Once she was awarded her undergraduate degree, Cynthia, then went ahead and worked for the National Geographic Society, spent more than two months in the Antarctica on a job assignment and also worked in the public relations office for the American Petroleum Institute. While working for the American Petroleum Institute her main work was to control the charter boats. A few years later, she enrolled for a Masters in Fine Arts and Creative Writing at VFCA (Vermont College of Fine Arts). It is during her Master’s program that Riggs discovered yet another calling, in the form of writing.

All the mysteries that Riggs has ever written takes place on the Vineyard. They not only draw the local scenes but also Island’s fictionalized components. Cynthia Riggs understands all the Island extremely well considering the fact that Riggs has ever been a West Tisbury selectman two-time candidate.

Martha’s Vineyard

Deadly Nightshade is the first installment in the book series, Martha Vineyard’s by the critically acclaimed author, Cynthia Riggs. In this installment, the author introduces the reader to Victoria Trumbull, a fiercely independent and feisty nonagenarian poet. The Island, Martha’s Vineyard, has been the home to Victoria and her family for so many years and close to a century; she has had the opportunity to learn so much about her family’s history and her life. This island is a unique location which is a few miles from the island and can be accessed either by ferry or by air. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations. Nonetheless, bad things can still happen in such a location, and it can be exceedingly shocking because the inhabitants of the island are used to a low-key life.

Elizabeth is Victoria’s recently divorced granddaughter who is currently residing with Victoria and working for a New-York ex-cop, Domingo. One summer evening, Victoria hears a scream on the other side of the water. Together with her grandmother, the two head out to investigate. Upon arriving at the scene where they heard the scream, the two discover, a eviscerated body floating on the water surface. As they conduct their investigations, no one is left out of their investigations, including the wealthiest visitors to the local Native Americans. The protagonist’s highly developed sense of right and wrong together with her ethical compass steers the two characters into an exceedingly dangerous but inevitable course.

Another great book in Martha’s Vineyard mystery series is The Cranefly Orchid Murders, which is a continuation of the first installment in this series. Under this installment, the author begins the story with Victoria Trumbull, the 92-year-old native who is also a naturalist and the areas deputy police officer. Due to the loneliness that she was experiencing, Phoebe decides to sell her 200 acres of exceedingly beautiful and unspoiled piece of land to a land developer, instead of leaving the piece of land to her descendants. Phoebe does not like in particular her crass and exceedingly rude granddaughter, whose arrival did initiate a well-paced action. Due to the fact that the state of Massachusetts does have a law which prevents land owners from the destruction of endangered species of plants, Victoria who is an avid walker decides to go and look for an exceedingly rare plant, within Phoebe’s property so as to forestall the development that was planned to happen.

However, when searching for the rare species, Victoria stumbles upon a dead and decaying body within the vast piece of land. Upon conducting a series of investigations, the body is discovered to be that of Montgomery Mausz, the sleazy lawyer. Victoria makes a new side kick, Robin an eleven-year-old boy who makes a worthy companion. As the story continues, the reader gets to know about a stranger who has been pinned down to a tree, an avaricious developer who is currently married to a showgirl, earnest botanist and a Vietnam veteran. In the middle of the dealings and the double-dealings, the number of the dead bodies eventually rises.

With that being said, the Cranefly Orchid Murders is the second installment in this series, and the cast of characters has drastically changed, though the main characters from the previous installment have been retained. The book’s plot is quite interesting while the characters have been well developed. The details are not only interesting but also quite amusing making this installment in the process an easy and light read. The Cemetery Yew is the third installment in this series and in this installment, the 92-year-old octogenarian, takes one of the most bizarre cases. The harbingers of a series of outlandish murders are a misplaced coffin, a missing hearse driver, and an empty grave. The victims in the series of murders are all share a South American Connection that not only involved an exotic bird but also smuggling.

The author has laid an outlandish plot, which depicts the lives of the inhabitants of the island such as awkward teens, small town officials, awkward chefs, and small-town officials who are full of gossips and rivalries. The storyline also covers the crimes, which were committed by several big wigs who worked for the state department. Despite the fact that this is an exceedingly complicated storyline, it is still very easy to follow. As a character, Victoria is not only canny but also exceedingly astute. From time to time, we have learned that she could be misled. She is also exceedingly stubborn and cannot give up the perceptions that she has created.

Victoria relies on the intricate relationships that she had created as well as the politics and the facts that she has very many relations of the island. All the characters in this book have been well developed thus making them as realistic as possible. The protagonist is not only realistic, but she is also one of the most charming nonagenarians in the world of mystery fiction. Her years have not in any way, blunted her sharp wit and intelligence.