As entertaining as the others in this series, I found the book to have well-rounded and witty characters, along with a solid mystery.
It would have been a solid 5-star rating, but I did not appreciate the references to cultural wars in a cozy mystery, as they didn't add anything to the plot. I like Maxwell, but I would appreciate it more if the sensitivity of other people was considered.
It's called good manners, not being woke. I found the surnames funny and a good way to describe Maxwell's mind working
There's a lot to love, despite some glitches. 4.5 stars, upped to 5.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC; all opinions are mine."

Teacher Peter ‘Mad Max’ Maxwell is an eccentric history teacher at Leighford High with wild hair and a habit of quoting movies. When he finds out Leighford is going to be featured in a reality TV show, he’s dismayed, although given the powers that be have Okayed it, he doesn’t have much choice but to participate. However, things soon go south when one of the sound crew is found dead, stabbed in the head teacher’s office.

Max is a fun character! He’s got nicknames for everyone, but most of them are terms of endearment (like the school receptionist / admin are called ‘Thingee One’ and ‘Thingee Two’ but he treats them with respect and probably knows more about them then anyone else at school). He’s also a very good teacher, very knowledgeable and knows how to make learning fun. My only complaint is that when I picked up this book, there was something about being a new series when it was in fact the 22nd entry into the series. Rather than being eased in, learning new characters as they are revealed, I felt I was tossed in. I caught on fairly quickly to what was going on - it just took a few pages. Also, I felt the mystery was almost a side plot to what was going on with the characters lives, that it was very little ‘investigation’ going on by the protagonist. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just highly unexpected when you think you’re reading the first story in a new series, not the latest story in a long running series.

Overall, highly recommended. I’ve added the first book in the series to my TBR pile and probably will add the others as I work my way through the series. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.Com which I voluntarily reviewed.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Maxwell's Reality' by MJ Trow

This may be the first book I have read by this incredible author but it most certainly will not be my last!! It is also the 22nd book in his 'Schoolmaster Murder Mysteries' series but can be read as a standalone as can all the other books in this series.

Wow!!!! Just flipping wow!!!! What an absolutely epic page turner!!! Well done MJ!!! How on Earth have I never read any of your books before? Absolutely smashed it!!!!!!!

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions creating the perfect atmosphere for the storyline. The book cover and synopsis works perfectly with the book plot and I am most definitely looking forward to reading the next book, and the previous one in this series.

