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Charlie Salter #5
A Body Surrounded by Water
While vacationing with his family on Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, Metro Toronto Detective Inspector Charlie Salter helps the local police solve a murder.
It all relates to The Great Seal, which is the official marker or stamp of a government used to authenticate its most important documents. The seal of the British North American colony of P.E.I. was stolen by American raiders during the U.S. War of Independence in the 1770s. That part is actually true. Now, back to the fictional novel. Surprisingly, the seal reappears in the 1980s in the hands of an antique dealer in Toronto. He's offering it to P.E.I. for big dollars. But then his contact on the island is found murdered.
Enter Charlie Salter.
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.
It all relates to The Great Seal, which is the official marker or stamp of a government used to authenticate its most important documents. The seal of the British North American colony of P.E.I. was stolen by American raiders during the U.S. War of Independence in the 1770s. That part is actually true. Now, back to the fictional novel. Surprisingly, the seal reappears in the 1980s in the hands of an antique dealer in Toronto. He's offering it to P.E.I. for big dollars. But then his contact on the island is found murdered.
Enter Charlie Salter.
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.
166 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
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About the author
Eric Wright
89 books11 followersThere 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 3, 2025
3 Stars. Too many uncertainties even with the ending. Plus, a tad too much of the domestic life of Toronto Police Inspector Charlie Salter and not enough crime detecting. I enjoy Charlie and tagged along when he and his wife Anne, with sons Angus and Seth, took a summer vacation on beautiful Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada. The first meeting leading to Canadian Confederation in 1867 was held there - in 1864. These days PEI is all about Anne of Green Gables, potato farms and red soil, beaches, fish and lobster, golf courses, the 1997 Confederation Bridge, and one-of-a-kind people. It's lovely. The story? During the American revolution, adventurers from Massachusetts wanted to strike a blow against England. They landed on PEI and stole the colony's Great Seal. Anne's parents, the Montagus, are leading islanders with friends in government and society, but they make Charlie uncomfortable. We hear that an antique dealer in Toronto has found the seal and wants to sell it to a PEI group led by Anne's father for $20,000. When Clive Elton, one of the group is murdered, Charlie's vacation becomes a working one. It was OK / good. (No2023/De2025)
June 29, 2016
I had to search stubbornly for "A Body Surrounded By Water". Its ending is unsatisfying. Elizabeth Peters made the same choice, disposing of an impossible find instead of revealing it to the world, which feels counterproductive. If you are spinning a story around a real item, it is okay to fabricate a new outcome for it! Why hesitate to put up the goods when this is fiction? Readers thus know to just enjoy the mystery's workings, which Eric Wright weaved with trickery and disparate possibilities that held my interest. For the shallow conclusion (an unforeseen aquatic pun!) and my thought that a twenty-year spouse shouldn't still behave tentatively with warm in-laws; this receives four stars.
Having only seen one Maritime province, I was happy to traverse the tableau of Prince Edward Island: as distinctly alien to me as I anticipated! The vibes don't suggest that this locale was merely researched. A feeling is exuded all the way, that Eric was there and I was happy to have my fill. An interesting facet for the novel is that Charlie's wife is a daughter of prestige there. It was lovely to absorb her side of the family, which rounds out the Salters' joined identities nicely. Her Dad's involvement in restoring their province's long lost seal complicates Charlie's investigation; after the man who appeared to have it dies. It is easy to assume that crime was associated with acquiring the provincial seal.
I don't think readers were meant to guess the complete motives, pertaining as they do to several angles and personages outside of our information scope. Eric continuously adds intelligent remarks about situations and characters that give invigorating insight to plain descriptions. They steer our connection with his stories towards profundity, while bringing a good laugh at the way they are stated.
* HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY TO OUR BOY, MCCARTNEY: June 13, 2016! *
Having only seen one Maritime province, I was happy to traverse the tableau of Prince Edward Island: as distinctly alien to me as I anticipated! The vibes don't suggest that this locale was merely researched. A feeling is exuded all the way, that Eric was there and I was happy to have my fill. An interesting facet for the novel is that Charlie's wife is a daughter of prestige there. It was lovely to absorb her side of the family, which rounds out the Salters' joined identities nicely. Her Dad's involvement in restoring their province's long lost seal complicates Charlie's investigation; after the man who appeared to have it dies. It is easy to assume that crime was associated with acquiring the provincial seal.
I don't think readers were meant to guess the complete motives, pertaining as they do to several angles and personages outside of our information scope. Eric continuously adds intelligent remarks about situations and characters that give invigorating insight to plain descriptions. They steer our connection with his stories towards profundity, while bringing a good laugh at the way they are stated.
* HAPPY SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY TO OUR BOY, MCCARTNEY: June 13, 2016! *
July 8, 2018
Picked this up at a church book sale with a couple of others in this same series. Honestly a little disappointed with it, but will still give the others a shot eventually. Overall it was okay, but the ending fell short. Was interested in where the seal came from but it’s left out. Also felt it was rushed once they identified the murderer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2023
Very slow paced, but then the Inspector is on vacation on Prince Edward Island.in the end, the person who confessed does not really seem believable, like he is just telling the cops what is already public knowledge. But, everything is wrapped up and Salter's wife fishes and golfs with him and his eldest son gains more knowledge and respect for him. A good vacation after all.
April 29, 2008
I finished this book but I don't know why. I didn't care for the characters, the mystery, the sense of place. It felt like the author mailed it in. Too bad, because the PEI setting intrigued me.
October 31, 2013
* * * 1/2
July 21, 2015
Pretty boring plot. Not very imaginative. Flat characters.
June 28, 2017
Pretty good. I'll read more of these. 3.5
April 21, 2023
The mystery was ok. I loved the setting of PEI, such a beautiful island.
December 31, 2023
Not a very good book but it's the best/funniest representation of PEI I've ever seen in writing so I gotta give it some stars
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews