Meet Peter Maxwell: film buff, golden-hearted cynic, bow-tied eccentric teacher . . . and reluctant amateur sleuth.

Peter Maxwell’s quiet summer break at historic Haledown House takes a sinister turn when it becomes the scene of grisly murder.

Snooty aristocrat Colonel Roddy Hale-ffinch is found draped in a velvet smoking jacket, soaked in blood. His throat has been slashed, and the scene grotesquely staged to look like an animal attack.

Before Maxwell can make sense of the crime, another guest is found dead, having swallowed a lethal dose of rat poison.

As the body count rises Maxwell realises that the killer will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

Can he uncover the truth before summer’s end — or will he become the next victim?

If you love Faith Martin, Richard Osman, Richard Coles, Fiona Leitch, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Simon Brett, Janice Hallett, M.C. Beaton or Agatha Christie, prepare to be hooked by this character-driven thrilling mystery!