The first thing that I have got to say is that I had NO idea that this was the 22nd book in this series until i had finished it and went to have a gander on Amazon and realised!! It just goes to show that it really does not matter if you have not read any of the other books in this series so get stuck in today!! The second thing I have to say is that I genuinely believe that this is actually the first cosy crime book I have ever read where the protagonist is male!! I mean, seriously, I have read hundreds of crime books and to have realised as I was reading this that this is the first time I have read one from a male perspective is quite shocking actually!!! The fact that it is made unique to me because of this is brilliant I am just amazed at the fact to be honest!!! I also realised after I had finished reading this book and went on and looked up the author and series that MJ Trow was born in Wales!! Well, being a Welshie myself I love discovering Welsh authors and Welsh authors that have written an amazing and addictive book such as this just goes to show that Wales definitely has some talent!!! This is another thing that is quite rare, a male author writing cosy crime books!! I mean come on gents we need more male authors and male protagonists in our cosy crime world especially if the rest of you are half as good as writing books as MJ is then I am definitely up for reading more!!! have absolutely no idea how this is the first time I have read one of this incredible author's books but I am so glad I have rectified that problem and I cannot wait to get hooked into more books by MJ. I don't normally like reading books out of order but the one good thing about doing so is that I can now go back and read the previous 22 books in this series by this fantastic author while waiting for his next book to come!!! I best get a move on with so many books to read that I have sadly missed but considering I can guarantee they are all amazing even if they are just half as good as this book they are guaranteed to be epic which means I will fly through them like I did with this book!! In this absolutely gripping book MJ transports the reader to the small seaside town of Leighford on the South Coast where we meet Peter Maxwell. Peter works as a history teacher and is also the Head of Sixth Form at Leighford High School where he is known as Mad Max by the students. Peter is married to DI Jacquie Carpenter-Maxwell and they have two spoilt cats called Count Metternich and Bismack. When he is informed that the school will be taking part in a documentary filmed by 'Fly On The Wall Ltd' Max and a lot of the other members of staff are not happy. Regardless of what they think though the filming goes ahead but the documentary they were expecting turns into a murder mystery when one of the crew members are found murdered in the head of the school Miss Preddie's, Arnie according to Max, office which was discovered by Max and Jacqui's neighbour and friend Mrs B, who works as a cleaner at the school. Max and Jacqui are determined to find the killer but can they do it before they strike again? Well, grab your copy of this laugh out loud, unique and page turning cosy murder mystery today to find out for yourselves!!! I can promise that you will not regret it and just like myself you may just discover a new favourite author and series!!! With an absolutely brilliant storyline ram packed with humour, cats, friendship, student, family, acronyms, crime, school and everything and much more that you could ever ask for in a cosy crime what are you waiting for??? This book is an absolutely addictive, humorous, cosy, page turning and compelling storyline in what promises to be an absolutely amazing series!! It has so many layers of mysteries and crimes for the reader to be kept guessing throughout. MJ has also included A Glossary of English Usage for US Readers which I thought was a fantastic idea. Although I am Welsh and did not need it I should imagine it would definitely come in handy for those not from the UK so well done MJ for considering this!! i love the fact that this is set in a school with the protagonist being a school teacher which is another first for me so another well done to MJ, filled with firsts and definitely unique!!! This fantastic murder mystery is absolutely packed with twists, turns and red herrings throughout I had no idea who the killer was and I was gob smacked when their identity is finally revealed!! I would never have seen that one coming!! This is an achievement in itself as it is definitely getting harder to surprise me with the amount of crime novels I've read so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to MJ!!! The plot was unique and realistic and MJ's brilliant descriptions brings absolutely everything to life in front of your eyes from the characters to the mystery to the surroundings. It started straight in the action and kept you going on a roller-coaster ride of humour and mystery throughout. I won't mention those as not to spoil it for future readers. It is so hard to not say too much without giving anything away to future readers . Well done MJ you did absolutely amazing and everything was tied up perfectly. The twists and turns in this book left me going from one chapter to another!!! I completely devoured it in one sitting as I just could not put it down. I just could not put this book down and I cannot wait to read more books in this series!!!

Before you start this make sure you clear your schedule because once you pick it up you are not going to want to put it down!!!!

Although this is the 22nd book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without any of the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

The characters were very realistic, multi layered and well rounded and again their personalities reflected the storyline and how they would act, etc perfectly. The descriptions gave a really good in depth view of how the characters were feeling and what they were thinking. The characters were complex and each seemed to be hiding their own secrets which leaves you questioning who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. They had their own unique personalities with individual flaws, quirks, secrets, strengths and weaknesses!! I absolutely LOVE Mad Max who is larger than life, hilarious and has a fantastic relationship with Jacquie which is definitely relationship goals as well as a brilliant relationship with his colleagues and pupils. I would have absolutely LOVED to have a teacher like Mad Max, I would have definitely enjoyed school more if I had!!! I am a huge animal lover and running my own little rescue called 'Golden Oldies Cat Rescue And Hospice' which you can find on social media if you wish and absolutely LOVED that Max and Jacque had two cats who were also larger than life and had the brilliant names of Count Metternich and Bismack plus the fact that we get some of their thoughts shown to us was another brilliant addition. As I have previously said the fact that this is the 22nd book in this series doesn't cause any problems when it comes to character building as I genuinely thought it was the first book in the series for some reason and only realised after that it is actually the 22nd!! my favourite just has to be Hades and I LOVE that this book focuses a lot on him although I was worrying for him throughout even though he is a bundle of mischief!! I don't want to say too much about the characters though and I will leave you to read this amazing book and work it out yourself. I will say that it was not just Max that I enjoyed meeting and became completely invested in but also the rest of the characters that we meet too. I could literally go on and on but I am going to wrap it up here so I do not bore you too much! Each of the characters were well developed, unique and thanks to MJ's fantastic evocative writing skills they all came to life before my eyes. That is all I will say as I don't want to run the risk of dropping any hints or spoilers. However, whether you love or hate these characters, they all have their own strong unique personalities and they all bring the story to life playing their roles perfectly.

