Charlie Salter's investigations
May be the finest Canadian mystery writer alive.
The Montreal Gazette
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The Montreal Gazette |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
Charlie Salter is not happy : after some personnel changes are made at the top of the Toronto police force, he has been sidelined and now is only assigned to run-of-the-mill cases. But something happens that changes everything : David Summers, a Toronto academic, is murdered during a conference in Montreal, and the investigator there wants a Toronto detective to question the victim's colleagues, friends and family. Realizing this is his chance to win back his superiors' favour, Salter accepts the case. But academia is a world in which personal and professional relationships are extremely complex. Charlie is soon floundering in a sea of questions that cause him to doubt himself : is he talented enough to discover who killed David Summers ? La Nuit de toutes les chances (The Night the Gods Smiled),
the first case of Charlie Salter, Toronto's most amiable police
officer !
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
Cyril Drecker, a Toronto antiques dealer, died of asphyxiation when his shop was torched. Accident, suicide or premeditated murder ? Superintendent Orliff has given the case to Charlie Salter, since the homicide department is still understaffed, and Charlie soon finds several suspects. Drecker's employee, Dennis Nelson, didn't like his boss very much, and his boyfriend Jake (Dennis is bisexual), has not been seen since the night of the fire. His wife and business partner is not shedding many tears over the death of her husband, nor does Julia Costa, his mistress, who is also a friend of Dennis. But Charlie knows that until he's found a motive for the crime, he won't be able to catch the murderer. While dealing as best he can with his own life (Annie has found porn magazines in their son Angus's bedroom, and Charlie must go to the hospital for medical exams that have him worried, but not as much as the screen door he has to fix), he tries to understand why Drecker's store was burned down. The problem is time is running short if he wants to solve this case before it's taken away from him. |
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
Charlie Salter and his wife Annie are vacationing in England. After a minor car accident, they find themselves stuck in Toksbury Mallett, a small town where the only point of interest is the patrons of The Boomewood, the inn where they are staying. When Mr. Dillon, the landlord, is murdered, Charlie's detective instincts come alive, especially since the local police are not above asking for the Torontonian's advice. Between horse races and tourist outings, Charlie pursues the investigation, which rapidly gets more complicated. For although Mrs. Dillon confessed to the deed, Superintendent Hamilton quickly concludes she couldn't have done it. Who is she protecting ? Her brother, who left the day before the murder and hasn't been seen since ? And what about the entry found in the register of The Boomewood mentioning Valdottavo, the Italian village where Mrs. Dillon was born ? Charlie may be on vacation, but he can't help snooping around.
And since it has been raining since they arrived in England,
why not a little jaunt down to Italy ? After all, Annie
is not going to complain about the Florence sun, is she ?
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
Attractive woman, late thirties, likes sports (tennis, skiing),
bridge, theatre, reading, wishes to meet man with similar tastes
for friendship. One morning, while preparing his Christmas list, Charlie Salter has an unpleasant surprise : his ex-wife burst into his office. He hasn't seen Geraldine in twenty-five years, but she hasn't changed : one of her friends has been murdered, and in her opinion the Toronto police is dragging its feet on the case, and she demands Charlie gets things moving. To keep Geraldine from causing a stir - she works in the mayor's office - Salter's boss asks him to review the work of the investigators. But the murder of Nancy Cowell, a social rehabilitation officer, is a difficult case. Not only did all the first offenders she was working with have to be checked, but in addition, since she had been living alone since she'd left Winnipeg and her husband, Nancy had also been going to singles bars and had published a personal ad to find a soul mate. Caught between his wife's advice and his ex's nagging, Charlie doesn't know which way to turn ! |
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
Each summer, Charlie Salter and his family go spend their holidays on Prince Edward Island, the province where Annie was born. Charlie usually whiles away the time playing golf, but this summer, the murder of Clive Eldon, a local historian, puts a bit of pizzazz in his day-to-day life. Murders are so rare on the island that the local police, who know they have an inspector from Toronto available, are keen on getting Salter's opinions and advice, especially since Charlie is the son-in-law of Robert Montagu, an influential member of the governing party, and since Montagu is indirectly involved in the tragedy. The leader of a secret organization, Montagu had commissioned the historian to authenticate and recover the great silver seal of the island, a historical artefact that disappeared two centuries ago. But there's a problem : the seal is not at Elton's place despite the fact that the Toronto antiques dealer who sold it to him swears that Elton had it in his possession for several days. Happy to have a break from his routine, Charlie agrees to help with the investigation, but he soon realizes that the case is not as simple as it looks. |
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
The Toronto police are on a war footing : the Royal Princess will soon be visiting the city and everything must be ready to ensure her security. As his share of the collective effort, Salter's boss asks Charlie to investigate anonymous threatening letters that have been sent to five Yorkville shopkeepers. Some of them asked the city to ban street vendors, since they think they cut into their own trade. The letters are likely an expression of the frustration of one of the kitsch dealers, Charlie thinks... but the Princess is coming, and nothing can be taken lightly. For a few days, Charlie has been questioning Yorkville shop owners, when a second series of threatening letters appears, forcing him to revise his first hypothesis. Something that at first glance seemed trivial is taking on a decidedly more disturbing appearance, especially since Charlie has learned from the undercover operation he's set up among the street vendors that there is a link between all these disturbances and the arrival of the Princess ! |
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
 Illustration : Laurine Spehner |
The Toronto police have serious problems with the murder of Linda Thomas, a massage therapist who had among her clients some influential people who are not shy about interfering with police work. This is why the case was handed over to the Special Affairs Center. However, since the retirement of Superintendent Orliff and Sergeant Gatenby, Charlie Slater not only is head of the section, but also its only staff member ! So he asks for backup from Mel Pickett, an old investigator who has been sidelined for years. Their first interrogations immediately make them realize that the investigation will be hard : many of the suspects are hiding something, either about their relationship with Linda or about their own careers. But suddenly all Charlie's attention is taken up by another case, just as sensitive : he is sure his wife Annie is having an affair ! |
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Eric Wright Translation by Isabelle Collombat of |
