A Degree of Murder: It's 25 years since they graduated...but revenge never gets old.

by Maz Evans

IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE THEY GRADUATED...BUT REVENGE NEVER GETS OLD.

The Class of 2000.
The Actress. The Techie. The Bimbo.
The Sportsman. The Bad Boy. The Writer. The Singer.
The Lecturer. The Musician. The Mature Student. The Weirdo.
But who is The Murderer?

It's Bathory University's 25-year reunion. The Class of 2000 reassemble - and old flames and old feuds are quicky reignited.

Laurence still loves Diana. Mags still hates Bill. Tillie wants Ed. Ryan wants revenge. Rob turned out good. J.D. turned out bad. Lilah's not the same. And as for Marty...

But when murder strikes, the clues to the killing can be found a quarter of a century ago on Graduation Day 2000. As the secrets, tragedies and betrayals from years gone by play out at the reunion, someone is taught a deadly lesson.

Eleven witnesses - or are they suspects? - from the Bathory students and staff recount events in the years 2000 and 2025 while the murder trial unfolds before us. But who is the victim? Who is accused of being the killer? And is the right person even on trial?

The murderer will be revealed... but only by degrees.

Praise for award-winning, bestselling author Maz
'Fabulous' JANICE HALLETT
'Deliciously funny' MARTINA COLE
'Pure fun in book form, a laugh out loud murder mystery...a book you won't be able to put down!' C L MILLER
'Wickedly spit-out-your-tea funny...but also heartwarming' S. J. BENNETT
'This witty mystery will please fans of Richard Osman and Janice Hallett' The i Paper
'Gorgeously warm, brilliantly witty...impossible to put down' LUCY MANGAN
Warm, wacky and witty. I loved it!' SALLY PAGE
'A triumph' DAILY MIRROR
'Sometimes a book comes along that reminds you why you fell in love with reading. ..an absolute joy!' WOMAN & HOME
'Splendidly offbeat whodunnit' DAILY EXPRESS

Audible Audio

Published April 9, 2026

Reviews

[Leanne likes books 📚 · Rating 2 out of 5]

We meet the Bathory University classmates in 2026 in criminal court. Is the defence guilty of murder?

The class of 2000 are at their 25th reunion, reminiscing over their time at uni, the death of their friend at graduation, their lives, success, failure, loves since. Making amends - for better and for worse (!) when a murder occurs. The classmates each gives their version of events, from both graduation and the reunion. Will they be able to find the defence guilty without doubt?


I LOVE Maz Evans, her humour is another level of superb, but I just spent 11 hours utterly confused. She bounced from 2000 to 2025 to 2026, from the (multiple!) murders and deaths to the court room, there was 11 main characters who were referred to by multiple different names (first name / surname / nickname / initials), there were girlfriends of main characters with almost identical names to main characters (Lyra / Lyla), witnesses referred to by initials that were the same (MH), there were twists galore but didn’t have a clue who they were about or how the individual stories linked. The whole criminal part everyone was referred to by initials and I had no clue who was on trial and wasn’t excited when I found out, I was again confused! I was intrigued what degree they’d done given how random all the characters were and rolled my eyes at how they’d all become mega successful on their own completely unrelated professions (bar 1 of them). The end was so random and again a head scratcher twist rather than a brilliant one - a twist too far perhaps?
But… the humour was amazing and the idea was good. It felt very like a Janice Hallet book so it might be better read in written form. If there had been 1 less death and 5 less characters it’d have been fantastic. Maybe this needs to be a book to read when you’re able to fully immerse yourself so you can follow along more easily, (equally I’ve been listening while commuting to long days at work so maybe just don’t read it tired 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️)
That said I remain a huge Evans fan and plan on reading all of her books forever more.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

