The Last Hand

Charlie Salter #11

by Eric Wright

Charlie Salter, Staff Inspector with Toronto police, is Eric Wright's best-known and most loved character. Over the years, Salter has made a name for himself with his cunning detective skills and his determination to get the job done.

However, Salter's days with the force appear to be numbered. He has recently turned sixty, the usual retirement age, and he's starting to realize that he isn't as young as he used to be. Tasks that were easy are now more difficult and he is convinced that his family is watching his every move. On top of that, there's his career to consider. Salter hasn't handled a case in months and realizes that he has slowly become an office clerk. He may be down, but he's definitely not out.

A recent murder that has the police stumped is the perfect opportunity for him to prove that he is still up to the job. A well-known and respected lawyer was stabbed to death in his home recently and the prime suspect, a hooker last seen near the apartment, has disappeared. The heat is on. The police aren't having any luck and things get more tense when the victim's sister, a Member of Ontario Provincial Parliament and a possible Attorney General some day, becomes involved. Lieutenant Marinelli of Homicide, initially opposed, is only too happy to throw the case to Salter.

It's an outstanding culmination to the series.

Librarian's note: all the characters, settings, description updates, etc. have been done for the Charlie Salter 11 volume + one novella series: 1. The Night the Gods Smiled, 1983; 2. Smoke Detector, 1984; 3. Death in the Old Country, 1985; 4. A Single Death, 1986; 5. A Body Surrounded by Water, 1987; 6. A Question of Murder, 1988; 7. A Sensitive Case, 1990; 8. Final Cut, 1991; 9. A Fine Italian Hand, 1992; 10. Death by Degrees, 1993; 11. The Last Hand, 2001; and 11.A. My Brother's Keeper, a novella with Howard Engel featuring both Salter and Benny Cooperman, 2001.

Genres: Canada, Crime, Mystery

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

There is more than one author with this name in the database. Not all books on this profile belong to the same author.

Eric Wright was born in London, England and immigrated to Canada in 1951. He is the award-winning author of seventeen crime novels, including his first novel, The Night the Gods Smiled, which won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel, the Crime Writer's Association's John Creasey Award, and the City of Toronto Book Award. His memoir, Always Give a Penny to a Blind Man, about growing up poor in working-class London, was published in 1999.

Reviews

[Jack Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. Worth every one of those stars. I couldn't put down the last 75 pages. "Is the coffee on? Do I have a little snack ready? I'm going the distance." And I did. I finished ten minutes ago and here's my review. Eric Wright crafted a beauty with his last Charlie Salter police procedural. Staff Inspector Salter is feeling his age. He's now 60, retirement age. His joints aren't what they used to be; his kids Angus and Seth are leaving home, and his responsibilities at headquarters are down to desk work. Is life and Deputy Chief Mackenzie sending him a message? Then his former boss, Chief Orliff, intervenes in a case which has political overtones with the provincial government but is going nowhere fast; he thinks Charlie should handle it. Prominent lawyer Jeremy Lucas, his sister Flora is an MPP at Queen's Park, was found stabbed to death recently in his apartment. The last person to see him alive seems to have been a hooker. That's not Lucas's style, but several witnesses claim to have seen one entering the building. Now she can't be found and the case has disaster written all over it. One clue! The killer made a mistake. I didn't catch it but Charlie did. A great one. (No2025/De2025)

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Last Hand by Eric Wright is the 11th and final book of the Charlie Salter mystery series set in late-20th-century Toronto. Charlie, Staff Inspector with Toronto police, has turned 60 and therefore is eligible for retirement. Even though he has not decided to retire, he is gradually being phased out - his assistance no longer requested on homicide cases. He wants to prove to the rest of the department that he still has his sharp intellect and detective skills, so he takes over a cold case. He meticulously re-investigates, and soon comes to a quite different opinion about the murder than all the other detectives. He persists and proves himself right. Meanwhile big family changes are taking place in his household - which start off disruptive, but resolve well.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally completed the Charlie Salter series. In the 11th and final book, Charlie is sixty and headed for retirement but he isn’t ready to go just yet. His boses, on the other hand are trying to push him out. Charlie has slowly been downgraded to a glorified office boy and those in homicide don’t want to work with him. A lawyer is killed and witnesses describe a woman entering his apartment with silver boots. The Deputy Chief decides to assign Charlie Salter to the case, the victim’s sister, MPP Flora Lucas sends in high powered lawyer, Calvin Gregson to pressure the Toronto Police for results in her brother’s case. A fairly good mystery, but the language and views toward women were quite dated.

[Eleanor Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has a habit of not including names in dialogue exchanges so it is sometimes confusing to follow. A character mentioned once or twice taxed my brain when he resurfaced at the end to tie up the loose ends of this police procedural. The most jarring segue happened when the protagonist was at home watching a movie and the next page he was in his office with no narrative placing him there.

An okay effort at best.

[Sjfstudio · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay detective story, have read better.

[Garth Pettersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good police procedural carried forward by excellent dialogue.