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Charlie Salter #8
Final Cut
Police Staff Inspector Charlie Salter dives headlong into the world of film making when producer Jack Crabtree becomes convinced that someone is trying to sabotage the movie he is making in Toronto.
Is it a malicious mischief-maker, or something much more sinister? What do a fake fire alarm, a missing can of film, a damaged sound machine and a kidnapped actor mean? There's a long list of suspects for Salter and his undercover agent to sort through. And then there's a murder. The question is, what will Salter find?
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.
Is it a malicious mischief-maker, or something much more sinister? What do a fake fire alarm, a missing can of film, a damaged sound machine and a kidnapped actor mean? There's a long list of suspects for Salter and his undercover agent to sort through. And then there's a murder. The question is, what will Salter find?
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.
249 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1991
About the author
Eric Wright
91 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 3, 2025
3 Stars. Not one of my Charlie Salter favourites. Even more complicated than usual! I lost track of what was happening more than once, which can be fairly easy for me - one of the reasons I like mysteries on paper rather Kobo or Kindle - when I ask, 'Remind me, who's that?' I find it easier to flip back. I do the characters for the good ones but that's after finishing! The Chief Inspector takes over as police consultant on a crime-based movie being shot in Toronto. He's also looking into a spate of mischief happening on the set. A cannister of exposed film goes missing - things like that. And then the obnoxious script writer, Stanley Fisher, the guy who's unable to concede that a change in even one word in his sacrosanct script might be an improvement (and he'll fight the director and producer to the death on the matter) gets what he hinted at for them, murdered. Much of the action takes place at Toronto's wonderful St. Lawrence Market. There's even a bit of international espionage. The most enjoyable aspect? Charlie and Annie's son Seth wants to be a ballet dancer. There's a try-out. Is he successful? That's for you to find out. (De2024/De2025)
September 30, 2018
If you do not know British-Canadian Eric Wright: try his award-winning début, “The Night The Gods Smiled”! “Final Cut”, 1991, is the eighth adventure; enjoyed best by being familiar with Charlie Salter’s family. Apart from being well-developed with Eric’s unique touch; this series is a breath of air. For a change: it is neither an American nor English setting. Other cities are worth knowing and we Canadians in particular, are always relieved and pleased to be represented in entertainment.
Charlie takes over as a film advisor from his retired superior. There is a famous old actor in the Hollywood production being made in Toronto; a thrill for Charlie’s artistic son, Seth. However he is monitoring set vandalism undercover, for a director who cannot afford interruptions. A budget is all about the time filming takes. There are series-followers who liked this story least but as I often do, I disagree. In the first place, I am a fan, content to see characters reappear. Secondly, I could not stand stories plainly about police solving crimes. I draw oxygen from personal elements. Thirdly, I appreciate subtly. I dislike violence and do not need regular characters to be in dramatic peril, to be interested.
Fourthly, I recognize the presence of originality! I love a puzzling investigation that is authored differently from most crime cases. There is no murder for half the book. Solving it takes tricky digging into a revolutionary past of a foreign country. The motives and suspects are equally unclear. I do identify with an absence of high emotions. Save the legend, we don’t bond with characters. However, I vicariously loved seeing the Salters have the old pro over for supper. Henry Vigor helped Annie and Charlie support Seth’s momentary interest in ballet and Seth helped Henry locate an authentically Canadian souvenir!
Charlie takes over as a film advisor from his retired superior. There is a famous old actor in the Hollywood production being made in Toronto; a thrill for Charlie’s artistic son, Seth. However he is monitoring set vandalism undercover, for a director who cannot afford interruptions. A budget is all about the time filming takes. There are series-followers who liked this story least but as I often do, I disagree. In the first place, I am a fan, content to see characters reappear. Secondly, I could not stand stories plainly about police solving crimes. I draw oxygen from personal elements. Thirdly, I appreciate subtly. I dislike violence and do not need regular characters to be in dramatic peril, to be interested.