It makes me a little sad that I didn't enjoy this one. I think there was promise here, and Maz Evans has such a distinct style that is enjoyable. While the pitch of the book isn't exactly novel, uni friends back together for a reunion, it is a fun trope - but it falls sort of flat here? The characters are such stereotypes that I can't see a world where they are friends in any way and I don't really care about any of them except for Mags. The author makes mention that this was the third book she had written in the year and I think it shows. This at points seems rushed? There is a character who get married and then unmarried and then married again (an editing issue mostly), the book takes place in the UK but is doesn't feel like it and there are some weird points such as mention of fraternities even though they don't exist here?
I didn't love that there was an element of contrivance to keep certain information from the reader which only served to lengthen the book rather than add anything to the story. I also think the ending was not very good. It felt rushed, especially just casually dropping rape as an explanation in a passing comment. I really didn't love that. I also just fundamentally just don't believe the ending is feasible.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this authors previous books (I gave Over My Dead Body 5 stars and That'll Teach Her 4 stars) so you can imagine how thrilled I was to see that they had a new release.
Unfortunately I didn't love this one as much as those previous reads.
I did get into this right away and once again I liked the humour and writing style.
I also liked our characters and they really did feel like real people to me. And boy is there a lot of them.
In this book we have multiple characters and dual timelines which could have been confusing. Luckily this was never a problem for me as all the characters felt well defined so were easy to distinguish from one another.
However I did find the plot of this to be really slow paced and drawn out.
The book felt way too long and it seemed like we were going round in circles with not a lot of plot development.
Because of this by the second half of the book I was losing interest and I found myself feeling bored and I was ready for the story to wrap up.
So, this started off well but the more I read of it the less I enjoyed it. This is definitely my least favourite book by this author however I would be interested to see what they write next.

Thanks to Headline for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just going to start this review by saying, I just love this author’s writing. It’s so engaging that I always feel the story gets under my skin straight away and whenever I have to put the book down, I am thinking about it and itching to pick it back up. I really enjoyed the mix of epistolary elements with the trial transcripts and newsletters weaved between the traditional chapters. It’s somewhat of a massive understatement to say that there’s a LOT going on with the Bathory University’s class of 2000 but I was here for all of it, entertained from start to finish. Sure, there are a lot of different characters and secrets to keep straight and that can sometimes become confusing, especially as they are similarly named (Lyra and Lilah - I am looking at you) but it doesn’t detract from your enjoyment of the book. I am left wishing I could read Maz Evans’ next book right away. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks for the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

It is a mixture of formats. I never thought anyone could write the way Janice Hallett does, but Maz has found a similar way of telling the story, but it's not always like that. Yes there's emails and newsletters and court notes etc. But it's alongside what you'd call "normal" prose. So, if you're generall not a fan of the first type of writing, please stick with it, because they really help give an extra layer to teh story.

I loved Maz's debut adult novel - Over My Dead Body - and whilst I own a number of her kids books, I haven't read any yet. I did read her last book - That'll Teach Her - but it didn't quite hit the same heights for me (we can't love every book I suppose). But as soon as I started this one I knew it would be just as good as Over My... . It's so fast paced but not too much, full of twists and turns but not overwhelming. I had no idea where it was going, who to trust, who to believe, who was good, who was bad - it's got so many layers to it.

The characters are a mixture of heroes and villains, none of which are 100% good or bad. The "baddies" almost elt like pantomime baddies, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. Any of them could have done it, and I really enjoyd learning all about them and trying to figure it out - which of course I didn't.

Tere are a lt of characters, let me say. I am awful at remembering names so I did struggle at times, but I don't think it negatively impacted my enjoyment of hte book as a whole, mainly because they are all so distinct nad so well written.

Each character's chapter is the same story, but from different POVs which I thought was very good, because we get completely seperate angles that only add to the conusion and the tension.

She's not given us everything at once. She's teased things so we don't always know who or what we're reading about, which gets your imagination going.

I didn't find it a quick book to read - not a negative, just an observation. It takes a lot of thinking and concentration which makes it a slower read, which is fine, but it's probably not one you read whilst you're trying to multitask, it deserves your full attention.

I'm an early-to-bed kind of person, but I had to stay up to finish this. I am notoriously bad at working out whodunnits but this really had me shocked and bamboozled (good word!)

I would definitely recommend this to people who like "different" thrillers, whodunnits with a twist. It's a great read and thoroughly exciting.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

A DEGREE OF MURDER is a clever, complicated multi-timeline mystery.

This is a mystery novel with two halves - what really happened on graduation (the accident, all of the relationship drama), and who committed the murder at the reunion. The latter is of course linked to the reunion and it's such a complicated story, with everyone having a different piece of the overall puzzle.

The story is split across three timelines - graduation, reunion, and trial. The graduation and reunion are told through chapters while the trial is told through notes typed by someone attending the trial. The graduation is also third person while the reunion is first, which (along with dates) means you can work out which timeline you're in quickly.

The book is told from the perspective of most of the students. It means there's only really a chapter from each character at the graduation and reunion, giving you a glimpse into their lives at both moments, all their fears and rage and grudges. It's a little snapshot, enough to give you a sense of who they are but not to really sink into their psyche. It helps with the sense that any of them could have done it as you don't know enough to rule anyone out.

