Final Cut: A Charlie Salter Mystery

The Toronto movie set of a thriller about a Nazi concentration camp guard sighted long after the war is besieged by acts of sabotage: the sprinkler system goes off unexpectedly; the star is mugged; completed film is stolen; and, finally, there is a murder. Under the eyes of staff inspector Charles Slater of the metropolitan police, brought in to identify the culprit, mishaps escalate and smoldering animosities on the set burst into full-blown hatreds, to the point where any number of individuals can legitimately be viewed as suspects. Charlie, hero of seven previous mysteries ( The Night the Gods Smiled ), is a likable and savvy police veteran whose amiability is reflected in Wright's light, breezy tale where even the murder does not seem tragic. Essential clues remain hidden too long in Charlie's mind, but the story's strength resides more in its good humor than in its central mystery. (May)