Eric Wright A Single Death (1987)

     Eric Wright A Single Death (1987) Charlie Salter’s ex-wife Gerry shows up demanding that he look into the death of a friend of hers, who was apparently raped and murdered. Along the way to the solution, Charlie shops for Christmas, listens to some feminist lecturing by his wife Annie, and generally lives the life of a middle-aged Canadian male with the usual domestic responsibilities. He just happens to be a cop. Wright makes Charlie a little too good to be true; I suspect that Charlie is fighting Wright’s battles, but more sensibly and sensitively than Wright himself. Or maybe not. Wright tries a little too hard to set the scene in Toronto, dropping the names of TO streets and neighbourhoods isn’t enough: one needs descriptions, too. Anyhow, the series is pleasant to read. I’m slowly accumulating a complete set. **½ (2005)