Like with THAT'LL TEACH HER, this book has a multi-media element, which parts of the story not told through chapters. Here, the non-chapters are the trial notes and also the yearly newsletter Tillie sends out. The newsletter doesn't add much narratively to the story (there weren't any clues that I could see in it to either mystery) but it was funny and let you see how their lives were changing over time. The ongoing "Felix escapes death through something going wrong yet again" thread was very funny.

The reveal/twist of the ending did feel a bit over the top and unrealistic. It's definitely not something I saw coming and I'm not sure if the OTT nature of it undermined the story a bit for me or not. I was turning the pages as fast as I could to find out, but it felt like to accept that end, I had to suspend disbelief a bit too much.

[Emily Pankhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing was gripping, engaging and had me hooked from the beginning right through to the end. There were so many twists and turns that I never saw the end coming. It was very cleverly put together, with all of the answers tying up neatly by the end. There was drama, sadness, celebration and humour peppered throughout the book which kept me invested.

The chapters were a mix of lengths, comprising narration, letters and script. Each chapter was headed with a character name and a date (except the script and the letters), so you always knew from which character's point of view you were reading from and the time period.

There was a good pace to the book due to the mix of chapter lengths. The longer chapters allowed you to get immersed in that character's side of the story and the shorter ones allowed you to move through the story well. In order to keep up the suspense and tension you did go round in circles gradually building up each character's individual role in the story. It was a technique that kept me on my toes, but I enjoyed every second of it.

There was an interesting flow to the book created by the different media and the going back and forth in time. You had to keep your wits about you, but I was immersed enough that I just about kept up with it all.

The characters were excellent. I loved hearing the story from everyone's point of view. I absolutely loved Tillie. She brought a lightness and a humour to what could have been quite a dark and heavy story. The range of personalities kept the story interesting and I enjoyed seeing events from everyone's point of view.

Lastly the settings. The school campus was an excellent setting. It is at a time of life when anything is possible and people are trying to find themselves. The story is largely character focused, so there isn't a lot to be said about the surroundings. What details were there grounded the story well, whilst letting you focus on what the characters were doing.

Overall a breathtaking read, full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming! I highly recommend giving this gripping tale a try. I won't forget it in a hurry.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

When murder strikes at Bathory College’s 25 year reunion, clues can be found from graduation day. The students and staff recount events in the past and current year, while the murder trial unfolds. But who is the victim and who is accused of being the killer? The truth will be uncovered.

I previously read That’ll Teach Her and really enjoyed the humour and mystery in it, finding it a fun read. I hoped this would be the same and I was pleased to find it was. This was another entertaining story, with some mixed formats thrown in with the bulletin and court case, parts I found I enjoyed (more so the bulletin). As unlikeable as some of the characters were, they were very amusing to read, although felt like caricatures at times. The story kept me guessing and there were some good twists that I enjoyed discovering.

Although this was an entertaining book, I did have a couple of areas I didn’t like so much. I found that the chapters were a bit too long and slow, I would have preferred them to be a bit shorter and snappier. I also found that as we were introduced to a lot of characters at once, it was hard to keep them all separated from one another, which at times felt confusing. Even though I had these issues, overall this was an enjoyable mystery and perfect for those looking for a twisty, well written story full of dark humour. I will definitely continue to read more by this author. 3.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maz Evans has delivered another brilliant darkly comic mystery with A Degree of Murder. It’s definitely a book that you need to keep your wits about you to read as it features multiple points of view, different time lines and twists galore.
To begin with, the reader is completely in the dark as we don’t know who has been murdered, who is on trial or even who is narrating that particular time line. Gradually as we see events from the fateful reunion of 2025 as well flashbacks to the original graduation in 2000, we find out the identities of the victim and accused.
I loved the variety of characters although it was bit tricky to keep track of who everyone was to begin with as the POVs switch quite quickly. It was an immersive read as seeing the same events unfold from multiple POV really gives a feeling of seeing things from all sides. To link the two events together we also get Tillie’s hilarious newsletters as she keeps everyone up to date with how the alumni of Bathory University. Some of the details and people mentioned are irrelevant to the story but they are all funny and definitely not to be skipped.
The way that the relationships between the characters was gradually revealed kept me having to re-evaluate what I thought about each one and the twists kept on coming right to the end.
This was another really enjoyable mystery read by the author and I am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Headline, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Stephanie Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group pf former students return to Bathory University for a 25 year reunion, each with their own memories of their time there. Among them are familiar faces bound by friendships, rivalries and long buried secrets dating back to their graduations. When a murder occurs during the reunion, the celebration quickly turns into something far darker. As events unfold, it becomes clear that what happened 25 years before may be inextricably linked to the present day tragedy. The truth though, is anything but straightforward.

