What keeps Marty Chan's mysteries fresh is his positive sense of humour and his ability to get inside a child's mind. This remains true for the latest offering, The Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher. The plot once again seems straightforward: When Trina's bicycle is stolen, Marty and Remi gear up to solve the case. Once they start their investigation they are both surprised and perplexed that the evidence leads them to the doorstep of their new elementary school teacher. The problem of the confrontation ensues as Mr E seems to be quite resourceful as an opponent and the new girl at school, Ida, lends additional energy to foil their attempts to catch the school kleptomaniac. To add additional depth to the action, Marty discovers that he and Remi share the same feelings toward Trina and then finds out that Trina likes him, a fact he must hide from Remi at all costs because he cannot risk losing him as his best friend. Who would think that life as a young solver of mysteries could suddenly get so complicated? But for Marty, friendship, loyalty, and trust suddenly seem less straightforward when the mystery of girls is involved.