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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Willamina Public Library | MYS WRIGHT | Searching... Unknown |
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Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
This tidy, compact mystery set on Prince Edward Island is propelled by the shrewd observations of vacationing Toronto police inspector Charlie Salter. Salter, his feisty wife Annie and his 16-year-old son Angus (a boy of unbridled imagination) are staying at the summer home of Annie's parents, the Montagues, people of considerable wealth and political influence. When the bludgeoned body of local historian Clive Elton is discovered in his modest home, the island police, accustomed to a virtually crime-free environment, are only too happy to utilize Salter's expertise. Salter's father-in-law informs him that Elton had been about to sell him (for $20,000) the Great Silver Seal of the Island, an item of great historical interest, reputedly stolen during the American war of independence and now mysteriously in Elton's possession. A thorough search of Elton's home turns up no trace of the seal. When the body of Jim Brady, local handyman, womanizer, burgler and chief suspect, turns up at sea, the case becomes more complex. Salter is a warm and devoted family man, a shrewd observer of the human scene and a relentless investigator. A robust cast of Island personalities peoples this brief story, which at times becomes clouded with puzzling motivations. (December) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Toronto cop Charlie Salter, likable as ever (Smoke Detector, etc.), is now vacationing with wife and kids on pretty, quiet Prince Edward Island--where the mystery turns out to be a lot less substantial than the island atmosphere. Local historian/teacher Clive Elton has been murdered, having apparently interrupted the elusive house-robber who's been plaguing the neighborhood in recent months. But could Elton's death actually be connected to his role in recovering the Island's ""Great Silver Seal,"" missing since the 1770's? Supposedly found by a collector in Massachusetts, the seal was about to be purchased for $20,000 by a group of local patriots--including Charlie's bigwig father-in-law--once it had been authenticated by Elton. So: has the seal been stolen? Or was Elton killed as part of a scheme involving an antiquity-dealer from Toronto (who's hanging around suspiciously)? Things start to become clear when the prime robbery suspect--flashy handyman/ tinker Jim Brady, an aging Casanova--also turns up dead. But the whole truth about the two murders and the seal scare won't emerge till after Charlie (working with the P.E.I. constabulary) nudges several folksy locals into sheepish confessions. Wright, always fond of small-scale plots, is downright skimpy this time, with two short-story notions lightly intertwined. Still, if the puzzle is wispily uninvolving, the low-key comedy--charming father/son interplay, foul-houseguest tribulations--is delightfully on-target; and the local color is gently irresistible, especially for those already familiar with P.E.I.'s unassuming splendors. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
One of the wittiest, most entertaining contemporary mystery series continues with this latest adventure featuring Toronto policeman Charlie Salter. Charlie is vacationing with his wife, Annie, and son, Angus, on Prince Edward Island, but things aren't going well: Charlie's in-laws live nearby; two of Annie's college friends are staying with them; Angus has a crush on one of them; and Charlie is getting crotchety without any crimes to solve. Happily, things brighten up when several break-ins occur on the waterfront property, and a local historian is murdered. Charlie has a busman's holiday sorting it all out. Wright may be trying a bit too hard to develop his characters in ways that depart from the original prototypes Annie is more needing and Charlie more thoughtful this time around but there is still plenty of vintage Salter philosophy, crusty as ever, sprinkled in between a workmanlike plot and some carefully rendered local color. PLR. [OCLC] 87-20675