This is a cleverly constructed thriller with a brilliant format that blends traditional story telling with emails, alumni newsletters and reports from court. This creates a sense of intrigue and keeps the narrative feeling fresh and dynamic throughout. The layered plotting is impressive, everything well placed allowing the truth to gradually fall into place.

Maz Evans trademark humour shines through and balances with the darker themes perfectly. The many red herrings keeps you constantly second guessing and makes for a very engaging read. With eleven different witnesses sharing perspectives from both their university days and the reunion the story could have easily become overwhelming, however it is handled with real skill. Each voice is distinct and purposeful, building a rich and compelling picture of events. These characters are a real strength; those I instantly warmed to, those I disliked - only to empathise with as the tale progressed and those who left me questioning their choices and motivations. This mix of personalities adds depth making 'A Degree of Murder' all the more absorbing.

Sharp, witty and well plotted this is a very enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Uk for my advance reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb

IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE THEY GRADUATED...BUT REVENGE NEVER GETS OLD.

The Class of 2000.
The Actress. The Techie. The Bimbo.
The Sportsman. The Bad Boy. The Writer. The Singer.
The Lecturer. The Musician. The Mature Student. The Weirdo.
But who is The Murderer?

I don't really know how to review this, not least because my ARC had some formatting issues which meant I didn't know whether paragraphs ended mid-sentence deliberately or because of formatting. In addition, the book jumps around from person to person and between graduation in 2000, the reunion in 2025 and the murder trial in 2026. None of the characters had a particularly strong tone so I didn't really know who was talking or which was their 2000 persona. There is also the confusion caused by not being told who has been murdered, who is accused of the murder and indeed, who is the narrator watching the trial.

In addition, despite being set in the UK this didn't really feel British (no I can't explain why and I had the same feeling about a book set in Australia so maybe it's a Me thing) maybe its because big graduation parties and reunions weren't really a thing when I was younger?

Anyway TL:DR the book was structured to keep the reader guessing.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entangled book which follows a group of students who met at university from graduation until their 25 year reunion.. I read Over my dead body by the same author and loved it. This book was OK, though it was complicated by having so many different characters who narrate the book, the main plot emerges gradually, which added intrigue to the twisty plot. The descriptions of the characters are fine and give a good picture of the group and their interactions . I did like Tillie's news bulletins and the humorous remarks and opinions she writes in them. Is the darker side (no spoilers here) possible, I`m not sure, perhaps in places a little farfetched and the characterizations too caricaturistic. Some of the chapters are too long.
It took me a while to get into the book, partly because of all the personages and different points of view, but the plot did keep me reasonably engaged. I`ll definately lookout for more by this author though. On the whole I did like that the plot was gradually pieced together and would advise the reader to look at the big picture rather than get bogged down by details here.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

[Lottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has their secrets, and no one is truly innocent. Get ready to join Bathory University's Class of 2000 as they push past the skeletons in their closets to put on their best clothes for a reunion no one is likely to forget!

A Degree of Murder by Maz Evans is a Mystery/Thriller book that is set to be published on 9th April 2026.

5 Stars

A huge thank you to the Marketing team at Headline Publishing for inviting me to read the ARC of this book through NetGalley. I was lucky enough to review the ARC of Maz Evans' debut adult novel Over My Dead Body and was truly thrilled to be given the same opportunity for A Degree of Murder two years later.

This might just be my new favourite book. As the book progressed, I got more and more confused, I truly had no idea what was coming until it hit me in the face. I . Could. Not. Put. It. Down. The twists and turns in this book will give you whiplash. I cannot wait for A Degree of Murder to be released in April so that I can purchase a physical copy and get all of my friends and family to read it.

[Bex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there is one thing you can count on with a Max Evans book is that it will make you laugh, and this was no exception - I think my favourite parts of the whole book were the 'Bathoru Bulletin' sections. That being said, I did find this book a little bit hard to stick with. The chapters were incredibly long and a bit "waffle-y" in parts. There is also a lot of characters and relationships go keep track of, and I found it quite hard to keep up with who was who. There were some stand out characters that, by the end (once I'd managed to work out who was who), I loved and some I hated. The ending and twists were good, if a tiny bit predictable. This is a book that jumps between two timelines, has lots of little individual story lines branching off of the main plot, and requires a lot of concentration to really understand what's going on. This is a strange one, I both did and didn't enjoy this one in different ways!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to form after her last book.
Still a Janice Halley-like book but this time there’s no emails or texts, just a court diary and newsletters. In the latter, I loved the notes about Felix Chance just missing the Boxing Day tsunami, the MH370 flight, coming back from China with a ‘heavy’ cold etc.
Minor complaints: similar names such as Lilah and Lyra, then there were the two confusingly names of Rob Collins and Ryan Connors.
Too many characters: I read this book, and had to write down the names of each character and who they were. I was also able to flick back to check things out such as what year we were in, so I’m glad I didn’t listen to this story.
Diana killed her twin Lilah, through jealousy etc. but pretended she was still alive by dressing as her and intermittently meeting people as her, texting etc. Diana then killed Jared as he’d buried Lilah for her but he then realised she was impersonating her sister etc. etc.

