Peter Maxwell is torn between his usual mild xenophobia and his love of the movies when his head of department Paul Moss takes part in a cultural exchange with a family from LA - Hollywood, or as near as makes no difference. Their impact on Leighford is mixed, from Hector Gold, the teacher of the extended family group, being unexpectedly competent to Jeff O'Malley, his father-in-law, being rather good at cards, cheating and mild intimidation.
Soon, members of the card-school are dying and with Nolan's scary headteacher Mrs Whatmough on his back, Maxwell is soon up to his elbows in trans-Atlantic phone calls and dodgy dealing in all senses of the word. Before they know it, the Maxwells are on their way to Hollywood - Metternich having been enticed into the cat basket for the journey of a lifetime - on an exchange of their own. Will either the Maxwell family - or America - ever be the same again?
Booksmonthly: "The seventeenth Mad Max Maxwell book, and one of the very best I've ever read. Maxwell is on sparkling form in this hilarious romp with just a touch of danger...The magic lies in the dialogue and the relationships...Terrific fun, but when you think about it, it's finely crafted in a John Creasey kind of way, and a very fine detective fiction indeed...Unmissable."
