Review – What Could Possibly go Wrong?

From Goodreads:

Max is back! New husband, new job, and a training regime that cannot fail – to go wrong!

Take one interim Chief Training Officer, add five recruits, mix with Joan of Arc, a baby mammoth, a duplicitous Father of History, a bombed rat, Stone Age hunters, a couple of passing policemen who should have better things to do, and Dick the Turd. Stir well, bring to the boil – and wait for the bang!

Join Max in the sixth instalment in the off-the-wall Chronicles of St Mary’s series.

I have talked about how much I love this series over and over again, and it is getting harder and harder to talk about it without spoilers. I have talked a lot about how I love the writing style, that it feel like reading a TV series, with multiple little episodes and adventures contained in one novel. This makes them page turners, this book like the others bounces about history, exploring different periods in time while dealing with the over arching plot.

I definitely think this one pick the story line back up again. It feel like it is the start of a new ARC, both in terms of the overarching villian and in the personal aspects for the main cast. Our MC, Max, has changed her position at St Mary’s and that allows for the introduction of new characters in the form of the new trainees. It was really fun seeing Max whom we have gotten to know really well, adapt to this new roll especially as she was used to being the trouble maker.

We really got a wider character perspective in this one opening up for different style of adventures than those in the last few novels, without loosing the old favourite either. I really loved the diversity in the new characters, they had such different personalities that really worked well together. As trouble befell them, as it always does at St Mary’s it was great to see how they reacted and how that worked with the gang we were already so used to. It was great fun! Spoiler: There was actually a successful mission for once!

This instalment also gave us a bit more insight into the dystopian world that St Mary’s is set in which we haven’t got a lot of information about since the first book so it was great to see that come back into play. We also still got all the humour and high-jinks we expect from St Mary’s. The highs and the lows, the laugh out loud and the moments that make you gasp. This is just a really entertaining series and this instalment was just as entertaining as the rest.

I continue to love this series and I was lucky to receive books 7-9 for my birthday, as well as the second short story collection so I can keep adventuring with Max and the gang. This is doubly so as that cliff hanger ending has me needing to know what happens next!