The Question of Max (Kate Fansler) Paperback – 22 March 2018

Discovered Amanda Cross when it seemed too late and many of her books were out of print. Finally got the remaining lot here and very pleased to have enjoyed them all.

Arrived promptly but book did not meet my expectations of 'good' condition. The spine was cracked and covers scuffed. Unimpressed.

Professor Kate Fansler is flattered and curious when her friend, the urbane and extremely snobbish Max Reston (“younger son of a younger son of a duke”) asks her to accompany him to the home of a recently deceased literary author, whose literary executor he has become; it turns out that neighours have sighted intruders at the cottage and Max is afraid to go by himself. When they reach the Maine house by the sea, Kate is determined to climb the rocks down to the beach, but her determination is shattered when she comes across a corpse in a tidepool; worse, it turns out to be the body of a student she knew, who was working on a doctorate somewhat related to the deceased author. In spite of herself, Kate is drawn to further inquiries to resolve the matter, even if she must travel to Oxford to do so…. This is, I think, the fifth novel in the Kate Fansler series, and as ever it gleams with tidbits about the academic life, along with feminism in the 1970s - and, in this case, we also get a look into prep-school level basketball! I enjoyed this outing, although the actual mystery didn’t require much work to figure out; as a slice of life in that time period, it’s a very compelling and enjoyable read. Recommended!

The Question of Max is an interesting book. One can tell that Carolyn Heilbrun was an English professor. It is one of the reasons I enjoy her books.