Maxwell's House [Hardcover]

M. J. Trow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1995

When a seventeen-year-old girl is found strangled in a sinister house, an elitist cop and eccentric teacher track the killer, in the first entry in a new mystery series by the author of the Inspector Lestrade crime novels.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A deeply cynical view of modern British schools informs this absorbing series launch, which pits a teacher who prides himself on his eccentricity against a killer, the police and the educational establishment. After 17-year-old Jennifer Hyde is found dead, ostensibly after being raped, in a deserted building called the Red House near Birmingham, the police, led by ambitious Chief Inspector Henry Hall, mobilize their resources. But one of her teachers, Peter Maxwell?aka Mad Max to his students and some of his colleagues?feels responsibility for her fate and decides to investigate, questioning police effectiveness and dedication. His probing brings on deep trouble, as his interest is interpreted as possible guilt or prurience. Another death digs the pit deeper. Trow, author of the Inspector Lestrade crime novels, serves up clever, biting commentaries on modern life and introduces, in Maxwell, a compelling, literate protagonist who quixotically battles the bureaucratic degradation of all he holds dear.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 222 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st U.S. ed edition (July 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312131232
• ISBN-13: 978-0312131234
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,647,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars First in the Mad Max Mystery Series-- British Teachers and British Cops, December 3, 2008

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Sires "I enjoy mysteries, historical and proc... (Chesapeake, OH, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maxwell's House (Hardcover)

The central character of this book is Peter "Mad Max" Maxwell, a teacher in the British school system in the mid 90's. One of his students is murdered and he decides to investigate on his own to discover who the murderer is. In the meantime certain members of the police force decide that Max is the murderer and set about building a case against him. These two strands come together in a story that pits old values versus new ones, but the old values are not all good and the new ones are not all bad. No character is all good or all bad.

I confess to finding the conclusion less than totally satisfying, but I certainly enjoyed the journey.

M. J. Trow, the author, is a high school history teacher which probably explains why his depiction of the relationship between teachers, administrators and students rings so true. This was the first book in the series, which means I have 13 more mysteries in this series to look forward to reading as of 2008.

Highly recommended for British Mystery fans who enjoy the uncozy mystery.