[Tracy Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is difficult to describe without spoilers but what I can say is this is brilliant, and you should read it!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Headline Fiction, but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this, it's clever, the characters are fully formed from the start, and the relationships and conversations are realistic and never felt strained unless it was supposed to. There are some seriously nasty people in the graduating class of 2000 who definitely haven't mellowed in the intervening 25 years! No spoilers but the Bathory Bulletins featured in each section are just wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable on their own. Highly recommended.

[Terrible Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing mystery that unfurls like a poisoned rose as each POV consecutively adds another insight as to what happened to a group of graduates on both their prom day and the 25th anniversary.

As in all of the author’s books for adults there are some extremely nasty people and the rest have very real human flaws. The class reunion newsletter is a hoot and there are flickers of amusement throughout the book which make it a much more enjoyable read than the tradfest it would have been in a lesser author’s hands.

My only real criticism is that in the audiobook, although well read, it was sometimes difficult to distinguish between the three characters: Di, Lyra and Lyla, as their names are so similar sounding.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling five-star read. The twists will keep you guessing and wondering who and what is happening as just when you think you know, rug pulled. I like the way that the author has kept the details semi hidden, so you know someone is on trial, but not who at first, and the way its done, and the alternating timelines, its wonderful how easy it is to keep it all together, but still keeping you hooked and on tenterhooks wondering will Mags get her happy ever after, and who is keeping the deepest secrets. The deeper into this book you get, the deeper this pulls you into its hooks and gets your brain running.

[Jennifer Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed over my dead body so I was really excited to have the opportunity to read the latest adult fiction by Maz Evans.
A degree of murder is a fun mixture of transcripts, different timelines, points of view from other characters. It keeps your brain interested without being too complicated.
The characters were a great mix of funny, unlikeable, bad boys, kooky, mature. All of them had flaws and the unlikeable ones showed a softer side at certain points.
The actual story was good to follow and it had a great twist at the end.
A really enjoyable read.

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant mystery by Maz Evans, this one set at a 25-year reunion. The characters were unreliable but likeable enough to want to find out what was going on, and the storyline was fun to dive into.
The book flicks between 2000 the year they graduated and 2025 during the reunion. It's multi POV, so the reader gets to really immerse themselves in the action.
I love the mixed media aspect, the newsletters, the courtroom drama and the storyline kept me guessing throughout. It also had me chuckling along as I love this authors humour.

[Debbie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Maz’s writing and this one really has hit the nail on the head! What a page turner and a rollercoaster read this is. Just as I thought there couldn’t possibly be another twist along would come another! I loved the mixture of formats: the newsletters, the court notes, the mixture of past and present narrated through the voices of the numerous characters. What a superbly plotted and executed story; the perfect mix of dark dastardly deeds and humour!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever and entertaining mystery set around a 25-year university reunion, where old secrets and rivalries resurface.

With multiple perspectives, dual timelines and plenty of twists, it keeps you guessing while delivering a fun mix of humour, drama and suspense. A smart, engaging read with a satisfying reveal.

[Louisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters, some with very similar names and a time line that hopped about too much for me to track. Also very confusing between American and UK universities - whilst set in the UK, I spent the first few chapters convinced it was in America!
I loved "Over Her Dead Body" and enjoy Maz Evans' humour, but this one wasn't for me.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great little murder mystery set at a school reunion where the roots of the problem began over 25 years ago. Great characters, good storyline and some twisty turns.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

[Becki Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Maz Evans. She is engaging and so easy to read. The characters pull you into the story, which is clever and thoroughly enjoyable.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Ailee Hodgson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the engagement of reading with this book. Genuinely could not put this down because I was always seeking answers. I loved the characters, I found myself falling in love with Tillie and feeling sorry for her, happy for her, stressed by her. I will be looking for another Maz Evans book to read

[Books and coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous 🌟😱🫠

[Vikki Templeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but found the characters and time flips a little confusing.