The question of Max [Hardcover]

Amanda Cross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1977

When professor and amateur sleuth Kate Fansler accompanies a fussy friend to the rocky coast of Maine to peruse the papers of a famous, recently deceased author, she is horrified to come across one of her students, dead. Which leads her to one very important question, namely, would Max stoop so low as to murder...?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

When I read THE JAMES JOYCE MURDER, I instantly became a fan of Amanda Cross and her protagonist, English professor Kate Fansler. And I continued to devour this wonderful series: THE QUESTION OF MAX, DEATH IN A TENURED POSITION, NO WORD FROM WINIFRED -- and onward. In time, I (and many other readers) came to realize that "Amanda Cross" is a pseudonym for Dr. Carolyn G. Heilbrun, the revered Columbia University professor whose WRITING A WOMAN'S LIFE and other nonfiction volumes are recognized as ground-breaking classics in literary criticism and feminist studies. My admiration for the author grew and grew -- in both her guises. And then a few years ago, I had the great good fortune to become the editor of her "Amanda Cross" half. Which has given me many opportunities to get to know Carolyn personally (it helps that we live only a few blocks from each other). So I've been in the company of this widely beloved author for autograph parties, bookstore events, an honorary dinner, and recently at the ALA (American Library Association) conference, where scores of adoring fans -- librarians and educators -- patiently queued up to get personally autographed copies of THE PUZZLED HEART, the latest Fansler mystery, as well as backlist titles in the series. Even with the resultant writer's cramp, it was a great day for "Amanda." And another cherished memory I have of this charming, gracious, and multitalented author.

--Joe Blades, Associate Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

When professor and amateur sleuth Kate Fansler accompanies a fussy friend to the rocky coast of Maine to peruse the papers of a famous, recently deceased author, she is horrified to come across one of her students, dead. Which leads her to one very important question, namely, would Max stoop so low as to murder...? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 323 pages
• Publisher: G. K. Hall (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816164517
• ISBN-13: 978-0816164516
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,777,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like literature . . ., April 28, 2001

By 

Gracejoy "gracejoy7" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Question of Max (Kate Fansler Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a slow-paced, detail-heavy mystery novel that will please people who really love and know literature. Loaded with imagery and references from the classic 19th and 20th century canon, it might be difficult to truly enjoy or appreciate by someone who does not. The novel is written in very intellectual and academic prose (lots of big vocabulary words -- after all the heroine is an English professor), but is nevertheless appropriate and entertaining, not too dry. The mystery unfolds extremely slowly -- in fact, until the second half of the book you are not really sure what the mystery IS -- but there is something tantalizing about this, and it makes the book feel as much like a "regular" novel as a mystery (so even someone who does not usually read mysteries might very well enjoy it). The last quarter of the book speeds up dramatically, with lots of unanswered questions, new clues, and even a bit of old-fashioned suspense; the ending is simple but somehow seems to fit just right. I did enjoy this book, and it was a quick and pleasant read, but I can warn you in advance that if you do not like literature, or reading very intellectual novels, you will probably find it boring. If the story of an upper-class English professor trying to solve a mystery surrounding a recently deceased British writer appeals to you, however, then pick this one up and give it a go. It's not an amazing book and it won't blow you away, but it's not expensive, and it's certainly good reading for a rainy day or a long trip.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Kate Fansler book, July 25, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Question of Max (Kate Fansler Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Kate's colleague and friend Max manages to find her in her Berkshire hideaway. He convinces her to go with him to Maine to check out the literary files of a recently deceased author. Apparently, burglars have been seen in the area and Max is worried about the valuable papers. While there Kate finds the body of one of her students on the rocks.

This is a really good Cross novel. There are two main interwoven plots with a few sidelines. The mystery is difficult to solve and keeps your interest all the way through.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like literature, taste this one., October 18, 1997

By 

Omnibus (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Question of Max (Kate Fansler Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

"A bit of homicide, much wit, and lashings." Scholars, famous writers, literary circles. A taste of Walt Whitman, Wilde, Eliot, Oxford. Dissertations, literary executors, biographical writings.