Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxwell’s House | 1994 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 2 | Maxwell’s Flame | 1995 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 3 | Maxwell’s Ride | 2000 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 4 | Maxwell’s Curse | 2000 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 5 | Maxwell’s Reunion | 2001 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 6 | Maxwell’s Match | 2002 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 7 | Maxwell’s Inspection | 2003 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 8 | Maxwell’s Grave | 2004 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 9 | Maxwell’s Mask | 2005 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 10 | Maxwell’s Movie | 1998 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 11 | Maxwell’s Point | 2007 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 12 | Maxwell’s War | 1999 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 13 | Maxwell’s Chain | 2008 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 14 | Maxwell’s Revenge | 2009 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 15 | Maxwell’s Retirement | 2010 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 16 | Maxwell’s Island | 2011 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 17 | Maxwell’s Crossing / Maxwell’s Christmas | 2012 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 18 | Maxwell’s Return | 2014 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 19 | Maxwell’s Academy | 2015 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 20 | Maxwell’s Summer | 2025 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 21 | Maxwell’s Zoom | 2025 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 22 | Maxwell’s Reality | 2025 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
The Schoolmaster Murder Mysteries series brings together the complete Peter Maxwell catalog, including both the long-running original series and the newer books that resumed publication in 2025. Maxwell’s Zoom and Maxwell’s Reality, both from 2025, suggest Trow is returning to the character with stories set in a more contemporary moment than the earlier books, which were written and set closer to the 1990s and 2000s.
The 22-book collection gives readers a single complete reading list for the character. Maxwell himself — the history teacher who cycles to school on a vintage bike and quotes Shakespeare at crime scenes — is one of Trow’s most fully realized creations, and the series as a whole shows a character who has aged in real time across thirty years of publication.
New readers are best served starting with Maxwell’s House (1994) and reading forward. The later books assume familiarity with Maxwell’s established relationships, particularly with Jacquie Carpenter, and some of the humor depends on knowing how the character typically behaves in a crisis.