Eric Wright’s successful foray into autobiography with Always Give a Penny to a Blind Man left his many crime fiction fans fretting for another dose of his laid-back Toronto-based mysteries. Here Wright pulls another surprise by introducing his fourth series character – Joe Barley, a sessional English instructor at a Toronto university.

Without the security enjoyed by tenured faculty, Barley is hired at the start of each academic session as needed – a practice that saves academic institutions money. However, the practice suits Barley fine – not having to research or publish and avoiding interminable committees leaves him ample time to freelance for a detective agency. When his cleaning lady asks him to look into the disappearance of Rosie Dawn, one of her other clients, he complies. This favour leads him to several engaging encounters with catering tycoons, exotic dancers, and an ex-student turned crusading lawyer with links to the city’s Trinidadian community. By the time the mystery is solved Barley has, en passant, managed to stave off a potential crisis with his live-in lover and thwart the self-seeking plans of some unlikeable academics.

Anyone who has ever worked inside a post-secondary institution will relish the stereotypes and situations portrayed in this tale. In view of Wright’s long career as a teacher of English at a Toronto university, the reader may be excused from wondering where reminiscence ends and fiction begins. In the final analysis, though, it doesn’t matter – the smooth flow of absorbing entertainment makes such concerns immaterial. This typical Wright gem combines minimal plot and engaging characters with bonuses of insider info, sharp observations, wry humour, and Toronto atmosphere.