Congratulations MJ Trow on a fantastic success and here's to the next addictive and unique book in this absolutely epic series!!! This is exactly why I would like to welcome you to my favourite authors club!!!

Overall an absolute must read, hilarious, compelling, addictive page turning book that will keep you addicted.

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Oooh this book was so good! I love the old schoolhouse as the setting, and the mystery was so well thought out. As far as cozy mysteries go this checks all the boxes!

I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with Zooloo's Book Tours.

This is a Peter Maxwell mystery. Peter Maxwell is Head of Sixth Form at Leighford High School. The school is going to be the subject of a reality TV show… until one of the crew is found dead.

Before I even started reading this, I was really drawn to the cover, and it looked like a lot of fun. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but based on this one, I wish I had. I enjoyed the author's style of storytelling, and I liked the characters. I found them humorous and appreciated how they interacted with each other. In particular, I liked Peter and Jacquie's relationship; they made me chuckle. I enjoyed the school setting too. This actually reminded me a little of the Dinner Lady Detectives series by Hannah Hendy, with its writing style and humour, so I wonder if fans of that series would like this as well.

Thank you to Zooloo's Book Tours, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and M.J. Trow for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Maxwell’s Reality coming out April 8, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I didn’t realize there were so many books in the series. I really love cozy mysteries, so I was excited to check this book out. Mysteries set in England are really fun. I loved the idea of the reality TV show being at the school. It made it very interesting. The characters were unique and different. I would definitely check out more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries!

When I requested this book, I had no idea it was book 22 of a long running series. I don't think that was mentioned in the summary and I think I couldn't see that even on Goodreads at the time. I do think having prior knowledge of the series would add something more to the reading of this book, however I still found this enjoyable.

The first thing that comes to mind is this book is very British. And I loved that. It's so British that there is a glossary of words at the back of the book for readers in the USA, which I find odd because you don't see that happening the other way around. Anyway, if you don't enjoy books that are very British, you may not embrace this.

I have to admit it took me a chapter or two to engage with the protagonist, but once I did I was hooked. There's a quiet charm to the book and a relaxed feel, even when there are murders. You can feel the British stoicism rise to the surface and imagine straight backs and square shoulders in the face of adversity.

Now having read the latest in the series, I will need to read from where it all started. If the other books are like this, then I don't think I'll mind.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was concerned I would miss a lot of back story, noting this is part of quite a long series, but the author manages to keep even brand new readers enough in the loop that they don’t miss anything. But now I have the treat of going back to read the rest of the series! This is a bit funnier than the average cozy mystery, full of great dialogue and appealing characters. I am frankly surprised this author has not had more attention - clearly a huge talent.

This was my first foray into Peter Maxwell, and overall, I enjoyed it! The book took a little bit of time for me to get into, and I think that was mainly due to the fact that this is 22 in the series, but was the first one I picked up. I enjoyed getting to know the characters - there were a lot of them, but again, if you've read the other books, I'm sure the names would have been familiar to you! I think I'll pick up some of the earlier books in this series because of how much I appreciated this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC!

Maxwell’s Reality is a sharp, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable mystery that showcases M.J. Trow’s talent for mixing intelligent plotting with character-driven storytelling. As a long-time fan of the series, I appreciated how this book maintained the trademark humor and academic flavor while introducing new twists and developments.

