Peter 'Mad Max' Maxwell is a very busy man; resisting Ofsted imperatives and marking GCSE coursework on time, as well as cramming as much History as possible into the reluctant heads of Nine Eff Gee. And at home, baby Nolan claims a lot of attention, as does Nolan's rather surprising friend and protector, the black and white mouse-tormentor Metternich the cat.

Despite this, Max still finds time for some amateur sleuthing when the terminally nervous school photographer asks for his help after accidentally photographing a murder on the beach. Their discovery of a body buried in the sand dunes sets in motion a chain of events that only the redoubtable Mad Max can break, but one thing is certain: life in Leighford will never be the same again.