A Likely Story

Joe Barley #3

by Eric Wright

As if Joe Barley doesn't have enough on his mind. His job as a part-time instructor at Hambleton College is likely to be eliminated, and his partner, Carole, is expecting their first child. He's also been assigned to find the identity of a mole in the English Department who is part of a nasty and embarrassing letterwriting exchange in a student newspaper. But the stresses of his job and personal life are compounded by the disappearance of a member of the Hambleton faculty, and Joe begins to hear rumours that the teacher was involved with a drug ring run by the Russian mob. The long-awaited third installment in the Joe Barley Mysteries series, A Likely Story showcases the biting humour, engrossing storytelling, and keen eye for the ordinary that have made Eric Wright one of the most beloved crime writers in Canada.

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

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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.

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading this book when I heard that Eric Wright has died (October 9, 2015). Made it a bit more poignant, knowing there will never be any more Joe Barley, Charlie Salter, Lucy Trimble and Mel Pickett stories. I like Joe because he's a part-time lecturer who can't get tenure, so I sympathize, but I don't think this was one of Wright's best. The two main and one minor mysteries are quite gentle - but that was Wright's style.

[Rouleauville · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's nice to read a breezy mystery novel that doesn't involve murder or violent crime. Shenanigans at a college can be reason to call in an 'amateur' detective, and can also involve red herrings. Joe Barley will be missed.