Peter Maxwell continues to be a standout protagonist—his voice is clever, sardonic, and uniquely suited to navigating the curious blend of academia and crime that the series is known for. The supporting cast is also well-drawn, and the mystery itself unfolds with a satisfying balance of intrigue and subtle misdirection.

This is a strong addition to the series and will appeal to readers who appreciate smart, character-rich mysteries with a distinctly British flair. I'm looking forward to what comes next for Maxwell.

It was a slow start but then I was hooked. Did I realize when I asked for this arc that it was part of a series? No, I did not. Was I lost and confused? Not at all. That is what impressed me the most about this book. There was just enough explanation to each character that I didn’t feel like I was jumping late into a series. Our main character is eccentric and charming. Plus it has a school setting. I was hooked.

Maxwell's Reality is my introduction to M.J. Trow’s long-running Schoolmaster Murder Mysteries, and what a delightful way to discover a new series! Despite being the 22nd instalment, it stands firmly on its own, offering an entertaining and humorous mystery that doesn't require prior knowledge of the previous books.

Peter Maxwell, the eccentric and endearing teacher-turned-amateur sleuth, is a joy to follow. His sharp wit and unique perspective make him a standout character, and I warmed to him immediately. The school setting, infused with authenticity likely drawn from Trow’s own academic background, adds depth and realism to the story.

The mystery itself is well-crafted, with just the right balance of intrigue and humour. A reality TV crew descending on Leighford High sets the stage for plenty of amusing moments, but when murder strikes, the stakes quickly rise. With multiple twists and a cleverly woven plot, the story keeps you engaged and guessing throughout.

While I imagine reading the series in order would add extra layers of enjoyment, this book works perfectly well as a standalone. If you're looking for a mystery that blends clever storytelling, an authentic setting, and a dose of humour, Maxwell’s Reality is well worth a read.

Bit of a slow start for me personally but after about 25% i was hooked. I couldn't put it down. Great story. Great who done it. Would definitely recommend.

Very entertaining mystery with a likable protagonist and a high school full of colorful characters. The book was very humorous and very well writtd.

I’ve never read a book from this series before but I’m now going to read the rest.
Joyful, fun, exciting, an absolute delight.
The characters are simply brilliant, I didn’t guess the killer and I loved every second.
Fantastic.

This is apparently book 22 in a series - which explains why, when I started reading, I felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of a book... I could not shake that feeling, so went to my trusty GoodReads to look it up. It doesn't show this as a series book until you search the author's name, at which point I found out that there are nearly two dozen books preceding this one. I could not get into this one because I had no idea who these people were or anything about their universe. I kept feeling like I was missing something - and apparently that something is quite a lot since it encompasses some 5500+ pages across the preceding books... As a result I couldn't finish.

What a fun cozy mystery. A TV crew is covering a reality show when one of the crew members is stabbed to death. Then another crew member is found dead. There's enough twists and turns to keep me interested until the very end. Kudos to the writer for a great story.

Dry Wit..
The twenty second outing in the Schoolmaster Mystery series featuring the cynical Peter Maxwell, eccentric teacher and sometimes amateur, and very reluctant, sleuth. This time a television crew is about to descend upon the school, reality television no less, and Maxwell is somewhat horrified and preparing for the worst. Murder, however, was far from his mind. When the inevitable happens, Maxwell steps up. Another amusing and entertaining entry to this long running series with a cast of eccentric and eclectic characters and a frothy plot bursting with dry wit and outright humour.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This is the 22nd book in the Peter Maxwell series and what a joy to read it was! Even though I could definitely have read others to fully understand everything, I still loved it. It's beautifully written and has a lot of sly humor, as well as causing me to snicker and smile quite a bit.

The mystery is absorbing and I didn't know who dunnit, which I also enjoyed.

I find cozy murder mysteries so much fun. The latest I read was Maxwells Reality. Pick this one up on publication day.