Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Joffe Books via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
When Peter Maxwell’s history club meeting sparks a deadly explosion, leaving a charred body behind, the police suspect Maxwell was the intended target.
Then a hit-and-run attempt leaves Maxwell in no doubt. Someone wants him dead — but why?
Now his neighbour, Mrs. B, is abducted — and Maxwell uncovers a chilling truth — someone is using his history lessons as a call to violence.
As the arsonist closes in on his next target, can Maxwell stop a deadly campaign of vengeance?
Or will history repeat itself once more . . .
Review:
This is book 23 of the series, but actually the first I have read in it. Not quite sure how THAT happened, but somehow it just got by my reading radar! I'm actually pretty surprised the series hasn't been picked up for a TV series, as I can easily cast it from the 'British TV stable' of actors, LOL! A typical cozy read, it has a few twists that elevate it up a few notches, and make for some fun reading. Even coming into the series late, the author gives you enough hints about the past occurrences in Maxwell's life at home with his police inspector wife and son, and his worklife at the school. In fact, the interactions between Maxwell and his students are a key part of the charm of this series! In this book, Maxwell appears to be the intended victim, but for reason's unknown. As the chaos around his taking part of a history club keep things moving, it's how Maxwell and his wife start making connections that is really interesting. And then when the case hits too close to home, they are in a mad dash to solve it and find Mrs B if they can. I actually think this might have been a good book to jump into the series, as now going back and starting at the beginning, you can see how things evolved in the series. If you're looking for something light and fresh, check this one out!
About the Author:
M J Trow (the 'M' as most people know by now stands for Meirion, a Welsh name few can manage, so he writes as M J, is known by all and sundry as Mei, rhyming with 'my') has been writing for many years, with his first book - The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade - being published in 1984 by Macmillan. More Lestrades followed and then some true crime and somehow it all snowballed so now he has many historical biographies and three other crime series (Maxwell, Marlowe and Grand and Batchelor, the latter two written with his wife, writing as Maryanne Coleman, though her name is Carol, actually!) to his credit. He claims to be retired, but that's just from teaching. In fact he has never been busier and is a sought after 'ghost' these days as well as historian and novelist, with many different subjects' stories having been told through him. He has recently started collaborating on fiction projects (with someone other than his wife, that is) and finds it a really exciting and pleasurable experience.
To relax he ... actually, that's a bit tricky, as he doesn't really ever relax. He has been known to garden, he is a keen cook and artist and likes to travel. This is rather easier these days as he is a popular speaker on cruise ships - in fact his profile picture was taken on a very gusty day in Cape Town, setting off on a long voyage home to Southampton through some of the scariest seas he and his wife have had the pleasure to meet! It really was the calm before the storm, despite being a Force 9 just leaving the Bay.
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