Maxwell's Reunion

Peter Maxwell Mystery #7

by m-j-trow

When Peter Maxwell attends a school reunion of the class of '65, all is not as it seems among his old chums. They are career men, family men - but the years have taken their toll, and the seething tensions of the school years surface in unlikely ways. At the end of the reunion weekend, a man is dead, hanging from the bell rope of the old school. When a second death occurs, Maxwell finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation. What is the secret that has been lurking under Maxwell's nose all these years - and could he be on the murderer's list for killing No. 3?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Audiobook

1000 pages, Hardcover

First published December 6, 2001

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Description: When Peter Maxwell attends a school reunion of the class of '65, all is not as it seems among his old chums. They are career men, family men - but the years have taken their toll, and the seething tensions of the school years surface in unlikely ways. At the end of the reunion weekend, a man is dead, hanging from the bell rope of the old school. When a second death occurs, Maxwell finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation. What is the secret that has been lurking under Maxwell's nose all these years - and could he be on the murderer's list for killing No. 3?

[Linda Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as I remembered.

First read these books from the local library, years ago. Delighted they are now available electronically, and I cannot wait for the next one. Recommended.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the Peter Maxwell books have been enjoyable and this is no exception. Mad Max, head of sixth form history and a thoroughly decent if idiosyncratic type.
He has been asked to a school reunion of sorts, in that it is just the group of five lads he went around with at his secondary school. There has been no connection since those days but they had all been pretty close once. Now their old school is to be turned into flats, so one last look around is called for.
Max takes Jacqui Carpenter (woman policeman) the love of his life along for the celebration. Five of the six, plus partners, turn up at the appointed hotel, and when Max and a few of the others take a stroll to the old abandoned school they finally find the sixth member of the group.
This becomes personal to Max especially when there is another death.
As he and Jacqui get closer Max finds his life and hers placed in danger.
There is a lot of humour and old-school sensibilities in the books and I find they are a really good read.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Maxwell is attending a school reunion some 37 years after graduating; he was one of a group of seven boys back then, and now that the school has been closed and is being converted to a convention center, the group comes together for a final visit to the place. Unfortunately, one member of the group does not turn up - or rather, he does, but only as a corpse hanged in one of the school’s buildings. Naturally, the six remaining men are considered suspects, but when a second man is also killed, apparently while on his way to visit Max, the stakes are raised astronomically…. The seventh book of this series is set in 2000 or 2001, and some of the tension (and humour) stems from Max’s inability to master any new technology such as a word processor or computer. He also seems to have developed some martial arts skills, at least in terms of avoiding being killed, which seems a little out of character for a man who is primarily interested in history and films. But it’s still an entertaining read, so mildly recommended.

[Richard J. Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxwell's Reunion is another highly readable murder mystery romp across the UK with Peter "Mad Max" Maxwell. The characters are delightfully drawn with plenty of "red herrings" to bog down the growing investigations. Happily, the local CID coppers are not the usual mystery series dim-wits, but hard-working, sometimes obtuse, but mostly just competent investigators. Mad Max is invited to a class reunion with six former classmates some thirty-plus years after leaving school for university or life. In time, one then another is found dead, and the entertaining tale is afoot. Throughout, Max's double life of educator/sleuth goes on, and advances yet another step. Is Max the next victim? Well that would end the series, but that does not subdue the suspense and the tale and the chase continue. Our author delivers another thoroughly enjoyable if sometimes (to this Yank) imponderable story full of the quirks of British culture. I enjoyed this a great deal.

[Barbara Deeprose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Good Book In The Series

When Peter Maxwell attends a school reunion the last thing he expected was getting involved in another murder, but almost before the festivities start a body is found. Is someone picking off the partispiants one by one and could Max himself be next? Another enjoyable story which makes me laugh out loud from time to time despite the serious matter.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

2000. Its school reunion time for Maxwell and the six other pupils from Halliards School. But one didn't make it as he is found hanged inside the derelict school. Then another one is killed. Maxwell decides to investigate.
An enjoyable mystery

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read in this series

[John Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so on to the seventh of the series. I suppose that in some ways this has become something of another episode in a soap opera. By now we know all of the background characters and their stories and the cases from the previous books and are ready for the the next story.

I won't bore my reader by repeating what I have previously said about the series but here it seems as if Max and his 'woman policeman Carpenter' might at last have some time for themselves. She is Max's 'plus one' at a reunion weekend of The Magnificent Seven from his last year at school which he refers to as 'Class of 63' (as was my own).

Unfortunately for them both, the weekend doesn't go to plan when one of the seven is found hanging from the school bell rope.

Max is obviously drawn to investigate and Jacqui treads the difficult line between her roles of policewoman and friend. His humour (and the author's) is as on the mark as ever.

I had been waiting for the opportunity to increase my rating to 5 and there was certainly occasions here where tension/excitment, perhaps missing in some others, was present. However, although I didn't see the motive, I did get the guilty party but a couple of things in the explanations , I didn't follow. So tbe 5 awaits. There would appear plenty of time for that, as I now move on to #8,  my wife tells me that she is expecting delivery of her preordered #22 tomorrow.

I might say that the level of her expectations for the new book could match that of the dots at the end of this one.


7th April 2025

[Tria · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st GR read June 7, 2011. 2nd July 28-30, 2016. 4.5* - reviewing later. In pain now.