The Next Margaret

Title: The Next Margaret

Author: Janice MacDonald Mant

Publisher: Mosaic Press

ISBN: 0889625735

Pages: 127

Series: Randy Craig Mystery, Bk 1

Obtained: ILL Library copy

Comments:

Janice MacDonald Mant is another author I found via the Wikipedia list of Canadian authors.  This is my 5th book for the Canadian book challenge.

I sometimes wonder (when reading other reviews) if I'm not literary enough to do proper posts for the Canadian book challenge.  Randy Craig, working on her MA in English literature at the University of Alberta, describes various authors and works of literature much the way I feel like I should be.  Alas, I can't (well, maybe I could if I was doing so for school) and won't be writing such literary reviews.  Nevertheless, I found the glimpse into academe interesting.  It was in turns both familiar and foreign to me.

While at school Randy meets and becomes involved with a fellow named Guy.  This relationship was definitely on the sideline of the story.  I'm not sure if this is because the book isn't a romance, or if it's because Randy just doesn't care that much, but there it is.

As for the mystery, well I thought it was pretty obvious, and I almost did a head slap or two at some of the conclusions Randy jumped to.  Perhaps she was too involved in his academics to get a little reality check.

Despite the quirks of this book, I enjoyed the story.  And I'm interested in reading more of the Randy Craig mysteries.  I suspect the following mysteries will be better done since, according to the author's own website, The Next Margaret "is the 'lost book' of the series."

ETA: I forgot to mention, at one point Randy mentions almost being "made redundant," and I only knew that meant being let go because of Undercover Boss: Canada!  Of which I watched all of 2 or 3 episodes.