Death of a Hired Man [Hardcover]

Eric Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2001

Eric Wright, author of the highly acclaimed Charlie Salter novels, introduced readers to Mel Pickett in Buried in Stone when Pickett helped the police solve a bake-shop murder. In his newest adventure, Mel Pickett, a retired police officer from Toronto, once again becomes involved in police work when a body is discovered in the cabin that he owns.

The day shift at the Ontario Provincial Police Station had just come on duty when they received a disturbing phone call--a homicide in a log cabin on Larch River. Sergeant Wilkie fears it's Mel Pickett who has been killed and is almost relieved when he sees that the victim is Norbert Thompson, a local "hired man" who had been renting Pickett's cabin. Just as Wilkie starts looking for a motive, Pickett arrives in town and learns of the murder. His immediate though is, was he the intended victim?

Sergeant Wilkie and ex-Sergeant Pickett pursue their investigations separately, but each keeps a watchful eye on the other. Wilkie's lead brings him to rural Ontario, where Thompson used to work as a "hired man" on his brother's farm. Pickett looks for the killer among all the violent men who have threatened to get him as they were led off to jail. Will they be able to catch the killer before he or she strikes again?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Three recent books featuring different series characters (Lucy Trimble in 1999's Death on the Rocks; Joe Barley in 2000's The Kidnapping of Rosie Dawn; and this entry featuring newly retired Toronto policeman Mel Pickett) demonstrate Canadian author Wright's versatility and excellence. Mel and his new wife, Charlotte, have a total of four homes between them--Mel's house in Toronto, his cabin and trailer at the same site near Larch River, and Charlotte's home in Larch River. They haven't had time to sort out which to keep and which to sell, but Mel has rented the trailer to friend Eliza Pollock and the cabin to local farmhand Norbert Thompson. Thompson's murder at the remote cabin site has local police investigating the victim's sister-in-law and her new husband. But Mel is concerned that he, not Thompson, might have been the target--and that could endanger both Charlotte and Eliza. As he struggles with his retired status, which he circumvents in various ways, Mel also struggles with his relationship with a putative son and granddaughter. And he and Charlotte have adjustments to make to their new life together, including what secrets to share or keep hidden. There is nothing gratuitous in Wright's novels--not sex, nor violence, nor strangely quirky characters. Instead one gets careful plotting and a large, diverse cast of characters whose strengths and weaknesses ring perfectly true. (Mar. 9)Forecast: A solid midlist author, Wright could reach more literary readers with good word of mouth and careful handselling.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Wright reintroduces series protagonist Mel Pickett (Buried in Stone), a sixtyish retired Toronto police officer. Pickett rents out his beloved cabin on the river when he gets married, but someone murders his renter. Pickett investigates, suspecting that he himself was the intended victim. A likely purchase for fans of the series.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (March 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312268769
• ISBN-13: 978-0312268763
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,305,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'd give it a nice, solid B., April 21, 2001

By 

Rebekah Sue Harris (West Haven, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Hired Man (Hardcover)

"Death of a Hired Man" is a good mystery. Not outstanding, but certainly quite enjoyable.

The body of Norbert Thompson was found in the log cabin of retired officer Mel Pickett. Not only was the small community shaken by the murder, but naturally Pickett found himself involved -- especially when he realized who the murderer might be.

The more I read, the more I liked Norbert -- who never appears in the book ALIVE.

Between the purity of the writing, the decent characters, and the intriguing sub plot involving Pickett's son, I'm interested in reading the sequel (if one is written) as well as the other series by Eric Wright. The author caught my attention, kept it throughout the book, and left me wanting a little more. I believe that that means that "Death of a Hired Man" is a success.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work, February 19, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Hired Man (Hardcover)

Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Willie is stunned when a woman reports a murder at a cabin on Larch River. Wilkie believes his father's old law enforcement peer, retired cop Mel Pickett, is the victim as this is his home. However, when Wilkie arrives at the scene, he finds a different corpse. The witness, Elisa Pullock, explains that the deceased is Norbert Thompson, renting the cabin from the recently married Mel. Elisa is borrowing a nearby trailer from Mel to work on a historical book about the area.

Upon hearing the news of the homicide of his border, the sixty-six-year-old Mel, as well as his wife Charlotte, is stunned. While the cops wonder if this might be part of the recent break-ins that turned ugly, Mel wonders if he was the target. Also under consideration by the law remains the fact that that Norbert left his brother's home to live at this cabin after a major spat with his sibling. Not wanting to wait, Mel goes into his police mode seeking the identity of a killer.

DEATH OF A HIRED MAN is a fabulous police procedural with private investigative elements. The story line is well crafted because author Eric Wright makes his cast seem genuine without slowing down the tale. Fans of a good crime novel starring newly married senior citizens struggling with difficult decisions such as wills and multiple homes will find this book as a sure thing.

Harriet Klausner