Fourthly, I recognize the presence of originality! I love a puzzling investigation that is authored differently from most crime cases. There is no murder for half the book. Solving it takes tricky digging into a revolutionary past of a foreign country. The motives and suspects are equally unclear. I do identify with an absence of high emotions. Save the legend, we don’t bond with characters. However, I vicariously loved seeing the Salters have the old pro over for supper. Henry Vigor helped Annie and Charlie support Seth’s momentary interest in ballet and Seth helped Henry locate an authentically Canadian souvenir!
December 21, 2019
PROTAGONIST: Inspector Charlie Salter
SETTING: Toronto
SERIES: #8
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Inspector Charlie Salter is serving part time as a watchdog on a major film shoot that has been subject to several sabotage efforts. On set, he finds that there is a lot of rivalry and bad feelings between the various characters. Things get really complicated when the film’s writer is murdered, and there’s not much to go on. There was an easy flow to the writing, and the character of Charlie Salter was likeable. He had a sense of humor as well as a sense of duty. I liked that his personal relationship with his family was easy and natural as well. The conclusion of the book was a letdown, with the villain being revealed in an “aha” kind of way with too much explication. How things were ultimately resolved was surprising yet effective
SETTING: Toronto
SERIES: #8
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Inspector Charlie Salter is serving part time as a watchdog on a major film shoot that has been subject to several sabotage efforts. On set, he finds that there is a lot of rivalry and bad feelings between the various characters. Things get really complicated when the film’s writer is murdered, and there’s not much to go on. There was an easy flow to the writing, and the character of Charlie Salter was likeable. He had a sense of humor as well as a sense of duty. I liked that his personal relationship with his family was easy and natural as well. The conclusion of the book was a letdown, with the villain being revealed in an “aha” kind of way with too much explication. How things were ultimately resolved was surprising yet effective
January 28, 2014
A decent read, but not spectacular
A movie is being made in Toronto about a Nazi war criminal who has been hiding for decades, but is discovered and pursued. Suddenly, the movie set is sabotaged and vandalized with swastikas. Then, the writer is killed. Who's doing it? There are plenty of suspects and Inspector Charlie Salter sifts through the evidence in his slow but steady manner in order to find the culprit.
That, in a nutshell, is the book. It's a decent read, but not spectacular by any means. I liked the ending because it was not all wrapped up in a neat little package, like it was the end of a Scooby-Doo mystery. I get tired of that.
The main characters are interesting. The book reinforces my impression of movie-making - it is a tedious business, filled with lots of waiting and big egos.
A movie is being made in Toronto about a Nazi war criminal who has been hiding for decades, but is discovered and pursued. Suddenly, the movie set is sabotaged and vandalized with swastikas. Then, the writer is killed. Who's doing it? There are plenty of suspects and Inspector Charlie Salter sifts through the evidence in his slow but steady manner in order to find the culprit.
That, in a nutshell, is the book. It's a decent read, but not spectacular by any means. I liked the ending because it was not all wrapped up in a neat little package, like it was the end of a Scooby-Doo mystery. I get tired of that.
The main characters are interesting. The book reinforces my impression of movie-making - it is a tedious business, filled with lots of waiting and big egos.
October 30, 2016
Final Cut by Eric Wright is the 8th book of the Charlie Salter series, set in 1991 Toronto. When Chief Inspector Charlie Salter of the Toronto Metropolitan Police takes over as 'expert consultant' for a movie, he's secretly tasked with finding out who is trying to sabotage the filmmaking. Quickly the pranks become murder. Working together with another officer posing as a chauffeur, Charlie interviews all the actors and film company crew, to ferret out the hidden motives. The case is puzzling, as the most likely suspects end up victims. Charlie cleverly solves it in the nick of time.
January 24, 2020
Interesting book. Kept me guessing until the very end. The culprit was someone I didn't suspect, however, it was left at the person could have done it. And while Salter had a good suspicion, he left the case as unsolved. The movie was filmed and the crew left the city or is about to.
My favorite character was Henry Vigor and his direct, no apologetic approach of telling people exactly what he thought of them.
My favorite character was Henry Vigor and his direct, no apologetic approach of telling people exactly what he thought of them.
September 2, 2014
I wanted to like this book by Canadian author set in Canada, but this was aboring read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews